Page 124 of Scream Little Sister
A whimper spills past her lips, and she throws herself at me. I wind my arms around her, catching her before she falls. My eyes slide shut, and I squeeze her closer to me, needing her to be one with me, to burrow beneath my skin and never part from me again.
“You’re here,” she chokes out.
I bury my face in her hair at the top of her head. “Always, baby doll. I’ll always be here and keep you safe.”
Madison cries into my chest, her fingers curling into my drenched hoodie. My temples ache from the pressure of holding back tears.
I thought she would have been safe with Nova. I wasn’t planning on all of this going to shit, but I should have known better. Jerry and Justin warned me repeatedly, and I fucking ignored every single one of them. It doesn’t matter right now. All that matters isherand needing her to know how fucking sorry I am.
Madison shakes her head. “It’s not your fault.”
Itismy fault. I should have waited for my friends to call or text me back, or at the very least, I should have called them before blindly riding out of town. Instead, I fell for Jerry and Justin’s trap. They found my weakness in her and my friends and used it against me. I should have listened to those assholes when they hinted at taking me down.
I’m a fucking idiot who doesn’t deserve to breathe anymore.
I take Madison’s hand and lead her through the house and into the kitchen instead of the living room. I don’t want her to see her father’s corpse again. Dropping onto a chair, I drag Madison onto my lap and hold her close. She melts in my armsand buries her face in the crook of my neck as I cling to her like a lifeline.
I want to kiss her so badly. I want to chase the memory of Justin’s touch from her skin, but I don’t want to violate her any more than she already has been. Instead of giving in to my selfish needs, I hold her while she softly cries against my throat.
Her screams echo in my head, bringing the fright I felt while I listened to them on the dangerous ride here. With all the rain, I could have easily wrecked and died, but Madison is always worth the risk. She’s successfully wrapped me around her little finger, and I refuse to release my hold now.
My fingers curl into her shirt at the small of her back from the fresh memory of Jerry pinning Madison down and Justin forcing himself between her legs. Justin’s promise to Jerry plays like a broken record, paired with Madison’s screams.
Fingers brush against my cheeks, then under my eyes. I blink them open, and Madison looks back at me, her eyes puffy and red from crying. Her chin quivers as she holds back her sobs. She swipes her thumb underneath my eye again, catching more tears.
I’m crying?
Everything hurts. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally. It fucking aches, and I want it to go away. I’ve never felt so deeply. Once upon a time, I would have blamed her for making me feel like this. I would have been angry and hated her even more for making me feeleverything. But right now, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. She brought me to life and is now comfortingmewhenshewas the one who’d been assaulted.
Fuck my feelings.
Who gives a fuck about me and how I feel?
She was the one who?—
Madison leans in and softly presses her lips against mine, silencing my spiraling thoughts.
Everything goes quiet.
My mind.
The outside world.
All that matters is my sister—the love of my life and the only woman I give a fuck about.
I hold still, not wanting to spook her with my overwhelming need to snatch her closer and consume her mouth with mine.
Sensing my hesitation, Madison loops her arm around my neck and cups the back of my head. Her lips smash against mine, and she flicks her tongue against my bottom lip, catching one piercing in a slow stroke.
“It’s okay,” she breathes against my parted lips. “I know it’s you, Ryder. You would never hurt me.Please.” Her voice cracks with her soft plea. “Please kiss me. Touch me. Do whatever you need to come back to me. I’m yours.”
I lunge forward and deepen the kiss, tasting her sweetness and needing more. She lets out a whimper but doesn’t hesitate when she kisses me back with as much fervor.
Her sweet vanilla-and-ocean-breeze perfume fills my lungs as I breathe her in. Her touch raises goosebumps on my arms and sends heat through my veins. Madison’s soft sounds light a fire in my chest that blazes out of control at the first spark. My cock hardens with each passing second, but I don’t intend to fuck her right now. I just want to hold her. Kiss her. Hear her say my name and keep tugging my hair the way I like.
Madison is grounding me. She’s chasing away the monsters in my head who are telling me I’m better off dead. I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing, and if I’m being honest with myself, I don’t think I can tell her right now. This isn’t about me.
A motorcycle’s growling engine breaks the moment. I catch Madison’s bottom lip and nip, then suck, before I pull away. She blinks open her eyes and pants, her soft expression now lacking the terror that was there moments ago.
