Page 55 of Shattered Rhythm

“None of your fucking business,” River says, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Get fucking lost, Gunner,” Ryder croaks, standing next to me and rubbing his throat.

“Did you even know that she has nightmares? That she suffers nearly every fucking night? I bet not. Suchgood friendsyou are,” Gunner sneers at them. “You saw a beautiful girl living alone and used her loneliness and naivety to get into her pants. You were successful it seems.”

“Gunner!” I shout, my eyes filling with tears.

“I’m just trying to protect you, Livy. They don’t really care for you. They’re just interested in one thing and one thing only.”

I understand that he’s angry or jealous or whatever, but I won’t let him talk about me like that.

“So you think that’s the only thing a lonely, naive little girl is good enough for? Get out and cool down. We can talk another time,” I say firmly, hugging myself.

His angry face falls into something like regret when he looks at me, but he nods and turns to walk out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Ryder

As soon as Gunner is gone, Liv starts to cry, so River pulls her into his arms. I’m struggling not to go out there and pummel the guy for how he talked to her, but let’s be honest, he would hand me my ass.

“You know you’re more to me than that, right?” River asks her, planting kisses all over her face until she laughs between sobs. “I mean, I loved what we did tonight, but even if we’re never doing that again, you’re stuck with me, beautiful.”

I step closer to Liv’s back and hug her from behind.

“Stuck with us,” I whisper in her ear, and she sighs.

“I’m sorry, guys. Gunner does come and check on me when I have nightmares because he hears me scream through the walls. We’ll drink coffee afterwards when I’m too shaken to go back to sleep, or sometimes he stays and we talk for a while. I should have told you before falling asleep, but somehow, I just forgot.”

I believe Liv when she says that there’s nothing but friendship between her and Gunner, but I still can’t shake off the feeling of jealousy.How come that asshole knows her better than I do?

“You have nightmares nearly every night?” I ask Liv quietly, taking her hand and interlocking our fingers. She steps out of River’s embrace and reaches for his hand too, guiding us to the bed. We sit on the edge, with Liv nestled between us. She lets go of our hands and folds hers in her lap before beginning to speak.

“I do. I went through something traumatic, and it still affects me. I have nightmares and struggle with sleep. I know you have questions and I want to tell you, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet, not with you or anybody other than my therapist. I didn’t tell you about this before, I understand if this is too much for you,” she finishes, her voice trembling, but River turns her face to him so he can look into her eyes.

“You can never be too much for the right person,” he assures her with a soft smile. I feel a pang of envy that he always knows the right thing to say, so I just take Liv’s hand and squeeze it.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

I gently usher them both back into bed, holding Liv close to me and stroking her head until she falls back asleep. I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions. I’m angry at Gunner for his accusations and assumptions, and jealous of the closeness he seems to share with Liv. Most of all, though, I feel protective of her and determined to be there for her in any way that she needs. As I lie there with Liv in my arms, I realize that I’m falling hard for her. It’s scary to feel so strongly for someone so fast, especially when she’s dealing with so much pain and trauma, but I know that I want to be by her side, to support her and make her feel safe.

I look over at River, who’s already back asleep with a content smile on his face. He’s been the center of my life since forever, and I know that I can trust him to have my back with her. I can’t shake off the feeling that she’s someone special, someone who could change everything. I hold her tighter and vow to myself that I will do everything in my power to make her happy and protect her from harm before I finally drift off to sleep.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

Liv

The morning was peaceful, with Ryder and River by my side as I woke up. I enjoyed their company as we chatted over coffee, discussing Ryder’s gig again before they headed off to shower and begin their workday at Tanner Fitness. I took my time in the shower, indulging in a thorough scrub and exfoliation. Thanks to Liam’s perfectionism, I underwent laser hair removal two years ago, so I no longer need to shave. It’s one of the few things I’m grateful he talked me into.

After my shower, I apply my favorite vanilla-scented body oil and wrap my hair in a turban. Just then, there’s a knock at the door. Since I already know it’s Gunner, I wrap a towel around my body and walk to the door. I’ve been thinking about him since the twins left. He hurt me, but I understand that it came from a place of concern. Since I already consider him my best friend, I don’t want to fight with him or lose him, but we need to talk this shit out because I won’t let anyone treat me like that. I swore to myself that I’d never let anyone walk all over me again.

I open the door forcefully and find Gunner there, bracing his right forearm on the top of the doorframe, looking at his feet. As his gaze slowly travels up my body, his eyes widen and stop at my forearm and shoulder. I curse myself for forgetting about the scars. There was a time when I couldn’t think of anything else, but now… I clutch the towel closer to my chest, pushing up my boobs in the process. He quickly glances at them before looking me in the eyes, blushing, and then looking up at the ceiling.

“What do you want?” I ask, and he takes a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Livy. I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier. I just… I worry about you,” he says, his eyes meeting mine, and I can see the sincerity in them. I soften a bit and nod.

“I know you do, and I appreciate it, but you can’t treat me like that. I’m not some fragile naive thing that needs to be protected all the time,” I reply, and he nods his head in understanding.

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