Page 63 of Shattered Rhythm

“Come on, let’s head home,” I suggest, standing up and brushing the sand off my clothes.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Liv

I had a tough time in choreography class today. I just couldn’t seem to grasp a certain sequence, and the teacher’s feedback was more discouraging than motivating. I couldn’t bear the disappointment, so I decided to skip grocery shopping and head straight to the studio to work on the routine until I got it right.

Me, a perfectionist and people pleaser? No way.

I arrive at Tanner Fitness and immediately spot all four guys standing around the reception desk, laughing with each other. My heart swells. River is the first to see me, and his face lights up as he walks over and pulls me close, pressing his forehead against mine.

“Missed you, beautiful,” he whispers before giving me a gentle kiss.

My stomach flutters with butterflies as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back. When we break apart, I get turned by my shoulder to face Ryder.

“Give me those pretty lips, baby,” he says with a smirk before kissing me passionately, cupping the back of my head. He dips me backwards and bites my lip before pulling away. I can’t help but laugh.

“I missed you guys too,” I whisper. As I finally tear my gaze away from the twins and look at the other guys, I see Chase’s eyebrows nearly reaching his hairline and Jaxon sporting a scowl I’ve never seen before.Fuck. I knew it was too good to be true.

River takes my workout bag from my shoulder and holds my hand as we walk towards the reception desk.

“Hey, guys, how are you?” I ask, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

“Well, not as good as you all are doing it seems,” Chase says, but he’s smiling. I blush and glance down at the floor.

“I’m going to work on my choreography for a while. See you all later?” I ask, glancing up at a still angry-looking Jaxon before turning towards the locker room.

* * *

River

As soon as Liv is out of earshot, Jaxon’s eyes narrow and he points his finger behind him.

“My office, now,” he rumbles.

“What is your problem, Jax?” Ryder asks, but Jaxon’sdon’t mess with meexpression silences us all. We follow him to his office, knowing better than to defy him when he’s in this kind of mood. As soon as we’re all in the room, Jaxon explodes.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“What? Because we did what you didn’t have the balls to do yourself?” Ryder retorts, standing in front of him.

“Ryder!” I hiss, since getting into it with Jaxon isn’t the best strategy.

“You two are being stupid!” Jaxon shouts. “Kissing her both in public, when Chase and I are close with her too. Do you know what people will think? I can already hear Chase’s dance students bitching about her getting special treatment from the owners.”

“Yeah, I don’t like to say it, but that’s more than possible. Some of them are mean bitches,” Chase says, grimacing.

“We don’t give a damn about what everyone else thinks,” Ryder declares as he begins pacing. “The only people who matter in this situation are Liv and the people in this room.”

I nod in agreement, but I can feel the tension rising. Jaxon looks pissed, and I know he’s about to unload.

“Ryder, you don’t understand. This isn’t just about appearances. Liv’s reputation and our studio’s reputation are on the line here. We can’t just make reckless decisions without considering the consequences,” Jaxon explains.

“I understand your concerns, Jax, but you also need to trust that Liv is capable of making her own choices,” Chase says calmly.

“But what if she’s just using us all?” Jaxon asks, frustration apparent in his voice. “We barely know her, and there’s something off about her that we can’t ignore.” Ryder stops pacing and turns to Jaxon,

“We don’t know her completely yet, that’s true. But what we do know is that Liv is a good person with a kind heart. And that’s all that matters,” he says, his voice firm. “We can’t let our fears and doubts cloud our judgment and ruin something potentially great. Can’t you see that? All of us being with her, being even more of a family?”

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