Page 65 of Shattered Rhythm

“So that’s it? You give up?” he asks, his voice laced with disappointment. “Jaxon tells you it’s going to be difficult, and you throw in the towel?”

“Chase, that’s not fair,” I start to say, but he steps into my space, his hands cupping my face.

“You’re a fighter, Liv. I see it every fucking day in the way you move, the way you talk, the way you dance, and how fiercely you feel. Fight for them, and let them fight for you in return,” he says.

“I can’t,” I whisper, my voice trembling as tears start to form in my eyes, blurring my vision. “I am not going to be the reason why you all lose your family.”I can’t bear the thought of being the cause of that.

Chase lets go of my face, steps back, and shakes his head before turning away from me. He jumps off the stage and leaves the studio, taking a piece of my heart with him.

* * *

Jaxon

Ryder is still yelling at me when Chase bursts into my office, out of breath and sweating.

What the hell?

“And where have you been? Having a little dance session in the middle of our family drama?” Ryder snaps at him. He’s so angry, I’ve never seen him act like that toward someone in our family. River is sitting at my desk chair with his head in his hands, seemingly trying to tune out Ryder’s yelling, but I can tell that he’s in pain.

“Ryder,” I say, waiting until he looks at me and nodding my head towards River. He follows my gaze.

“That’s all your fucking fault!” he says, just as loudly as before. “I don’t get what your problem is! You can have her! We can all have her! She wants us all, even Chase, who can’t stop putting his dick in everything that has a pulse and a pussy!”

My gaze flicks to Chase but he just smirks at Ryder’s insult.

“She wants to be part of our family. We could build something so fucking good, and all you can see is that she’d be having sex with all of us? Good for her! I trust you with her and I trust her with you, because your part of my family and just as important as she is. We can talk it out and make rules if it helps you, like ensuring no one touches her in front of each other. I don’t give a fuck. Jaxon, I would do anything to make this possible, because she’s the fucking jackpot.”

“The fact that Liv just dropped everything that is important to her because you made her think she could be responsible for us losing our family should tell you enough to know that he is right,” Chase chimes in, leaning against the wall. Ryder gives him a critical glance.

“So you’re in?” he asks.

“I’m not,” Chase responds, shaking his head. “I know I’m going to mess up, and I don’t want to ruin this for you guys. Since I’ve never been in a relationship before, I don’t think such a complicated one is the best way to start, and like you said, I can’t seem to stop sticking my dick into holes.”

He smirks again and Ryder at least has the decency to look embarrassed.

“But I want it to work for you guys. You can have the girl you want and spend your time with the family you chose for yourself—doesn’t sound like a bad deal to me. I support the idea, Jaxon,” he finishes, crossing his arms over his chest. Ryder goes to him, grabs his head, and pulls their foreheads together.

“Thank you, brother.” He then laughs and pushes him away. “God, you stink.” Chase laughs too before getting serious again.

“Liv just danced her heart out on the dance floor. That whole thing wreaked havoc on her.”

River finally looks up from the desk and zeroes in on Chase, concern etched on his face.

“She’s hurt?” he asks, and Chase looks over at him, his expression turning grim.

“Pretty much heartbroken, but too stubborn to fight or take initiative.”

“Fuck,” River mutters, standing and pulling at his hair. “She needs us. We need to show her that we support her, even just as friends, and that she’s not alone in this.”

“You’re right, Riv,” Ryder says, nodding in agreement. “Let’s go check on her and make sure she’s okay.”

They both leave my office, but not before Ryder shoots another glare my way. I let out a sigh as I sit down in my desk chair. Chase comes over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

“You know, Jax, I’m always going to be on your side first,” he starts. “And I’ll never pressure you into anything you can’t do, but if you fear what she could do to this family if we let her in, consider what she could do to it if we don’t.”

I look up at him, realizing the truth in his words. We’re all too far gone to avoid the impact Liv has on us.

“Please just promise me that you’ll give it a real fighting chance while you think about it. Don’t just push the idea away because you can’t see yourself there now. Really consider it, visualize it. Ask yourself what you would need from them to feel comfortable. If you take your time and still can’t do it, I’m with you, always.”

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