Worse for Hope- Book #2 in the WF Series

Chapter 44: Scars

✮Rider's POV:✮

"I swear to god, the audacity people get in traffic. I've never seen an eagle nose-shaped asshole have so much to say all because I didn't let him throu-."

As I'm complaining and planning a murder out in my head on that turtle head dick, Beth all of a sudden runs into my chest, making me take a step back. Her arms wrap around me like her life depends on it. Usually, I would enjoy this since I love her hugs, but this feels different. Also, Beth isn't this affectionate usually. I have to initiate our hugs most of the time and she pretends to hate it even though she's smiling like crazy.

She is definitely not smiling right now.

"You're okay," she repeats constantly, water felt against my T-shirt.

My heart drops at just the feeling of her crying and her hands shaking so frantically around my back.

She pulls away abruptly to look at me like she thought she would never see me again.

"You weren't picking up your phone and I didn't know why so I tried to get my mind off of it by watching Tv and then the news came on and someone apparently jumped off of a bridge and they said they were around your height but there was no identification and I didn't know what to do because you seemed happy but I thought that maybe you weren't or something happened and I didn't notice it again and-."

"Hey, hey, hey." I quickly grab both sides of her beautiful face to stop her from rambling which is very unlike her. I'm the talker most of the time who forgets punctuation.

"Sweetheart, I'm fine. I was stuck in literally the worst traffic I've ever seen and my phone died. My charger stopped working in my car or else I would've texted you."

I'm fixing that charger tonight.

The second I told her that I'm okay, I quite literally saw the oxygen re-enter her lungs and her chest slow down for a second.

"Rider, please, I need you to tell me if you're ever unhappy because I can't handle losing you. I don't want to find out that you've hurt yourself over the news or by a police officer coming to the door." She shakes my head like the image won't leave her mind.

"Bethane, I promise I'm happy." I pull her back into my chest, kissing the top of her head. "I have everything I want right here."

My head repeatedly rubs her back up and down to reassure her with my words.

"I'm sorry if I don't ask you more if everything is alright. I'm sorry about anything mean I've ever said to you when I was mad. I didn't mean it." She's almost sobbing now, unable to get her mind under control.

"Hey, what I did to you was awful and I deserved so much worse. I understand where you were coming from, and If I'm ever upset with you, you would know, okay? Nothing is going to happen to me."

She holds me for another minute before taking her head off of my chest. Her gorgeous, vulnerable eyes look up at me, scanning my face multiple times.

"I-." she chokes, looking into both of my eyes when the three words almost slip off her tongue again. The words that I heard. The words that I was too big of a bitch to bring up to her last night when I had so many opportunities to.