Broken Protector

Chapter 24: Forevermore

Ryder

Groaning, I roll over and reach for Keeva, only to frown when I don't find her. My eyes snap open and I see her side empty with only a piece of paper laying upon the pillow.

I push myself up into a slumped over, sitting position and grab the paper. Squinting, I read through the paper.

Ryder, I woke up early and couldn't sleep so I'll be downstairs working on my article for class or in the gardens(our place). I love you, Keeva.

I crumbled up the paper and get out of bed, pulling on a shirt while I do. Than I headed downstairs in search of my princess.

No one seemed to be awake yet as I walked into the living room. I couldn't help but smile when I catch sight of Keeva asleep on the couch with her laptop open on her lap. She was leaning against the armrest with her legs spread out in front of her and her head was laying against the back of the couch.

I lifted the laptop off her lap and set it on the coffee table, saving her bullying article before I turned back to her. Her forehead was slightly wrinkled and she's frowning which made me frown.

I sigh, pressing a kiss to her tremble before draping a blanket over her to keep her warm. Keeva grips onto the blanket and snuggles into it, "Ryder.." I smirk when I hear my name leave her red lips.

Keeva is mine. If anyone touches her than it's their last day on earth. Never did I think that I would fall in love with this angel. That first day I met her, when I saw her getting hurt by that bully, I felt furious. I mean yeah, I'm known for my temper but that time was different. For the first time, I was angry because someone was hurting someone that wasn't me or my family.

Keeva didn't even fight back, she just laid there and accepted it. Like she had no hope and I guess, thinking about it, she really didn't. And than in the gardens when I finally got a real look at her. Her auburn hair had fallen out of the high ponytail she kept it in and was spilled over her shoulders and down her back in a wave of curl. Her shoulders had been slumped in defeat until she turned around, revealing those big blue doe eyes and hearts shaped face that was framed by auburn curls.

There was slight red around the edge of her eyes and I could see tears on her cheek that she immediately wiped away when she saw me looking. I asked her what was wrong and she immediately blushed when I repeated the question.

Than it was two days later when I saw her again. Only this time, she was at my school and chatting awkwardly with Ayato and Blake. She was blushing than too. Keeva was, is, and always has been the perfect picture of innocence to anyone that can't see past her fake smiles.

I knew she was hiding something when she hardly met anyone's eyes or would flinch at sudden movements and loud noises or even sudden outbursts. She would cower and her beautiful blue eyes would flicker everywhere while widening in fear. And than she woke up screaming a few nights later from a nightmare.

My princess is broken, I know that, and she does shut people out if they got too close but she wasn't bitter. Somehow, her past just made her even more gentle, sweet, and understanding. I knew that Keeva had figured out that there was something more behind the cold, hard, unbreakable wall that I had built around me as I had her. Since the first day I met her, Keeva has been poking and prying at me, trying to get in my walls and slowly she succeeded. And than I fell in love with her.

Keeva is my-if you believe in such a thing-guardian angel. She's my light in the forever consuming darkness that she slowly drove away. She saved me and changed me. And I love her forevermore for that.

My thoughts are interrupted by the door slamming and Carlisle along with Ayato entering. Ayato, being the nosy idiot he always is, let's out a loud whoop. I sent a glare his way when Keeva suddenly stirs in her sleep. "Be quiet you idiot! Keeva's asleep!" I hissed.

He grins sheepishly but shuts up. My golden eyes flicker to Carlisle when he clears his throat. "What?" I growl. He stares at me evenly, "I want to talk to you." His tone was firm and left no room for argument.

Without breaking eye contact with Carlisle, I said to Ayato, "Get out." He opens his mouth to protest but I quickly silence him with a deadly glare. Ayato cowardly runs out of the room.

My attention goes back to Carlisle but I kept my gaze on Keeva. "Talk," I ordered quietly, my voice cold as I'm breathing in Keeva's flowery scent to calm myself.

She smells like lavender..

Carlisle sits on the other couch with a heavy sigh, "What is Keeva to you, Ryder?" I didn't hesitate and answer immediately, "Everything," I whisper, stroking the hair from Keeva's face. "Does she know?" I snorted at his ridiculous question.

"Of course she knows. Keeva is continually prying at me, Carlisle. She never lets me close up on her without a fight," I chuckled, letting go of my hard tone for just a moment.
"She's been through a lot, son," Carlisle says quietly causing my eyes to snap to his. "I'm not going to hurt her if that's what you think!" I growled loudly. Keeva stirs again and frowns making me wince.

"Ryder?" She mumbles sleepily. I shush her quickly, "Shh, go back to sleep. Everything's okay," I whisper softly. Keeva opens her eyes instead, blinking at me before stretching her hand out. "I want you," she pouts. My lips twitch in amusement as I sit beside her, letting her curl into my body.

She immediately falls back to sleep and I sigh, gazing down at the beauty in my arms. "I know you aren't going to hurt her, Ryder. Just be careful," Carlisle says, watching us. I raise my eyes to his, pausing for a moment. "Carlisle, thank you," I whisper.

He frowns, "For what?" I stare at the ceiling, "For taking care of me like a father even when I treated all you like shit," I mumble. Instead of scolding me like he normally would do for my language, Carlisle smiles, "Ryder, you are my son as so are the other boys and Keeva is my daughter," he tells me. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Christmas Eve dinner to make."

He pushes himself off the couch and heads to the kitchen. I watch as he pauses for a moment, "Oh, and we have a another female student coming, her name's Jasmine Hawke," he says, looking me square in the eyes, "I expect you boys to welcome her just like you welcomed Keeva. Jasmine is similar to Xavier and Keeva in ways, she's quiet, a loner but strong-willed and thick-headed."

I nodded and he enters the kitchen, leaving me alone in my thoughts. Another girl, huh? I hope her and Keeva get along.  Probably will by what Carlisle described and if I know any better, Keeva, will no doubt, try to hook Xavier and Jasmine up.

Xavier is the quiet one out of us five boys. He's always been a loner and stuck to his self. Ayato is the most noisiest one, always seeing the positive side of things and tries to cheer everyone up. Blake is the the more musical one, the emo type but otherwise is just like his brother, Ayato. Than Riley is the troublemaker. He's friends with almost everyone on campus and is aways pulling pranks on people, even the teachers. But no matter how much trouble he causes, everyone loves him and finds his pranks hilarious.

Finally, you've got me, the 'bad boy'. I shut everyone out except Keeva, drive a motorcycle, get into a lot of fights, and got suspended about 5 times so that explains my bad boy reputation. But like Keeva said, I am a dangerous enemy. I am not one to be crossed unless you can deal with the outcomes. Xavier us actually my best friend along with Riley. They've always had my back these past two or three years and I owe them my life.

Everyone else-outside the people that live in my dorm house-keep their distance from me. Mostly because of who my father is and also because I've put people in the hospital before. I fight to protect my loved ones and show no mercy.

My father is a billionaire who had plenty of enemies which means I have plenty of enemies. People have continuously tried to kill me because of who he is. My father is not a good guy and doesn't give two shits about his family. But I stopped caring a long damn time ago about that.

My mom, Annabelle-my little sister-and Keeva are the other people I care about now. Nothing else matters but them because I have nothing else but them.