Broken Protector

Chapter 30; Go Home

" 'In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you'," Ryder murmurs as I lay, cuddled in his arms. We had finally left my room a few hours ago and somehow, ended up downstairs on a couch with me in Ryder's arms while he read Pride & Prejudice to me.

His back was supported by the back of the couch with me, laying on him. My head was nestled under his chin, my arms wrapped around his back and my legs were tangled with his. Ryder pauses from his reading for a moment, "I honestly don't get this book, Princess," he states.

"Probably, because you're one of the most insensitive boys in this universe," Annabelle teases him when she walked in.  Ryder places the book on the coffee table, lifting eyebrow at her, "Watch it, pipsqueak," he warns.

Ayato walks in than, grinning when he sees me on top of Ryder. "Hey, it's the lovebirds," he teases as well. Ryder stares at him, long and hard before yelling, "Xavier! Come take care of Anna and Riley, you get Ayato!"

Ayato freezes, "Oh shit!" He shouts, dashing out of the room, followed by Annabelle. Smiling, I close my eyes and snuggle deeper into Ryder. He kisses my forehead before murmuring, "Do you want me to continue reading?" I shook my head slightly, "No," I whispered, "Just hold me."

I feel a warm cloth being draped over us that I assumed was a blanket. Silence settles over us, the only sound being my uneven breathing. "Princess?" Ryder murmurs, breaking the silence. "Yes?" I clench handfuls of his t-shirt in my hand as his own hand gentle traces up and down my spine. "When do I get to meet your mom?"

I shrugged, "Whenever, I guess," I mumble, my eyes starting to drift close. "I'm serious, Keeva, " he says, sounding upset. My eyes snap open and I push myself up until I'm straddling him. I meet his wounded eyes and I clamp my teeth down on my bottom lip.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Ryder, " I whisper gently, "We can go visit her on New Year's day, okay?" Holding my hand up, I flip my palm to face him. I see his lips twitch before he slowly raises his hand to press his palm against mine. Our fingers lined up perfectly while we're gazing into each other's eyes.

"I love you," I whisper, "I'm so in love with you, Ryder," my voice was soft as silk as I spoke, "Being with you completes me. You're the last missing piece of the jigsaw-puzzle. The last note in a song, the perfect melody."

My head tilts into his hand when he raises it to cup my cheek. We stare into each other's eyes, "You're so beautiful," he whispers. I blush and advert my gaze, "I love you so much," he murmurs quietly.

******

I lean against the kitchen counter with my hands wrapped around a mug of tea. I wipe away any stray tears from my latest fight with Ryder.

"You guys get in another fight?" I jerk at hearing Ayato's voice but otherwise, don't move. "Yeah," I sighed. He walks closer to me, taking the mug from my hand. "About what?" He murmurs.

I rub my forehead in frustration, "I asked him about his father," I mumble, "About what it was like for him when James came home drunk." Ayato gently rubs my shoulder, "It's a touchy subject for him. Give him time, Keevi-bear."

I looked up when I hear footsteps entering the kitchen and when they sees me, Ryder and Xavier froze. Staring at Ryder, I see his golden eyes were dark so I knew he was still angry and his hair was messier than usual telling me also that he had ran his hands through it repeatedly and his knuckles were slightly wounded.

We stood there staring at each other for several moments before I opened my mouth, "Ry-" I cut myself off when he just turned and walked out. My eyes well up in tears again and I'm immediately hugged sideways by Ayato while Xavier looks at me pitifully. "I'll talk to him," he says simply before going after Ryder.

When he was gone, I slump against Ayato and let go my sobs. My shoulders started shaking at I sobbed silently into his chest. A few moments later, we could hear yelling.

"Just talk to her, Ryder!" Xavier yells. I hear a frustrated cry from Ryder, "I can't! If I do than I'll lash out at her!"

"She needs something, Ryder! Even if you do yell at her, it's better than nothing!"

"I can't hurt her! So for right now, I'm keeping my distance!"

"She doesn't need distance, she needs you!"
.
"No, Xavier, what she needs and deserves are answers that I can't give right now," I could hear the distress in his tone and it causes my heart to ache.

When I heard the front door slam than the roar of a motorcycle, I struggled against Ayato but he tightens his grip around me. "Just give him time, Keeva," Ayato says. I slump against him again, tears still streaming down my face.

"Let me go," I commanded weakly. Ayato hesitantly let me go and I dash out the door like a rocket, only pausing to grab a jacket.

I started walking down the street, towards the first place I could think of that Ryder would be.

"You shouldn't be here," Ryder's cold voice stops me in my tracks as I entered the garden. I kept my head down, the hood of Ryder's hoodie pulled up over my face. "I know," I whisper meekly.

"So go home," he growls. His voice was hard and taunting and seemed to lash at me like a whip. I shook my head, "No," I whisper defiantly, bracing myself for his outburst. It never came and I cautiously peek up through my eyelashes to see him glaring at me but it wasn't as harsh I would've expected.

"Keeva," he growls. I flinch at him saying my actual name, "Go home, now," he orders, his voice deadly calm. I lower my head again, "No," I repeated. "I said go home!" He shouts.

My head snaps up as I glared at him, "I'm not going home and leaving you like this!" I yell back. Ryder's fists clenched as he stalks towards me. I stumble back a few steps but he was already closing in on me.

My back hits the wall and I cower when his hand raises. My eyes snap shut and I flinch when his hand makes contact with the wall beside my head, "This isn't some game, Keeva! I'm dangerous when I'm angry!" He growls dangerously.

I turn my head away from him, "I don't care," I spat. "Look at me," he orders. I obediently lift my eyes to his, glaring. "I know you want answers, but I can't give them yet," he says, running his other hand through his hand in frustration and closing his eyes.

My hand reaches out to touch him but just as my fingers brush his chest, Ryder's hand snaps up and grabs a hold of it. I gasped at the sudden action and press myself back into the wall when his golden eyes flash open.

"R-ryder," I stuttered, biting my bottom lip, "W-what are you doing?" He chuckles darkly, grabbing my other wrist and pinning them above my head with his left hand while his left hand was still on the wall beside my head.

I drop my eyes to the ground as Ryder leans in, dipping his head into my neck. A shudder runs through me as his lips brush along my neck. "I warned you about biting that lip around me, baby," he growls. My breath hitches when his teeth nip at my sweet spot.

"R-ryder," I moaned softly when he starts sucking gently. "You're mine," he hisses harshly against my neck, kissing the fresh lovebite that he left on my neck. Breath trembling, I look up to meet his hooded, golden eyes.

"Little more time, princess, and than you'll know everything. I promise," he says, breathing hard. I wet my lips, "Can you-" my voice cracks, "Can you kiss me?" Hardly a second later, his lips crash down on mine and he's kissing me hungrily.