Always With You - A Best Friends To Lovers Novel

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five

Bowie

He did not win. It was his first-ever loss, and I could tell he wasn't happy about it. He seemed upset, and he was silently mumbling to himself as we walked back to his changing room.

"You did great, man," Aiden said, stepping inside the room after us. Whitley followed, and she sat down on the bench opposite of where I was standing with River.

"It's just one fight you lost, River. Think about all the times you won," she said, trying to cheer him up. I pushed him down onto the bench and started to clean up the blood that was coming from his nose. His opponent hit him on the right spot, but River's nose wasn't broken.

River let out a harsh laugh but didn't speak afterward. "You did great," I told him, and his hands came up to touch the back of my thighs. He moved his hands along it, looking up at me with a smile.

"Are you still up to come out with us tonight? We could get a beer and something to eat," Aiden suggested.

"Yeah," River answered. "We'll see you there," he said, and Aiden left with Whitley.

"Is it hurting much?" I asked, tapping the last drop of blood off his face.

"I'm fine. That was a close fight, huh?" he said, and I nodded with a smile.

"He was good. And so were you. In the end, the referee decides who gets the win."

River nodded and moved his hands further up my thighs until they were cupping my bottom. He squeezed gently, then pulled me onto his lap so I was straddling him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, getting closer to him with his arms around my waist.

"Do I still get a prize?" he asked with a smug grin on his face. I laughed softly and nodded, leaning into him to kiss him.

My lips parted, and his tongue moved against mine slowly, making the kiss passionate but gentle. My hands moved into his hair, and I pulled at it enough to make it feel good.

A moan escaped me, and he pulled me closer to his body. I felt his cock against my crotch, and I moved against him once more before deepening the kiss. His hands moved down to my bottom, cupping it again with both hands.

I was starting to get excited, but I knew this was not the place for our first time. River wouldn't want it to happen here either, but I didn't stop him as his right hand pushed my dress up my leg, then moving his thumb along the line of my panties. My heart picked up speed, and I was ready for him to touch me at a place he never touched me before. Not with his fingers.

But sadly, it didn't get that far. A knock on the door interrupted us, and I broke the kiss to not get caught making out in case someone entered without permission.

"River, there's someone waiting for you outside," the man called out. It was the referee, and River sighed. "Be right there."

"Any idea who it is?" I asked, slowly getting up from his lap. He tried to keep me there, but then also got up and put on his shirt and sweater. "No. Probably the next guy who wants to fight against me."

He got fully dressed, grabbed his duffle bag and my hand, and led me outside the changing room. We had to go up a staircase to get outside, and as we reached the top, River let out a "fuck, no."

I turned to look toward the man River was staring at, and although I had never seen that man in my life, I knew who he was. I squeezed his hand, silently telling him that I was right there with him. We just talked about his father early this morning, and River was telling me how he asked for his address. I doubted he would find River's apartment but showing up here was a whole other level of stalking.

"What a surprise," his father said, grinning like an idiot. River was tense, and his hand was starting to sweat. I tried to keep calm, so River wouldn't get too agitated.

"What the hell do you want?" River asked.

"Don't think I deserve that tone you talk to me with, son. I came to say hi. After our phone call last night, I thought I made myself clear that I wanna come see you."

River let out a laugh and shook his head. "You should leave." He tried to push me behind him, but I didn't want him to protect me. If anything, I was the one who needed to protect River. I stood my ground, gripping his hand tighter.

"I don't think so," he said, now turning his gaze to me. The way he looked at me did spark some fear in me. "She's cute."

"Don't fucking look at her," River growled, and his father looked back at him with amusement dancing around in his eyes. If I wasn't mistaken, he had definitely been smoking weed before he came here. His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was raspy.

"You weren't this vocal last night. What happened? Did she help you find your balls?"

"That's it," River mumbled, letting his duffle bag fall. He tried to let go of my hand, but I pulled him back. "Don't, Riv. Please," I begged. He already had a fight, and I didn't want him to get into another one.

"Funny how she's got you under control. I bet you didn't amount to anything without the help of others. A shitty college, no job, no fucking goal in life." His father was angry but the way he talked about River made me furious.

Now, I was the one to tense, and I tried to keep my mouth shut. I knew not to add fuel to the fire. River didn't deserve this. He was getting better this morning, and after losing his fight, this wasn't what he needed to hear from his own father.

"I see," he said as River didn't speak. "Weak like you've always been. I'm just wasting my time here. Thought I'd get to spend some quality time with my son, but I guess he's too butthurt to even look me in the eyes."

I've heard enough. He was trying to make River feel bad for things he's not even done, and I wasn't going to stand there and watch him go on like that. I took a step forward, stemming both my hands on my hips to show him just how serious I was

"You were the one blaming him for a horrible, horrible thing, and you've been doing that all his life. It's not fair, and I need you to stop." I saw red, and I didn't care how loud I was. "Please, leave. Or I'll have to call the cops."

The only thing his father could do was laugh at me. I wasn't sure he understood what I said, but he kept laughing. "Now it's clear what a pussy you are," he told River. "Can't even speak up. Have your girl do it for you," he added.

And that was the moment River had had enough, too. He stepped forward, and without a warning, he swung his fist right into his father's face.