Page 172 of Second Sets Omnibus

Keeping my eyes locked on him and refusing to look down at his utterly nude body. I smother another laugh.

“Yes, happy Monday indeed. It’s now 8:55 a.m., Rad,” I say, holding up my phone so he can examine the time. “What is supposed to happen at 8:45 a.m.?” I purse my lips when he shrugs in response and suddenly stills.

Before I can even think, move, or protect myself, Rad wraps his arms around my waist at lightning speed and throws me in the middle of the bed. I screech when he throws his body over mine, and the wet blankets over us with a grin, soaking us both to the bone with cold as fuck water.

“Is it bed wrestling time?” he says, pushing his body onto mine and holding me down as I wiggle, trying to get away.

“Rad, get off of me,” I grunt, struggling beneath him as he laughs.

“No can do, Pretty Girl,” Rad says with a gigantic grin, mocking me as I struggle.

I try with all my might to remove my hands from between our bodies, only stopping my struggle when the stark realization hits me square in the chest. Oh god. Something hard and heavy rests against my thigh, jumping every time I fucking move. Swallow me up, world, and take me away! An unwanted blush heats my face when I lock eyes with Rad, who wiggles his brows.

“I swear to God, if that’s your dick on my leg, I’m going to slaughter you,” I growl through gritted teeth. Rad’s face lights up even more when he stares down at me with satisfaction.

“Now you’re speaking my language! He’s just trying to find his home, Pretty Girl. You hear that, boy? We’re almost to where we belong. It’s like somewhere over the rainbow, but my pot of gold is your pussy.” If I could cover his mouth, I’d slap my palm across his lips. But alas, I’m still stuck and forced to listen to him.

“No, I swear! If your dick gets any closer to me, I will chop it off. You asked me if I still carried my knife. Well, it’s still in my damn pocket. Ashton, if you don’t get off me, there will be blood,” I say, making him laugh. His nose nestles into the crook of my neck, with a happy sigh rocking through him. Every muscle in his body relaxes, and for a few golden seconds, he doesn’t utter a word.

“I’m sorry, Pretty Girl.” Rad doesn’t move when my body stiffens. Oxygen evacuates my lungs, leaving my head a muddled mess.

“You’re sorry for what? For dragging me into this wet bed or putting your dick on my leg?” I whisper, with my heart pounding against my chest. I swear it’s about to come through my ribs and fall out onto the floor when his glossy eyes find mine.

Rad swallows hard, gracefully moving my hair from my face. He examines me with concentration, taking in every aspect of my features. Silently, he shakes his head.

“For all of it, Pretty Girl. For years, I thought the worst about you. I thought you fucking broke my heart. I’ve been a different man since we left Central City. I’ve become someone I’d never wanted to become. But seeing you and Lyric, I see that I missed out. I missed out, Pretty Girl, because I didn’t talk to you before I left. So, you ask why I’m sorry? I’m sorry because I was a jackass. No matter what actually happened, even if you did…” He sucks in a breath, closes his eyes, and regains himself as a tear leaks down his cheek. “River, I believe you.”

I reel back as if I’ve been slapped. Just two days ago, he sang a different tune. And now…

“You believe me?” I ask through a shuddering breath, swallowing the emotions drifting up my constricted throat.

Rad slowly nods in confirmation, leaning closer and hovering his face above mine. If he moves another inch, his lips will press into mine, and I don’t know how well I’ll be able to stop him. Thankfully, he doesn’t. He lingers there, examining my eyes as they wildly take him in.

“Yes, I believe you. I just have to figure out what the hell actually happened. Something fucking stinks.” He shakes his head in aggravation but doesn’t make a move to get off me.

Raw emotions splinter inside of me, cracking open old wounds I thought had festered closed many years before. Seeing Rad and hearing all the feelings behind his words does something to my insides. I’ve erected walls for so long, trying to keep the pain of what they did to me at bay, that it feels strange to let the dam break. But it doesn’t mean anything that he is sorry now.

“You’re sorry now?” I whisper through trembling lips, trying to keep my emotions on the inside. I don’t have time or the energy to dissect our relationship or lack thereof.

Rad nods again, shakily running his fingers through my hair. If he doesn’t stop touching me, I will lose all of my composure. If there’s one person who can break down the walls I’ve put in place, it would be him.

“I’m so sorry that I ever doubted you. I was in love with you, River. I wanted so many things with you, and I fucking blew it because I took Asher’s word for it. Now I see that not only should I have talked to you first. That I shouldn’t have listened to him. But Callum, when he came back from your apartment, he looked so devastated and… I’m sorry, Pretty Girl.”

“I believe that you are, Rad.” I swallow my tongue when he looks at me again with raw emotions emanating from him. You can practically taste it in the air.

I don’t know what happened. Why the hell is he all of a sudden sorry? Was it our talk from last night that resonated with him, and he finally listened to me? Whatever the case, I feel in my soul that he truly is sorry for what happened back then. It just doesn’t make up for what they did. No matter if they didn’t sign the restraining orders or if they didn’t know about Lyric. They walked away. Endpoint.

“You never signed a restraining order?” I ask, swallowing hard.

“Fuck no. We were hurt, but not that hurt. We would never have done that. How can I make this up to you, Pretty Girl?” he asks with pleading eyes. “How can I show you or tell you that I’m sorry? That I believe every word you said.” Rad’s grip tightens on me as he lays his forehead against mine and closes his eyes with a deep, heavy sigh. “I lost you once because of my stupidity, but I will make up for it with every fiber of my soul.”

With a labored breath, I turn my head forcefully, trying to remove his grip from mine. The warmth of his body wraps me in a hug, and something screams in the back of my mind for me to stay there, stay under him and enjoy his presence. But the hurt I feel bubbling up and wanting to come out in tears has me retreating inside myself. As I stare at the plain white wall, with my ex-lover on top of me, begging me to forgive him for his indiscretions, I shake my head.

“It’s too late, Rad,” I say in a shaky voice, barely above a whisper. “There’s nothing you could do now to make up for what you did. The only reason you will ever stay in my life is because of Lyric. She needs her fathers, and that’s all you’ll ever be. I don’t forgive you,” I whisper, holding in the hurt I feel with everyword I say. It’s not that I don’t believe them. I do. I believe every word I say. “You hurt me too badly.”

Our relationship isn’t fixable. Asher, Rad, Callum, and Kieran will only be her four fathers. We will co-parent, and we will coexist together for the next six months for the sake of their jobs, but I will never put my heart on the line ever again and have them eviscerate it by walking away. If they did it once, what’s stopping them from doing it again?

“I understand, Pretty Girl. But you think I’m going to give up because you said that it will never happen again? Seriously, you don’t remember who I am. At all. I am Ashton Radcliffe the Third. And I go after what I want. I will make this up to you. I will follow you to the ends of the earth on my hands and knees and bleed for you until you’re back in my arms just like this. Mark my words. One day soon, you, my Pretty Girl, will be mine again. Oh, and also scream my name. But we’ll get to the sexy stuff once I prove myself.” With reluctance, Rad peels himself off my body and sits back on his heels. With a grin, he lets his naked body hang out without shame.