Lucky's Real Life Romance Novel

Chapter 23

We were at dinner one night when my dad decided to drop a bomb on us. It had been a month since River went public with our relationship. Things had died down a bit, but my popularity didn't go down much.

"My new book is releasing next week. The publisher is throwing a party or something for it. River, you're free to come if you want," my dad announced.

"How cool! I've always wanted to see how those things worked. I'd love to come," River agreed.

"It's a bunch of old people talking about literature and drinking wine," I muttered between bites.

"It's also a fan signing," my dad added.

"Right, old people talking about literature, right after horror mystery fanatics drool over my dad. I forgot," I corrected myself.

"It sounds like fun, Mr. Lee," River said.

"How many times do I have to tell you, just call me Richard," my dad said to River. He's been trying to get River to call him that since they met, but River awkwardly called him 'Mr. Lee' ever time without fail.

"I assume you'll be taking my daughter as your date so I found a babysitter for Mia for that night," my dad continued.

"Who said I wanted to go?" I countered.

"You're not going to your own father's release party?" He asked with a pout. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. He was trying to be cute.

"You've already guilt tripped me into going to every other release party you've ever had. Twenty-two books, dad. Finally, someone else can go as your mascot. Why would I go?" I asked as I picked at my food.

"You would make me go by myself? I've never been to one of these before," River said with a pout. Great, he was acting like my dad now. I glanced at him before scoffing and shaking my head.

"Really, Riv?" I asked. He chuckled as he shrugged.

"Come on. Go with me," River asked. I sighed as I set my fork down. I shook my head before checking with Mia. Luckily, she was done eating. I took her plate to the sink before taking her to get ready for bed. After getting her settled, I went to my room to find River there waiting for me. He held his arms out for me but I knew better. He wanted something from me. I kept my distance as I looked at him suspiciously.

"What is it?" I asked knowingly.

"Come to the release party with me," he said as he held my hands in his and pulled me towards him. I took a breath and tried to take my hands out of his. He pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me to keep me in place. My arms were stuck by my sides and I couldn't get out of it.

"Riv, I don't want to go," I whined. He held me tighter and placed a kiss on my nose.

"Come on, don't make me go on my own. You said it yourself: it's going to be a bunch of old people there. At least come so I'll have someone to talk to," he tried to reason with me.

"I can just stay here and watch Mia," I argued. He placed another kiss on my cheek.

"Riv-" he stopped me again by kissing my other cheek.

"You're so childish," I rolled my eyes at him.

"Is that a yes?" He asked with a small smile.

"Are you sleeping over?" I asked instead. He already knew he convinced me to go even if I didn't say it out loud. His smile widened before he pecked my lips.

"I like sleeping next to you," he smiled before finally releasing me. That wasn't the question I asked and he knew it. I was asking if he was sleeping in the house, not in my bed. I pushed him off of me lightly before getting my pajamas.

"You're awfully cheeky today," I muttered before going to the bathroom to get dressed for bed. River had gotten a lot more comfortable around my dad, especially since he started sleeping over. It's not like my dad didn't know; he just trusted me. River and Mia had almost completely moved in. They were rarely at their house, which helped cut down on living expenses for them, and allowed River to actually focus his financial planning on other things like school supplies for Mia. A good chunk of Mia and River's clothes had actually made their way into the guest room even though River would often sleep in my room. It wasn't like we planned it, but we always ended up falling asleep in my room while talking when River didn't sleep in the guest room with Mia.

When I came out of my bathroom, River was also dressed for bed. He had only recently started deliberately sleeping in my room. We both knew it would turn out that way anyway, so there was no point in pretending we wouldn't,. But still, he could've pretended. I got in the bed before River shut off the lights and got in the bed next to me. His arms wrapped around me from behind as we cuddled.

"I'm really glad I met you," River said softly into the darkness after a moment of comfortable silence. I smiled lightly as my hands covered his.

"I'm glad I met you too. You and Mia are probably the best thing that's ever happened to me," I responded in a tone barely above a whisper. It was the truth. Before meeting River, I kind of just dragged through life. Even though the whole reason I even pried into him was because of my writing and his bruises, I'm glad I chose not to go to the cafeteria that day. I wouldn't be comfortably cared for and protected like I was now had I not been trying to write the perfect romance.

Now that I had material to work with, I finally had the first half of the book completed, but I realized that it wasn't even about the book anymore. It was about laying in the dark comfortably in the arms of a man who cared about me. It was about feeling the calm, warm thud of his heartbeat against my back as it lulled me to sleep. It was about a sense of belonging and the fact that someone wanted me for exactly who I was. It was the fact that I fell in love with River.