Ridley Holland has just lost the love of her life. She has no desire to return to the world of motocross, but she knows Teuvo would want her to continue. So she plays the part: an upcoming professional athlete with inevitable determination to domina...
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Ridley
I stare at the bowl of Froot Loops, tears welling in my eyes.
This is how far I've fallen. Crying over a bowl of cereal.
Fruit-flavoured granola.
With a shaky hand, I bring the spoon to my mouth and take a delicate bite. The artificial flavours dance across my tongue, and it makes the threads of my twisted heart quiver. The crunching of the cereal and the taste saturating my taste buds...
Fucking Froot Loops hold the memories closest to my fractured heart.
I can taste his lips and feel the pressure of his kisses. His hand between my legs and that inevitable pull I felt the moment I met his gaze at the club. I'll never understand Teuvo's compelling nature, but goddamn, he compelled me.
A strike of pain radiates through my chest, bringing on a burning sensation in my nose and down the back of my throat. Riddled with frustration, I grab the bowl and throw it across the room. A disaster of ceramic, milk, and soggy cereal explodes against the wall.
Sliding down from the wooden stool, I rest my forearms against the island and bend over, pressing my forehead to the cool stone. My chest is tight and my breaths are exasperated, only worsening the claustrophobic tension. I take several breaths, gasping for air, while the tears scald my cheeks.
Rocking back and forth on my feet, I try to gain control of my emotions. It's an impossible form of control to wish upon myself. The grief, the pain, the regret—they're all fighting for attention, pulling me in different directions, when all I want to do is collapse on this weathered hardwood and die.
I wish I could play ignorance and not understand how I survived. But I can't. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pound my fist against the island, welcoming the throbbing pain it leaves. I'd rather feel pain than face the truth. A scream is lodged in my throat, but caught on the emotions choking me.
Teuvo saved me. When he lost control of the quad, he pushed me off. The bolt holding the tie rod together came undone. The brakes didn't work. No matter how hard he wrenched the handles... it was no use. We were barrelling toward that edge, with no time to react as the shock took hold.
Except for him. He cared more about me than himself.
I didn't roll down the steep incline entangled with the machine. Instead, I tumbled down it through the brush and bramble, hitting knotted roots and sliding through the loose gravel and shale.
Teuvo...
A strangled sob escapes my mouth. It feels like someone is trying to pry open my ribcage and stab my heart. They want to twist the knife until I've fallen to my knees, gasping for breath. Wondering if I'll ever feel normal again. If I'll ever heal from this noxious heartbreak.
My fist collides with the island again.
"FUCK!" I scream.
How am I supposed to heal from this when he still surrounds me? I'm living in his fucking lake house, for god's sake! Still clinging to the scent of his sweaters and bedsheets. I use his cologne and cry over Polaroids meant for our eyes only.
