To Be Claimed

✙ Emma ✙

Thank you so much for the support! Here is another chapter of the favorite couple: Ryker and Cherry! :)

~Lissa

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"How come you're so quiet?" I asked, stepping into the bedroom, sunburnt and sweaty. For the last three hours, I had been decorating the property with flowers, benches, and even bird feeders near the beach. I slipped off my sandals and ran my fingers through my hair, shaking out the sand irritating my scalp from practicing combat moves with Nora on the beach. Ever since we had escaped the facility, I was determined to learn how to defend myself without Ryker or anyone else's help - it was a slow process. Speaking of Ryker, he was seated on our bed, hunched over with his elbows on his knees. His fingers were shoved through his dark hair that was growing longer, curling around his ears. Hearing me, he looked up, his emerald eyes widening slightly. "We finished decorating - all we need is bird food for the feeders. Brody was supposed to buy some, but he bought a tire instead; he wants a tire swing in the back."

"That doesn't surprise me," Ryker muttered, looking down at the floor.

I frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"Come here," he whispered, gesturing towards the spot on the bed beside him. Nervously, I approached him and flopped down, facing him in concern.

"Ryker, are you - "

"I just need you to listen - just for a minute?" he interrupted, looking at me in seriousness. I gulped loudly and nodded, silently. "I've been thinking a lot lately, maybe because things have been great. You see, my life has been a series of disappointments - as soon as I'm happy, the rug is ripped out right from underneath me. The reason why I've been distant o-or not open to you is because getting close to someone, actually believing that they care about me, is a scary thought. My father was abusive, my mother was tormented by others' demons, my brothers were never around after they passed - for the longest time, I was alone. It wasn't too bad until the thought came to me that I might be stuck alone forever. The thought wasn't very appealing, yet I've constantly pushed people away."

"I do because I feel that when people look at me, they see a monster," he continued, shaking his head. "They see someone who needs to be fixed and honestly, I don't want to be fixed, Cherry. I know I'm not the best person - I have my demons and every once in a while, I'm terrified that they'll take control of me. I fear the darkness, yet I crave the evil. It's fucked up, just like my life has been, but now - it seems too good. It doesn't seem real because. . .you've restored my faith in humanity. You're making me a better person. You make me happy. Sometimes, I feel as if I don't deserve you because you're innocent and perfect; I'm one of the oldest creatures alive who is permanantly broken."

"Ryker, don't say that," I said, squeezing his knee. "You aren't broken, not permanantly."

"Cherry, if you saw my memories, you'd think your life is glorious," he responded, quietly. I processed his words for a moment as he stared at me, his eyes wavering. "I'm not ashamed of my past; all the terrible things I've endured made me who I am today. Definitely not the best person, definitely not the worst person - but I like where I am, who I am." He shoved his fingers through his hair and exhaled loudly, looking up at the ceiling. "I-I'm telling you everything right now because you need to know."

"Why now?"

"Because, I'm going to say something that I won't be able to take back," he answered, sending nerves throughout me. "As you know, I murdered my father to protect my mother from his abusive hands - he was also abusive to my brothers and I . . . Because of my mouth, I was the one taking the majority of the hits out of my sibilings. My mother was a sweet woman; I loved her and she was murdered by the village. When Caine had killed the witch's son, they retaliated and killed her, hanging her body in the middle of the village for us to see. That was why I slaughtered the village; I'll admit, I killed innocents. It was wrong of me, but I was blinded by anger."

"I wasn't with many women," he continued, surprising me by the topic. "I-I couldn't allow myself to care that much again. Uh, I killed people throughout the years; all those who wronged or turned against me. The bloodshed on my hands is unbelieveable, Cherry."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," he spoke, taking a deep breath. "I need to say something, though. Ever since the day I took your car to that junk yard, I've been infatuated with you. You're always on my mind and my first instinct is to make sure you're safe." He looked at me, his emerald eyes watching my expression. When I grinned at him, something flashed on his face, boasting his confidence. "I think I'm in love with you, Cherry."

My stomach twisted inside of me and my heart started pounding frantically in my chest. I stared at him for a long moment, wondering if this was a dream. "You l-love me?"

"Um, I believe so."

I smiled. "The feeling is mutual." I started tracing his jaw with my finger, feeling the stubble on his chin. "I've been waiting for you to say something because I think I'm in love with you too." I shrugged my shoulders and scooted closer to him. "I have been for a while."

"A while?"

"I've always liked you," I told him, feeling my cheeks reddening. "But, when you were considering staying back at the facility, it finally hit me: I loved this man. I couldn't leave him behind." He watched me for a moment, a familiar expression resting on his face. Then, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer, pressing his lips against mine, gently. Sparks shot throughout me and I deepened the kiss, only to pull away seconds later with a small laugh. "I'm glad we both admitted it."

He started dragging his fingers through my hair. "There needs to be more people like you to give a little hope to people like me."

"Well, I only need you," I told him, before pecking him on the cheek. "You're enough."

The corners of his lips stretched. "Are you sure? I'm quite a handful." His eyes lingered on my lips for a second, before he continued. "I can't promise you that I'll be good, not always. But, I can promise you that I will try - I just need you to be patient."

"It's a good thing that I'm a patient person," I responded, quickly pecking him on the cheekbone. "I mean, it was agony waiting for you to say you love me."

He chuckled. "You could've said it first, Cherry."

"The guy should say it first," I told him, shrugging. He opened his mouth to argue with me, but I hastily placed a finger against his lips, insisting he remained quiet. "But, the pieces have fallen into place now and I like what they've created. Everything is. . . perfect now."

He exhaled loudly. "Other than Amanda and - "

"Don't think about that," I instructed, shaking my head. "That's for another day."

"We can't avoid it."

"No, but just for today," I said, forcing a smile. He thought about it for a moment, before nodding in agreement. Then, he slipped his arms around my waist and leaned me backwards onto the mattress, chuckling.