Astrid
My mind hurled curses and insults at myself, while I was dragged into the bathroom.
Ryder kept a firm grip on my wrist as he moved around the bathroom, turning on lights, and doing goodness knows what.
Some deeply buried instincts wanted to panic at what was happening, but despite that, I felt safe with Ryder. Despite him about to "punish" me, whatever that means, I trusted Ryder and whatever was about to happen.
"I warned you." Ryder scolded me, and although I expected to feel his hands on me, he instead just tugged on my arm, leading me into the shower.
Alright then. Fully clothed and in the shower.
Ryder positioned me where he wanted, then brushed past me as he turned the water on.
Unlike earlier, when my body was numb to the hot and cold of the shower, I gasped when a cold stream of water washed over me.
The water sank through my nice dress shirt and jeans. Soaking my tank top, bra, shorts, underwear, and socks.
Warm hands rested on my hips as the freezing cold water rushed over me.
"Now Grapes, why are we in the shower right now?" Ryder's deep voice managed to sound kind of hot.
I kept my eyes firmly shut and mouth sealed.
Ryder chuckled. A deep, dark chuckle.
One of his hands slowly slid up my hip until it was in my hair. Wrapping around my wet locks, he slowly pulled my head back until my eyes were under the stream of water.
The water pelted down onto my closed eyelids. Cold pellets of ice water bite at my skin while Ryder slowly ran his hand up and down my hip.
"Any second. You open your eyes and talk to me and all this will go away." Ryder slowly inched my wet dress shirt and tank top up. The slight bit of exposed skin chilling at the freezing water.
Another sadistic chuckled and his hand slid up to my naval. Where it started making slow circles. The featherlight and warm touch made goosebumps ring out across my body.
His hand continued its slow circles for what felt like ever. Until he started moving more and more north. My heavy shirt dragging up along with him.
"Just open those beautiful green eyes and tell me why you're mad and we can make this shower hot." He rumbled close to me.
His finger froze for a second before he started tracing the outline of my bra. Left to right, he dragged his finger. The touch somehow driving me nuts.
His touch felt so different from those clammy, grabby hands that tormented me in high school. Slow, precise, and sweet. The complete opposite of the hurried, grimy, and unwanted hands of my old teammates.
I shivered at his touch. Or maybe from the cold water, it was hard to tell.
When his touch got slower and slower and started to feel more like torture I felt my resolve starting to crack.
"Just start talking." A torturous circle back around my naval. His hand in my hair moved my head so that I had to arch my back.
I shivered under the cold water and finally blurted. "You guys lied."
His hand moved from my stomach and went back to resting on my hip.
He squeezed my hip as he demanded, "Explain."
"You guys said you liked me, but you all have side chicks. Well, at least Bentley does. And if he's got someone else, I'm willing to bet so do the rest of you." My arms started to wrap around me as I explained. Comforting myself.
I'm crazy to think that I could have six guys all to myself. I guess I couldn't blame Bentley too much. It still hurt nonetheless.
Ryder scoffed. "That's ridiculous. That British bastard only has eyes for you." He must've seen the seriousness in my face. "Astrid, please open your damn eyes."
I rolled my eyes, though he couldn't see it, and finally peeled my eyes open.
My green eyes crashed into his ice-blue eyes. Relief seemed to flood him as a smile cracked across his face.
"There's those beautiful green eyes." He smirked at me. "Now let's get to the bottom of this." Ryder reached past me and turned the handle to warm.
I could've sighed as warm water replaced the freezing cold pellets that had been previously piercing me.
"Don't talk until I say so. Now, I want you to strip and finish your shower. I will be waiting on the other side of this curtain with clean clothes. Take as long as you need. Got it?" His icy blue eyes searched my eyes for something.
I was about to answer before I remembered his earlier command. "Don't talk."
So instead of vocalizing my answer I just nodded my head.
"Perfect." He grinned at my obedience. (It obviously had been a test). And without further ado, he stepped out of the shower, closed the curtain, and left the bathroom.
Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly stripped out of my drenched clothes. Peeling my socks and underwear off was the hardest part.
With the discarded clothes outside the shower, I turned to the showerhead and started washing my hair and body.
Sweat still clung to my skin from my earlier game, so I started scrubbing my body and face.
Not too long later, the door to the bathroom opened again and I heard somebody enter the bathroom.
I did my best to ignore their presence as I finished up with my shower.
Eventually, I washed my hair and face. Finally done with my shower, I turned the water off.
Remembering Ryder's earlier command I just stood in the shower, hoping a towel would appear. And to my relief, a towel did magically appear.
Ryder pulled back the curtain just enough for him to offer me a towel.
Which I gladly accepted and wrapped around me. Once fully dried, Ryder told me my clothes were on the counter and that I had two minutes to get dressed before he'd be back in the bathroom.
When he left once again, I stepped out of the shower and quickly got dressed. In fact, it was probably a new record, considering I had time to spare. Along with my clothes on the counter, Ryder had also set out all my nightly toiletries.
I grabbed my hairbrush and started pulling it through my hair.
Ryder eventually came back in, his face serious. He frowned. "Sit on the counter."
I set my brush down and obeyed him. Turning my back to the counter, I turned and lifted myself up. Managing to slide onto the counter and face Ryder with ease.
With a spin of his finger, he motioned for me to turn around and face the mirror. I resisted rolling my eyes and did as he directed.
Once comfortably facing the mirror, my back to him, I watched as he approached and picked up my hairbrush.
"Now Grapes. It would seem that there has been a misunderstanding." He brought the brush up to my hair and started running it through my hair. "I've spoken with the British bastard, and after much confusion and phone searching, we've found the source of your troubles."
I stiffened.
"Would you be upset by any chance because of a gal named Lydia?" Ryder asked as he brushed my hair.
I nodded as a hole cracked in my heart.
"Gotcha. Well, I'm not sure how to explain this, but to put it simply she's a puck bunny that Bentley dated his rookie year. Ya know, when every rookie fucks every woman that throws themselves at them." He kept talking as his hands set my brush down and he started braiding my hair. "Bentley promised he hasn't seen her in two years, and that her text is completely random. And I can promise you that he only has eyes for you. So does every other male in this hotel room." Ryder peaked over my shoulder and we made eye contact in the mirror.
"Fuck," I whispered the curse as I hung my head.
"Hmm?" Ryder hummed as he pulled on my hair slightly.
I picked my head up and met his eyes. "Why do I always have to escalate things?"
Ryder chuckled as he finished my braid and turned me around on the huge counter.
"To be honest, if I saw that kinda text message on your phone, I would've been pretty pissed too." Ryder leaned forward and kissed my nose. "Just promise that next time you talk to us instead of shutting us out?"
Embarrassment flushed my face. "I promise. Shit, I'm so embarrassed." I brought my hands to my face.
Ryder chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me and brought me to his chest.
"You're fine. Now I can promise you that there are five guys out there pacing in the hotel room, so we best go out there and share this conversation with everyone." Ryder smiled as his hands came to my hips and he lifted me off the counter with ease.
His hand encompassed mine and he slowly tugged me out of the bathroom.
A small part of me wanted to close my eyes again, but another part was so relieved to finally be able to see all my guys again.
We left the bathroom and I felt all of the air from the room evaporate.
Six guys' attention turned to me and the room silenced.
I met each of their gazes individually before I sighed.
"I would like to apologize."
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Thank you for reading Chapter 28. I hope you liked this chapter and I hope you had a great week. Comments and feedback bring me lots of joy!
~Until Next Chapter