Thrive (Addicted #4)

by Krista Ritchie

I shake my head and look to my brother. “The things we bury,” I say under my breath, “have a way of coming back to haunt us.”

“No,” he says. “I’ve never loved anyone, Lo. I’m sorry.” Rose points at me, her glass of champagne in hand. “Let it go, Loren. I have.”

aw. stop it.

I watch how Connor keeps his blue eyes locked on Rose. With more and more concern. He is in love with her. For once, in his life, Connor is blind.

It’s insane, and I realize how much I love the guy. That’s the funny thing right: He’ll probably never love me.

STOP ITT.

Lo says to us, “Rose thinks Daisy’s boyfriend is one of these models she’s been working with.” I still can’t believe none of us have met him, and apparently they’ve been dating since January. “I know,” Ryke says tensely. “It’s a stupid theory.”

Lo motions to the runway and says to Ryke, “What if that’s her boyfriend?” “The blond shirtless one?” Ryke’s face completely darkens, and his jaw hardens to stone. “Don’t look so upset about it.” “He’s probably twenty-eight,” Ryke retorts.

don't be so jealous, ryke!

For a brief second, the producer locks eyes with me. He combs back his dirty blond locks, his smile just as greasy as his hair. He winks at me. I shiver. My sex cravings begin to nosedive, and I gladly focus back on my boyfriend.

IMCRYING. who does scott think he is??!!

“It’s a logical guess,” I whisper-hiss. “She’s trying to…you know.” “No, I don’t know.” Ryke stares at me like I’m talking in another language. I know I’m speaking English here. I whisper really, really softly. “She’s trying to have…an O.”

I take a peek at Ryke beside me, and his tense muscles never loosen, his hard jaw stays put like usual. But his breathing is heavier than it should be.

MMM.

“Just run, Calloway,” he tells her as she walks past. She almost falters, nearly stopping dead in her tracks. I swear it was like Ryke chiseled at something deep in her core, something hurting her. I can’t make sense of it, and the fact that he can…everything just becomes more complicated. Ryke clenches the side of the chair like he’s restraining himself from not standing up and storming the runway. I imagine him walking backwards as he talks to her, desperately trying to convince my sister to do something she loves and not what our mom tells her to.

And if you won’t stick your fucking neck out, I will. I don’t want him near Lily. She’s like a daughter to me.”

aww.

He slips his cell in his pocket and then he shoves the bagged bottle in my chest. “Cheers.” He backs up, waiting for me to unwrap the paper bag. I don’t have to. I’ve opened enough Maker’s Mark to recognize the red waxy seal on the neck. He handed me bourbon whiskey. He wants me to drink and break my sobriety. It’s not going to⁠— Lily darts beside me with a high-pitched scream, steals the bottle out of my hands and chucks it at Scott. The bottle, still in the bag, makes a loud impact on the wall beside his head. He jumps back in surprise, the glass shattering and whiskey dripping down the wallpaper. I’m so stunned that I can hardly move. Did Lily just…yeah, she did.

AS SHE SHOULDDD. LILY IS GROWING WINGS OMG.

Then Connor says, “Lo…” I don’t spin around as I head to the living room. I just point to the toaster. “I’m not going to butter it for you.” I take a bite of my bagel and only glance back once. Yeah, I made the guy breakfast, a small, small sign of peace between us. I watch as his lips pull into one of those genuine smiles—one that holds no trace of arrogance. I add, “It doesn’t mean that I’m not still mad at you.” I won’t let him off the hook that easily, but I doubt this fight will last much longer. “I prefer my friends angry,” Connor says. “It makes me look better.” “Too soon,” I tell him, eating my bagel and walking back to the living room. I can practically feel his grin widen behind me. And it takes me a minute to realize that I’m smiling too.

so cutee.

Slowly, I look up and spot someone with a mop of brown hair, watching us from above a shelf. He ducks quickly when our eyes meet. Holy shit. I can’t do this. I can’t. I grab Lo’s hand, my chest constricting in a paranoid, freakazoid way. Swiftly, I drag him into the nearest bathroom, ignoring the fact that Brett trails us. I shut the door on the cameraman before he enters.

OHH OMG. this is what they edited to make it look like they were having sex. holy.

“You’re a sex addict and I’m an alcoholic,” he says, “and the whole fucking world knows it. We have to get used to people staring, love.”

“Did it hurt? Did you like it? Have you done it again?” My questions pour forth like a broken dam. This isn’t the first time I’ve asked Rose, but she never provides details, so I’ve waited until we could talk alone.

OMG ROSE LOSING HER VIRGINITY. GODD.

“Connor and I have had sex again.” I grin, and I swear she tries so hard not to. “Was it everything you thought it would be?” I ask.

HELPME, girl, NO. it was NOT. that man is a FREAK. her first time was TIED UP.

Her blouse shifts, and I notice a red bite mark on her shoulder. “Ohmygod,” I slur. “What?” She straightens up quickly in alarm. “What is it?” “He bites you,” I whisper, my surprise filling my face. She immediately presses her hand to my mouth, silencing me. I never pegged Connor to be rough.

IMSCREAMINGGG. BROBROBRO. THIS IS SO FUNNY.

“How’s that ground, Calloway?” “Hard,” she banters with a mischievous smile. “It’ll probably leave a mark.” “That’s usually what happens when your ass meets something hard, sweetheart.” Okay, this is sexual.

BRO.

Rose still has her hands out like she’s trying not to infect her clothes. “Here, darling…” Connor swivels in his chair and squirts some hand sanitizer on her palms.

WHERE'S MY CONNOR COBALT. i'm not smart enough for him but i NEED him.

I scroll down to the poll and vote for Loren. The minute I click his name, the current results fill the screen. Ryke Meadows: 12% Loren Hale: 88% “Ohmygod!” I flinch back, nearly jumping on the cushions, and hit Lo’s arm repeatedly. “You’re eighty-eight percent!”

STOP SHE'S SO CUTE.

“Look at me.” I can’t. I choke on a breath, tears welling. What the fuck is wrong with me?

No one is going to hurt us: I read in his gaze. No one is going to pull us apart.

“Don’t jump down her throat, Ryke.” My eyes bug. “Notlikethat.” Lo groans behind me. “Appetite lost, Lil.” Yeah, I don’t want to think about Ryke’s you know what near Daisy’s mouth either.

well, it happens! just ask connor.....

He releases Daisy, his eyes drifting along her features. “I don’t know what kind of doggy style you’re doing, but it’s wrong.” He pats her head before exiting. Lo shouts back, “Inappropriate, bro!”

IMDONE.

Lo sidles up behind me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. “She’s very protective of me,” he tells the attendant. “It’s sweet actually, when she’s not going bat-shit crazy, that is.” The attendant smiles warmly, and I punch Lo in the arm. “I’m not crazy.” His eyes soften in an apology. “I know.”

MY BABIES.

“Go fuck someone who actually likes you, Julius!” Lo yells. “Oh wait, that leaves no one on this planet. Better go find someone who can take you to Mars, you motherfucker!” I award him extra points for creativity.

LITERALLY.

“Can I ask you both something?” Connor says, leaning against the dresser in our room.

THE WEDDING??!! is this where he asks for the wedding!!!??

When I look at her, I see tears just streaming down her cheeks. “This is a dream…” she repeats as though to convince herself that it can’t be real. I feel something wet slide down my face. Good things don’t happen to bad people. Lily used to tell me that all the time. This does seem too good to be meant for us.

my babies omg. YOU'RE GOOD PEOPLE. :')

He takes a deep breath. “I want to marry Rose on that day, if you’ll let me.”

Connor is smiling, his gaze far off as he’s picturing that future already, glowing with something innately human. Hopefully one day he’ll accept how much love has actually overcome him. And then he looks back to me, and I nod at him. “If you’re serious⁠—” “I’ve never been more serious in my life,” he says. Connor rarely exaggerates, so I’m flooded, once again, with the power of his words.

“And darling,” he says to me, his grin lifting his lips, “you’ll be a great best man.” He taps the wooden frame and shuts the door gently behind him.

I'M GONNA CRY.

I smile, tackling and pinning her on the bed. I plant kisses all over her face, and she laughs into more tears. I realize I’m crying again too.

We’ll be in France for Connor and Rose’s wedding.

OHMYGOD. WHAT. IT WAS IN FRANCE???!!! DID I READ KISS THE SKY WITH MY EYES CLOSED. THAT'S SO PERFECT FOR THEMMM.

#CoballowayPornTape

HOLY!

On screen, her arms are tied to the headboard with a belt, a glittery diamond choker around her neck. Black bars censor all the naughty parts, but the uncut video streams online somewhere.

now i'm just thinkijng of when daisy saw the uncensored version. IT WAS SO FUNNY.

“The summary of the film says the hour long session is rough and for mature audiences only.”

i know that's right! (okay... this is supposed to be sad...)

“Look honey,” Rose says. “We have a sex tape together.”

“That’s from me,” Connor sneers at Scott, brutal anger flashing in his eyes, something that I’ve never seen before—something he has been keeping to himself. Scott tries to swing back, but Connor dodges the attack with ease. And then he knees Scott in the dick, the contact audible. Scott groans, his hands instinctively reaching for his crotch. I cringe at how painful that must’ve been. And Rose is practically celebrating like a fan in a football stadium. I’m shocked she hasn’t raised her fists in the air and twirled in a circle. “That’s from Rose,” Connor says lowly, venom in his voice.

I LOVE CONNOR.

When you have money like we do, there will always be people ready to bury you for a payout. It’s how the world turns.

The violins have shushed, and Connor saunters into the open space. When he stops in the center, his deep blue eyes lock straight on Rose. I am full-blown smiling. The way he’s staring at her—it’s beyond magical. “I just want everyone to know,” I whisper again, “that I predicted this would happen the moment I saw them together.” Both Lo and Ryke clap for me at the same time, mostly in sarcasm. Yeah, yeah, they can team up against me, but I was right. It doesn’t happen often, so I pocket that small glory. Connor holds out his hand, and Rose approaches with a narrowed, passionate gaze. She takes his hand in hers. She’s still in her white wedding dress with sheer material around her collarbones. A high slit runs up her leg, but the tulle netting flows around her limbs so much that you can hardly tell until she walks. Sexy and classy. She designed that dress, sewed it together for me, but it’s her style and something she loved with each last thread. Daisy stole the gown to have the bust altered to match the measurements of Rose’s bridesmaid’s dress. It fit her perfectly. They wait for the music to start, questions flickering in Rose’s gaze about Connor’s song choice. The moment the instruments create a sweet, silky noise, Rose’s hand flies to her mouth. And her eyes begin to glass. Connor pulls her closer to his chest, his grin so bright. Her hands tremble. Both have now risen to her lips that part with unrestrained surprise. She shakes her head, and I start crying as soon as r...

TEARS ARE STREAMING DOWN MY FACE. OMG.

Connor kisses Rose’s forehead and I read his lips: I love you. I bite my gums to stop the waterworks from beginning all over again. Every moment of Rose’s wedding has been a surprise, and with each one, I think that we’ve all realized how well Connor knows her and how much he truly, truly loves her. “La Vie en rose,” Ryke suddenly says with a French lilt. “What?” My brows pinch together. “The song,” he says, “it’s called La Vie en rose.”

ARE YOU KIDDING.

Rose calms after the initial overwhelming shock of the song choice. And they begin to slow dance together.

THEM DANCING TO THIS SONG IS SO BEAUTIFUL. :') GOD, ROSECONNOR MAKE ME CRY SO BAD.

“Do you think they’ll be okay?” I ask Lo as we watch Connor spin Rose with poise and masculinity. They haven’t confronted the serious repercussions of having a sex tape floating on the internet. Once they start Googling themselves and the hatred and criticism pours through—they’ll feel the real sting. It’s not fun. “Yeah,” Lo says. “They’re Connor and Rose.”

coballoway.™

And then a sloshed guy with black Ray-Ban sunglasses on—indoors—haphazardly cuts through us, tearing my hand right from Lo’s. Another guy in a white button-down rushes through the same space. “Wait up, Luke!” he shouts after him. His momentum forward pushes me backwards. I nearly stumble into an old lady with oversized jewelry. Three, four…five other people follow the two guys like a wolf pack. Luke essentially created a pathway right between Lo and me. What’s worse: I can’t see Lo anymore. It’s like he’s vanished from the building, lost in the sea of bodies. I spin around, my heart pumping, the need thrumming for him. Where’d he go?

WAIT. I'M SCARED.

“I’m Wendy Collins, a staff writer at Celebrity Crush.”

oh hell no... let's do a poll for YOU! who will wendy end up with? nobody: 100% somebody: 0%

“Andrea and I were discussing how great it is to have someone like Rose in the public eye. She’s a female figure that we believe a lot of women can rally behind.” What…? Off my frown, Andrea says, “She’s been with Connor Cobalt for over a year, and she’s stayed committed to him through everything.” Wendy nods in agreement. “Especially after her ex-boyfriend tried to break them apart. It’s empowering to have someone like Rose out there—she’s independent, driven, and sexually open. I wouldn’t be surprised if women start asking her for relationship advice.” Rose? Relationship advice? I never thought I’d hear those words. Or that a sex tape could be spun positively rather than negatively. I don’t understand. Wouldn’t she be slandered and outcast like me? A weight just drops on my chest.

the double standards. my baby lily.

I never thought that she’d be praised and I’d still be condemned. It’s not fair.

Are we leeches then? We suck the life out of our friends and will never, ever be strong enough to pay them back.

“The world is never going to understand us,” he tells me, his eyes so impassioned that I can’t look away. “But it doesn’t matter, Lil. We have each other, and I get your pain, I understand how badly it hurts, so I need you to block out the other people today, okay? They don’t exist in our world.” Our world.

their love is so pure omg.