Addicted After All (Addicted, #5)

by Krista Ritchie

He can’t be any older than seventeen.

he's around daisy's age then, since she's 18. if one of these boys harasses her or flirts with her istg... ryke will go insane.

“We’re just joking around.” Ryke steps forward and raises the paintball gun at the guy’s face. “This is not a fucking joke!” The guy huffs and says to me, “Is your brother a moron? It’s only a paintball gun.” Ryke throws the gun across the road, and the casing shatters. “Hey!” the guy shouts. “My girlfriend has PTSD, you fucking idiot,” Ryke growls.

Connor Cobalt, twenty-six, has one hand on the wheel, dressed in a white button-down. His wavy brown hair is perfectly styled like he just returned from a business meeting. He didn’t, by the way. I know for a fact that he was in a third floor study with Rose, reading or thumbing through a dictionary—whatever they do in their spare time.

oh, they get FREAKY in their spare time.

I give Connor a look. “It’s been a long night. What were you—reading?” “Coming, actually,” Connor says, putting the car into gear and driving back towards our house.

I KNEW IT.

If Lily’s okay then that means— “Please don’t jump out of the car,” Connor tells him. “I’ve never injured anyone while driving, and I’d like to keep my record clean.” His nose flares. “What’s wrong with Daisy?” “She had a small panic attack.” Christ. I grimace, like knives slicing through my core, and it’s mostly from sensing my brother behind me. I rotate to look back at Ryke. He pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes tightened shut. I can tell he’s swallowing a scream and restraining himself from punching the back of the seat.

When she smiles, usually everyone does too.

It’s like watching a Care Bear cry.

Rose is twenty weeks along and a lot more pregnant looking than me. She has a round bump in her black Calloway Couture dress that molds her body.

AWWWW. my shaylas are PARENTS.

The minute Ryke barrels in here, he’ll want to hold you.” She rolls her eyes, but she adds, “It’s sort of cute.”

“I’ll kick you,” Daisy suddenly says. “If we sleep in the same bed, I mean. I move a lot and could kick you in the womb or something and then you’ll both miscarry because of me.” She inhales sharply. “Then you’re doing me a favor.” “Rose!” I shout. She rolls her eyes again, regret flashing in them. She’s not filtering anything lately.

BRO. ROSE, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT.

I’m rooting for them to go on forever.

Ryke sits in front of Daisy and spreads his legs around her, so when he draws her close, she fits right against his chest. It’s a tender, gentle embrace that I would’ve never expected from an aggressive guy like Ryke. But he has a soft side when it comes to my little sister.

Lo stands above me. His amber-eyed focus is all mine to obtain. His features are deathly beautiful, the severely cut cheekbones and smooth Irish skin. I think: his baby is in me.

LOREN. HALE.

His lips rise in a gorgeous smile. “Lily,” he says my name again, huskily in a deep, sexual voice. My body tingles. “Don’t do that,” I whisper-hiss, flushing more. “Lily,” he repeats, subtly licking his bottom lip.

HE'S SUCH A TEASE OMG.

To lose Loren Hale is to lose my life.

Rose crosses her arms, drawing more attention to her breasts, which have grown considerably since her first week of pregnancy.

i giggled. they were already big, so..... i get why connor is grinning a lot. IMSCREAMING.

Ryke stands behind her, his arms wrapped around her chest so no one can see her nipples. That’s even cuter than the hand holding. I catch my expression in the mirror. Oh my God, my smile is so dopey looking.

AW.

Rose smacks his chest with the back of her hand. He catches it and kisses her palm.

GIGGLINGG.

I’m getting Loren Hale tonight. My most favorite thing in the world.

Dimples dot his cheeks as he tries hard not to smile.

that's so cute.

He tucks a flyaway piece of hair behind my ear. “When girls sleep around—maybe they won’t be called sluts and whores. Maybe they’ll be treated like guys. Then no one will care about your addiction, not enough to harass Luna.”

He stares down into me and says, “I’ll keep her safe.” My eyes well with tears while my lips pull high. “Against the world, Loren Hale?” “Yeah,” he nods. “Against the world, Lily Calloway. I’m familiar with that battle.”

“I just can’t make the same mistakes as my father did with me.” “You’re not him,” I say softly.

DO. I. LOOK. LIKE. HIM.

“She’s on her period, and she’s not excited about the idea of being fucked right now.” Jesus Christ. I rub my mouth and try not to think hard about who we’re discussing. “She’s in the damn shower. Stop talking to me and go have sex. And when you’re done, I’ll be at the gym with Connor.”

loren and lily handing out the same advice !!

He’s dressed in Nike athletic pants and a navy blue t-shirt, so I don’t have to ask if he’s still on for the gym.

i just know he looks good.

Ryke frequently talks to my girlfriend about sex, so guess what? This is how it feels. “Daisy,” I call to her, stretching my leg while I sit on the floor. Ryke shoots me a look. “Lo, fuck off.” I ignore him while Daisy acknowledges me. And I ask point-blank, “Have you ever tried to sleep by having sex?” It takes more effort to keep a straight-face, not cringing, than it does to say the words. “You don’t have to answer him,” Ryke tells her. And he mouths to me, shut the fuck up. Too late for that.

I CANNOTT.

Lily’s gaze darts from Ryke to Connor to me. “You guys aren’t ganging up on her are you?” She pauses with a sharp inhale. “I mean not like that!” I wince, suddenly realizing that she took “gang” to a sexual level. “Lily,” Ryke groans, his hands on his head in distress.

BRO LILY HAS ME DEAD.

Ryke looks like he could fuck her against the cupboards, an expression I don’t like catching from him. And then Daisy struggles to hop on the high counter with one good hand, the other in a cast. Without hesitation, Ryke easily lifts her up.

;')

Instead of a photo, she begins recording us. Even narrating, “It’s Saturday, February 7th. Lily Calloway is about to find out the sex of her baby. Will it be a boy or a girl? Predictions?” Her phone whips to Ryke. “Girl,” he deadpans. “One smile,” Daisy says. His lips barely rise. “Pathetic,” I tell him. “You can’t even smile for my future kid.” “Yeah, Uncle Ryke,” Daisy jokes.

THIS IS SO CUTE. i really feel like this is a show because i'm so emotionally attatched to all of them :') this is so nostalgic!

The parts of me that I love the most are the parts that belong to her.

“You can smile, Lil.” Please smile. A tear rolls down her cheek.

I ruin most things I touch, and she’s the best thing I have left.

“What did Rose say?” Ryke listens for a second. “That it doesn’t matter if they find out the gender now or when the baby is born.” Connor breathes heavily, more emotions coursing through his features: anger, concern, determination—things that he usually conceals. He speaks again. In French. They’re in their own world. Kind of like the one Lily and I were just in. Blocking out our surroundings for one serious moment. Ryke continues to translate, “He says, don’t you want to prepare in any way that you can?” Rose jerks in his grasp and snaps back. “She says, I can’t prepare for a baby, no matter how much I read and study. I’ll never be ready.”

aw, rose.

Because he’s whispering in Rose’s ear. And then Rose tries to untangle out of her husband’s strong grasp again. “Let me go, Richard,” she says, finally switching to English. “Rose,” he forces her name, his voice so cold that the hairs on my arms rise. “Connor,” she says just as icily. “Stop.” Her yellow-green eyes assault him.

And then in the fifth drawer, she finds a packet of matches. “Rose!” Daisy and Lily scream in unison, but Connor is beside his wife before her sisters can swarm her. She’s already lit a match and holds it to the paper. The flame eats the document quickly, and Connor steals it out of her hand and tosses it in the sink. He holds her from behind, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and as he murmurs in her ear, her rigid body starts to uncoil, like he’s expelling every volatile, toxic emotion and leaving her bare.

omg.

Connor spins her around and then presses her head into his shoulder. His eyes flit up to mine and I read them well enough. He needs privacy.

I look up at my brother who meets my eyes. I get it. Why he loves her. She’s a light in a dark place. Even when she’s going through deep shit too. Daisy and Ryke are the definition of selfless.

“Again,” she whispers, trying to thrust up against me with what energy she has left. Pregnant Lily is the horniest Lily I’ve ever encountered. She was hard to please before. But I always managed to. Now it’s literally impossible. I roll onto my side while she’s still tucked against me. I don’t pull out.

GUYS. you can't do this too much.

Mere minutes pass before she bucks up into me. Goddammit. The pressure causes me to harden, and she lets out the most breathless, pleasured cry. I almost come in seconds. “Lil,” I chastise while her eyes snap open. “What happened?” She grips my shoulder. “I pictured…” Her cheeks roast. “…Hellion screwing X-23. It’snotmyfault!” she slurs. “They were a part of the mutant war that you said I should imagine.”

“I don’t remember bathing with a Lily Calloway.” He glances back down at me. “What does she look like?” How do I even describe my features? “Brown hair…” I have a hard time concentrating when Lo’s gaze drops to my breasts that have grown much larger in the past weeks. “Really tiny boobs, a bony butt⁠—” “You mean the most adorable ass, the cutest boobs and the prettiest brown hair?” He mockingly gasps and says, “I do know her.” He snaps his fingers. “She does this thing…” He lets out a trained, playful laugh.

He trails off as he looks back at me, his face sharpening a little. “Put your feet in the bath, love.” I realize that I’m straddling the edge of the tub. Oh my God. Am I grinding?

he's so gentle with her omg. :')

“This is kind of long for a period, isn’t it?” I try to count the days since she said she started. It has to be about nine. Ryke stiffens but he stares down at Daisy, not speaking for her. “It’s been awhile,” she says slowly. “But I’ve had ten day periods before…you

dangg.

We descend the short stairs and walk to Lo’s matte black Audi, parked by the fir tree. Growing up, Lo always bummed rides with me, but when he first started Halway Comics, Jonathan removed the monthly cap on Lo’s trust fund so he had enough to buy a car. Ryke always tries to drive the Audi when he’s with Lo. Really, his love and obsession with the two-door car are grounds for cheating on his silver Infiniti.

The moment the electronic beats start blaring through the speakers, I turn the volume way up. It’s the only way to listen to Skrillex’s “Bangarang.” Lo’s lips rise the moment he hears the song, as though memories and sentiments flood him. We’ve had good bedroom dance parties to this one. And epic sex against the wall.

their song??!??

“Is Lily pregnant with your baby?” one asks Ryke. “Daisy, how do you feel about Ryke sleeping with your sister?” My stomach somersaults. I hate that she’s still being affected by my mistakes.

And that’s when a giant white Trailblazer merges into our lane and hits our Audi, crashing into the driver’s door and the one nearest Lo. The side airbags pop and little bitty pieces of glass rain down on both Ryke and Loren, crunchy like gravel.

WHAT.

The seatbelt has dug hard on my belly, and I feel more wetness between my legs. I solidify, wondering if it’s something worse than just pee.

no. stop. this is too much movement and trauma for a pregnant woman!!!

“I either peed or…” My eyes burn. Lo glances down at my lap. “You’re bleeding?”

He lifts up my sweater and tugs at the band of my leggings to peer down. After pulling at my panties, we both see a few droplets of blood. “Lo…” I say, tears welling.

I feel a hot tear escape. I’m at the mercy of fate. It’s a cruel thing. To be in the hands of the universe. Forces that are rarely on our side.