Salvation (Surrender 3)

“You didn’t!” I screech. “Why would you do that?”

“Because it’s the truth, and I knew you wouldn’t tell him yourself. He wants you to be happy, and this was my way to tell him you were getting there.”

“Oh my God! What did he say?”

“He’s calling you today.” Right as she finishes, the phone starts ringing and ‘out of area’ pops across the caller ID.

I roll my eyes and shoot her a dirty look before grabbing the phone and walking to the back to face the inquisition. I wait for the standard collect call message and push to accept.

“Hi, Daddy!” I answer, my voice much higher than normal.

“Baby girl! Sounds like you have a lot to tell me. Lucky for you, I’ve got some time.” The deep, rich, tone travels through the phone line, spreading warmth through my body. Just hearing him makes me smile.

“Apparently, you already know it all. So let’s talk about something else.” I try to avoid the subject.

“Ember Lyn,

I’ve waited twenty-three years for this. Don’t deprive your old man.”

I exhale loudly and debate on how much to tell him. “Okay, Daddy, let’s start with telling you I’ve met an amazing man. You’d love him.”

It’s almost eight when Robbie finally comes over. As soon as the door opens, I’m tugged into his arms securely. He inhales deeply as his lips connect with the skin at my neck.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“I am now. Finally got away from that bullshit and have you in my arms. It’s been a long day, and for the last hour, all I could think about was getting here.”

I squeeze his waist, step back, and kiss him gently. “I’m glad you’re here. Come on in.”

He follows me to the kitchen, where I hand him a beer. “Want to tell me what happened?”

“Yeah, but first, where’s Cruz?”

“He’s at Alex’s tonight after he gets through with class.” I lead him to the couch.

He doesn’t give me time to sit, before tugging me into his lap and covering my mouth with his own. The kiss is deep and rushed. His strong hands slide down my back, landing on my ass and squeezing tight. He grows hard, and I feel every inch of him through our jeans. My hands link together behind his head, pulling him closer, as I inhale everything he’s giving me. I grind against him and moan with the slight friction. My head grows foggy from lack of oxygen, but I don’t dare pull away. An ache builds in the pit of my stomach, and I rub my chest against his.

“Fucking incredible,” he whispers against my lips, breaking away. “I needed that.”

“I’m sorry your day was so shitty.”

“It just took a turn for the better. As much as I’d like to carry your ass to your room and spend the night forgetting about all the bullshit, I’d like to tell you what’s going on.”

“Okay.”

“How much you know about Raven and Declan.”

“Very little about the actual relationship. I know he looks at her like she’s the most important thing in his world. You can tell they’re very much in love.”

“It’s a lot deeper than that. Last spring, before Sayge went on tour, the band was given some bad advice, really bad advice, and Declan decided to hide their relationship. It killed Rave and she hauled ass to Paris, left everyone behind. Didn’t even tell Declan she was going. When he learned the advice was bullshit, he went ballistic trying to find her. She was already on a plane and had left her engagement ring behind.

“The thing is, she wasn’t alone. Finn went with her. They’ve always been close, but in the last year, they grew closer. She’s as much his best friend as I am.”

“Oh my God, he loves her,” I breathe out.

“He thought he did. We don’t talk about it very much, because it’s personal between them, but when Declan found out, he lost his shit. He turned to the bottle, and even his band couldn’t get him to snap out of his depression. Blake, Cooper, and Nate all say they were sure the band was going to crumble. Nothing and no one could get through to him. I don’t know the details, but something happened one night and Ryan Knight from Knight’s Dream was the one to get through. After that, he sobered up, started working out and writing more. Surviving is actually about when Raven left him.”

“That’s beautiful and tragic. So it’s really a true story? The video is real?”