DON’T STOP (Lila and Darrell) novel Chapter 25

Wrecking her innocence 25

Lila

After the shower, we dried off slowly. Ryder wrapped a towel around my waist first, then one around his own hips. We moved quietly through the house, still naked under the towels, skin warm and flushed. In the kitchen, he pulled on a pair of loose gray sweatpants and a plain black T-shirt. I slipped into one of his oversized T-shirts that fell to mid thigh and kept my panties on underneath. No bra. No need.

He made something simple for dinner-grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup from a can. Nothing fancy, but it smelled like comfort. We sat at the small kitchen table. The light above us was soft and yellow. We ate in comfortable silence most of the time. Every now and then our knees brushed under the table. Every time it happened, my stomach fluttered.

When the plates were empty, he stood and carried them to the sink. I followed, helping rinse. Our shoulders touched His arm brushed mine. The house felt so quiet without Delaney. Just the hum of the fridge and the soft clink of dishes.

It was time to head upstairs. Ryder turned toward the hallway. “Goodnight,” he said with a small smile. He started to wak

away.

I wasn’t ready for him to leave.

I reached out quickly and caught the back of his T-shirt. My fingers curled lightly into the fabric. He stopped immediately. Turned back to me. His eyes softened.

“What is it?” he asked gently. Concern flickered in his voice.

I gulped. My cheeks warmed. “Can I sleep with you?”

He blinked once. Surprise crossed his face, then something warmer. “Sure,” he said. “But is there a problem?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “No. I just want to stay with you. That’s it.”

He nodded slowly. A small smile curved his lips. “Come on then.”

We walked upstairs together. His room was at the end of the hall. The door was already open. Inside, the space was simple -a big bed with dark sheets, a dresser, and a single lamp on the nightstand. He flicked on the lamp. Warm light spilled

across the room.

We climbed into bed. He pulled the sheets over us. We lay on our backs, side by side, staring up at the ceiling. The room was quiet except for our breathing. I noticed a small hole in the ceiling-irregular, dark, like someone had punched or drilled through and never fixed it.

“Why don’t you guys want to cover that hole in the ceiling?” I asked. “What even happened to it?”

He made a soft sound-almost a chuckle, almost a sigh. I turned my head to look at him. He turned too. Our faces were close now. His eyes looked darker in the lamplight.

“I was the one who created that hole,” he said. His voice was low and soft.

My eyes widened slightly. “Really?”

He nodded once.

“But what’s the reason?” I asked.

“Can you keep a secret?” Ryder suddenly asked. His voice was low, almost hesitant, like he was testing the words before letting them out.

I turned my head toward him on the pillow. The room was dark except for the faint glow from the hallway light slipping under the door. “A secret?” I whispered back. “Sure, I can. I mean, I’m keeping the secret between us pretty well, aren’t I?” He laughed softly-a quiet, tired sound that made my chest ache in a strange way. His eyes drifted up to the ceiling again. The hole stared back at us, small and dark and silent.

“When I married Delaney,” he started, “it was during the first year that I noticed I couldn’t get it up. Something was definitely wrong with my sexual life. I had to visit the hospital, but it seemed like there was nothing they could do. I spent a lot of money and tried a lot of things, but nothing positive came out of it.”

I stayed very still. I didn’t interrupt. I just listened.

“Delaney grew tired,” he continued. “She wasn’t

. She wanted us to divorce. I was so blinded by love that I begged and cried on my knees, a Successfully unlocked! jive me a few more chances. Chances I couldn’ t even use well.” He paused. His voice dropped luwer. That was which she told me that if we were going to stay together, then we should do an open marriage.”

Wrecking her innocence 25

I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight. I wanted to ask if Delaney was still doing that if she still brought other men hos

–

– but I didn’t. I bit the inside of my cheek and waited.

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