Page 142 of When Hearts Collide

You’re so damn stupid, Ryland. What were you so afraid of? Asking for help? Disappointing the people who love you?

I murmur, “He’s so lucky to have all of you in his corner.”

Lana smiles, her gray eyes twinkling under the pendant lighting. “Ryland is lucky to have you, Millie.”

My heart twists. But it wasn’t enough, and all dreams have to come to an end.

“Thank you for taking care of him and giving him the shelter he needs,” Maxwell adds. “Let’s hope he gets the stick out of his ass soon.”

“And that’s all there is to it, Ms. Callahan?” a blonde reporter from CBC news, Maggie O’Farrell, asks as she clasps her hands over the small marble table at a coffee shop near campus.

The cameraman pans his equipment toward me, and I try to ignore him. The room suddenly feels stifling, and I feel my face heating. They have the entire coffee shop reserved and locked down for this exclusive interview Lana secured for me.

I blow out a slow and even breath and smile at Maggie in front of me. The weight of his pendant sits reassuringly under my blouse. I got this. I’ve rehearsed this with Lana a few times already.

“Yes, that’s all there is to it. I graduated from NYUC back in December and Ryland and I are close family friends. He was extremely upset when he saw the other reporters accosting me that day in class, as he has younger sisters of his own, and he is also friends with my brother, Adrian Scott.”

I sit up straighter. “Having power and influence are gifts to be wielded sometimes. It may not be fair, but then again, the world isn’t fair. Use the influence for what’s right and there’s no shame in that.” Elias’s words reverberate in my mind, and I realize I can’t live life being afraid of how others may perceive me because of my connections to my brother. The right people will be with me because of me. My brother is an important part of my life and I refuse to hide this any longer.

“That’s understandable. From the footage I’ve seen, it was very rowdy that day in the classroom,” Maggie prods.

“It definitely was. I’m a very private person, so I didn’t know what to do when the paparazzi converged in front of my face. Needless to say, my brother was furious when he heard about what happened.”

Maggie pales a smidgen. No one wants to piss off The Shark. She forces out a chuckle. “Well, can’t blame the older brother for being protective. I have one myself.”

“So you understand why Ryland stepped in that day.”

“But what about the photos?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know anything about them. They were so grainy—I could barely recognize Ryland if the press didn’t mention it to me.”

Maggie nods. “So, to clarify, are you saying you and Ryland Anderson aren’t in a relationship?”

A heaviness settles over me and sinks its talons into my chest. At least this is the truth. I swallow and reply, “No. We’re not in a relationship.”

The rest of the interview goes as smoothly as Lana predicted. Maggie is thorough in her questions, but never too overbearing. The copious notes Lana provided covered all the interview questions and then some.

That night, as I sit on the bed with a paper and pen at the ready, I write my last letter to Ryland.

Dear Ryland,

I don’t blame you for pushing me away. If I were you, perhaps I’d make the same decision. But I’d never lock you out.

The last few weeks have given me a lot of clarity. I realize I’m stronger than I thought I was. Facing the press, the rumors at school, the comments by trolls online, and I haven’t broken. They haven’t clipped my wings. Don’t you see? Isn’t this what you were afraid of, Ryland? Trapping me in a prison with you? Having me be a shell of my former self?

Whether you believe me or not, I’m capable of making my own decisions. I’ll never let a relationship become all of me and kill me inside. I’ll leave you without hesitation if it means I’m going to lose myself. I’ll survive and thrive. That’s who I am at the core.

You’ve carried the weight of the world on your shoulders, afraid of sharing your burdens with the people who love you—your family, friends…me.

But if there’s anything I’ve learned in the last few weeks—you don’t need to. You have so many people in your corner wanting to help you, to free you from the prison you’ve trapped yourself in. Sometimes, it’s easier to stand in the shadow of guilt and fear, but you don’t need to.

All you need to do is leave the shelter of your gilded bars.

Take a leap of faith.

I love you and I don’t think there’ll be a day when the feeling will ever cease. You’re my whirlwind. But I realize I don’t only want to stand in the storm and feel the pelting rain and harsh winds with you, I also want to stand in the sunshine, smelling the scent of flowers blooming in the spring with you by my side.

And if you can’t do that, then I’ll be on the sidelines cheering for you on your journey. But I’ll continue to chase my dreams, climb the summit, and fight for my future, because I deserve that.

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