Page 72 of Myself

“You don’t know Ryder like I do,” I say even though I have no clue why he walked away. I wasn’t in the kitchen. I didn’t hear all of what was said or see what it was that he saw. All I know is what I heard while hiding behind Becca’s bedroom door.

He spreads his arms out wide. “I don’t see him standing here. I am,” he growls.

I take a step toward him. “And now, you’re leaving. Again.”

He takes a step toward the door, and I move to block him. Ashlyn doesn’t need this tonight. She’s already upset, and this man is part of that reason. Just like I told him, I know Ryder. He’ll come back; he just needs time. And I’ll be damned if I let this fucker get in his way.

He lets out a huff as he places his hands in his front pockets. When he removes his right hand, something falls out of his pocket. I reach down and pick it up. I look up at him in surprise when I realize what it is.

“Do you really think I would fly twenty-eight hundred miles to bring her cat?” he asks and then chuckles nervously. He takes the gold band from me, and I stand. He was going to propose?

“She wouldn’t even tell you she loves you, but you think she would say yes to spending the rest of her life with you?” I shake my head as if he has no chance, but my chest tightens for the man. What he must be feeling. I’ve felt it before, and it sucks. “If I were you, I would take that ring and buy myself a plane ticket back home.” With that, I turn around and walk into the apartment, locking the door behind me.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BECCA

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I stand in my bedroom by my bed, looking down at my phone when Jaycent walks in. He softly shuts the door behind him. “Who was at the door?” I know it wasn’t Ryder. He would have walked right in. I need to take his key from him.

“Bradley.”

“What did he want?” I look at my closed bedroom door as if he may knock on it as well. “You didn’t let him back in, did you?” I’ve always liked Bradley, and for a long time, I thought they were gonna end up together, that they were more than best friends, but Ashlyn never showed that. But I knew it was there for him.

He shakes his head. “He’s gone,” he assures me, walking over to my bed and sitting down. “What are you doing?” he asks me.

“Was about to call Ry. But when I spoke to Ashlyn, she told me not to.” I bite my bottom lip.

He shrugs. “At this point, you can’t make the situation worse.” I sigh. I wish someone would have been there for me when I made the decision to walk away from Jaycent. She may think I’m overstepping, but I’m just trying to help her. Making up my mind, I dial his number, and he answers on the second ring.

“This is Ryder O’Kane.” I can tell by the tone in his voice that he’s angry.

“Hey,” I say softly.

“Who is this?” he demands, and I roll my eyes, forgetting that I changed my number when I got a new phone today.

“It’s me, Becca. I got a new number,” I explain.

“Oh, why did you do that?” he asks.

Where do I start? “Conner.”

“Is that fucker still contacting you?” he growls.

“No. Just a precaution,” I assure him. And I also didn’t want Mom to be able to contact me.

He sighs, and I can imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose. “What do you want, B?” he asks as if he doesn’t really care why I’m calling him.

I bite my bottom lip and look at Jaycent still sitting on my bed; he nods his head in encouragement. “I called to talk to you about Ashlyn—”

“I don’t wanna hear it,” he snaps, interrupting me.

“It’s not—”

“No, Becca.” He does it again. “I get it. No need to defend her.” Then he hangs up.

I pull the cell from my ear. “That went about as good as I expected it to go,” Jaycent says.

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