Page 35 of Selfless

“Hello?” His voice is rough from sleep.

“Get your ass up and answer the damn door,” I growl.

“What … Where are you …?”

“I’m at the fucking door!” I snap and demand, “Now answer it!”

“Who is that?” I hear Becca’s sleepy voice, and I pound on the front door again.

“It’s Ryder,” he tells her.

She sighs. “Hang up on him …”

“Jaycent, don’t you dare …”

The door swings open just as I speak. “What in the fuck are you doing?”

I’m surprised to see Ashlyn standing in front of me. Her eyes sleepy but narrowed at me as she tightens a robe around herself.

I storm in past her and hang up my phone. “We’re having a family meeting,” I say as I stomp down the hallway. Without knocking, I open Becca’s door and find her in bed with Jaycent.

“What the fuck, Ry?” she shouts, trying to shield her body behind Jaycent as he turns to face me.

“Get up, get dressed, and get your asses to the living room.” Then I slam the door shut.

“Have you lost your mind?” Ashlyn demands, and I hate how good she looks. Even just rolled out of bed, she still takes my breath away. “It’s four in the morning,” she adds, in case I didn’t already know what time it is.

“No. For the first time in a while, my mind is pretty clear,” I tell her, and she rolls her eyes.

“I’m going back to bed,” she states.

“Nope. You’re part of this meeting as well,” I say, grabbing her hand and dragging her over to the couch. She sits down with a huff but doesn’t argue.

Minutes later, Jaycent and Becca come walking out both fully dressed, thank

God. “Why are you here at four in the morning?” Becca demands.

“We’re having a family meeting,” I say, narrowing my eyes at Jaycent.

Jaycent looks from me to Ashlyn. She sits there, arms crossed over her chest with a look of pure hatred on her gorgeous face. When his eyes meet mine, he smirks. “Guess my phone call didn’t work.” Jaycent adds with a chuckle.

Before I can respond, Ashlyn speaks. “We’re not gonna talk about that.”

He shakes his head with a satisfied smile on his face. “I’ll start the coffee.”

“No,” Becca says, grabbing his arm. “We’re not having a meeting, Ryder. Have you lost your mind?”

“Why do people keep asking me that?”

“Because you have,” Ashlyn answers.

I turn to face her, the open floor plan allowing me a bird’s-eye view. “No. I’m not. But I am tired of not sleeping.”

“What does that mean?” Becca asks.

“I’ve been up for over a week over what happened between me and Ashlyn, and yesterday, I found out that all I had to do was talk to her. And then I also find out that my best friend is fucking my sister, and we need to talk it through.”

“Stop saying it like that,” Jaycent says from the kitchen.

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