Page 65 of Selfless

I take a deep breath as Rosie stands and runs out of the room, crying harder. My father falls back down into his seat and sighs heavily. “She’s not mine,” he states.

I snort. “More lies.”

“I’m not lying.” He grinds out. “But she is your sister.”

I roll my eyes. “How is that possible then?”

He lifts his head, and his eyes meet mine and I see something in them that I’ve never seen before. Regret. It’s so heavy that I find myself sitting back down as well. “Maggie’s mother had an affair with Rosie’s dad. Your little sister is the result of that.”

ASHLYN

I lie in Ryder’s bathtub, music blaring and my bubbles so thick I can’t even see my body. An empty bottle of wine sits on the floor beside me. It was the first thing I did when I walked into Ryder’s apartment. And even though I drank the entire thing in a matter of thirty minutes, I’m not feeling much from it.

I’m in the middle of washing my legs when I see the bathroom door open. Ryder walks in with his head down. His hair is standing every which way, and his eyes look red.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately standing. He never did call me back today. So many times I picked up my phone to try again but didn’t want to bother him.

He turns, giving me his back while gripping the black countertop, and drops his head. I watch the muscles in his back strain against the fabric of his white button up.

“Ryder?” I yell over the music as bubbles and water slide down my body.

I step out of the tub to go to him when he reaches over, grabs the UEBoom that plays the music from my phone, and throws it across the bathroom. It hits the wall with a loud thud and then the music stops.

I stand outside the tub, dripping wet, body shaking due to the cold air, and eyes wide—not sure what to do. Or what to say. So I just watch him. Now that his head isn’t down, I can see him better in the mirror. And I was right; his eyes are bloodshot, and I take in a long breath and smell alcohol on him. Has he been at a bar? He’s missing his black tie he left with this morning and his black suit jacket. His shirt has the top two buttons undone, and it’s untucked.

Finally, he turns to face me, and I take a step back when he comes toward me. I see hurt flash across his face, and I practically run to him. I’m not afraid of him in the least. I wrap my arms around him, and he doesn’t waste a second as he does the same, pulling my wet body to him and soaking his clothes. “It’s okay,” I say, knowing that whatever it is, it’s bad.

Ten minutes later, I’m dried off, and he’s undressed. We crawl into bed, and I cuddle up to him. “Talk to me, baby.”

He lies on his back, staring up at his ceiling, me on my left side with my arm flat on his bare chest. “Did you have a bad day at work?” I know he was nervous today about signing the paperwork. He tries to be tough, but I think that would scare anyone. The fear of failure is stronger than love if you ask me. When you allow yourself to love someone, they have the power to break you. When you set yourself up high, only you can bring yourself down.

He takes a deep breath and finally speaks. “I have a sister.”

I frown. “This is about Becca?” Is he still mad about her and Jaycent?

He softly shakes his head. “I have a five-year-old sister. Her name is Maggie.”

I very slowly sit up and look down at him. His head falls to the right, and his eyes meet mine. “You’re not making any sense, babe.”

“I followed my father today after he stormed out of the office, and I found him at Rosie’s house.”

My frown deepens. “Rosie? As in Jaycent’s sister, Rosie?” I ask, remembering her from when Becca and I went to her salon and spa.

He nods. “She is raising my little sister.”

My eyes start to widen. “Rosie and your father have been having an affair?”

He closes his eyes, and I feel his heart start to beat faster under my hand that still rests on his chest. “My mother had an affair with Jaycent and Rosie’s dad six years ago, and she had his child.”

I can feel the heartbreak in his words. The way his muscles still strain as if he’s in physical pain. And if that didn’t give me enough clues, the fact that he said it all with his eyes still closed does. “Oh, God,” I whisper.

His eyes open, and he looks up at me. “My mother gave her to Rosie when she realized her dad didn’t want any more than sex. Now that my father wants a divorce, Rosie is afraid that my mother will come after Maggie just to be a bitch. And I would bet my life on it that she will. She would want that sympathy as a single mother.”

“Wow!”

He nods. “And the kicker? I’m the only one who knows,” he adds. “Well, you too.”

I sigh for his father and Rosie. How hard must it be to keep that kind of secret from loved ones. “Did you meet her?” I ask softly.

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