Page 87 of Selfless

“I know Vicki likes to talk a lot of shit, but why does she bring up Bradley?” Becca asks. “How would she even know his name?”

“I don’t know,” I say, fisting my right hand. It’s sore, and I have a cut across my knuckles. I think a tooth got it. “Maybe your mom.”

“How would she …?”

“She met him when she came down for your birthdays and for graduation. I mean, we were best friends. We were always hugging and … friendly. Maybe your mom thought we had a thing.” I shrug.

“Maybe,” she agrees.

Jaycent clears his throat, and we both look down at him sitting on the floor. He smiles at me. “I just wanna be the first to tell you that you hitting Vicki was awesome,” he says, and we all laugh.

I tried so hard not to be that woman. The one who looks jealous or causes a scene. I couldn’t care less what she said or does to me. She’s just jealous that I got the guy. But she crossed the line when she threw Jaycent under the bus and hurt Becca. I will always take up for my friends. No matter what.

“It’s late, and I’m tired,” I say, looking outside the big floor-to-ceiling windows and see nothing but blackness. The fireworks stopped long ago.

We say our good nights, and I show them to a bedroom. As I walk back through the living room to the other side of the house where our bedroom is, I stop and walk outside. I overlook the back porch and swimming pool. I can’t see the ocean, but I can hear it. I think about what Vicki said.

I hold my cell in my hand and pull up Bradley’s number. He still randomly calls and texts me, but I quit responding a long time ago.

I decide to dial it, and after the second ring, it goes to voicemail. I smile, good for him for moving on. He deserves someone who loves him.

I walk into the bedroom and find Ryder in the same place that I put him. His mouth is open, and he snores. I get out of my dress and crawl into the king-size bed and turn my back to him, close my eyes, and let out a long sigh. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

RYDER

I wake with a pounding headache and find myself alone in the king-size bed.

I sit up and rub my temples. It’s daylight, and I have to blink a few times to adjust my eyes.

I shove off the covers and swing my legs to the side of the bed. I wait a few seconds as I try to get my vision to stop spinning. Fuck, I drank too much last night.

I’m naked, so I dig through my bag to find a pair of boxers and sweatpants. I open the bedroom door and make my way through the house. I hear Ashlyn’s voice before I see her coming from the kitchen.

I walk in, and she stops as she sees me. To my surprise, I see Jaycent and Becca also present. “Morning,” I say but no one returns it.

Becca’s eyes are red, and Jaycent’s lips are thin. “Can you give us a moment?” Ashlyn asks.

They both nod and silently make their way out of the kitchen, and I turn to face her. She’s looking at me like I did something wrong. Her eyes are narrowed, and her lips are thinned too.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, walking around the bar.

She takes a step back shaking her head. “Ashlyn?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” she finally says.

“What?” I ask. “You just told them to give us a second. So you had planned on saying something,” I say.

“Well, I changed my mind,” she snaps.

She walks past me, and I grab her upper arm, bringing her to a stop. She spins around, fisting her hands down by her side. “What’s wrong?”

“You are what’s wrong!”

“What did I do?” I ask, flinching from her tone. My head hurts so badly.

She yanks her arm free of my hold. “Do you even remember last night?”

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