Page 108 of Hate To Love You

“Wait, what?” Lainey looks bemused.

“Oh, Gwen,” Ellie coos.

I hear Damian exhale a breath and see him look down at the floor.

“Damnit, Gwen. I’m sorry. I wish you told us. We could have been here for you,” Damian tells me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.

“Why don’t you look shocked, Hal?” Lainey asks, squinting her eyes. Haley shrugs casually.

“I already knew,” she explains nonchalantly. Ellie, Lainey, and Damian’s eyes go wide. It would be comedic if not for the situation at hand.

“What the hell? How?” Lainey shouts.

Haley chuckles. “Because I was home when she came back to pack. I told her she couldn’t leave without giving me a good reason. I thought that was reason enough.”

“And you didn’t tell us?” Damian asks, sounding offended.

“Guys, it wasn’t Haley’s story to tell. It’s Gwen’s, and she told us when she was ready,” Ellie says calmly. Oh Ellie, ever the levelheaded one.

“So now what?” Hayley asks, her picture shaking as she crawls into her car. I shrug.

“Nothing. Ryker and I are done. It’s over,” I say, feeling completely defeated. I don’t want it to be over. I just want to go back in time to the other night when we laid in bed, sharing our feelings.

Ellie’s face looks sad as she looks at me through the phone. Lainey looks like she wants to say something more, but she doesn’t speak.

A loud sound comes from Ellie’s end before a male voice booms in the background.

Ellie looks behind her before shouting, “Holland, get out of my room!”

“Is that Guinevere?” Holland asks, his voice deep and angry.

“None of your business, now get out!” Ellie demands.

There’s a struggle as Holland seems to attempt to grab Ellie’s phone out of her hand. Damian and I share a confused glance while Lainey looks like she wants to burst out laughing. Haley’s connection gets lost as she appears to go under a tunnel.

Holland’s face appears on my screen as I hear Ellie in the background cursing at him.

“What the hell happened between you and Steele?” Holland’s deep voice demands.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Lainey chides.

Holland rolls his eyes. “Shut it, Barkley. I’m not talking to you,” he retorts.

“You’re talking to my best friend, that means you’re talking to me.”

They really bicker like an old married couple. It’s kind of adorable.

“I don’t have time for your stupid comments, Barkley. Steele is out of his goddamn mind. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s not eating, he’s not sleeping, he’s been drunk for the past three nights. He won’t tell me anything,” Holland runs a hand through his hair before rubbing the scruff on his chin. “I went to check on him today. He’s in really rough shape. He almost killed that Ashton guy.”

My chest becomes heavy as I take in Holland’s words. Ryker hasn’t gone home yet?

“Why didn’t he go home? The Elite Mansion must be empty by now,” I ask. Holland shakes his head.

“Logan’s been trying to get him to leave, but he refuses. He says you won’t talk to him. You won’t let him explain. Explain what?” Holland asks. Ellie grabs the phone back, hitting Holland in the head.

“Leave her alone, Holland. She doesn’t have to tell you shit.”

I hear Holland growl before the slam of a door tells me he’s left the room.

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