Page 109 of Hate To Love You

“I’m sorry about that. Holland never knows when to keep his nose out of anyone’s business,” Ellie shrugs. I force a soft chuckle out of my mouth.

“It’s okay…” but nothing is really okay.

“Do you want us to come over? We can have a girl’s night,” Lainey suggests. Ellie and Lainey don’t live far from me.

In fact, they live in East Greenwich, the town that Ryker’s from. Damian’s hand flies to his chest, his mouth hanging open.

“Excuse the fuck out of you. I’ll be there too,” he says, his voice laced with offence. Lainey’s eyes roll.

“Girl’s night plus Damian,” she groans. Lainey and Damian love each other, but they also butt heads often. Their friendship is funny that way. They can scream and yell at each other one minute and be best friends that next.

“Sure, that would be nice,” and I think it would help take my mind off of everything.

Hearing how hurt Ryker is makes me want to drive back to Ellington just to hold him and tell him everything is going to be alright.

But he’s the one that broke us. He’s the one that cheated, and I shouldn’t feel bad for standing up for myself and leaving.

He made his bed, now he can lie in it.

“Okay, be there in an hour,” Lainey says, ending the Facetime call.

Sammy yawns loudly, and Damian and I look back at him as he pants, his long, pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.

He’s a black lab mixed with something we can’t quite identify. He really is adorable, and I’m glad he’s been here to keep my mom company. As Damian pets him, I can see his eyes narrow in confusion.

“What?” I ask. Damian looks at me, then back down to Sammy.

“Who the hell’s dog is this?” I bark out a laugh. How is he just realizing that he’s been petting a dog on my bed when I’ve never owned a dog?

Chapter 49

Ryker

My phone has been blowing up for the past few days with calls from my mother, father, Logan, and the guys. Holland came to check on me last night, and I told him to fuck off. I don’t want to talk to anyone or explain why I’m in such a shitty mood.

I haven’t heard anything from Gwen, not that I really expected to since she told me to never contact her again. But a small part of me thought that maybe she just needed to cool down, and then she’d hear me out.

She thinks I slept with Amy. She believes I cheated on her, and it’s killing me that she doesn’t know the truth. Amy’s a fucking bitch, and I should have her kicked out of Ellington just for messing with Gwen’s head and causing her to hate me.

I’ve been so angry with myself and this situation, that I had to find some way to let go. To let some of this anger out before I exploded. So yesterday, I went to the campus gym and waited for Ashton to come out.

When he did, I jumped him. I punched his face so hard my fingers bled, and I’m pretty sure one or two are broken. When he fell to the ground, I kicked him in the ribs multiple times until I was satisfied.

Then, I got in my car and drove home, burying myself so deep in alcohol that I couldn’t even remember my own name. When Holland showed up, he helped me off the floor and forced me to take a shower. Blood stained my shirt and my face. My hand was also covered.

Holland, being the good friend he is, helped wrap it before helping me to my room and leaving me on my bed where I fell asleep not even ten minutes later.

Everyone in the mansion went home on either Sunday or Monday, including Mason, Pat, Holland, and Logan. I told them I’d be right behind them, but I couldn’t bring myself to get in the damn car. Not when I know Gwen is only a thirty-minute drive away from me.

If you go to Ellington, you either come from Rhode Island or live in Connecticut. Some come from New York, but it’s not common.

Pat lives around the corner from me, Holland and Ellie live about ten minutes down the road, and Mason lives in the same town as Gwen. It’s nice to be able to see each other outside of school, that way we can keep up with Elite business. Not that there’s a ton since it’s break.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I know I have to be home for it, if only for my mother’s sake. But I am dreading seeing my father. I know he’ll try to order me to ask Gwen to marry me again, and at this point, I really don’t see that happening unless I tie her up and force her somehow.

But that’s not an option. I may be an ass, but I’m not going to force her into marrying me. My father will tell me that I have no choice. That I have to do exactly that, force Gwen to marry me whether she wants to or not. For an Elite, marriage isn’t about love. It’s about the title and power. They only want us married to reproduce the next generation of Elite’s.

Many women don’t care since they’re marrying into money and status. They gladly hand themselves over to us just to say they are married to an Elite. But Gwen doesn’t care about all that. She doesn’t care that I’m an Elite. She doesn’t care that I have money or authority.

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