Page 39 of Pulled Away

He takes a step towards me, and I take a step back. The need to ask him what’s happening next Saturday is a scorching flame burning my insides to ash, but I refuse to do it in front of her.

I just know that whatever it is, is going to devastate me, and there’s no way I’ll allow her to see it.

“I’m going to go,” I whisper, allowing him to see my heartbreak in my eyes.

“Aspen?” He looks between us, his face set in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“I just…I need to go.”

“Tell me what happened. Please.”

I debate holding my tongue, but then decide, fuck it. Things are as bad as they can be. Nothing I say can change it.

“Hadley was kind enough to confirm a few things for me.”

“Like what?” he asks carefully.

I shrug, knowing that my words will fall on deaf ears. “Cliff notes version. She loves you. You love her. You belong to her, and she’s here to get you back.”

I clench my jaw against saying the rest of everything she said.

“What?” they say at the same time, and I have to hand it to Hadley. The shock on her face looks genuine.

“Aspen,” he groans. “This is not the time or the place.”

“Oh, I know. It’s never the time or the place. But you insisted.”

“Ryan,” Hadley breathes, reaching out and grabbing his arm. “I don’t know why…I would never…” Her voice trails off on a sob. Yeah, definitely should have been an actress.

I watch with a small sense of satisfaction as he shrugs her hand off, and for a second I allow my heart to swell in optimism. Is he finally going to believe me?

Instead, he turns to me, his face painted in irritation. My hands curl into fists; an unconscious defense against his next words.

“We buried Hadley’s dad today. Can you not make the day harder than it has to be?”

Chapter fifteen

Aspen

I’m in the kitchen staring out the window when the door opens. It’s dark out, so I’m not really seeing anything, but that’s okay. What I’m looking at is going on inside my mind. Turning, I lean back against the counter, folding my arms across my chest, my eyes tracking Ryan as he shrugs off his jacket, throwing it on the couch. He looks damn good in suits, but he hates wearing them.

I’m surprised that Hadley’s not with him.

“Thank fuck that’s over,” he mutters, striding to the kitchen and helping himself to a beer. He pops the cap, his throat moving as he downs half of it.

When he’s done, he eyes me warily. “You look like you’re ready for a fight.”

I shrug. “No. Wouldn’t want to make things harder for anyone.”

He sighs, dropping his eyes to the floor.

“The reception went on long,” I say, referencing the fact that it’s already dark out.

“Not really. We just…decompressed after the last people left. It would have been nice if you were there.”

“Really?”

If you could scoop up sarcasm, the amount coating that one word would fill a jar.

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