Page 6 of Ryder

Silence drifted between us because neither of us knew what to say at that point. I hated the physical space separating us but I understood it, although I’d never let on.

Don’t show any vulnerability.It was my motto since I was a kid, and in that moment it was being put to the motherfuckin’ test.

As her lips parted to finally speak, a rousing burst of noise erupted behind us. A large crowd of people emerged, halting any thoughts that I’d get any further with Braylen right then.

“Come back to my place,” I said, clenching my hands at my sides in preparation for her refusal.

“No.” Blunt and to the point.

“Why?”

“Because there’s something going on with you, and until you can tell me what it is, I can’t help you.” She bit her lower lip, averting her eyes to behind me every few seconds, no doubt waiting for her sister to join us.

“It was one night. One incident. Let it go,” I rasped, pissed that I had to defend my fucked-up dream once again. I didn’t want to delve back into my past, and that was exactly what would happen if I entertained telling her.

“It wasn’t just one night.” Her voice rose over the shouts of the people milling around us. “You’ve been acting weird for at least two months.”

Dammit! That was about how long it’d been since the nightmares had returned.

Again, I refused to acknowledge what she said as anything but crazy talk. Before my brain could formulate a response, however, the back door to the building flung open. Tripp, Jagger, and Kena appeared, laughing and looking like everything was peachy fuckin’ keen.

Well it wasn’t.

Not for me, and apparently not for Braylen either.

One look from her sister and Kena rushed to her side, pulling her farther away from me and signing frantically, glancing back at me a couple times. Realizing I’d lost the battle, I gave up trying to convince Braylen to come home with me and joined my buddies.

“What’s up with those two?” Tripp asked, slapping me on the back before removing his phone from his cut. Putting the device to his ear, he gave me a sideways glance while waiting for whoever he’d called to answer.

“Who the fuck knows,” I grumbled. I had no desire to talk about it right there in the middle of the goddamn street. Jagger walked toward the women, watching the back and forth between the two of them before turning his head to look at me. He smirked, no doubt lovin’ that I was the one in hot water. I hated that he could understand everything they were signing while I stood there like a dumbass, completely ignorant.

Finally, Jagger walked back toward me, grinning and shaking his head.

“Fuck off.”

“Hey, I’m not the one givin’ you shit.” Jagger chuckled, slinging his black bag over his shoulder.

“What was she sayin’?” I didn’t want to ask, but the need to know gnawed at my insides like some kind of insect.

“That she really wishes you would open up and let her in. That she’s really concerned about your emotional sanity and wants to be there for you, to help you through whatever drama has you trapped in such a state that you shut down and lash out whenever something happens.”

At first, I thought Jagger was telling me the truth, that she’d really said all that stuff, until he burst out laughing.

“What the fuck?” I growled, flashing him my most menacing look, but apparently I was losing my touch, or Jagger knew me well enough to not be afraid of me.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist, man.”

“What. Did. She. Fuckin’. Say?”

“She said you’re actin’ like an ass, and that if you don’t start talkin’ soon, you can forget about her . . . or somethin’ like that.” Jagger walked away before I could ask him to repeat what he’d said, laughing at my misfortune of having to deal with Braylen’s stubborn ass.

I knew Jagger was heading back to their place, so I straddled my bike, turned over the engine and took off down the street, not once looking at Braylen as I passed. I couldn’t. Otherwise, I’d toss her over my ride and kidnap her, kicking and screaming.

And something told me that wouldn’t go over too well.

Braylen

All I could think about while lying in bed that evening was Ryder and how clueless he was to just how detrimental his actions toward me had been. And how he refused to tell me exactly what was going on with him. He played it off as no big deal, as if it was normal to attack someone while in the throes of a nightmare. But it sure as hell wasn’t.

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