Page 30 of Stuck On Them

“Why are there two checks?” One was for six weeks’ pay, just over ten thousand dollars, and the other was a check from Ryker for another ten thousand. “What is this?”

My hand shook as I read and reread it. How could something be so amazing yet so heartbreaking at the same time?

“It’s for the inconvenience I’ve caused you.” There was genuine concern in his voice. “What are these? More love notes?”

Love notes? I looked up at him just as he reached for one of my sticky notes. “Don’t!”

But I was too late. He’d of course grabbed the one with my student loan debt. “What is this?”

My phone buzzing just added to the whole ambiance in the room as he picked up each sticky note, stacking them on top of each other.

“What does it look like?” I looked at checks and papers in my hand and shoved them back in the envelope. “You should really go.”

He didn’t speak, only stared at the brightly colored squares in his hands. My legs trembled, but as badly as I wanted to sit down, I didn’t dare move.

He finally cleared his throat. “Did you know who I was?”

“What do you mean?”

“That night at the bar. Did you know who I was?” He looked up at me, his eyes sad.

“No. Why would I? I was just...” Being brave. Being stupid. Being impulsive.

My phone buzzed again.

“Who the hell keeps calling you?” He reached down into the bowels of the couch to locate the buzzing and pulled out my phone. “Who’s Daniel?”

The phone stopped buzzing, thank fuck.

“No one. Give it here.” I dropped the envelope on the table and held out my hand just as it started to ring again.

He stood, moving away from me and bringing the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

I sat down in defeat, sucking in a breath as my body radiated with pain. The likelihood of getting my phone back was slim to none. Ryker was strong, and I was about to pass out from the pain in my hamstrings and quads.

“Who the hell is this?” Daniel’s voice was easy to hear from where I was since I always had the volume all the way up. I hated the way speakerphone sounded, and max volume was perfectly loud enough.

“Who the hell isthis?” Ryker echoed. “Why do you keep calling?”

“I’m her fucking fiancé trying to make arrangements for our wedding. Put her on the phone.”

I grabbed my package of Oreos, avoiding Ryker’s glare, and put them in my lap. It was much more of an ice cream situation, but it was too expensive, and the tiny freezer didn’t work very well.

“Fiancé?” Ryker started pacing, a hand sweeping through his hair. “What do you mean you’re her fiancé?”

“Ex,” I muttered through a mouthful of Oreo.

“Paige’s mouth is full right now so she can’t talk to you.” There wasn’t even a hint of humor in Ryker’s voice.

“Listen, asshole. I don’t know who you think you are-”

Ryker hung up on him. “You have a fiancé?”

I pointed an Oreo at him. “An ex-fiancé who was cheating on me.”

“Is that why you’re living here?” He looked around the apartment again, his brows furrowed.

What I wouldn’t give to hear his train of thought. One second, he seemed like he cared, the next he was asking me to sign paperwork again and insinuating I was after money.

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