Page 102 of Come Break My Heart Again

“Ryder?” a woman’s voice says.

There’s a muffled scuffle on his end, like a hand placed hastily over a speaker. Followed by a muted, “I’ll be right there.”

His hand doesn’t manage to block the woman’s answer, “Okay.”

I hang up.

Ten seconds later, he calls. I watch it ring, then roll over and stuff my face inside the crease of the couch, deep enough that I can’t hear or see and can barely breathe. Scream until my throat hurts.

Then, it dawns on me that he’ll probably be part of the Fourth of July celebrations, and I’ll have to start all over again.

20

Fat raindrops start falling from the sky as I take the turn that leads to the trailer park. I smile with a sort of grim satisfaction as one hits my cheek and rolls off my jaw. Dark clouds have threatened rain all day, and I should have put up the convertible’s cover before leaving for school this morning. Ryder will roll his eyes that I didn’t, and that will create this giddy bubble in my chest.

Happiness, I think.

I’m happy. And it’s not just Ryder, although he’s a large part of it. It’s making my own choices, of feeling like I’m the driving force in my own life again.

Damp dust swirls in the afternoon air as I navigate the bumpy road the best that I can. The rain hasn’t saturated the ground yet.

Ryder’s already outside when I park beside his trailer, talking to a guy with shaggy black hair who I vaguely recognize from seeing around school. I grab my backpack off the passenger seat and climb out of my car, masking my uncertainty with a friendly smile.

“This must be yourplans.” The guy beside Ryder is talking to him but focused on me.

When our eyes connect, he smirks. There’s a predatory gleam to his expression that makes my skin crawl. That screams untrustworthy.

I fiddle with the zipper of my jacket as a small distraction. I came straight from cheer practice, only making one quick stop in town, and I wish I’d taken the time to change as interested eyes rove over my bare legs.

“Yeah. I’ll see you at work, Phoenix.”

They’re not good friends, based on the coolness in Ryder’s tone. Or maybe he’s noticed how Phoenix’s attention has stalled on me, which I’m uncomfortably aware of.

“All good. I’ll see you around. Nice to meet you, Elle.” He flashes another wolfish smile.

I force a nod. “Yeah. You too.”

Phoenix turns and continues walking down the road, his hands tucked into his pockets.

“You’re early.”

I drop the zipper and look at Ryder. It’s raining harder now, darkening the sleeves of my jacket. “Sorry.”

He lifts one eyebrow. “Not looking for an apology.”

“Friend of yours?”

“Nix doesn’t really have friends,” Ryder replies. “He has people he likes to hang around with and people who owe him favors.”

“Which one are you?” I ask.

“I don’t owe him a favor.”

I hike my slipping backpack up my shoulder. “You gonna invite me in?”

He glances at my car. “You gonna put your cover up?”

“Car could use a cleaning.”

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