Page 81 of Mending Scars

After starting my truck, I reversed and peeled out of the parking lot, ignoring pain in my chest and the knot forming in my gut.

Ryker’s words held so much venom that I felt like my heart had been stung, injected with a lethal poison that was slowly corroding deep into my body and adding more irreparable scars to my broken soul.

How could he think that I cheated on him? I love him more than anything.

“Ryker, wait!” I cried out in despair. “Please don’t g—”

I didn’t get to finish my plea. The door slammed with his exit, and I felt like my heart had been smashed by it. All the pieces he had mended slowly fell apart again, shattering with every passing second that he was gone. Sinking to my knees on the floor, I sobbed into my hands as my world crumbled around me.

Why didn’t I just tell him a long time ago? I’m so stupid.

I don’t know how long I cried on the floor; it could’ve been minutes or it could’ve been hours, but when my tears finally ran dry, I was no longer upset. I was downright furious.

He wants to leave? Well, fine, I’m not going to sit around and wait for him.

Hefting myself off the floor, I stormed to the door, snatched my keys off the hook, and left.

How dare he accuse me of cheating? I’m pregnant with his son, for fuck’s sake!

Tears resurfaced, streaming down my face as I went down the stairs to my car. As I was about to open the door, a hand clamped down on my mouth and another came around my huge, bulging waist.

“I’ve been waiting for that meathead to leave you alone.”

Bryce? What is he doing here?

I tried to pry his hands off of me but he tightened his grip. A feeling of dread permeated my stomach as I started to put two and two together.

Oh, God, no.

My words were muffled through Bryce’s hand as he began to pull me away from my car. “What are you doing, Bryce?” My eyes darted around the empty parking lot, searching for anyone to help me.

“All those years, I was there for you. Every time you needed me, I was there. Then, you met him and threw everything we had away!”

His breath was hot against the side of my face, and it reeked of alcohol. “Bryce, please don’t do this,” I pleaded, even though I wasn’t sure if he could make out my words since his hand was drowning them out. “I’m pregnant. I—”

He put more pressure on my stomach with his hand. “I see that! You barely know him, Ky. What were you thinking?” he spat.

More tears spilled from my eyes. I didn’t know if they had even stopped from earlier. I struggled against Bryce as panic began to set in. He held me tighter to him and pressed me up against a car. His car.

I can’t let him get me in the car.

I tried to scream, but with his hand over my mouth, I barely made a sound. I threw some back elbows into his ribs, but there wasn’t much force in them because of how I was positioned. I managed to get a good hit in, forcing him to let me go briefly, but he pushed me by my chest against the car and held me there.

Bryce reared his fist back to punch me, but I turned and blocked it with both arms. Then, Igripped his forearm with my hands before throwing a back elbow into his chest. I used the momentum of the strike to force him to twist into the car, then pinned him there with my forearm on his throat.

Kneeing him in the groin, I caused him to clutch himself and drop to his knees. I screamed for help and turned to run away, but Bryce grabbed my ankle, sending me to smash my face on the hard asphalt.

Spots dotted my vision as the world spun around me. I felt Bryce pulling me into his arms as everything went black.

My eyes fluttered open to a ceiling. I was no longer outside. I was being carried inside somewhere.

Where am I? What is going on?

My head and nose throbbed with pain as I struggled to shake the disorientation clouding me. Then, I registered Bryce’s face and everything came rushing back.

Oh my God!

“Help! Somebody help me!” I screamed as I squirmed in his arms.

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