Page 41 of Faking It With the Single Dad

Ryan doesn’t buy my answer for a second. He tilts his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studies me. “You’ve been avoiding my calls again,” he says finally.

“I’ve been busy,” I repeat, grabbing a rag and pretending to wipe down the already clean counter.

“Bella,” he says, his voice lower now, more serious. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I say again, avoiding his gaze.

He’s not having it. He reaches across the counter, his hand covering mine and stilling my movements. “Stop,” he says softly. “Whatever this is, just…stop. Talk to me.”

I swallow hard, my resolve wavering under the weight of his concern. But then I remember Gina’s voice, that cruel, dismissive tone, and I pull my hand back like his touch burns.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I think we should just…take a step back. This…whatever this is, it’s not working.”

Ryan straightens, his expression shifting from concern to frustration. “Not working? Bella, we’ve been doing fine. Better than fine! What’s really going on?”

“I told you,” I say, my voice sharper than I intended. “I’ve been busy, Ryan. I don’t have time for…this.”

“For me, you mean?” he asks, his voice hardening.

I flinch, but don’t respond.

“Don’t do this,” he says, stepping closer, his voice softer now but no less intense. “Don’t shut me out, Bella. Not again.”

“I’m not shutting you out,” I lie, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Yes, you are,” he says, his tone edged with frustration. “And I want to know why.”

“Why does it matter?” I shoot back, my emotions finally bubbling to the surface. “You’re leaving anyway, right? So what’s the point?”

Ryan blinks, clearly caught off guard. “Where is this coming from?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say, shaking my head. “I just think it’s better if we keep things simple. For Luke’s sake.”

“This isn’t about Luke,” he says firmly. “This is about you. About us. And I’m not going to let you push me away without a real explanation.”

“There is no ‘us,’ Ryan,” I say, my voice cracking despite my best efforts. “There never was. This was all pretend, remember?”

His jaw tightens, and for a moment, he doesn’t say anything. When he finally speaks, his voice is low and controlled. “You don’t mean that.”

“Don’t I?” I challenge him, even as my chest aches with the effort of keeping up the lie.

“No, you don’t,” he says, stepping even closer. “Because I’ve seen the way you look at me, Bella. And it’s not pretend. Not for either of us.”

I look away, unable to meet his gaze.

“Talk to me,” he says again, his voice pleading now. “Tell me what’s really going on.”

“I can’t,” I whisper, my throat tightening.

“Why not?” he asks, his frustration giving way to hurt.

“Because it doesn’t matter!” I finally look at him. “Because no matter what I feel, no matter what you say, it’s not going to change anything. You’ll leave me for someone better. And I’ll be here, picking up the pieces…again.”

“Bella,” he says softly, reaching for me.

I step back, shaking my head. “Don’t. Please, don’t.”

He drops his hand, his shoulders slumping slightly. For a moment, he just stands there, staring at me like he’s trying to figure out how to fix something that’s already broken.

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