Page 17 of Love Letter Lost
“Ridge? What are you doing here?” My voice came out in a croak, and I cleared my throat to displace the rasp. Me and late nights did not mix.
“One knight in shining armor at your service.” Ridge gave a sweeping bow with his arms outstretched before straightening with a smirk. His voice conveyed his lack of enthusiasm.
I stared at him, blinking in confusion. After all the romantic movies and what-if scenarios of the night before, I decided there was a ninety percent chance I was dreaming. Though the suggestion of frustration and anger churning in my stomach hinted this was real.
“Livvy didn’t call you, did she?” Ridge asked.
I shook my head.
“Of course not.” He gave a sigh. “Can I come in? This might take a second to explain.”
“Sure.” I stepped aside, careful to continue blocking Ruby’s escape as Ridge entered.
Closing the door behind him, I looked around the living room and registered the disaster my roommates and I had left after our late-night movie marathon. Like any good girls’ night, we’d used the evening as an excuse to binge on popcorn, chips, and chocolate. We’d also severely depleted my stash of slushy Dr. Pepper. However, none of us had felt like cleaning up after hours of movie watching. Instead, we’d shoved the food onto the coffee table and left our blankets, pillows, and empty bowls strewn around the living room. I’d seen abandoned construction zones that looked better.
Turning, I flinched as I also took in the cluttered kitchen and dining room. If I’d hoped to impress Ridge with how put together my life was, I’d completely missed the opportunity. At this point, he’d probably be thankful I’d never written him back.
“Looks like I missed the party.” Ridge picked his way across the living room before clearing off a place on the couch and sitting down.
Audrey and Chloe had slipped back into their rooms, no doubt working to look presentable. Not wanting to leave Ridge alone, I settled on the loveseat, ignoring the crackling sound it made when I sat.
It doesn’t matter what he thinks,I reminded myself.He’s just somebody you used to know, whom you’re actively working to forgive, nothing more.
“What are you doing here?” The croak had thankfully left my voice, and I sounded almost normal as I spoke. I still wasn’t convinced that I was awake, but the state of my living room and the fact that Ridge hadn’t disappeared yet was a pretty good indicator I wasn’t dreaming.
“Livvy roped me into helping,” he said with an eyeroll. “She claims it’s the least I can do and that I owe her.”
“What do you mean, ‘you owe her’?” This conversation was making no sense.
“According to Livvy logic, since Amber’s sister is the reason you’re carless and I volunteered to help with wedding plans, if needed, that means I’ve now committed myself to being your chauffeur for the foreseeable future.”
“Don’t you have an internship or something that you’re supposed to be focused on?” I thought back to yesterday’s conversation and Amber’s mention of Ridge’s impending future as a lawyer.
“If I get the internship, it doesn’t start until next week, so I’ve got time.” Ridge paused, considering his next words. “Look, given our history, I would have said no, but apparently Livvy unearthed some photos in the move that I’d rather never see the light of day.” He paused, as if considering what he just admitted to. “Though if anyone asks, I volunteered to pick you up so that we could get started on everything and so that I could get an idea of the area where I’ll be interning if I get the position with Amber’s dad.”
“Of course. You were always happy to be the hero who swoops in and saves the day.”And then flies away as if nothing has happened or changed.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, nothing. Just some high school memories surfacing.” I paused, the tension building as we stared each other down. “You know, you could have called or texted. It would have been nice to have a bit of warning.” I gestured to my pajamas, a pair of sweats that I’d owned since freshman year of college and a free t-shirt I’d gotten at a football game.
“I would have, but I don’t have your number. And if I did, I figured you wouldn’t respond anyway.” He leaned back against the couch, arms crossed over his chest, drawing attention to some muscles he hadn’t had in high school.
“That’s rich, coming from the guy who kisses and runs. I’m curious, how did Amber get you to stick around after the first kiss?” I knew the words were a mistake as soon as I said them aloud, but I couldn’t stop them for some reason. Ridge truly did bring out the worst in me at the moment.
We stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other to blink or speak. The only sound in the room was my large wall clock as it ticked away the seconds of our staring contest.
The sound of a door opening broke the moment, and we both watched as Chloe emerged from her bedroom, her pixie cut perfectly styled and her makeup drawing attention to her green eyes. I resisted the urge to smooth down my hair as she walked over and joined Ridge on the couch.
“Hi, I’m Chloe, Mal’s roommate.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ridge.” Ridge gave the first genuine smile I’d seen since he’d reappeared in my life, and I forgot for a moment that I was mad at him. His familiar grin took me back to happy memories, before the disaster of prom.
“Mal’s talked about you. You’re even cuter in person,” Chloe said.
Just like that, the good, happy feelings were gone as I contemplated beaning Chloe with a pillow.
“What brings you over? Mal didn’t mention you were coming.”
