Page 133 of The Restoration Program
“Not tomorrow. We… we need some serious space.”
His jaw ticked. “How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know,” she said to his waistline. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Well, I need to know.”
“Fuck off.I can do whatever I want, Ryan.”
The way he just stood there, arms folded, seemed to challenge that. Not a word. Not a hint of panic. The look on his face was utterly impassive, and Nicole couldn’t help but wonder if he was considering…
It would be easy for him. There was no beating around the bush now; they both knew he could tell herno. Could keep her here or anywhere against her will.
“I’ll have to dig through some things to find the key,” he said, sweeping a hand back through his hair and heaving a sigh. “It might take me a while.”
“You can drop it off when you find it. I’ll have her text you her address.”
His eyes were chips of ice when they settled on her again. “You’re really going to walk out that door without even talking to me?”
He stepped toward the couch—a few easy strides and he was standing over her. Nicole backed herself against the edge of the laptop, white-knuckling the hidden knife handle. Shallow, hard breaths rattled her chest like his hand was still locked around her, squeezing her bird-thin bones.
“I can’t fathom what you possibly expect me to say to you,” she croaked. “You… you used me, Ryan. You fuckinghurtme.” The words came softly, not angry—she still couldn’t fully wrap her head around it.
“Nicole…” Ryan sighed. He knelt to her level, and Nicole’s eyes widened as his hand reached for her.
“Don’t touch me!” She whipped the knife out and pointed it at him.
His eyebrows shot up. “Babe… You can’t be serious.” The annoyance in his tone wavered her voice cracked.
“Have you always been like this?” Nicole asked softly. “And I just didn’t see it clearly until now?”
An urgent knock rattled the front door.
“Ryan!I know you’re home. Open the door!”Darlene’s voice was stringent and harsh. “Open the fucking door or I’ll call the police.”
He stayed crouched, lips thinning into a displeased line as he attempted and failed to ignore Darlene. His resignation was ugly. He snapped to his full height with a growl and stormed for the door.
Nicole stood there, wondering what he would have done if Darlene hadn’t arrived at that moment.
“Keep your fucking voice down!” Ryan snapped. “You’ll wake the entire floor!”
“Good!” Darlene fired back. “They deserve to know what kind of piece-of-shit neighbor they have!”
The second he opened the door, he sprang back with his hands raised. “Are you fuckingkidding me—”
Darlene followed him inside, a can of pepper spray leveled with his eyes. When he didn’t clear the path to Nicole, Darlene shoved her can closer. “Move, Ryan, or I swear to God I’ll empty the whole can on your face.”
Sneering, he stepped aside. She circled past, never giving her back to him even when she stopped by the table. Her wrath into a pout as she inspected Nicole up and down. Hands shaking, Nicole pocketed the knife.
“Are you okay?” Darlene’s voice wavered as she delicately took Nicole’s hand between a finger and thumb.
Nicole squeezed back, relief making her knees weak. “Let’s just go.”
With one hand firmly on the pepper spray can, Darlene stowed Nicole’s bag and laptop in her purse. She threw cold looks at Ryan all the while, he stood by the door silently, arms crossed. Nicole felt sick at the thought of looking directly at him, worried that staring too long would ignite something that pepper spray wouldn’t be able to fight off.
Darlene scooped her off the table and cradled her defensively. Nicole held her breath, certain that this would finally be what set Ryan off. But his stare was cold as ever. Even Darlene must have anticipated some sort of reaction because she paused on the way to the door to glare at him.
From the moment Nicole had messaged Darlene, she was certain that Ryan would either be curious or devastated. She hadn’t prepared herself for this passionless stare. He didn’t lash out to grab her, he didn’t beg her to stay, as much as part of her expected—or perhaps,hoped—he might.
