Page 67 of Hard Ride

Ollie was asking to get ripped apart.

He stumbled backward a step.

Kyra reached for him, clutching his hand.“You told me you wouldn’t let go until I asked.I’m not asking yet.Please listen.”

He couldn’t.He was done heeding his heart or his dick.Both were leading him into a dangerous place.It was better to escape half broken than to wait any longer and risk setting himself back twenty years.

Ollie pried Kyra’s fingers off his hand, then shook his head.“I’m sorry.No.I can’t.It’s obvious now that this isn’t what I thought.With either of you.I’m out.”

Kyra wasn’tproud of the wail that tore from her throat.

That didn’t keep her from trying to salvage the situation.

“I’m so sorry, Van.I fucked up, okay?”She hated herself for it, but she began to cry.“That doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to stomp on Ollie’s heart, too.It hurt him when you didn’t realize he wanted you in his picture because you mean something to him and he hopes that someday he might mean something to you too.”

“Son of a bitch!”Van scrunched his eyes closed.“He does.Already.I’m still getting used to it, though.I never expected that.”

“Then please, go after him.Bring him back and then maybe we can fix this.I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore, but at least treat Ollie right.Please.Tell him you care since he’s not about to believe I do anymore.”

“I don’t know, Kyra.If it’s not about us three, then…I don’t know.”Van clasped his skull between his hands as if he had a monster headache.“We never would have been more than friends if not for you.If it’s not all three of us, I don’t think it works.I won’t give him the wrong idea or fuck things up more than they already are.”

“You’re making the same mistake with him that you made with me.And if you hurt him and lose him over this, for us both, I’m going to have a hard time forgiving you.”Kyra was equal parts pissed off for Ollie and pissed offatherself.

“I guess that makes two of us then.Doing the same old shit, I mean.I don’t give a fuck what you told Ollie about why—you had plenty of opportunity to inform us about that creepy ass text.And you didn’t.”Van glared at her, crossing his arms as if that could protect them from the ways they hurt each other.

Kyra wanted to protest.To say that she’d been afraid of spooking Ollie by letting him think she was in danger or triggering Van, who would assume she didn’t have faith that he would protect her simply because she hadn’t brought it up the instant it happened.And once she’d waited long enough to be sure it was a one-off message…well, it was too late to change the fact that she hadn’t disclosed it immediately.

Neither Ollie nor Van could understand what it was like to be a woman in the public eye and how dick pics were an annoying side effect of what moderate fame she had as a background performer on the fringes of Kason’s success.It wasn’tthatunusual for her inbox to be hit with one.

“I promise.I will never do this again.I swear I’ve learned my lesson, Van.”Kyra was desperate.“Just please, go find Ollie.Bring him back.Don’t let him get too far away before you convince him that we need him, even if we suck at showing it.If you two will give me another chance, I’ll do everything I can to deserve it this time.Please.”

Van stared between her and the door Ollie had stormed out of.“I don’t know about all of that.But whatever happens, he shouldn’t be driving when he’s upset.It would kill me if something happened to him because what I said or did impaired him.Stay inside the arena.Do not under any circumstances go anywhere alone.If you don’t want me with you, you call Jordan and he’ll get one of the other security guards.Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“Say it, Kyra.And mean it.”Van went stone cold as he looked at her.“I won’t ever trust you again if you lie to me now.”

“I understand.”Her shoulders sagged.

Then he shouted, “Fuck!”before jogging after their lover, leaving her to wonder if she’d ruined everything they’d almost had.

Silent tears dripped off her chin as she stood there, devastated.

She didn’t know how long she’d been frozen in place except that her legs were numb.Walker approached her slowly, speaking as carefully as if she was a wild animal he was trying to tame.“Kyra…why don’t you come sit down?Do you want me to call Wren or Devra or anyone else to talk to you?”

“No.”Her lips felt cold, so unlike they had when she’d kissed Ollie and Van mere hours ago.She turned and stumbled toward the stage.

“Where are you going?”Dane asked her.

“Don’t worry.I’m not leaving.I’m staying inside like Van ordered.I just…” She shook her head.“I’m going to take out my frustrations on my poor drums.That’s fucking allowed, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.Yeah, go ahead.”Walker watched her go.“I’m sure your guys will be back soon.”

Kyra wasn’t so sure about that.If they were willing to throw everything they’d had away over one stupid mistake, they really must not love her the way she loved them.

Because this…this felt like she was dying inside.

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