Page 16 of Save Me

Her best friend was a paramedic with the Laurel Bay Fire Department, and the last thing Ryleigh wanted to do was cause any problems for her. Ivy took her job seriously and shared how she sometimes even yelled at her fiancé Connor for calling when she was working a shift.

Ivy: Thankfully it’s a quiet night. Give me five minutes and I’ll give you a call

Ryleigh: Sounds good. Thanks.

While she waited, Ryleigh went and made herself a cup of tea and curled up on the sofa. She was just getting comfortable when the phone rang.

“Okay, sorry about that,” Ivy said. “I wanted to find somewhere to talk with a little privacy. So what’s going on?”

“I did something really stupid tonight,” she said miserably. “At least…I think it was stupid.”

“I’m guessing this has to do with Ryker.”

“Yup.”

“Give me the abbreviated version just in case we get a call. I’d hate to be mid-story and have to leave!”

That made her laugh, but she gave it her best shot. “Okay, Mom ambushed me with a date with a periodontist who tried to put his fingers in my mouth over dinner.”

“Ew!”

“I know! So then I went to the kitchen and fought with her and tossed my bag down on the table and everything spilled out,” she went on. “I didn’t realize my keys were missing until after I stormed out of the pub.”

“In glorious fashion,” Ivy stated.

“Obviously.” She paused. “Anyway, I was standing there freaking out when Ryker walked over and offered to drive me to my place to get my spare keys.”

“Which is when you texted me.”

“Exactly. Only…”

“How did you get into your apartment without your keys?”

“Apparently, Ryker knows how to pick locks.”

“Oh no,” Ivy said with a groan. “Like a criminal.”

“Yeah, like a criminal. Anyway, beggars can’t be choosers, so he picked the lock, I got my keys and we drove back to the pub where I propositioned him.”

“You propositioned a criminal? Why?”

“I was desperate, Ivy!” she cried. “You know he’s always asking me out and I got the idea that maybe I could go out with him a few times and it would be enough to get my mother off my back for a little while.”

“Sweetie, the only way to get your mother off your back is to run off and elope and immediately get pregnant. And even then, I think she’d still be looking for a replacement guy.”

Shaking her head, Ryleigh couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s crazy how well you know her.”

“You know I love her and she’s like a second mom to me, but…yeah. I could totally imagine her still not liking any guy you pick just because you were the one to pick him.”

“Then I totally went the wrong way with this whole Ryker thing, huh?”

“Well…I think you need to back up. You said you propositioned him. Then what happened?”

“Then I chickened out and then I kissed him.”

“You kissed him? Seriously? OH MY GOD, Ry!! Why didn’t you lead off with that?”

“You told me to give you the abbreviated version! And that’s what I’m trying to do, but you keep interrupting!”

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