I chewed on my spicy pizza while Ryder hung out with me. We lingered in the kitchen like no one was watching, even though I could feel the hot stares of everyone else. If I looked, Dad would be smug, Connor would be heart broken, and Bri would confuse me. So, I didn’t look in their direction at all.
“What’s next?” Ryder asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
I swallowed, the food creating a lump in my throat. “When are you leaving?”
He lifted a brow. “Do you want me to take you along?”
“No. I’m not leaving. You know that.” I hesitated.
“I don’t think I can leave any time soon,” Ryder said before I could speak again. “You don’t have to worry about me leaving right now.”
I grimaced. “I’m sorry. I never mea—”
He shook his head. I expected him to say something, but he remained silent. His attention drifted back to the living room, where everyone else waited.
“Stop staring,” I snapped around a mouthful of pizza.
Dad approached us. He cupped my face in his hands. I kept chewing, forcing him to feel the pizza in my mouth. He scowled at me, clearly tired of my bullshit. It distracted me from the pain in my throat.
“Stay safe,” Dad said, his voice tight.
I could see the shimmer of tears beginning to gather in his eyes. I touched the back of his hand. His sudden change of heart hurt. I wished he could have been like this earlier. It was as if he saw a chance to change things now that Ryder was here. If only Dad could have had faith in me before that.
When Dad released me, he grabbed Connor and dragged him out the door. That left me with Bri and Ryder. My pizza turned into a lump in my stomach. I swallowed the last bite and felt it plummet like a stone inside me.
Dad wanted me to stay safe. This was the safest place I could think of. I stole a sidelong glance at Ryder, expecting him to be looking at Bri. Instead, his attention was on me. My face warmed when I quickly looked away.
She stood and stretched her arms high over her head. “Alright. Well, I’m heading back to my hotel. Call me if anything happens.”
My brow furrowed. I did my damnedest to keep from tilting my head in confusion. Was their situation worse than I thought? What the hell happened between the two of them that they couldn’t even sleep under the same roof? I could tell that Bri still had feelings for Ryder. She loved him; it was obvious every time she looked at him.
“You don’t have to leave,” I said. “I can go home for the night. It’s not a big deal. This isn’t my…I don’t live here…”
Bri gave me a sweet yet sad smile that wrenched my heart. I got the sense that she had lost something, and that I had gained it. If Ryder was her mate, then I had nothing to gain. My feelings for him would never be reciprocated no matter what problems stood between the two of them.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Ryder. I didn’t want to know what was on his face. He wouldn’t let me see anything, anyway. His face would be guarded to keep me from getting anything out of him.
Bri grabbed her bag and left without saying anything more. I’d expected her to at least wish Ryder a good night.
Alone, I was half-tempted to turn to him and ask what the hell was going on between the two of them. I kept my mouth shut, though. They didn’t need my nose all up in their business.
“I want chocolate,” I said instead.
Ryder laughed, barely a huff of breath as he shook his head.
“What?” I asked. “I need food. Chocolate is food. I want chocolate.”
“Good luck getting it. I’m going to bed before Beryl decides to mess with me again.”
A dozen suggestive images of Ryder and me in bed flashed through my mind. The room was suddenly too hot. I dragged in a ragged breath and turned away from him so he couldn’t see the red across my cheeks.
“You can have the bed. The couch is good enough for me.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
Ryder’s laugh bellowed through the room and made my heart do joyous flips. I barely had time to look back before he lifted me off my feet and tossed me over his shoulder. No matter what I said or how I pounded my fist against his back, he wouldn’t put me down.
“I didn’t consent to this!”
“Oh, you’re right,” he said, smugly.