Chapter Thirteen #2
The house whose mortgage I paid. The house he didn’t contribute to in any way financially or otherwise, despite being an adult.
“I think she just wanted you to chill a bit before she opened the door,” Ryder said, calm and collected as ever.
“Fuck off,” Kenny said with a snarl for Ryder. “What are you even doing here? This doesn’t concern you.”
Ryder kept his posture loose and unaffected as he shrugged. “You know how it is, where Alex goes, I go.”
Kenny shook his head. “You really live up his ass, don’t you?”
This time, Ryder waggled his eyebrows. “It’s a damn fine place to be.”
My lips twitched. How he managed to stay so chill during times like this always amazed me. I found myself having to consciously keep my fists from curling.
Kenny flipped Ryder off, then faced me. “Open the door,” he shouted, getting right into my face.
“Ken, you’re freaking Mom out with all the shouting and aggressive pounding on the door.” His pupils were blown and couldn’t stop moving, like a fidgety child who’d scarfed a pound of sugar. “Let’s walk up the block for a minute to simmer down before we go inside.”
I never saw the hit coming. In hindsight, I should have. He was twitchy and agitated as fuck, clearly looking for a fight, but we’d never been the type to physically fight. At least before Kenny went off the rails and turned into someone I didn’t recognize.
In the blink of an eye, he balled his fist and rammed it into my face.
I couldn’t tell which hurt more, the physical pain or the shock of my brother’s attack.
The second hit came just as Ryder let out a feral snarl and launched himself at Kenny.
He wasn’t quick enough to stop a second pop to my face, but there would be no third.
My silver-spoon, never-been-in-a-physical-altercation, charms-everyone-he-meets boyfriend slammed my brother against the car with a forearm across his chest. “Hit him again and you’ll spend the next few days watching life pass you by from a hospital bed.”
The words hung in the air like a challenge none of us saw coming.
My brother’s hazy eyes went wide, not from fear, but from pure shock.
Here was golden boy, Ryder, suddenly radiating the kind of overt menace that made even my hot-headed brother pause.
But it didn’t last long—whatever he’d pumped into his system tonight had him feeling invincible.
“Get the fuck off me.” Kenny struggled beneath the weight of Ryder’s hold.
The shock of getting struck passed, kicking my brain back online. I spared a tenth of a second to appreciate how hot Ryder looked defending my honor before jumping in to stop this from escalating further. As it was, one of my neighbors was bound to call the cops.
“Kenny, tone it the fuck down,” I said in a low voice as I crowded in next to Ryder.
I wouldn’t ask Ryder to back off or stop, as some might.
His aggression toward Kenny didn’t scare me.
Hell, it didn’t bother me in the least. Kenny had been pushing at Ryder since we started dating with snarky comments and disrespect.
And that came after Ryder helped me rescue Kenny’s dumb ass from violent drug dealers and bailed him out of jail more than once in the middle of the night.
I was impressed my boyfriend held it together this long and flattered that he only cracked to keep me safe.
I wouldn’t have had the same level of self-restraint.
“Tell your boy toy to get his fucking hands off me,” Kenny yelled, thrashing beneath Ryder’s hold.
I got right in Kenny’s face, “No. You’re out of fucking control. Calm the fuck down and find some place to sleep it off, or I’ll call the cops on you myself.” My left cheek throbbed, and I could feel a slow trickle of blood crawling down my chin from the corner of my mouth.
“Fine,” he yelled, practically spitting the word. “I don’t want to sleep in this fucking shithole anyway. Call your dog the fuck off me, and I’ll go.”
Ryder and I shared a quick look, and I nodded once.
He didn’t try to mask the skepticism and displeasure in his eyes, but he relaxed the pressure across Kenny’s chest and then took a step back.
My brother lurched away from the car, straightening his worn Black Sabbath T-shirt.
“Fuck you both,” he muttered as he stumbled away and began to weave down the sidewalk toward somewhere while Ryder and I stared after him.
The second he turned the corner to the next street, guilt set in.
“Shit.” I turned to Ryder, who stood rigid as a marble statue.
I scrubbed a hand down my face—something to do with my hands and keeping myself from losing my shit.
“Is this a mistake? Should I go drag him back so he can pass out in his own bed?”
Ryder turned to me with a look of disbelief skewing his features. “No. Fuck no. Let him go. He’s too volatile to be in the house with your mom right now. Something has to break this toxic cycle. Bailing him out hasn’t helped, so maybe it’s time for some tough love.”
“Yeah.” The word felt heavy on my tongue. I didn’t want to agree with him, but he was right. I knew he was right. The law considered Kenny an adult who’d be held accountable for his choices and actions. I’d let him skate by with do-overs and extra chances for years, and where had it gotten me?
Standing on the sidewalk, bleeding from my face in the middle of the night.
Fantastic.
“Are you upset with the way I handled that? You know me, I’m not one to jump into a physical fight, but he…
” Ryder shrugged as his gaze settled on my bleeding lip.
I’d have a whopper of a bruise on my cheek if the throb were any indication of what tomorrow morning would bring.
“Everything’s different when it comes to you, Alex.
The thought of someone hurting you makes me insane, even if it’s your brother.
I’m not sure I could have reacted any differently. ”
Yeah. I got it. I’d lose my mind if I witnessed someone punch Ryder.
I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close.
“I’m not upset. I don’t like that you could have gotten hurt, but I’m not mad at you for protecting me.
” Had Kenny harmed him in the scuffle, I might be singing a different tune.
Actually, I’d probably be sitting in the back of a police car for homicide.
When he didn’t look convinced, I winked. “You’re hot when you’re in beast mode.”
That had him huffing a half chuckle, but then his gaze lifted to my left cheek, and he frowned. “I saw red the second his fist collided with your face. Does it hurt?” he asked as he stroked the gentlest finger along my sore skin.”
Despite the discomfort, I leaned into the touch. “I’m okay, but yes, it hurts like a sonofabitch right now. Can’t imagine how spectacular it’s going to look tomorrow.”
His frown only deepened, but he slung his arm across my shoulders and guided me toward the walkway. “Come on. Let’s go inside and get some ice on that handsome face of yours. Maybe a steak. Isn’t that a thing? Slapping a steak on a black eye?”
Finally, I was able to laugh. “Maybe in the movies, but there’s no way in hell I’d waste a good steak on my busted face.”
“Hmm, that’s a good point.”
Smiling despite the ache, we strolled toward the house with our arms around each other.
The front door swung open, and Gladys came rushing out.
“Alex, my goodness, are you okay? I saw the whole thing from the window.” She wrung her hands as she met us halfway between the road and the house with her floral housecoat flapping at her sides.
“I’m good, Gladys, promise. Might be a little uglier, but I’m good.”
“Nonsense,” she said, shaking her gray head. “You are too handsome for your own good. A bruise will only make you more rakish. If I were a few decades younger…”
My face heated. So much for my sweet, unassuming neighbor.
Ryder winked at her with a damn smirk. “You are right about that, Miss Gladys. He is one fine-looking man.”
He was dead. If he thought I’d tortured him earlier, he had no idea what was coming for him. “All right. That’s enough of that, you two. I’m going inside.”
“Gladys, may I escort you home?” Ryder held his arm out.
Shit. On a typical night, I’d have offered, but my head wasn’t screwed on straight after the altercation with Kenny. Thank God for my considerate boyfriend.
“Oh my, you are a gallant gentleman, aren’t you?” She patted Ryder’s arm. “But no, sweet boy, I’m just a few steps that way, and I can make that on my own. Been doing it for years. You take care of this man of yours.” She patted him again, then cut across the grass to her house while we lingered.
Once we were sure she’d made it safely inside, Ryder fell in step with me. “How come you never tell me I’m gallant?” he asked as we reached the open door.
I burst out laughing, only to wince when my face scrunched, which had Ryder scowling all over again.
“Okay,” he said as we stepped into the living room to find my mom stretched out on the couch with worry contorting her face.
“You sit while I grab some ice.” He nudged me toward the couch, where I squeezed in between my mom’s swollen feet and the armrest.
Ryder disappeared for a few seconds. I could hear the freezer door open and close, followed by the ice trays cracking.
We weren’t blessed with a fancy refrigerator with an ice-maker.
When he returned less than a minute later with a baggie with ice wrapped in a dish towel, he found me resting my eyes with my head tipped back on the couch.
I’d yet to speak to my mom, who I’m sure worried, but speaking required energy I no longer had.
“Here, hold this on your face.” Ryder settled the cold bundle on my cheek with such a gentle touch that it didn’t even hurt.
My eyes fluttered open, and I found him standing over me with a concerned frown, so I grabbed his hand. “Thanks. I’m okay, I promise.”
Nodding, Ryder sat on the couch’s armrest and began to stroke his fingers through my hair. It felt so good, I struggled to keep from purring like a happy cat. A quick peek at my mom revealed a soft smile on her lips and less anxiety in her gaze.
“So…” Ryder kept petting my hair as he began. “This is not how I wanted to broach this subject, but I’ve been thinking about something for a while. I’d planned to bring it up under better circumstances, but tonight changed everything, and I’m not waiting any longer.”
Shit. My stomach plummeted. I tried to swallow, but my throat hardened like a solid chunk of immovable concrete.
Was this it? Was tonight the last straw?
Did the drugs, violence, and midnight interruptions finally run off my Ryder?
I wouldn’t blame him. This was heavy shit he didn’t need in his life.
“I want you to move in with me.”
My mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. Ice pressed to my face, I blinked at him, sitting there with a fierce expression that left no doubt he was serious.
“Both of you.”
“What?” I squeaked, finally finding my voice, but it didn’t sound like me at all. I lowered the ice only to have Ryder guide my hand back to my face with a no-nonsense glare.
“Ryder….” My mom’s eyes shone with appreciation. “That is an incredible gesture, but that would be a huge commitment for you. It’s too much.”
He shook his head, giving my mom his full attention as he soothed me by continuing to play with my hair. “It’s more selfish than you realize. I love Alex, and I want to wake up to him every day. You’re the reason he’s here. That makes you just as important to me as you are to Alex.”
My eyes prickled, and I blinked away the sudden moisture. I turned to look at this remarkable man next to me. He grinned, and my insides liquified.
How on earth was this amazing man mine?