Chapter 16
Ryder
Sitting in the red squishy chairs of the Ever After Theater, I whisper to Gwen, “This is a disaster.”
She has a huge grin on her face. “It’s the most adorable disaster I’ve ever seen.”
It’s the afternoon following my second late night with Lily, and we’re watching the rehearsal for the school play.
Gwen convinced me to join her. It’s her family’s theater, but she’s also here to watch John and Michael as they practice, too.
I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to have elementary students act out Romeo and Juliet (but a child-friendly version that ends happily instead of in a double suicide), but these kids are all chaos and zero acting skills.
Juliet stands at the top of a platform, and Romeo fumbles his lines in the balcony scene while flipping his long hair out of his face.
Juliet looks more interested in the kid playing Mercutio, who is currently horsing around with his buddies in the front of the auditorium.
A grand piano sits in the middle of the stage, inhibiting the actors’ ability to block their scenes properly.
As much of a mess as this is, Gwen’s right. It’s pretty cute. Blech. Why did I have to choose the word “cute,” even in my head?
Regardless, it reminds me of the conversation I had last night with Lily. I do want to work with kids. And this is chaos, but it’s my type of chaos. I have a feeling I’d thrive in this kind of environment.
I saw the disappointment in her eyes when I first said I’d want to work with kids. Did she think I meant that she was a kid? Because that’s the opposite of what I meant. Looking at her, I start thinking about a future of my own. A life with a wife and kids.
I’ve never thought this way. Girls were fun to spend time with, an ego boost when I needed one, but that’s it.
Because love and marriage are doomed to fail, at least in my experience.
My parents made that very clear. They didn’t care enough to take care of me, and their relationship was full of animosity.
All my life, I’ve told myself it’s safer to keep relationships on the surface.
But what is it about Lily that’s making me imagine myself settled down with a family of my own?
I don’t think I’m quite ready to have my own kids, but my wheels have been turning. I realized I enjoy entertaining and teaching kids, like when I climbed the tower for the first time. And when my agent told me my next job was with kids, there was a sense of excitement I’d been missing for years.
Lily’s not a child, and I hope she doesn’t think I see her that way. I finally felt comfortable opening up to her about my story. Now she knows, and not just that, she understands.
Out of everyone in this world, she probably understands better than anyone else.
But I think about how I’m able to walk down the street here in Brookhaven while she’s locked in her tower, and a new fire fills my chest. I’m determined to get her out, but I just have to figure out how.
The director, Ms. Marple, calls an end to this scene and switches to the fight scene between Tybalt and Mercutio, which Juliet watches with rapt attention. The kids pretend to spar back and forth, and I cringe in my seat.
“This is awful,” I comment to Gwen. “They need a choreographed sequence.”
She turns to face me, and her eyes gleam with delight. “You know what? You’re right.” She stands and walks down the aisle to speak with Ms. Marple. Then she points in my direction, and Ms. Marple looks over, grinning widely.
Oh, man. What is Gwen concocting?
“Ryder!” Ms. Marple rushes up the aisle toward me. “So good to have you back in town!”
“Thanks, Ms. Marple.” I stand and shake her hand. “It’s nice being back.”
“Gwen mentioned you’re a stuntman now?”
I nod in agreement, my eyes darting to Gwen, who just smirks at me.
“I’m not sure what your schedule looks like,” Ms. Marple continues. “But we could really use your help, especially with the fight scenes. I know it’s just a silly children’s play, but I’m sure the kids would love to work with someone who has experience in the industry.”
What can I say? The only thing I’m doing these days is visiting Lily in her tower.
Hanging out with the kids could be fun, and it would be a nice way to test my theory that I want to work with kids.
“I’d be happy to,” I reply. Gwen raises her brows at me behind Ms. Marple.
“My next job is with kids,” I continue, “and it would be good for me to get the practice.”
Ms. Marple looks like she’s going to bounce off the walls. “Fantastic! Thank you, Ryder! I’ll get you a copy of our rehearsal schedule.”
She returns to the rehearsal, and Gwen and I sit back in our seats.
“I didn’t expect you to agree so readily,” she whispers to me.
“What else am I doing here?” I ask, taking a sip from the water bottle I brought along.
“Other than visiting Lily?”
I choke on the water, and it nearly sprays out of my nose. “Wh-what do you mean?” I finally ask.
She rolls her eyes. “Come on, Ryder. I’m not an idiot.
” She reaches a hand inside my jacket sleeve and snaps my bracelet, the one I wear everywhere.
“I know you didn’t make that. Besides, you didn’t come home until three in the morning, and you’re all distracted.
” She shoves me with her shoulder. “Don’t try to hide things from me. ”
She’s right. I shouldn’t hide things from her.
She’s the only person I’ve actually opened up to my entire life.
I call Peter my best friend, but it’s not like we’re having slumber parties and sharing our feelings.
After growing up with parents who didn’t care and left me to fend for myself, it’s been hard to trust anyone with what’s in my heart.
And yet, I shared everything with Lily last night.
What does that mean?
I exhale heavily. “It’s so messed up.”
“What is?”
“The whole situation. The fact that Tristan messed with her. The way her dad and brothers are keeping her locked up. And how Lily blames herself for everything.”
Gwen’s face falls. “She does?”
I nod. “She plays it off, acting like she’s so annoyed by the restrictions, but I think she feels deep down that she deserves this as punishment for the mistakes she made.”
Gwen’s lips press together tightly. “That’s awful.”
“Yep.” I take another sip of my water to clear my throat. “I just wish I knew how to help.”
“You’re already sneaking in there every night. That’s giving her more than she’s had in a long time.”
“Yeah, I guess.” We fall into silence, watching the kids rehearsing the lines that come after the fight scene. The grand piano is right in the middle of the stage, though, which messes with their blocking.
“What’s with the piano?” I ask Gwen.
“It’s too heavy for Ms. Marple to move on her own, so they just leave it for now.”
“Are they going to get rid of it at some point?”
She shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not.”
My legs bounce, an inkling of an idea taking shape.
Gwen nudges me with her shoulder. “You’re fidgeting again.”
I look down at my bouncing legs and force them to stop. “Yeah, well. What do you expect from me?”
“Do you want to read a book?” Gwen knows that reading is one way to keep my overactive muscles under control, since she’s the one who got me started in the first place.
I shake my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a familiar face—Rufus, Brookhaven’s standing security guard, watching over the kids with a smirk on his face. I nod my head in his direction. “I’m going to say hi to Rufus.”
Gwen nods at me, then turns her attention back to the kids on stage with a chuckle.
Rufus towers over everyone at six foot four. When I was a kid, it was like looking up at a giant. Now I’m nearly the same height, but his presence still towers over me. He breaks into a grin when he sees me approach. “Ryder!” he whisper-shouts. “Good to see you.”
“You, too.” We give each other a bro handshake and hug. “How are things around here?”
“Quiet as always. Not much security to be had these days.”
“That’s not surprising.”
Rufus has been the town security guard for at least the last twenty years.
Everyone knows him and sees him walking through the town.
He looks scary, with his tall stature, dark skin, and huge muscles, but he’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.
When twelve-year-old Ryder needed some help getting his anger more focused, Rufus took me under his wing and taught me some things, which later turned into my career as a stuntman.
I’ll always be grateful to him for the influence he had on me.
“Any specific assignments these days?” I ask.
“Just here.” He nods over at Gwen. “Her parents have me working nights around the theater, just to make sure no one tries to sneak in.”
Just like that, a light bulb goes off in my mind. “So you’re the one making sure no one, say, plays the piano at two in the morning?”
Rufus raises a brow at me. “Uh, yes?”
My thoughts swirl. I could bring Lily here. She could play the piano with no one to bother her. But that would mean telling Rufus that she’s here and explaining her situation.
One look at him tells me I can trust him. He knows this town inside and out, and he’s been trusted with many secrets. Like when I egged the flower shop, he didn’t make me tell my aunt and uncle, but he helped me handle it with Rosetta Russell instead.
“I need your help with something,” I whisper to him. “But you have to swear not to tell anyone.”
His brows rise. “I’m all ears,” he says.