27. Chapter 27
Chapter twenty-seven
Ryan
D ropping my bag, I turn for a last look at the place I’d called my home for three years. It’s as empty as one would expect when moving. A mirror image of my heart.
After my initial talk with Mom and Dad, I knew what I had to do, and I wasted no time in doing it.
Closing this chapter is a relief in a way. There’s a happy memory in every room of the house, echoes of laughter when I least expect it, my skin prickling at the base of my neck when I glimpse impossible shadows of Aspen out the corner of my eye. It’s torture.
I don’t want to be here. Even if she was still with me, I wouldn’t want to be here. Not where I hurt her the most. Not where I betrayed her. There’s nothing left for me here. I’ve been on autopilot since she left; my dreams of the life we’d have died when she walked out of the house for the last time.
So, I’ve sold everything. So what if I’ll be a twenty-nine-year-old living with his parents? It might not be what I pictured for my life, but I don’t care. Nothing worth having in this life comes without a fight. She doesn’t know yet, but this is me fighting. Even if I lose, I’m still doing this because she deserves it. She deserves everything. But I don’t plan to lose.
Wiping my hands down my jeans, I turn and close the door for the last time. I hope the new owners will be happy here. I hope they’ll do better than I did.
The drive to my childhood—and now adulthood—home doesn’t take long, but it’s still long enough for the images to torture me.
I thought I was prepared to see Aspen. I wasn’t. Not by a long shot. She was so fucking beautiful; she took my breath away. Everything and everyone fell away until she was the only one in the room.
I would have fallen on my knees in front of her if I thought it would help. I have zero pride when it comes to her.
Then I saw her talking to that fucker. I recognized him immediately. What were the odds that he’d be there? I quizzed Rose, thinking that maybe they’ve been in touch. She was as tight-lipped as always where Aspen’s concerned, but begrudgingly admitted that they weren’t. After which, she firmly told me to stop. That it’s none of my business.
Is that my life now? Stalking Aspen from a distance? Watching her meet someone, date, fall in love? No fucking way will that be happening. I refuse to accept it. Even if it takes years, I won’t give up.
I saw the way he looked at her, and even if it made my heart sink, I couldn’t fault him for having taste. But what really had the bile rising in my throat was the thought of him getting to know her. To get to know that her beauty isn’t only skin deep. That she’s compassionate, kind, loving, and passionate. If he found out all those things, there’s no way he’d let her go.
By the time I get home, Mom’s there, fussing over me all the way to my room.
Once she got over her disappointment and anger with me, she’s been treating me as if I’m fragile. It’s annoying as hell, but she refuses to listen to me complain, stating that she’s taking care of me now, seeing that I did such a shit job of it myself. The words came with a slap upside my head and an immediate hug afterward.
My bedroom looks exactly the way it did on the day I moved out. It’s kind of nostalgic if I have to be honest. I’ve barely put my last bag down before the doorbell rings, and my heart lurches. Time to get this show on the road.
“So it’s done then?” Carter asks once we’re settled around the patio table.
“It’s done,” I say, nodding. “I’m officially living with my parents.”
“Rather you than me,” he mutters with a grimace, which breaks into a smile when Mom glares at him. “But you’re lucky. Your mom is awesome.”
“Only because I feed you,” she huffs, putting down a tray filled with snacks and disappearing back into the house to a chorus of thank you.
“So, I’ve had a look, and I’ll come up with a final figure by the end of next week,” Aiden says, grabbing a sandwich.
“What are you thinking? Give me a ballpark figure.”
“I don’t know, man,” he huffs out a breath. “It’s hard to say. The structure is still intact, but there’s quite a bit that still needs to be done. Let me phone around and get the best deals I can before I get that to you.”
I nod in gratitude.
“It’s all good and well getting enough money together to fix up the place, but it’s going to cost money to run it, and Aspen’s not nearly ready for that,” Rose says, popping a few chips in her mouth.
“You hungry, little Ryan?” Carter smiles, watching her chew.
Rose flinches and sits back, gripping her hands on her lap. Carter frowns, opening his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, not in the mood for their verbal sparring.
“I know. We’ll have to see if we can secure some sponsorships.”
“I’d be happy for the Wood Room to donate something every month.”
“Same for my store,” Bailey says, echoing Kallan’s offer.
I shake my head. It warms my heart that they’re willing to go the extra mile for Aspen, but I don’t want to put them out of pocket any more than they already are.
“You’re already donating prizes.”
“You guys know she’ll see that as charity, right?”
Silence descends as we ponder the issue, because Piper is right. Aspen wouldn’t want to take any of our money.
“We have the Business Owner Committee meeting coming up soon. I’ll bring it up. Sell the idea that having a rescue is good for the town, and being seen as supporting it will be good for business. Maybe we can get some donations from them.”
Kallan groans, running his hand down his face. “I hate those fucking things.”
“I’ve started designing the flyers.” Maya’s voice is quiet, and her eyes are distant as if she’s somewhere else.
“And I’ll close Frosty’s for the public that night. Just give me a date.”
His words are for all of us, but he’s gazing at Maya, who has been avoiding his stare since she got here. Good. The ass deserves it. We’ve been giving him shit for ditching the opening at the gallery.
As Aiden predicted, Aspen’s girls shot me down when I first approached them. It was only after I convinced them I wasn’t doing it to make Aspen feel as if she owed me anything and that I preferred she didn’t know it was my idea, that they caved. It wasn’t a lie. I’m more than happy to organize everything from the shadows. If Aspen’s happy, I’m happy. That’s all that matters.
Maya’s eyes softened at my declaration, but I always knew she’d be the easy sell. Piper and Rose not so much, but once they believed in my sincerity, they were all in. They took the idea and ran with it, throwing out suggestions left, right, and center.
As much as Aspen would like to deny it, she needs help. She would never dream of asking any of us, so we’re helping her whether or not she likes it.
Rubbing my hands together, I lean forward. “So, how are we going to do this?”
“The rescue’s been registered as an NPO. So we’re clear on the legalities of holding a fundraising event. We had drinks to celebrate,” Piper says.
My heart squeezes. I wish I could have been there for that.
We go back and forth until we come up with a plan that everyone agrees on.
We’ll be selling tickets to an event I’m dubbing in my head as a “Treat your pet to a day out.” The ticket will get you a cruise around the harbor with your pet on one of Carter’s catamarans, with a meal at Frosty’s after. If we can get enough prizes together, we’ll hold a raffle. For a chance to be entered, people have to make a donation. They’d get a numbered ticket, securing their entry, with no limit to the number of donations they can make, increasing their chances of winning a prize.
Sitting back, I feel the first stirrings of excitement. There are a lot of moving parts to this, but I have complete faith that everything will come together in the end.