Chapter 16
Rhyland
I stare down at the video Payton had sent of Gabby’s first laugh.
Or, well, what she thinks is her first laugh.
I know better, but Gabby and I made a deal, and I won’t tell on her.
Pressing the Play button one more time, I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I listen to the soft giggles.
I wonder if I can somehow save that sound as a ringtone on my phone to always hear it.
I’m not one who usually takes my phone off vibrate, but if it meant I got to hear this sound every time I got a call, I’d put my number on a billboard to hear it ring constantly.
There’s no way anyone having a terrible day couldn’t smile after hearing that sound.
“What the fucking fuck,” my best friend shouts as he pushes open the kitchen doors like someone shoved a stick up his ass.
I quickly pocket my phone. Did he catch me texting his sister? Is that what he’s mad about? No, I don’t think so since he’s begun pacing just inside the kitchen and basically pretends that I’m not even here. If his anger had been because of this, then I would have been his focus.
He curses to himself and kicks the wall. “Who the fuck does he think he is?”
Who the who? What the fuck is he talking about?
I carefully approach like a predator not wanting to scare off his prey. The last thing I need is to catch him off guard in a rage and catch a fist to the face.
“Whoa. Hey, what the fuck? Care to explain why you came in here like a fucking demon child, trashing my kitchen?”
“That motherfucker” is his response. His cheeks are red, and fury dances in his eyes. It’s been a hot minute since I saw my best friend this mad.
“I’m going to need you to calm down and start talking in actual sentences.” What is it with the Mosby children and not making any sense as of late?
“Joel,” he grits out through clenched teeth.
One name. One word. And the rage coming off him makes sense.
“That motherfucker is here and with her .”
He’s here. Not only in this town but in this restaurant. Rage runs wild through my veins, and I understand his issue completely.
Oh my God, what if Payton hadn’t gotten so drunk last night and required a night off? She would have been here. Is he sitting in what would have been her section?
Does that motherfucker have a death wish?
Why is he here? Is this some sort of sign from above after my anger last night toward him, and now, suddenly, he’s served up to me on a silver platter?
There’s no way in hell I can let that opportunity pass me by.
This fucker deserves what’s coming to him—and what’s coming to him is me.
Before Ollie says anything else, I push my way through the door, most definitely leaving fire trails in my wake.
I can hear my best friend shouting something at me, but I ignore him. It sounds more like Charlie Brown’s teacher, anyway. WOMP WOMP WOMP WOMP WOMP.
The restaurant itself isn’t that large, so it’s easy to find the table.
The woman, who I assume is the home wrecker, has her back to me.
I can tell by the low-cut dress that, yeah, she’s something really special.
Seems more to me like someone you might pick up on the corner, not bring to a local dive.
Joel glances up from his plate just as I approach.
“Oh, look, babe, the chef came out—”
Whatever he was about to say falls on deaf ears because the only sound filling the room is the sound of flesh pounding flesh. I nail him square in the jaw. I was aiming for the nose, but he quickly flinched. Fucking pussy.
Adrienne jumps up with a scream, the chair scraping against the floor and falling with a boom.
Control slips from my grasp, and I lose it.
First, I throw a punch for what he did to Payton.
Then, I throw one for abandoning his daughter.
And my last punch before arms wrap around me and pull me off him is for whatever the fuck he thought he was doing by coming here tonight.
I know he doesn’t live around here, and I know that he’s made no contact with Payton since the divorce was final, at least none that she told me about.
Would that be something she would keep from me? Had she lied?
“Rhyland, calm the fuck down,” Archer hisses in my ear as he pulls me back. It must take all his strength to pull me back toward the hall because my body is as rigid as stone.
“Get the fuck out of here, Joel, and take your homewrecking skank with you,” Ollie shouts.
There’s no way no one didn’t catch that who was in the building, let alone maybe even outside, since we heard it as Archer twisted so that I was ahead of him, and he shoved his hands on my back, pushing me out the back door.
“What the fuck, man?” he shouts as I find an empty crate outside the back of the building and chuck it against the dumpster in a rage.
Fuck, I think I’m more fired up than Ollie was.
“What if Payton had been here tonight? Why did you pull me off him? I could’ve given him the ass kicking he knowingly deserves.”
“I agree. He clearly wanted to start trouble, but fuck,” he sighs, running his hands over his hair and tugging on the ends. “Violence is not the answer, and violence in the workplace is definitely not you. Now, go home and cool off.”
“No, we still have tables. I’ve got a few more hours left of my shift.”
“Fuck that. Rhyland, as your boss, I’m telling you to go home and cool off. Ollie and I will take care of the mess inside and figure shit out.”
Just then, Ollie appears in the doorway, holding my shit out. I don’t even bother taking my chef’s coat off. There are definitely droplets of Joel’s blood on it. Guess they’re not taking any chances on me going in there and trying to catch the fucker leaving.
Letting out a deep sigh in defeat, I know the best thing for me is to get out of here to cool down. I don’t put up any more fight as I accept my keys and phone from Ollie and head toward my truck.
My split knuckles grip the wheel like a vise as I drive in silence, not bothering to drown out the noise in my head by turning on the radio.
Once I arrive safely, I don’t rush to go inside.
The first-floor lights are still on, so Payton must still be awake.
Fuck, I don’t even know what to say to her right now.
Maybe I should just back out of the driveway before she realizes I’m even home and go find somewhere else to calm my nerves.
I’m not sure I’m the best thing to be around her right now.
When I go to shut the front door, it flies from my hand, slamming louder than I had hoped. Fuck, what if that had woken up Gabby? I lean against the wood and shut my eyes, taking a few calming breaths before I have to see her.
A shriek comes to my left. “Rhyland?” Payton questions as she comes into view. “What are you doing home so early?”
My hands fall from my face, and I slowly open my eyes, finding Payton in front of me. When she takes in my appearance, she gasps with wide eyes.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
My, how the tables have turned about who is concerned about whom. It’s almost too comical, actually, yet I don’t have it in me to even laugh in the slightest. God, how was that only last night?
She reaches for my hand, and I willingly let her lead me into the living room. Her comforting touch slowly softens the anger inside me. “Rhyland Cole, will you fucking talk to me? Is that blood? Please tell me that’s some sort of animal blood.”
I slump onto the coffee table with my head in my hands.
Without opening my eyes, I can tell by her sweet smell that Payton is right here. She’s close—too fucking close.
“Please talk to me.” Her voice trembles, and this is killing me.
When I remain silent, she huffs out a breath. “Fine, okay. Why don’t you go upstairs and get cleaned up, and then you can come back down? We don’t need to talk. I mean, I have a lot I want to say to you about last night, but that kind of seems like something tiny compared to this.”
If only she knew how related they both were.
Still silent, I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I have no idea if she’s still in her spot or maybe followed me because I refuse to look over my shoulder.
Something has me pausing in front of Payton’s room. The door is partially open, and while I should feel bad about going into her space uninvited, it wasn’t twenty-four hours ago that I was in her bed.
I just have to check on her. I just need to see Gabby to confirm she’s okay, and then I’ll leave.
Swaddled in a pink blanket with what are those—bunnies? She is sound asleep. She reminds me of a sushi roll or a hot dog wrapped up so tightly in that thing.
Satisfied for now that she is safe, I creep out of Payton’s room and pad down the hallway to the bathroom.
I turn the shower on, not even sure how to have this conversation that I know is unavoidable. If I don’t tell her what happened, then I know her brothers will. It needs to come from me, and when she asks why, I know I need to explain about last night as well.
Will she be upset? Will she hate me?
But as I stare at my reflection in the mirror, I realize I don’t regret my decision to punch him, though. No matter the cost, I will always protect the two of them—always.