Chapter 16
16
Creak. The sound of a door opening woke me up. My heart hammered in my chest as I pulled the covers to my chest and sprang into a sitting position. This was definitely the door leading to the outside. “Who’s there?”
My hand patted the bedside table until I found my phone and turned on the flashlight, blinding the intruder standing on the threshold.
“Put that down, baby girl,” Ryder’s strained voice said.
“You? What are you doing here?”
“Shhh. Turn down that volume. Geez, no need to wake up everyone.”
“You’re in my room.” I looked at the time on the screen. “At one sixteen in the morning. Care to explain?” Leaning to the side, I turned on the bedside table lamp, casting the bedroom in a golden glow.
“I don’t have my phone and my car. And walking here seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Why didn’t you use the front door? This is my room.”
“If I did, I would have woken up Melinda and Mason. My head is killing me, so drop the interrogation, will you?”
“How did you get in? I locked the door myself.” I remembered double-checking it before going to bed.
He lifted a brow. “Really?”
“Never mind, I don’t wanna know.”
“Can I use your en-suite? I’ll be quick.”
“Huh…” Before I could answer, my brain still asleep and unable to think clearly, Ryder had removed his T-shirt. I watched him stumbling toward the bathroom, when the light beam from the night lamp revealed a dark bruise on his ribcage and a cut on his shoulder. “What’s that?”
“Nothing.”
“Stop.” I jumped to my feet and neared him, inspecting the wounds after I flipped the light switch on. “It’s not nothing.” I sighed at his stubbornness. “Who did that to you?”
“Mind your business. I’ll wash it and be out of your way if you stop interfering.”
“Where did you go tonight? After you left?”
“Again, none of your business.”
“You should get someone to look at it. Your ribs could be broken.” I surveyed the bruise, taking in the purplish-red discoloration.
“Been taking care of myself for a fucking long time. I’ll live.” He shook his head. “Someone’s debt had to be paid. And I paid the price. Debt is clear now. It was the last time.”
I yelped. “You got beaten up? For someone else’s actions?”
“Not all of us are born equal.” He shrugged. “In my world, the lines can get blurry sometimes.”
“I know… I don’t understand why someone would do that to you.”
“You mess with them; they mess with you. That’s how it works.”
“It shouldn’t.”
“Like I said, I can take care of myself.”
“Doesn’t mean you should, though. You should tell Uncle Mason. He could help you.”
“Nah, he’s done enough already. This is my fight. Leave him out of it. Don’t get him involved. Not a word to him, you understand me? I’m not joking.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I entered the bathroom and beckoned him with a finger. “Come. I’ll fix you up.”
“Why?”
“You shouldn’t have to do this by yourself. And let’s say I have experience with wounds.”
“How so?”
“You’re not the only one with secrets.”
Ryder and I remained silent while I cleaned his cut with a warm washcloth and soap. He hissed, and I blew on the gash to ease the sting.
After I bandaged the wound, I tiptoed to the laundry room to grab one of Uncle Mason’s T-shirts and tossed it at him. “Wear this.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I ask you a question? Why come here and not go to your mom?”
“She—she’s not here.”
“Does she live in town?”
His tone hardened. “Stop with the twenty questions already.”
“I’m just curious.”
“Well, don’t be. Stay out of my fucking business. Already warned you.”
“Relax. I’m just trying to help.”
“You did enough.”
“Fuck you.”
He hung his head. “Sorry. It was nice of you to help me. Not a lot of people care.”
“It was nothing.”
“For me, it was not nothing.” He picked up his discarded shirt and motioned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Somewhere.”
“Where’s your car?”
“Not here.”
I wouldn’t get much more information from Ryder tonight. Gathering the second pillow from my bed and a pile of blankets from the closet, I handed them to him. “Sleep here. Tonight only.” Surprise flashed on his face. “On the floor,” I specified.
Ryder studied me for a minute. “You sure?”
“Yeah. And I’ll drive you home in the morning. It’s a one-time offer. Don’t get used to it.”
“Why?”
“No clue. As you said, not everyone has the same opportunities in life. Take it or leave it. We can go before everyone wakes up.”
“Thanks.”
“Night.”
The next morning, Ryder and I left early and stopped to grab take-out breakfast before driving to the garage together.
“How are you feeling?” I asked after we stopped to eat in an empty parking lot offering a perfect view of the lake. Shiny water and blue sky, the view was stunning at this hour. Perched on the hood of my truck, we sat side by side, last night’s events bridging our differences. For now.
The morning air sent chills through me, and I was glad I wore an oversized hoodie over my work outfit consisting of a sleeveless mint-green dress and a jeans jacket. The sleeves covered my hands as I sipped on my go-to coffee, the heat emanating from the cup warming me up.
“Good as new.”
Birds chirped in the trees, the echo of a lawn mower could be heard in the distance, and the sound of little kids laughing filled our silence. It wasn’t awkward, but rather somehow comfortable. Lost in my thoughts and my contemplation of the view, I didn’t feel like talking, and from his short answers, I was pretty sure Ryder didn’t either.
Were Ryder and I only good at conversing if we argued?
His back was pressed against my windshield, and his long legs were stretched before him, crossed at the ankles. His eyes were closed, his face angled toward the sunrays. His dark hair was a tousled mass on the top of his head, begging to be tamed.
He didn’t look pissed at the world right now, but calm. And serene. This was the version of Ryder I had never met before. One that intrigued me because it was so far from the boy I’d met until now.
My eyes traced his profile, and I wondered who had hurt him and if deep down, he was as broken as I was. And what the words of last night meant. In my world, the lines can get blurry sometimes.
The idea he had no family outside of mine pained me. Nobody should be fending for themselves with no one in their corner to cheer them up. At least I knew Uncle Mason and Aunt Melinda cared for him. That much had been evident since the first day I walked on him at the garage and later at dinner that night.
They really did love him like a son.
“Ready to go?” he asked, not opening his eyes. “Unless you’re not done trying to figure me out.”
“I am… I’m not… Yes, we can go.”
He jumped from the hood and held out his hand. “Gimme the keys. I’m driving.”
Not in the mood to spoil the morning, I did as he asked and sat in the passenger seat.
“Are we good?” I asked when we entered the garage from the side door and Ryder turned off the alarm.
“As long as you keep your mouth shut about last night, we are.”
“I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”
Without another word, he turned the corner and climbed the stairs to his apartment. I watched him leave, not so sure if our friendship had evolved in the last seven hours or if this was just a glitch and everything would be back to normal in no time.