Chapter 47
Ryker
I find Logan leaning against my Escalade with his arms and legs crossed as he scrolls through his phone. His brown hair falls onto his forehead, and his face is pulled into a scow. It’s eerily similar to our fathers, and I wonder if I too look like him when I’m angry.
The doors unlock with a click and Logan climbs into the passenger seat as I take my place behind the wheel. He doesn’t say a word, and neither do I. There’s nothing to say.
Pulling on to our street, cars line each side of the road, and people are milling about the lawn in front of the Elite mansion with cups and beer bottles in their hands.
As soon as my car is in park, I jump out, rushing for the front door. I have to find Gwen. I need to tell her where I’ve been and why I wasn’t here. She’s probably going to be pissed at me, but when I explain, she’ll understand. She has to.
I spot Lainey, Ellie, and Damian in the corner of the room, drinks in their hands but concern laces in their expressions. Where is Gwen? Why isn’t she with them? Why do they look worried?
I begin to make my way through the crowd, but I’m stopped by a dainty hand landing on my wrist. Whipping around, I see Amy standing in front of me with a small smile on her lips. Her eyes are soft, and she looks like she’s been dancing all night, a light sheen of sweat coating her tan skin.
“Hey, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you,” she says, a twinkle in her eye. Her voice irks me, and I want to get away so I can find Gwen.
“Around. I have to go,” I tell her sternly, hoping she’ll just walk away. But she doesn’t. Instead, her face changes from the innocent girl to a more bitter expression. My spine straightens as her demeanor changes.
“I ran into your little girlfriend earlier. She seemed upset,” she smiles mischievously. The blood in my veins runs cold at the thought of Amy speaking to Gwen. Who knows what she could have told her. Amy clearly isn’t the kind of girl that gives up easily, despite how shy she’d acted when we’d first met.
My eyes narrow. “What did you do?”
Amy chuckles, shrugging before letting go of my wrist. I take a step closer to her, crowding her space. She doesn’t even flinch.
“I just told her the truth,” she says in a blasé tone, shrugging.
“What do you mean?” I grit out. Amy looks like she’s proud of herself, and I know whatever she told Gwen was a blatant lie.
“That Ryker Steele isn’t the kind of guy to settle down. That you need to keep your options open. That she’s the type of girl that needs stability, and you aren’t the kind of guy to give it to her,” Amy says snidely. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears as my fists clench at my sides, my jaw tightening.
Don’t hit a girl, Ryker. Don’t hit a girl.
“Why would you tell her that?” I ask through clenched teeth. What is this crazy bitch’s problem? She narrows her eyes questioningly.
“Isn’t that what you want? Casual hookups and no commitment? Everyone knows Ryker Steele doesn’t do relationships. I was doing you a favor,” she explains as if she actually believes she was doing shit for me.
I shake my head and scoff in disbelief. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, and my head is spinning. I was gone for a little over an hour. How did this happen?
“You don’t know anything about me, or what I want. You’re an insecure, jealous little bitch who for some reason, thinks she has a claim on me after I’ve repeatedly told you to leave me the fuck alone,” I seethe. Amy has the decency to look a bit nervous, and a little offended. “You better pray I never see you again, because I will make your life at Ellington University hell.”
I begin to walk away, feeling good about my threat when I remember one more thing I need to add. I turn back, meeting Amy’s shocked expression.
“Oh, and if I ever see or hear of you talking to Gwen again, I’ll make sure your time at Ellington comes to an end. Got it?” I ask with a tilt of my head. Amy nods, her eyes wide with fear. “Good. Now get the fuck out of my house.”
With that, Amy scurries through the crowd, hopefully leaving the party, if she knows what’s good for her.
Turning back around, I practically run to Lainey, Ellie, and Damian. When I arrive, they all look up, their expressions indifferent.
“Where have you been?” Lainey hisses. I take a deep breath before answering.
“I was in a meeting with my father. Where is Gwen?” I ask, trying to keep the panic I’m feeling out of my voice. Lainey rolls her eyes.
“She’s been looking for you all night, asshole. She went to the bathroom, and when she came back, she looked like she saw a ghost.”
Shit. “Where is she?” I ask again. I don’t have time to be lectured. I need to find Gwen and tell her that Amy is a bitch, and she has no idea what she’s talking about. I need Gwen to know that I want her, only her. I need her to know I love her .
Adrenaline pumps through me as I realize how deep I’m in this thing with Gwen. It’s not just some hookup, it’s not a fling. I love her. I’m in love with her.
The feeling is foreign, and my chest squeezes at the thought of losing her over some lie fucking Amy told her. This can’t be it for us. She has to know that I would never hurt her.
“She left, man. She said she was going home,” Damian tells me. Ellie and Lainey both hit his arm, and he brings his hand up to rub the spot. He grimaces.
“Ow! Why are people always hitting me?” he asks. Ellie glares at him.
“We don’t know if Gwen wanted to see him, you idiot,” Ellie sneers, rolling her eyes. I begin to leave, but a hand lands on my shoulder.
Lainey steps in front of me, her eyes narrowed. “If you hurt her, I will string you up by your balls. You got me?” she asks. For such a petite girl, she’s really kind of frightening.
I nod before walking away and heading over to Gwen’s house.
When I get to the front yard of Gwen’s house, I notice her car isn’t in the driveway. I run up to the front door and knock furiously, hoping she’s in there. But when the door opens, it’s not Gwen. It’s Haley. My heart drops.
Haley’s eyes move up and down my body before landing on my face, her face turning angry, but I don’t have the time to care.
“Where’s Gwen?” I ask.
“She left,” Haley says spitefully. If all Amy told Gwen was that I’m not dating material, then why would Haley seem so mad at me?
“What do you mean she left? Where did she go?” Haley crosses her arms and scoffs.
“Really? So you fuck another girl and you want to know where Gwen is? Go screw yourself,” she spits, and I feel like my world is crashing down around me. Fucked another girl? I didn’t-
Fucking Amy. That conniving little skank.
I shake my head. “I didn’t sleep with anyone other than Gwen. Tell me where she is so I can talk to her,” I demand.
“Go home, Ryker. She’s not here.”
That’s it.
I push past Haley, nearly knocking her over as I head for Gwen’s room. She wouldn’t have left without letting me explain first, would she?
Haley chases me, running into my back when I stop abruptly in front of Gwen’s bedroom. Everything is neat, her bed is made, but the novels on her bookshelf are gone. I walk to her closet, opening the door and seeing that most of her clothes and shoes are missing.
Her bathroom is practically empty. Her toiletries and makeup are not in their usual spots.
She’s gone. She really left.
Part of me is pissed at Amy for putting these ideas in Gwen’s head, for telling her we slept together. Another part of me is angry with Gwen for even believing I could do that to her in the first place. And the final part of me is angry at myself for building this reputation up for so long that Gwen really has no reason not to believe I wouldn’t do this to her.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and call her. It goes straight to voicemail. I call her again, and again, until I’ve called at least twenty times. Then I decide to text her.
My Rebel
Me
Answer your phone.
Me
Gwen, please let me explain.
Me
I can explain everything. Just
answer.
Me
Come on, Rebel.
Me
Don’t make me show up at your house. You know I will.
For crying out load, I sound insane, but I can’t let her think I cheated on her. We were just getting to a good place. I finally let myself have actual feelings for her, and now she’s gone, and I have to figure out a way to get her back.
There is no way I’m letting her leave me. Guinevere Sharpe is mine, and she’s going to have to believe me, one way or another.
My phone vibrates and I swear I felt my heart leap out of my chest.
My Rebel
My Rebel
Leave me alone.
My blood boils. She’s so damn stubborn, and I knew she wouldn’t give in that easy but part of me was hoping she’d just let me explain.
Me
Not until you let me explain.
My Rebel
I don’t want to hear it.
Me
Please. Just call me.
My Rebel
Don’t contact me again.
I growl in frustration. How the hell am I supposed to explain that everything she was told is a lie if she won’t even let me talk to her?
I try to call her one more time, but it beeps and hangs up immediately. She blocked me. She seriously blocked my number. She’s really done with me.
For the first time in my life, I don’t know what to do. I don’t have a plan. I feel defeated, and a strange feeling overtakes my chest as I let reality sink in.
She’s gone.