I turn and walk out the door.

  Chapter Six

  Ryder

  I’m back home after visiting Anna, and I head straight for the Jack Daniel’s I know is hiding in the back of the pantry, pouring a double shot in a glass along with a few cubes of ice.

  It’s Friday evening, but I’m too wrecked to even think about going out. All I want to do is call Scar and then sleep. I laugh at how much things have changed. The idea that I’d be at home, alone, any night would have been laughable to me even a month ago.

  “Hello,” Scar answers on the first ring. Her voice is warm, as if she’s happy to hear from me. “How was your flight?” she asks.

  “Long,” I groan, throwing myself down on the couch. “Shit, what time is it there?”

  “Eight a.m.” She laughs. “It’s okay. I was awake anyway.”

  “Missing me?” I tease.

  “Yes, but that’s not why I was awake.” She laughs. “I was at the hospital all day, so when I get home is the only chance I have to pack. Hey, thanks for fixing my window.”

  “I broke it. Did you think I was going to leave it for you to fix?” I chuckle.

  “It wouldn’t be the worst thing a guy has done to me,” she jokes.

  My mind flits to Tony, and I have to ask her if he’s been bothering her. “Has Tony contacted you?”

  “No.” Her tone is muted, and she immediately changes the subject, talking about how much Jake is looking forward to flying again.

  “He’s been bombarding me with questions about you,” she giggles.

  “Yeah?” I smirk. “Like what?”

  “Oh everything. You’re favorite food, color, how old you are, why he hasn’t met your parents.” She laughs. “And he is obsessed with tennis all of a sudden. You have a fan for life in him.”

  “What about you? Do I have a fan in you?” I tease.

  “I think you know the answer to that,” she laughs.

  “Then humour me.” I love making her squirm. Sure, I know how she feels, but I like hearing her say it. “Tell me how much you love playing on the Ryder train.”

  She bursts into uncontrollable laughter.

  “Oh my god, you did not just say that.”

  Yeah. Yeah, I did.

  Chapter Seven

  Scarlett

  Why am I even doing this?

  My hands are shaking as I punch the digits into the phone—another disposable one. I need to know what’s going on, because not knowing anything is killing me. I’m driving myself insane. I press call, and hold my breath as I wait.

  My heart pounds as I’m greeted with a recorded message informing me that this number is no longer in service. I rake my hand through my hair. What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to find this guy? Maybe you’re not. Maybe this is a sign for you to forget this ever happened. Forget about Tony.

  Only I wish it were that easy.

  My phone buzzes next to me. I reach for it and see that it’s Penny. Jumping up off the sofa, I race to the door and open it.

  “Hey,” I say, hugging her. “You could’ve just knocked.”

  “I didn’t want you wondering who it was.” She raises an eyebrow. “Have you heard from him?”

  “Tony? No.” I shake my head and lead her back inside. “I wish I’d never contacted your guy, Pen.”

  “First of all, he’s not my guy, and second, what’s the problem if he’s gone?”

  “It’s the fact that I don’t know anything. Has he gone? What if all this has done is just piss him off even more?”

  She sits down and shrugs. “I get what you’re saying. But I also think if Tony were angry enough to do something stupid, he would’ve done it already.”

  Maybe.

  “I tried calling your guy for an update. His phone’s disconnected.”

  Penny snorts. “An update, Scar? It’s not a freaking dress you’ve ordered. You don’t call for an update.” She groans and cradles her head in her hands.

  “Why not?” I ask defensively. “I paid this guy ten grand. How do I even know he’s done what we agreed on?”

  “I think it’s a pretty safe bet, considering your asshole of an ex hasn’t been sniffing around,” she points out. “Just take Jake for his treatment and forget about Tony, okay? I’ll keep an eye on your place and let you know if anything is suspicious.”

  “Thanks, Pen. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Right.” She smiles. She gets to her feet and motions for me to do the same. “Come on, or you’ll miss your flight.” She wraps her arms around me and kisses my cheek. “Stop worrying, Scar. You deserve happiness, more than anyone I know.”

  ***

  “Why can’t I walk?”

  “Because you’ve got this really cool chair that the doctor is insisting you use.”

  I’m walking through the crowded Heathrow Airport, trying to push Jake’s chair and our luggage at the same time. It’s Monday afternoon, and after a long trip, with multiple layovers, we’re both cranky and tired.

  “There! Ryder!” Jake waves his arms madly, catching Ryder’s attention. His face lights up when he sees us. My heart flutters as he walks over to us. It’s only been a few days, but I’ve missed that sexy smile so much.

  “Hey,” he says. His lips press against my cheek, and then he drops to his knees beside Jake. “Wow, this is pretty cool. How are you feeling?”

  “Good. I watched movies the whole way.” He beams, proud of the fact that he’s barely slept. I roll my eyes and ruffle his hair.

  “Then we better get you back to my place so you can have a nap, hey?” Ryder straightens up and leans in for a proper kiss. My heart melts as his mouth finds mine.

  He pushes Jake to his car while I wrangle the luggage cart. I’m regretting packing so much, but London weather sucks ass. Between my fifty different changes of clothes, Jake’s things, and all his medications, I feel like we’re abroad for the next year.

  “You want to sit in the front?” Ryder asks Jake. He winks my way as I raise my eyebrows at him.

  “Yeah!” Jake cries.

  I shake my head as I climb into the back. Lucky his car is comfortable.

  “Mom, look.” Jake giggles as he pulls a can of soda out from a secret compartment.

  “It’s freezing!” he exclaims, holding it out to me for proof.

  “That’s my refrigerated drink compartment,” Ryder says proudly.

  I snort, because I’m lucky if my beat-up old Fiat starts in the morning.

  “Something funny back there?” Ryder narrows his eyes at me.

  “Just observing the rich and their toys,” I snigger. “A refrigerated drink holder? Seriously?”

  “It wasn’t why I bought the damn car,” he laughs. “But I can’t say it’s never come in handy.”

  I grin and listen as he and Jake chatter about other gadgets the car has.

  Boys and their toys.

  ***

  Ryder holds the door open as Jake and I walk inside.

  “Sorry, I didn’t have time to clean up,” he mutters.

  I smirk as I take in his home. It’s about what I expect, considering he’s a young, successful male who lives alone. We follow him in through the living room and into the kitchen.

  “Help yourselves to whatever you like. Jake, your room is down the end of the hall, and yours is next to mine.”

  “Convenient,” I mumble under my breath. I blush as Ryder raises an eyebrow at me, his lips curving into a smirk. Shit. He wasn’t supposed to hear that. I glance at Jake, who is busy raiding the fridge.

  “Jake,” I hiss.

  “What? He said to make myself at home.”

  “It’s fine, Jake.”

  “See?” He rolls his eyes at me as he stuffs a slice of cheese into his mouth.

  “You,” I say, putting my hands on his shoulders, “need to go and have a nap. We have dinner tonight and I don’t want you wearing yourself out.”

  “But I’m not tired,” he whines as I march him down the hallway.

  “Humor me. Listen to music or something, but you’re going to rest.”

  Happy with that, he takes his iPod out of his bag and lies down on the double bed, pulling the covers over him. He yawns and I roll my eyes.

  “Thought you weren’t sleepy,” I grin, kissing his nose.

  He waves me away, scrunching up his face. “I’m not, I was just stretching my mouth.”

  I chuckle and walk back over to the door, pulling it over behind me. “Love you.”

  “Love you too, Mom.”

  ***

  “How many rooms does this place have?” I ask, tilting my head as Ryder wraps his arms around my waist.

  “Five. Why?”

  “No reason,” I grin. “You put Jake all the way up one end of the house and you and I at the other. Just an observation.”

  “Do you really need me to explain that to you?” he smirks, his mouth pressing against mine. “I plan to make you squeal tonight.”

  I laugh and pull away from him. After a fourteen-hour flight, sex is the last thing on my mind. My body is craving a hot shower, and I plan to give in.

  “Can you take the rest of my things to my room while I take a shower?”

  “I can,” he says, a glint in his eye, “or we can say fuck the luggage and I can join you?”

  I laugh and shake my head. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m tired, I smell, and I do not want to share my shower with you right now.”

  “Your shower?” he teases.

  “For the next half hour.” I pause. “Or perhaps an hour, it is my shower.”

  Chapter Eight

  Ryder

  What the fuck?

  I sit down on the end of the bed in her room. Her bags spill from my hands as I focus on the message on the phone in my hands.

  I can’t believe this.

  Her message tone is the same as mine, and I honestly thought it was my phone when I picked it up and read the message. I read it over and over, and each time the pounding in my heart increases.

  Penny: Glad to hear you arrived safely, but you need to relax. He’s not going to find out. You’ve made sure of that, okay? Tony is out of the picture. You can move on.

  My fingers tap back a reply. My stomach is a mass of knots. I listen out for the sound of the shower, my breathing heavy. I’m not proud of what I’m doing, but I need to know what’s going on, and this might be my only chance.

  Me: How sure are you that Tony’s gone? What if he comes back? What if he tells Ryder?

  Penny’s response is instant. I cannot believe I’m invading her privacy like this. I’m disgusted at myself, but I can’t stop. I need to know she’s okay.

  Penny: Scar, he’s not coming back. Ten grand has made sure of that; trust me. For what it’s worth, I think Ryder would understand. He loves you. I’m sure he’s done plenty he’s not proud of.

  Me: I know, but I’m terrified of losing him. I want to tell him, but what would I say?

  My finger taps my leg as I wait for her to reply. Come on. Spit it out, Penny. My heart jumps into my throat as I hear the water turn off. Fuck. My fingers are shaking as I quickly delete the entire conversation. I slip Scarlett’s phone back into her bag and skulk out of the room.

  Fuck! Shit, shit, shit. What the hell have I just done?

  I pace the hallway, my hands laced behind my head. She’s going to reply. She’s going to reply to my fucking question, and Scar is gonna know. Oh, God, this is not good.

  Scar walks out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around her body. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head. She smiles and wraps her arms around me, kissing my lips. I smile back, my heart thudding. All I can think about is how I need to read that message before she does.

  Why the fuck did I put her phone back? Hell, she could’ve gone days thinking she’d lost her phone, and it would have aroused no suspicion at all.

  “Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready. Can you check on Jake?” she asks.

  “Sure.” My voice sounds foreign to me. I feel like I want to be sick. My body goes from hot to cold as sweat films my skin.

  Scar glances at me closely. “Are you okay? You don’t look very good.”

  “I’m fine.” I force a smile. “Let’s hurry up. Mum is expecting us.” My only hope now is that she doesn’t check her phone before we get to Mum’s. Once we’re there, I can hijack her bag and fix this mess.

  ***

  “Ryder,” Mum exclaims, enveloping me in a hug. She turns to Scar and Jake. “I've heard so much about you two.”

  “Are you going to let us inside?” I joke, embarrassed by her attention.

  “Of course! Where are my manners?” She ushers us inside, closing the door behind her. “Hailey! Tell your father Ryder is here.”

  I wince, Mum’s shrill voice driving right through me.

  “Can I get you a drink, Scarlett? And something for you, little man?” she asks Jake.

  “That would be lovely. It's great to finally meet you, Mr Stevens. Ryder doesn't stop talking about you.”

  “Well, I don't believe that for a second,” she laughs. “Are we talking about the same man? My son, who left the country without telling me?”

  Scar’s mouth drops open and she leans over and slaps me on the shoulder. “You didn't tell your mother that you had gone to the States?”

  “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, if you remember,” I say, gritting my teeth. Right away, I can see that Mum and Scar are going to get along just fine. “Go with Mum, and I will put these in the study for you.” I take her coat and handbag, moving out of the room before she can respond.

  I reach the study, my heart pounding. Finally, I’m alone with her phone. Just as I am rifling through her handbag, Hailey appears at the door.

  “What are you doing?” she asks, amused, her arms crossed over her chest. “Are you going through your girlfriend’s stuff?”

  “What? No, I’m looking for Jake’s medicine,” I fib, throwing her bag down on the couch. “Is that any way to greet your older brother?” I walk over to her.

  She shrieks as I throw my arms around her and attempt to kiss her cheek. “Get off me, you creep,” she giggles, pushing me away. “Welcome home, anyway.”

  “Thanks,” I grin. My arm slips around her shoulders as we walk out of the study. “Come meet Scar and Jake.”

  “Ooh, this is going to be fun,” she giggles. “Which story should I bring up first—the one where you proposed to your preschool teacher, or the one where you wet your pants during your form three concert?”

  “Hey,” I retort, messing her hair. “You tell any embarrassing stories about me and I’ll make sure you pay next time I meet a bloke of yours. Do I need to remind you how crude I can be?”

  She makes a face. “No, no you don’t. Let’s get back down there before Mum sends out a search party.”

  ***

  Jake and Scar are a hit. I think Mum is ready to adopt them both. Dinner is going so well that I’m almost able to forget about ‘that’ text.

  “More, Scarlett?” Mum asks, holding the tray of roasted potatoes.

  Scar smiles and shakes her head. “It’s all absolutely beautiful, Mrs Stevens, but I’m full.”

  “Call me Lisa,” Mum says. “Mrs Stevens makes me feel old.”

  “You are old,” Hailey sniggers and I laugh, earning myself a glare from Mum.

  “Hailey just offered to clear the table,” Mum announces.

  “What? I did not!” Hailey replies, her mouth falling open. “This is unfair, Mother.”

  “So is calling me old,” Mum retorts.

  “I’ll help you,” Scar offers, pushing her seat back. She turns to me and smiles. “Can you grab my bag for me, Ryder? Jake needs to have his antibiotics.”

  Shit. I didn’t realize that was actually true.

  “Sure,” I declare with a little too much enthusiasm. I push my chair back and stomp down to the study, grabbing her bag. Relief is pulsating through me. Thank fucking God. The thought of her seeing that message… I shudder.

  I fish around for her phone and unlock the screen.

  Oh fuck, no.

  Penny: Just tell him the truth. You never know, Scar, he might be able to help you get out of this mess once and for all. Tony deserves to pay for what happened, not you.

  My heart is thumping. I wipe the film of sweat I can feel coating my forehead. It’s not the message that has me worked up; it’s the fact that it’s been marked as read.

  I’m too late.

  Chapter Nine

  Scarlett

  I glance over my shoulder at Jake, who is fast asleep on the backseat of Ryder’s car. It's been a long day, and I'm surprised he’s lasted this long. I smile as he scratches his nose and shifts his weight around.

  “Big day for him,” Ryder comments.

  I nod and lean my head against the window. It's been a big day for all of us. It makes it even harder when you try to put on a brave face.

  All night I’ve been smiling and pretending as though nothing is wrong, when in reality all I want is five minutes alone so I can call Penny and figure out what the hell that message was supposed to mean. I'm confused and scared.

  I just don’t get it. Why would she text me that? I let her know we arrived safely, and she’s texting me to confess to Ryder? It makes no sense. My stomach is a ball of knots. Something isn’t right. What if she knows something about Tony? Maybe this is her way of hinting to me that I need to tell him before someone else does.

  “You okay?” Ryder asks. He glances at me, his blue eyes filled with concern.

  I nod and squeeze his hand. The thought of him knowing makes me feel sick. Bile rises in my throat as the sudden urge to be sick hits me.

  “Pull over,” I order. I have the door open and I hang out of the vehicle, throwing up most of my dinner.

  Ryder jumps out of the car and races around to my side, bending down next to me. “God, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, just jetlag I think,” I lie.

  He accepts my answer and passes me a tissue, his hand resting on my back. I grab a bottle of water that is resting in the drink holder and take a sip, rinsing out my mouth. I can't help but smile, because Jake hasn’t even stirred. That kid could sleep through anything.

 

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