a venue for that yet?”
“No.” Because honestly, we haven’t talked much about it. “But we have some ideas. I…”
I stop as I remember that I was writing down those ideas while waiting for Ryker to come home to his apartment. I left the list inside a magazine that I put away when I heard footsteps out in the hallway. I should go back to get it.
Who knows? Maybe we can pick up where we left off, too.
“Is something wrong?” Natalie asks.
“Nothing,” I reply. “Just making plans inside my head.”
Hopefully, this one will work.
~
I go back to Ryker’s apartment the next day. This time, I do things the proper way. I tell him I’m coming over—he hasn’t replied, but the point is he knows I’m coming—and I ring his doorbell instead of asking for his keys. After the second ring, he opens the door.
“Hey.” I give him a wide smile.
Ryker’s eyes narrow. “Claire?”
My smile vanishes as my heart sinks.
Why? Why doesn’t he seem happy to see me? Didn’t he get my message? Is that why he didn’t reply—because he didn’t want to see me? But why? What did I do?
“Are you still mad at me?” I ask him outright.
I don’t want to waste any more time guessing.
Ryker opens the door wider. “Why don’t you come in and we’ll talk?”
Talk? About what? Why does he look more serious than usual?
I guess I only have one way to find out.
I step inside his apartment. He closes the door behind me and walks to the living room. I try not to stare at the muscles of his back framed by his thin shirt. Or his firm ass.
He wants to talk, not to fuck. That means something is up.
I sit in the armchair, not on the couch beside him. I spot the magazine where I left my scribblings beneath the coffee table and I get it.
I lift the piece of paper up. “I just came back for this. It’s a list of ideas that I came up with for Joel and Natalie’s wedding shower while waiting for you.”
Ryker looks at me. “So the wedding is still on?”
I nod. “It is. Didn’t Joel tell you?”
He shakes his head.
I let out a breath. “I guess he and Natalie are still busy making up.”
Before I left their apartment this morning, it was getting pretty noisy in the bedroom.
Ryker shrugs. “Maybe.”
I draw a deep breath. “So what do you want to talk about?”
We might as well get this over with.
Ryker meets my gaze. From the look in his eyes, I can already tell I’m not going to like what he’s going to say.
“I think we should stop seeing each other.”
What? I look away and take a moment to gather my thoughts.
“You don’t want to see me anymore?”
Ryker doesn’t answer.
“Why? Is it because I barged into your apartment yesterday? Is this still about that? Or is it because of the lingerie? Maybe I was too daring.”
“It’s not about that.”
“Then is it because Joel almost caught us? Is that why?”
Ryker draws a breath. “I think it’s best for us to stop seeing each other.”
“That is why, isn’t it?”
No answer. I knew it. I was afraid this would happen. I had a feeling it might ever since he stopped replying to my messages.
I stand up. “You know what? If you’re feeling guilty or worried, we can just go and tell Joel. We can go right now.”
I don’t care if he and Natalie are having sex. I’m not going to let him get in the way of my happiness.
“No,” Ryker says. “We’re not telling Joel because there is no ‘we’.”
Unbelievable.
“So you’re just going to throw me away?”
“I’m not throwing you away. I’m telling you that we can’t see each other anymore. Calmly.”
That annoys me even more. How can he be so calm while dumping me? Was he just pretending he cared about me?
“Just to be clear, you’re choosing Joel over me?” I ask him. “Is that it?”
Ryker clasps his hand between his knees. “Joel is more than my best friend. He’s like a brother to me.”
And I’m nothing. I don’t mean anything to him.
“Wow.” I shake my head in disbelief. “I guess you never cared about me, huh?”
Annoyance flickers in his eyes. “That’s not…”
“You’re a coward, Ryker Hawthorne.” I point a finger at him. “A despicable coward. You haven’t even tried telling my brother about us and you’re already running away with your tail between your legs.”
Ryker shakes his head. “I’m not going to tell him because I’m not going to betray his