Ryan went home and walked straight to the washroom. He peeled off his sweat-soaked T-shirt and paint-splattered shorts underneath. His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen.
Reminder:Tonight, 9 p.m. Bachelor party
No shit.He scowled, dropping his phone on the counter with a dull thud. Ryan stripped down and turned on the shower, steam billowing up from the scalding water. He stepped in, letting the hot water sear his skin and wash away the paint and grime.
As he scrubbed, his mind wandered back to her. The way she’d stood in front of the washroom door in her towel with her hair dripping. The soft cotton underwear she wore that cut high on her hips.
Ryan wasn’t going to grovel. He wasn't going to be the guy who blew up Aelin’s phone. If she didn't want to talk, fine.
Indignation felt good for about five seconds until he remembered how much she had to be hurting. She’d been forced to move, she was being constantly harassed by her ex.
Stepping out of the shower, Ryan grabbed a towel and dried off. He tied his hair back with a hair tie and glanced down as his phone buzzed again.
Reminder:Tomorrow, 10 a.m. Aelin’s mediation.
Ryan walked back into the main room and pulled out a clean pair of jeans and the shirt he promised Country he’d wear. A collared seer-sucker with tiny pink flamingoes. He dressed quickly, then sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks and shoes. He fastened his watch around his wrist, the leather strap cool against his skin, then grabbed his keys and phone and shoved them into his pockets.
Ryan knocked a few chores off his list, then left the house and drove. He turned on his pre-game pump-up playlist, and by the time he turned onto Stephen Avenue, he felt ready to be FunRyan for at least an hour. He passed a few shops and restaurants, then found a parking spot a block from the bar.
It didn’t take long for everyone to show up, and as soon as Sean handed out the personalized nut rags Kelty had made for all of them, they downed a round of drinks and hit the dance floor. Ryan lasted for all of ten minutes before the alcohol hit his system, and any energy he’d mustered sapped out of him.
His exhaustion wasn’t physical. Ever since they’d gotten back from the lake, he felt like he was trying to cross the ice with guards on his blades. Amaya was amped up with all the changes, understandably, but every time he dropped her off and saw Aelin through the windows, it was like someone clipped another weight onto his belt.
Tyler sat down next to him at the table. “Not feeling it tonight?”
Ryan shrugged. “It’s just been a long week.” He patted Tyler on the shoulder. “Thank you for all your help.”
Tyler nodded. “I told you Aelin asked me to thank you the other day, right?” he asked.
Ryan let out a sharp breath. “Yeah, bud. I think you’ve told me three times.”
Tyler nodded but didn’t comment. With the alcohol swirling in Ryan’s gut, he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut.
“She won’t text me back. I texted her every day and tried calling at night, and I think I got one response, maybe two.”
“That’s where you were, right?” Tyler asked. “On your vacation, you were with her?”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. We went down to Montana for the week.”
Tyler raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize it was that serious.”
Ryan scoffed. “It wasn’t. Our girls wanted to go to the lake together. That was it.”
“Sure,” Tyler said, nodding slowly. “But something changed, though, eh?”
Ryan’s grip tightened on his glass. “We got a little closer.”
The corner of Tyler’s mouth quirked. “How close?”
He took a swig of his beer. “Not close enough.”
“And then you came back. And nothing?” Tyler asked. Ryan nodded. “But she’s going through a divorce.”
“Yeah,” Ryan exhaled. “Her ex is a jackass. Making things difficult. That’s why she asked me not to come by. She’s trying not to rock the boat.”
Tyler frowned. “But he can’t see if she’s calling or texting you.”
Tyler’s words were a palm to the face. “Holy shit.” Ryan dropped his glass on the table.
