“What are friends for, if not to throw our men out on their asses if our bestie’s man is being a douche?”
I laugh. “Right.”
“It’ll be fine. Ryan doesn’t hold onto temper tantrums for long. I’m sure once you get in the bedroom, he’ll forget all about it.”
I fake a smile. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
She pulls me to her side and wraps her arm around my shoulders, hugging me to her as we all walk inside the penthouse. “Right, I’m off. Let me know if you need me to kick Danger out.”
“Will do, and thanks again.”
“Chicks before dicks, Tillie!” she calls out as she crosses the living room.
The guys look at her and furrow their brows, especially Danger. I giggle, shaking my head as I move down to the bedroom and walk in to get changed for bed. It’s late, and I want to go to sleep.
It’s been a weird night, and I can’t be bothered with any more drama, so I pull out my Recoil T-shirt from the suitcase, place it on the bed, and undress, stripping down to my panties. Then I slide on the T-shirt and climb in under the sheets before Ryan walks into the room. Swallowing hard, I figure I’ll let him talk first, so I lie in the bed facing him and watch as he takes off his shirt and jeans, then slides into bed. I take a deep breath, waiting for him to face me so we can talk, but instead, he rolls over, his back facing me, and moves over right to the edge of the bed as far away from me as possible, not saying a word.
A sinking feeling pounds in my chest.
I can’t breathe.
My stomach twists, and my chest aches so much I wonder if I’m having heart palpitations.
Hot salty water fills my eyes as my bottom lip quivers.
The silence in the room is deafening, and the view of the back of his head is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
Ryan’s shutting me out, leaving me with questions I’m not entirely sure I am ready to hear the answers to.
Sniffing as subtly as I can, I roll over and face the wall, wiping the tears now falling silently down my cheeks. The coldness of the wall is a reminder of the distance growing between us, and no matter how close we are physically, it feels like he’s a million miles away.
I feel deflated.
Let down.
And most of all, I feel completely in the dark.
I hate this.
A sense of overwhelming dread lies over me, seeping into my bones, and nothing can fix it except for Ryan, who’s completely ignoring me as I silently cry into my pillow. My heart aches, wanting him to reach over, to say anything—just some sign that he cares enough to notice my pain.
But there’s nothing.
And with every tear that falls, I wonder if we’re already too far gone.
***
The last few days have been horrible.
Ryan is still avoiding me at any cost.
Every night, he may sleep with me in the bed, but he turns away, avoids my gaze, and doesn’t speak to me. There’s this rift between us, and I have absolutely no idea how to make it right or if it’s even possible at this point.
It’s the band’s last concert in LA, and it is a great show, as always. I’m feeling down, and even though the music is fantastic, I still have a job to do. So, I’m live-streaming their encore song for the night. The comments are coming in thick and fast, as always, and#Hunter’sGirlis here again, sprouting her usual crap. But it is getting worse, and I furrow my brows as I read her comments one after the other.
Hunter’sGirl:I will be with Ryan forever.
Hunter’sGirl:I will make Ryan be with me, and I have a plan on how to do it!
