“You guys are early,” I remark and step between them to unlock my door.
Ryder stands up and follows me inside. I hear Jayson say to Julien, “What the hell?” before they both walk in and close the door.
“Liz, you want the shower first?” Julien asks me. He bends down to pick up the bag he left near the front door.
Ryder hands me a coffee and jiggles one of the paper bags he’s holding, the smell of food is too enticing. “Nah, you can go first.”
“We brought a variety of gluten-free scones and donuts,” Ryder informs me. Ten miles surely works up an appetite, and I want to shove as many donuts in my face right now as possible. I am that hungry.
Ryder takes a plate out of my cupboard and starts piling pastries on it. Cinnamon scones, raspberry-filled, glazed, and powdered donuts, a few varieties of muffin tops. I snatch the dark-chocolate covered donut from his hand before he’s able to put it down on the plate and take a big bite. God, that’s so good. Whoever discovered chocolate is a genius.
“Where’d you get these?” I ask, my mouth full.
“Julien told us about that bakery you found.” I give Ryder a thumbs up.
Jayson comes to stand beside me and leans in to press a quick kiss to my cheek. “Morning, princess.”
“Stop it,” I mumble, my mouth full as I chew.
He pulls me toward him, and I push him back to reach for another donut. He then tries to throw his arm across my shoulder, and I duck. He steps behind me and I glide to the side.
“Jayson.”
“Liz.”
He’s full-on smirking at me now, a twinkle in his silver eyes. Ryder is leaning back against the counter watching us do our little dance of Jayson chasing and me evading. Julien walks in the kitchen, hair still damp from his shower, and sees me and Jayson circling the counter, like a predator after its prey. In one quick movement, Jayson reaches out and throws me over his shoulder.
“Hey!” I yelp.
“Shower time. You smell,” Jayson says and carries me down the hallway caveman style.
Like being hit with a jarring bolt of electricity, my body jolts and my vision tunnels as flashes of memories hurdle to the forefront of my mind. I’m barraged by images of Jayson and Ryder. Memories of different times when they both picked me up and carried me over their shoulder. Memories of my laughter and squeals of delight. I blink and the image changes to a room, like a garage. A black Challenger sits up on a lift. My eyes are glued to the hunger on Ryder’s face as he lifts me, our bodies slamming against a wall, lips locked in a fierce, open-mouthed kiss.
“Jayson, put me down.”
He must hear something in my voice because for once, he actually listens and does what I ask.
“What’s wrong, princess?”
Exhausted from my run with Julien and unnerved from these new flashes of memories, I snap.
“I’m not your fucking princess!” I shout at him. “I’m not your baby!” I shove him with outstretched hands. “Stop trying to make me be the girlfriend you used to know. I. Am. Not. Her!”
“What the hell is going on?” I hear Ryder say before he pushes between us, tucking me behind him in a protective move.
“Liz?” Jayson’s voice is filled with hurt and confusion.
“Jesus Christ!” I shout at no one, hands in my hair. Now I feel guilty as hell because Jayson has this hurt look on his face. It’s like I kicked a defenseless puppy. It’s too much. He’s too much. I bang my fist against the wall and stalk off to my bedroom to get away from everyone.
As soon as I get to my room, I slam the door, the loud crack of sound satisfying. Of course, my fucking neighbor starts banging on the wall again telling me to shut up. I sit down on my bed and give myself a minute to calm down. Screw that. I yank my pillow up to my face and scream into it. I curse the world. I curseHim. I curse myself. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to hurt Jayson. But he keeps pushing and pushing. He wants me to be the girlfriend I used to be. I can’t. I don’t remember him in that way. I don’t want him like that.You want Ryder. You want Ryder to want you like that. Fuck!
Someone knocks gently against the bedroom door. I scowl at it.
“Elizabeth,” Ryder speaks quietly to me through the door. “Elizabeth, open up sweetheart.”Sweetheart. “Hey, talk to me. Please. Let me help.”
After a few petulant minutes, I open the door. Ryder is patiently waiting on the other side. He opens his arms and I immediately go to him. I need this. I need him. I want him. I hold him tight and bury myself deep against his wide chest.
“I told Jay to take off to give you some time.”
