“Okay.”
I grab our phones from under the pillow, hiding his under mine, as Ryder lifts me off the couch and carries me honeymoon-style down the hallway. I keep my teasing to myself because he’s being sweet and I’m really enjoying being carried. I’m able to fall asleep in Ryder’s arms, but thoughts of Fallon’s text have me dreaming about sitting with him on a bench swing having a similar conversation.A secret for a secret.
Chapter 29
Elizabeth
“How is he?” Julien asks me as we amble down the path side by side.
After mile five, we slowed to walk the remaining five so we could talk about what went down last night between Jayson and Ryder. It’s the end of September and mornings are quite comfortable. A blanket of clouds hangs low, a precursor to the rain which is forecasted for later today. A few other joggers who are out give us small waves as they pass by.
“First, why don’t you tell me what Jayson said to Ryder last night?” I counter.
Ryder was still asleep when I left this morning, so I wrote him a cute note and left it on my pillow. I wrote several more and placed them strategically around the apartment where he would find them after he woke up. Well, the notes weren’t exactly cute. They were filled with filthy promises of what I wanted to do to his body and what I wanted him to do to mine. I expect to be pounced upon as soon as I walk through the door tonight when I get home.
“Honestly? I don’t want to tell you because you’re going to get pissed. But it was pretty brutal.”
“Did Ryder fight back? I saw the cut and bruise on his mouth.”
“He didn’t lift a finger. He didn’t even say a word. He just stood there and took everything my brother threw at him.”
Oh, Jayson. You and I are definitely going to have a talk later. “Ryder didn’t tell me much, but I got the general gist of things.”
“Jay threw his past relationship with you at Ry. Told him once your memory came back that you would leave. Before that, he landed a punch on Ry as soon as he walked through the door. E and I had to break it up. I haven’t spoken to Elijah since last night.”
“What? Julien, no. I don’t want that. I don’t want issues in my life to mess up yours.”
“It is what it is. I chose to stand by Ry, and E chose Jay. Couples fight all the time. We’ll get over it, eventually. I plan to make him sweat a little first.”
I give Julien a look.
“What? I can be petty when I want to be,” he says. “Daniel has tried to call my phone a few times. I’ve declined each one.”
“Oh?”
“Have you talked to him yet?”
“No. And I lovingly ask that you drop it.”
“Got it,” Julien replies.
We’re almost back to where I parked my car. I met up with Julien at the park this morning for our run. He jogged there, whereas I drove. “Want a lift back to your place?”
“That would be nice.”
“Just to warn you, I’m coming up and talking to Jayson.”
“Want back-up?”
I shake my head no and unlock the car. “If I need you, I’ll yell.”
Julien opens the driver-side door for me but stops me before I get in. “Tread carefully. I know this situation is all sorts of fucked-up, but Jay is hurting. I don’t agree with what he said, but I understand where it’s coming from.”
“I get it, Julien. I really do. I know that Jayson and I will forever be tied together through our past and through our child. But right now, I need to fight for my future, the one I see with Ryder. Jayson swore to me that the four of us would remain a family. That he wouldn’t shut Ryder out. I don’t know why or how I know he’ll keep that promise, but I have faith that he will.”
As soon as we enter the condo, Julien kisses my cheek and heads off to shower. I’m all kinds of sweaty, but I don’t care. On the drive here, I worked myself up into a frenzy of anger. One that’s about to get released on the man I’m staring at in the kitchen.
I rush over and punch him hard in the arm. It feels like I just punched a wall of concrete.
