“Yeah. I bumped into her in Florence, and it helped me decide to end things with Toria.” Claiming a seat beside Wilder, I help myself to a beer. “We ended up having a heart-to-heart, and it made me realize I was never going to get over her and I didn’t want to.”
“Get this,” Wilder says, brushing his long hair out of his face. “She moved back to the US and bought a house just up the road.”
“Is that why you moved here?” Ryder asks.
I shake my head. “I didn’t have a clue she’d left Florence. It’s pure coincidence. One I’m fucking ecstatic about. I couldn’t have planned this better if I tried.”
“Dude, do I have to remind you you’ve been friend zoned?” Linc says before stuffing his face with chips.
“It’s only temporary until after the baby is born. We’re getting to know one another again.”
“She still has feelings for you?” Ryder asks before tipping some soda into his mouth.
I can’t contain a smile as I nod.
“Good for you.”
“It’s early days, and I’m not sure if things will work out, but I’m hopeful.”
My phone pings with a text from Sydney, and I wonder if her ears are burning. I break our conversation to call in an order with the local Thai place, leaning back against my kitchen counter while I watch the guys shoot the shit. When I’m done, Wilder and Linc have headed to the garden to check out my retracting fence, leaving me alone with Ryder.
He takes a stool at my island unit and stabs me with a solemn expression. “Zeta and I spent seven years apart,” he says. “I can’t help thinking how similar our situations are, even if the circumstances were different.” Ryder met his wife Zeta in juvie of all places. After they got out, he left to protect her, breaking both their hearts. They ended up reconnecting years later when she was sent to interview Torment by the magazine she worked for. Theirs was a rocky road, by all accounts, but they’re happier than ever. Ryder adores his wife and his family life.
“I want what you have,” I truthfully admit. “I want to win back my girl, marry her, and start a family.”
“The minute Zeta reappeared in my life, I was determined to get her back. I’d never stopped loving her. I was forced to walk away from her. It wasn’t by choice.”
“Same.” I hop up on a stool beside him. “How did you do it? How did you win her back? I’m starting from scratch with Sydney, and I already feel like I’m fucking up.”
“Zeta friend zoned me too at the beginning. We had to learn how to be friends before we could be more, but it was challenging. I just wanted to be with her.”
“Yep. I can relate.”
“I was a goddamn mess back then. It’s a miracle I won Zeta over because I fucked up real bad on so many occasions. I’m just grateful she was so understanding and forgiving. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my wife.”
“She’s a good woman.” I have met her a few times over the years and she’s good people. It’s blatantly obvious Ryder and Zeta are solid. They have an amazing relationship, one that isn’t usual in celebrity circles. These days, I admire Ryder for more than his music. “Any advice?”
“Put in the work and let Sydney set the pace. In my experience, women don’t want extravagant gestures.”
He clearly hasn’t met my ex.
“It’s the small things that count and being there for her when she needs you,” Ryder adds. “Show her you care through your actions, not expensive gifts, and be real with her, Jared. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. If you want her back in your life, she needs to know the man you are today. Don’t try to fake it. Show her who you are now, warts and all.”
“I think you missed your true calling in life. You’re better than any therapist. I feel like I should be paying you.”
He shrugs. “I’m older and wiser, and I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my mistakes. I went through hell before I found my heaven, but it was worth it.”
“Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime, Jared. I hope it works out.”
“Me too.”
“Flowers don’t hurt either,” he adds with a grin. “I give Zeta flowers on more than just her birthday or our anniversary, and she loves it. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to a woman’s is with flowers.”
“If it works, I’m getting that inked on my body.”
“If it works, I might just give up the music business and become a therapist to the stars,” he quips.
