I run from it.
But maybe that’s just it too. He could take the revenge he so desperately sought out and channel it into a pursuit to Ryan to compensate for the fact he can’t to his father. He said that’s why it’s become easier for him to complete his hits, because he always imagines it as Mitchell.
Or maybe, maybe it’s simply because he’s a man in love, ready to tear the world apart for the girl he loves. The girl he bled for, and she for him.
“I couldn’t sit back and watch you give your life away to Shelby like that! Tyler, you act like you didn’t know what this would end up in. I told you. Iwarnedyou. You know I’m leaving. Why are you acting like you haven’t known? Why is it so hard to just enjoy the now?”
“Because I love you! I…I love you so much, Sunny. My heart belongs to you. Even if it means it will be broken into a million pieces, it was only ever yours to break anyways. But maybe that’s just the thing, maybe I will always love you more than you love me. So you will never understand. Love is such an understatement, Sunny. It is such an understatement for the way I feel about you. I can’t watch you give your life away to Ryan like this. It’skillingme,” he chokes. “Absolutely killing me knowing a fucking monster like that is still out there, walking around, hunting you down. And you won’t let me do anything about it. Just because I knew you’re leaving doesn’t make it anyless painful. Nothing will make it any less painful. God, we just need more time…I just, I don’t get how I fucking missed this.” He pinches the bridge of his nose and walks away from me.
“What the hell does that mean, Tyler? More time? I’ve spent too long here already.”
“Every time you and I get close, just so close to where we’re supposed to be… whenever we get in a spot that’s comfortable and isus, you shut me out. Sunny, I just…I need to go find Cole. I need a minute. I have things I need to do here.” He walks away.
I don’t go after him.
Something tells me I’m not the only one keeping secrets between us.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
TYLER
How canI be okay with a man walking this earth who hurt the one thing I care about most in this world? The answer is easy.
I can’t.
Amidst my conversation with Cole, Sam approaches with a bottle of champagne in one hand and the skirt of her purple dress clutched in the other.
“What’s up? Where’s Sunny?” She leans on the railing with me, taking a swig of her champagne and hands it to me.
“Didn’t you hear? She’s fucking married.” I take a long drink from the bottle.
I can’t believe I let that slip under my nose. I can’t believe Mitchell found out before me. “Oh, and apparently her previous legal name was Mrs. Lauren Sunshine fucking Crawford. Or prior to that, Lauren Sunshine Masoner.”
“I mean, that doesn’t surprise me.” She looks blankly over the balcony.
“How come?” I hand the bottle back.
She shrugs. “It just makes sense. She never called him her ex-boyfriend or life partner or whatever. She never put a label onhim. And I mean yeah, when you’re on the run, trying to hide from someone, the smartest option is to change your name.”
I realize that, too. Sunny never put a label on him. Ryan. She’d let his name slip. And I wasn’t going to give her any inclination that I’d picked up on it. She was careful, but I was observant.
“What do you know about him?” I ask.
“Probably as much as you do. He beat her. She took off and he did too.”
“Mitchell was the one who aired it out. In front of a lot of people,” I say, looking over the balcony.
I search the crowds for blonde curls but find nothing. If she ran off again, I’m going to lose my fucking mind.
“That doesn’t surprise me, either. They’ll do anything to make you get back with Shelby,” she says, looking at me. “Listen, can you blame her? I mean, she went through hell. She’s trying to leave that part of her life in the past. So who could blame her for not telling us.”
“If she would just let me help her,” I say, toying with a callus on my hand.
“Believe it or not Tyler, it’s not your job to save everyone. And also believe it or not, not everyone wants to be saved.” Sam hands me back the champagne. “You knew what was going to happen when you started things with her. So stop acting surprised that she isn’t changing her plans for you.”
I don’t like what she’s saying, but I know it’s true.
“You okay?” I ask as I pull my phone out to my private thread with Sunny.
