“Yeah, wow,” Allison agreed, so maybe I wasn’t totally wrong. “Also, I think he might be Ryder’s ex.”
11
Ryder
“Isthis the third or the fourth time Allison’s turned thirty?”
I stiffened at the familiar voice and the fingertips at my waist, touching me like they had every right to.
I would’ve known that touch anywhere. Once upon a time, for a handful of weeks, I’d even liked it.
Now the thought of it made my skin crawl, and I jerked away, turning to see Matt holding both of his hands up in mock-surrender, lips twisted into a smirk.
Dear god I hated him.
Not justhim, but the way he could still push my buttons after all this time.
“Matt,” I said, trying to keep from sounding like I was gritting my teeth.
“Ryder! Where’s the new boyfriend?”
Word travelled fast, I guessed. It would almost have been flattering that he was keeping up with what was happening in my life if not for the fact that I also hated the thought of that.
“He’s…”
I looked over at where I’d last seen Ward, but I couldn’t spot him through the crowd. Dammit.
Now I had to get rid of this assholeandfind Ward. Great.
Normally I loved a party like this, but I’d been stupid to think I could just show up after everything that’d happened and not expect anything to have changed.
Of course it had.
And Matt loved to needle me at the best of times. Now he had all the ammunition he could ever have wanted.
“Felling a tree somewhere?” Matt asked. “Splitting firewood? Oh, I know! Playing banjo.”
Ward was practically tone-deaf, but he had more musical talent in his little finger than Matt did. Unlike Matt, he wasn’t convinced otherwise. I’d lost hours of my life listening to him play ukulele and pretending it wasn’t actively hurting my ears because I’d been stupid and naive enough to want him to like me.
I wanted to sayhe’s a hundred times the man you’ll ever be,which I was positive was the truth but also seemed a little too aggressive as a response to what would sound to anyone else like gentle teasing.
That was the thing about having your heart broken. It left a scar.
“You okay?” another familiar voice murmured right next to my ear.
Ward.
I could’ve kissed him.
I could have melted at the possessive hand he curled around my hip, reassurance that he was here. A warm, solid presence at my back.
Like he’d always been.
“I’m fine,” I said, enjoying the look on Matt’s face. “Sorry I was gone so long.”
“Missed you,” Ward said, brushing his lips against my neck.
I bit my tongue to stop myself from overreacting.
