“Who the fuck would do this?” Ryder exploded, marching toward the vehicle.
When I didn’t answer, he turned to me, his voice getting louder. “Ellie, who the fuck would do this?”
My mouth opened, but the words wouldn’t come out. Not because I didn’t want to tell him, but because it could have been anyone. Most of the town still hated me. Most of them still hadthese ideas that I had broken up the golden couple, and that I was still fawning over Liam.
A horrible, animalistic cry left my lips, but I quickly covered it, burying my face in my hands as tears wracked my body.
“Hey, Ellie,” Ryder whispered, his voice just a scant inch from my ear. “Tell me who would do this.”
I shook my head, not wanting to tell him the story and ruin what we had. But it would come out anyway. Frankly, it was shocking that he hadn’t heard the story by now.
“Why would someone write this on your Jeep?” he asked.
Through blurry eyes, I looked up at him, trying to hold it together. “Because…because they all think I slept with Liam.”
His jaw hardened the longer he stared at me. “You’re gonna have to explain that one.”
Sniffling, I wiped my nose on my cardigan, not even caring how disgusting it was. “When Liam was dating Bailey, Austin Callahan was threatening her. He was trying to get her killed.”
“Why?” he asked, his voice gentle with a hint of anger.
“Because he hates the Parkers, and he’ll do whatever it takes to ruin them. And that included taking Bailey away from Liam.”
“How the hell do you fit into this?” he snapped.
With his fists clenched at his sides, it was like it was taking everything possible for him to remain cool. I just hoped that after he heard the truth, he wouldn’t get pissed at me.
“Liam came to me. He asked if I would put on a show with him. He needed to break things off with Bailey, and he needed it to be convincing. He was trying to save her life. I didn’t want to because?—”
I stopped short of confessing to him that I had been in love with Liam most of my life. That was one part of the story I didn’t need getting out.
“But he was desperate. So, I went to the bar and hung all over him. I kissed him and sat on his lap, and at the end of the night, I took him home.”
“You did what?” he snapped.
“It’s not what you think. He was drunk, and I had to drive him home. He passed out as soon as I got him in the house. But he threw up all over me, and I had to wash my clothes. Bailey showed up the next morning, certain it was all a lie, but what she found was me in his shirt.”
Ryder spun away from me, his anger growing by the second. “Why the fuck would you do that?” he shouted. “Why would you put yourself in that position?”
“Because I wanted to help him,” I cried. “Austin was seriously out for blood. He’d already done something to Bailey’s car. He was trying to kill her!”
“That’s none of your business!” he exploded.
“Why are you mad at me?”
“Because you put yourself in the position for this to happen!”
I dropped my eyes, hating that he was right. But still, I didn’t need to be yelled at for it. I was beating myself up enough. And I definitely didn’t need the man I was sleeping with to berate me in such a way.
“Why haven’t you told Liam what’s going on?”
“I have,” I said quietly.
“And he’s done nothing?”
“He tried, but…but they want to believe that I tried to break up Liam and Bailey. It didn’t matter, so I told him to stop trying.”
“Why the hell would you do that?” he exploded.
