Ryder (Resisting Love #2.5)(24)

Saying that that, he gets up and leaves.

I burst into tears.

*****

A week later, I know I've made a huge mistake. I want to fight. I’m ready and willing. Over the past few days I've been miserable. Nothing Tee tried to do could cheer me up, and I can tell she's starting to worry. I've tried to call Ryder a few times, but he didn’t answer; he's obviously still mad at me. The only way I'm going to be able to talk to him is to go and see him.

I run up the stairs to Ryder’s apartment, eager to see him, but slow down when I hear voices coming from his front door.

“I think we should give this a go, Ryder, don’t you?” a woman’s voice purrs. The hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end. I listen intently, and I hear Ryder sigh. I can just imagine him rubbing the back of his neck with those long slender fingers of his. Musician’s hands. My heart breaks as I realize he's actually considering this. He possibly wants to be with this woman. What was I to him?

*****





Chapter 14


Ryder

“I think we should give this a go, Ryder, don’t you?” Nikki says huskily.

“I guess we could give us a try, or we will always be wondering what if,” I find myself thinking out loud.

But… Lexi. Lexi brings complications. Lexi herself is complicated. She's a threat to everything I have worked towards because of her past with Sax. Lexi can bring down the band, put a stop to my dreams. Lexi is our band's Yoko Ono. I feel so much for Lexi, but am I willing to sacrifice my hope, my dreams, and my career for her? For someone who isn’t even willing to fight back for me?

Before I can say anything else Nikki makes the decision for me and puts her lips on mine. The woman has always been forward, but with me she was never the one to take the lead, it’s always been me, so this is a new experience for us. I think she really wants to see where this can lead. I hear a gasp and my head snaps towards the staircase where I see the back of a retreating Lexi. I’d recognize that honey blonde hair anywhere. Fuck. I don’t want to hurt her. Ever. I love Lexi. I flinch as I realize the truth of what she just saw. This is a cluster f*ck.

“Who was that?” Nikki asks, her emerald eyes narrowing.

“A friend,” I say softly.

At least she was.

Because now Alexis Joy Raine probably hates me.

*****

Lexi

I have no idea what to do about Tee. If I tell her that I’m running, she'll want to run with me. But she already has a good thing going here in Perth. I decide honesty is always the best policy, so I call her up.

“Hey, butt face,” she says in welcome. The woman is charming.

“Tee, I’m leaving Perth. I need to get away for a while,” I tell her, getting straight to the point.

“When do we leave?” she asks instantly.

I’m silent.

“Lexi?” she asks.

“You don’t need to come, Tee. We just moved in, you can find another roomie and…”

“What happened with Ryder?” she asks knowingly.

“He moved on,” I say slowly and softly, drawing out each word.

“Come again?” Tee hisses. I don’t reply because I know that she heard me.

“Where are you going to go?” she asks after a few seconds.

“I’m not sure yet, but I'll be back,” I assure her.

“I’ll give you three months,” she announces. “If you’re not back, I’ll come to wherever you are.”

“Deal,” I say. I always keep my word, and so does Tee. We're both loyal to a fault.

“Will you be there when I get home?” she asks me.

“I’ll wait for you, I’m not gonna just leave without saying bye to my family,” I tell her.

“Fuck, Lexi. I’ll be there in an hour,” she says.

“See you then."

We both hang up and then I pick up my suitcase to start packing.

*****

Ryder

I made a mistake and I’m going to fix it. First, I’m going to visit Lexi and fix things, and then I’m going to visit Nikki and tell her that we can only be friends, because I’m in love with someone else.

I run up the stairs to Lexi’s apartment and bang on the door. A rumpled looking Tee opens the door, her eyes slightly red.

“Have you been crying or smoking something?” I ask her. It’s a legitimate question. Tee narrows her eyes and slaps me hard across the cheek. Fuck!

“What was that for?” I ask gruffly. She says nothing, just walks into the house, leaving the door open. I step in, a bad feeling churning in my gut. I head straight for Lexi’s room, my eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“Where is she, Tee?” I demand when I see some of Lexi’s belongings gone.

“I don’t know,” Tee responds, her voice cracking.

“What the f*ck do you mean, you don’t know?” I demand.

“She’s gone. She wasn’t even sure where she was heading off to,” she tells me as she pours two coffees.

“What? But…” I trail off, collapsing on the couch. I was coming to make things right, to tell her I love her, to beg for her to forgive me.

“She'll be back eventually,” Tee says dryly.