Ryley's Revenge (Gloves Off #2)(33)

Smiling, I took it out of his hand. “You kept it all of this time?”

He took it back and put it in his pocket. “Believe me, there was a time I wanted to throw it away, but I couldn’t let it go. Let’s just say, I liked the torture of seeing it every day. Now let’s go get your things and tell Gabriella. She was worried about you.”

When I got in the car and we started on our way, I was on air. I couldn’t get the smile off of my face if I wanted to. Hopefully, Gabriella would understand why I was leaving. Dialing her number, it didn’t take long for her to pick up, her voice full of concern.

“Ashleigh, where the hell are you? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Ryley found me.”

“You didn’t break up with him did you? If you did, I’m seriously going to kick your ass. He was so upset when I told him.”

I chuckled. “No, we didn’t break up, but there’s something I need to tell you. What would you say if I moved out?”

“Moved out?” she gasped. “Why do you want to do that?”

I looked at Ryley following behind me in his car, his head bobbing to music. He looked so happy. My heart swelled with the thought of being with him and having a family together. “Ryley asked me to move in with him and I said yes. He wants me to move in with him today so we can be together . . . us and the baby.”

“Holy f*cking shit, you told him? What did he say? I mean obviously he’s happy since he wants you to move in with him,” she squealed excitedly.

“He is, and I was so afraid he would be pissed. Now that Camden moved out, it’ll be just me and him. I want to do this, Gabby. I’m ready for this next step.”

“Well then do it, girl. I’m happy for you. I’ll be perfectly fine on my own. I’ll be home in just a little bit, so don’t leave before I get there.”

“I won’t,” I laughed. “I have to pack up all of my clothes. Soon, none of them are going to fit, so we’ll need to go shopping.”

“I’m always down for that. Have you told Colin yet?”

“No,” I replied sadly. “I’ll tell him on Friday when he gets back from New York. He called me this morning and told me about them wanting him on the team out there. I don’t want him upset right now.”

“He’s going to be pissed when he finds out, Ash. I hope you and Ryley are ready for that.”

I hope we are too.





ONCE RYLEY AND I got to the apartment, I packed up all of my clothes and had them all ready to load up by the time Gabriella came home. She was sweaty from working out, but she dashed through the front door straight to me, folding me in a big hug.

“I’m going to miss you.” When she pulled back, she glared over at Ryley and pointed. “You better take care of my girl . . . both of them.”

Ryley lifted his brows and laughed. “So we’re having a girl now?”

“Gabby seems to think so,” I explained. “Or at least she keeps changing her mind. I keep telling her it’s a boy. Either way, I’ll be happy as long as the baby’s healthy. I can just see a little tyke running around with his father’s bright blue eyes.”

“Oh hell,” he chuckled. “If we have a boy, we’re going to be in for one hell of a ride.” Holding out his arm, he pulled Gabriella into his side and squeezed. “Are you sure you don’t mind me taking her away from you?”

Smiling, she kissed him on the cheek. “Oh, I mind, but I’m glad to see you both happy. I’ll be more than fine, I promise.”

“All right, well I’m going to start loading the car while you say your goodbyes. If you don’t mind, I’m going to have someone come here tomorrow and load up the rest of Ashleigh’s things. Is that okay?”

She nodded. “It’s fine with me. I’ll just get some baby furniture to fill up the empty space, so that Aunt Gabby can babysit her little niece.”

“You are too much,” I giggled. Then to Ryley, I looked at him and bent down to grab one of my bags. “Do you want help?”

He smacked my hand and shook his head. “Hell no, I don’t want you falling down the stairs trying to carry your heavy ass bags. I’ll get them.”

He disappeared out the door and as soon as he was out of earshot, both Gabriella and I laughed. “He’s going to be one overprotective ass, isn’t he?”

Gabriella nodded. “Yes, he is, but he loves you. That’s all that matters.”





After we dropped off my bags and my car at his house, we decided to go shopping. His bed sheets were in the driveway when we pulled up and he regretfully told me about the part of the video I missed. We were going to put them in the fire pit by the pool and have a bonfire tonight. Needless to say, he wanted me to pick out a new bedspread and sheets. Even when I picked out a set that had pink flamingos on it, he smiled and let me put the set in the cart. We walked around for about thirty more minutes, until I couldn’t hold a straight face anymore. I burst out laughing and stood there while everyone in the store turned to look at us.

“Come on, let’s put them back,” I chuckled, bumping him in the side.

“Thank f*cking God,” he exclaimed. We walked back to the section where we got the flamingo sheets and he put them back. “Don’t get me wrong, if that’s what you wanted, I would live with it, but damn those sheets were ugly.”