Maybe Someday(63)

had with her was completely separate from what

I had with you. I love you. If you’ll just give me

one more chance to prove myself, I’ll never

speak to Tori again.”

My heart is pounding as hard as it was the mo-

ment I found out they were sleeping together. I’m

inhaling controlled breaths in an effort not to

climb across the table and beat the shit out of

him. I’m also clenching my fists in an effort not

to climb across the table and kiss him. I would

never take him back, but my head is so damned

confused right now, because I miss what we had

so much. It was simple and good, and my heart

never ached the way it’s been aching these past

few weeks.

What’s confusing me the most is the fact that

my heart hasn’t been aching like this because I

can’t be with Hunter. It’s aching because I can’t

be with Ridge.

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I realize as I’m sitting here that I’m more upset

that Ridge came into my life than I am that

Hunter left it. How screwed up is that?

Before I can respond, Ridge’s bedroom door

opens, and he walks out. He’s in jeans and noth-

ing else, and I tense from the way my body re-

sponds to his presence. However, I love the fact

that Hunter is about to turn around and witness

Ridge looking like this.

Ridge pauses just feet from the table when he

sees Hunter sitting across from me. He glances

from Hunter to me, just as Hunter turns to see

who I’m looking at. I can see the concern wash

over Ridge’s face, along with a flash of anger. He

eyes me hard, and I know exactly what’s going

through his head right now. He’s wondering what

the hell Hunter is doing here, just as I am. I nod

in reassurance, letting Ridge know I’m fine. I

shift my eyes to his bedroom and silently tell him

that Hunter and I need privacy.

Ridge doesn’t move. He doesn’t like that I just

told him to go back to his bedroom. From the

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looks of it, he doesn’t really trust Hunter alone

with me. Maybe it’s the fact that he wouldn’t be

able to hear me if I needed him to return for any

reason. Whatever it is, I just made him com-

pletely uncomfortable with my request. Regard-

less, he nods and turns back toward his room, but

not before eyeing Hunter with a warning shot.

Hunter faces me again, but his expression is no

longer apologetic.

“What the hell was that?” he asks, his voice

dripping in jealousy.

“That was Ridge,” I reply firmly. “I believe the

two of you have already met.”

“Are the two of you . . . like . . . ?”

Before I answer him, Ridge walks back into

the room with his laptop and heads straight to the

couch. He drops down onto the sofa, eyeing

Hunter the entire time while he opens his laptop

and props his feet up on the coffee table in front

of him.

The fact that Ridge refuses to leave me alone

with Hunter pleases me way too much.

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“Not that it’s any of your business,” I say, “but

no, we aren’t dating. He has a girlfriend.”

Hunter returns his attention to me and laughs

under his breath. I have no idea what he just

found funny, but it pisses me off. I fold my arms

while I glare at him and lean back against my

seat.

Hunter leans forward and looks straight into

my eyes. “Please tell me you see the irony in this,

Sydney.”

I shake my head, absolutely not seeing any

irony in this situation.

My lack of comprehension makes him laugh

again. “I’m trying to explain to you that what

happened between Tori and me was strictly phys-

ical. It meant nothing to either of us, but you

won’t even try to understand my side of it. Yet

you’re practically eye-f*cking your roommate

who happens to be in love with another woman,

and you don’t see the hypocrisy in your actions?

You can’t tell me you haven’t slept with him in

the two months you’ve been here. How can you

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not see that what the two of you are doing isn’t

any different from what Tori and I did? You

can’t justify your own actions without forgiving

mine.”

I’m trying to keep my jaw off the floor. I’m

trying to keep my anger subdued. I’m trying to

keep myself from reaching across this table and

punching him square between his accusing eyes,

but I’ve learned the hard way that punching isn’t

all it’s cracked up to be.

I allow myself several moments to calm down

before I respond. I glance at Ridge, who is still

eyeing me. He knows by the look on my face that

Hunter just crossed the line. Ridge’s hands are