RYDER (Slater Brothers 4)(10)
I nodded solemnly. “It was a bad one. He was so insensitive about me feelin’s with Bronagh’s baby. He called me jealous and told me it was me own fault I wasn’t pregnant because we never have sex.”
I left out the crude things Ryder said because Ash didn’t need to know how he spoke to me.
“What a f*cking prick,” my friend grumbled, surprising the hell out of me.
I widened my eyes at him and he shrugged his shoulders unapologetically. “I’m not sorry,” he stated. “Your fiancé becomes a bigger dick every time you tell me about him. Does he not realise how good he has it with you?”
I felt my cheeks heat up. “I don’t think I’m anythin’ to fuss over, Ash.”
“You bloody well are,” he countered. “Don’t allow him to make you feel less than perfect, you’re all of that and more. Own it.”
I was mortified.
“Stop, Ash,” I whispered to avoid hearing the tremor in my voice. “You always embarrass me when you talk about me like that.”
He chuckled. “I know, but I’m hoping the more I go on about how fabulous you are, the sooner you’ll realise it’s the truth.”
I waved him off. “Your sugar sweet words will get you nowhere with me, cowboy.”
Ash winked. “I know, because you’re loyal to the core. You’re a good woman, and f*ck Ryder if he can’t see that.”
He had a very odd way with words.
I smiled, appreciatively. “Thanks, Ash.”
“You got it, Angel,” he replied.
I lost my smile and growled. “If you ‘Angel’ me one more time—”
“I’m going to bring up a patient from Peter’s ward, catch you in a few.” He laughed and jumped off the counter before I could catch him and whack him upside the head.
“I’ll be here when you get back.” I wickedly grinned and wiggled my slapping hand at him. “Waitin’.”
He only smirked at me, the challenge I set clearly amusing him. I shook my head, smiling when he went out of view. He was great and I knew if Ryder wasn’t in my life I would be fawning over him and doing almost anything to be with him because not only was he gorgeous, he was so sweet and caring, but having him as just my friend meant so much to me.
I knew he would help me get through my break up with Ryder when I eventually ended things. I knew he would be there for me. That was just the kind of person he was. He was a sweetheart.
Thinking of how sweet Ash was brought on thoughts of how different he was compared to Ryder. My fiancé wasn’t horrible… he was just different now. For the first several years, he was so sweet and caring and put me at the centre of his world. Everything between us was so incredible. Things had certainly changed between us over the last year and a half.
Every time I saw him I felt just like the first night he entered my life, and that was both comforting and soul shattering because I had to break up with him knowing that he breathed life into me from the darkness.
Five years ago..
“I’m not feelin’ Darkness tonight, Ado,” I sighed into the speaker of my phone as I twisted my waist length brown hair around my fingers. “Bee had a bad day at school today, I think she got into an argument with someone. She won’t tell me what happened, but she is really out of sorts, she hasn’t picked up her Kindle at all today and that isn’t like her.”
Aideen, my life-long best friend, groaned. “She is a big girl, Bran. If she won’t tell you what’s up then maybe she just wants to deal with it herself without her big sister pokin’ her nose in.”
That hurt my feelings.
“I don’t poke me nose into her business... I just worry.”
“Aye, mama bear, I know,” my friend agreed, “but she isn’t a kid anymore. She’s a teenager and they keep a lot of shit bottled up.”
I knew that and I knew Bronagh was almost eighteen and wasn’t considered a child anymore, but I couldn’t help but stress over her. It had been my job to worry about her for the last nine years, and I couldn’t just switch the instinct off. She was very much my little sister and baby wrapped into one.
I sat on my bed and frowned, deeply. “I suck at this parentin’ thing.”
Aideen chortled. “Don’t even go there, you’re a better parent to Bee than most people are to their biological children.”
I appreciated her saying so.
“I try very hard with her,” I sighed, “but the older she gets, the harder it gets. I’m worried sick that she will get cabin fever and go insane because she is always indoors. She hardly ever socialises, her teachers at school tell me durin’ parent teacher meetin’s that they’ve never met a girl so closed off.”
“Listen to me,” Aideen began. “There is nothin’ wrong with that girl, she is perfectly fine, she just deals with things—and others—differently.”
I glanced up at the picture of my parents on my bedroom wall and looked away when tears threatened to fill my eyes. “I don’t know of she’ll ever fully accept that they’re gone, Aideen,” I swallowed. “She doesn’t even like seein’ pictures of them, never mind talkin’ about them. I’m very concerned for ‘er mental health.”