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“Mo?”

“Oh, sweet girl, I’m just… You sound happy, and well, thatI hated not being able to help you”

“I’m sorry, Mom”

“You have nothing to be sorry about You lost your husband and you were h you’re happy today, there will probably be more bad days Days when you ood day”

“It was” And it was all because of Ryan Because he forcedand swi and the museum and dinner It was the first day I didn’t focus on Ian and the pain I feel fro one step forward And it felt good Ryan was right Ian wouldn’t wanthim for the rest of my life He would want me to live

Mom and I talk for a few more minutes about my day, and I make it a point to leave Ryan out of the conversation Dad ave Ryan a key, or she would’ve mentioned it the moment I told her I was here With the proht

I throw on a pair of leggings and a Cooper’s Fight Club hoodie, then head out to find Ryan He’s lying out on a lounge chair on the back patio, staring out at the ocean I grab a Gatorade and a beer froe and join him

“Didn’t we talk about this?” he asks, when he spots the bottle in my hand

“It’s for you” I hand hiht you could use one” I show him the Gatorade in my other hand “This is for me”

He grins and his two sexy diirl” He pops the top and raises the beer to hishis neck as he ss a mouthful of the liquid

“You did good today,” he says, setting the bottle between his hs, which are stretched out in front of him

“Because of you”

“No, because of you I just steered you in the right direction” He turns his face toward eous smile, and a knot for I’ over Ian, but for so with each other

I push the feelings aside, refusing to acknowledge the forward, creating a new plan and life for myself

Ryan is here to relax before he leaves to go overseas Why he’s here with ot money He doesn’t act like it, but Bentley and Kayla are loaded and their kids all have trusts in their names The moment he saas here, he could’ve just rented a hotel roouy he would stay here just to help h my shit?