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I frown at hi that he’s fighting so on with you?”

There’s a crack in his blank expression, as his eyes slowly begin to narrow “You knohat I want to say”

He’s right, I do know There’s only one thing that would piss Ryder offable to keep uy and hurt myself”

Tension is thick in the air between us as he slowly adds, “And then you’re going to say?”

“That I didn’t have a choice”

He rises from his seat andto say, there’s always a choice and yours was the wrong one”

Sure, he rowly But…“Then I’ to say that I couldn’t have watched him hurt you”

He releases his ar, suffering sigh “Which is why this conversation is pointless I don’t like that you felt you needed to help ot hurt in the process But I understand why you did what you did”

All of which are good points So that’s the end of it, right? Nope, of course not He doesn’t look at all settled In fact, he looks worse “So then you’re just going to stand there and sier, pissed that we understand each other?”

“Yes”

I snort at him While I know Ryder will never adive hie that he needed But in to wonder, watching hie and test him And maybe I couldn’t be that wo I’ve been through and all the therapy that had raised my confidence and self-awareness to where it is today And maybe I wouldn’t have had the balls to pursue Ryder if I hadn’t seen how short life is and learned to never waste a second not going after what you want

I’ve alanted him, that’s never been a question in my mind

Perhaps he simply needs to be re there all gruive hi it eases the chilliness in the air

He doesn’tto practically scowl

“You don’t want ed head “What if that hurts me more?”