RUIN(2)

"No," I whisper so softly that I'm not sure I even said the word. "I don't want it."

He rubs his hands over his face. "I made a mistake when I walked out. I didn't realize how much I loved you then. Give me another chance."

I push the ring into his hand. "I don't want this. I don't want you."

Parker heaves a sigh before the box slips from his hand and drops to the floor. "You can't mean that, baby. You've loved me forever. "

I have. He's right. It felt like he was my forever when I boarded that plane that took me to my new life in New York City a few weeks ago. When Ben had sat down next to me everything changed. The entire course of my life's path had shifted and I'd been swept up in something unfamiliar and exciting. Now, I can't tell if any of that was real or not.

"When did you plan this?" I twist quickly on my heel and face Ben. I take a deep breath, trying to halt a sob. "How long have you known Parker?"

"Forget about him." Parker's breath breezes over my neck as his hands grip my shoulders. "I can explain everything to you."

He can't. He thinks he can but there's no way in hell that Parker can make sense of this riddle that I'm standing in the middle of. "When did you meet Parker? Did you pay him to break up with me, Ben?"

Ben heaves a deep sigh. "I wouldn't do that. I didn't do that. It's not what you think."

"Tell me what it is," I pause long enough to pull myself away from Parker's grasp. "Tell me how this isn't about you paying my boyfriend to stay away from me."

He crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm not discussing this in front of Parker."

"Why not?" I throw the words at him. "You had no trouble discussing me with him a few minutes ago. I heard it all. You're using me to get back in your brother's life."

He shakes his head slightly. "No. I'm not using you to get back Noah."

I feel so deflated. I know what I heard. Ben has been following me. Every time I've met with Noah he was there, somewhere in the background lurking behind the veil of a lie about being busy so he could spy on his brother and me. I need to talk to Noah. I need to tell him that he was right about his brother all along. Ben is manipulative and calculating. He paid Parker to stay away from me and he told him he could have me back as soon as Noah embraced him as family again.

"Kayla." Parker's in front of me now, concern washing over his face. "Please talk to me. Please."

"When did this start?" I look past him to Ben trying to keep my lower lip from trembling. "Tell me when you met Parker."

Ben's gaze narrows on my face as his hand flies to my forearm, pulling it into his grasp. "I need to talk to you in private, Kayla. There are things you need to know."

"Baby, please listen to me." Parker reaches for my other arm, grabbing tightly to my elbow. "I made a mistake when I left you. Let me make it up to you now."

I'm being pulled apart by the two men who have been at the center of my life for the past few months. I can literally feel the energy pouring off each of them. "I just want answers. Someone needs to tell me now what the hell is going on."

"Once Ben leaves I'll explain this all to you." Parker's hand tightens. "This is about us."

It stopped being about us when I went to that hotel room with Ben. "No. This isn't about us, Parker. It's more than that."

"No, it's not." He pulls me towards him. "I fucked up when I left you. I see that now. Let me show you how much I love you."

My eyes flit over Ben's stoic face before they settle on Parker's. "Unless you tell me what the hell is going on between you and Ben, I'm walking out of here."

"I need time alone with her." Parker looks at Ben. "She came here. I didn't ask her to."

I feel my shoulders slump forward with the words. I've become a third party in their game of deceit. Parker's talking about me as if I'm not in the room. Slow tears slide down my cheeks. "Don't do that. Please don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"It's up to Kayla," Ben says with a low growl. "She needs answers. She wants honest answers, Parker. If she wants them from you, so be it."

I follow the line of Parker's sight to Ben's face. He's giving up that easily? He's going to actually walk away and let Parker be my guide through the maze of confusion I'm lost in? That action alone speaks volumes to me.

"I want them from anyone who can give them to me," I interject before Parker has a chance to speak. I push my hand into my lips to quiet the sobs.

"I'm leaving. I don't want you more upset." Ben's hand slides from my forearm to my shoulder. "There are two sides to this, Kayla. I want to explain my side. I'm here until tomorrow for the conference."