Resisting Ryder(65)

“Oh, really?” he asked. “Are you sure? It’s getting late and you’ve been drinking.”

“I’ve had one beer,” she said. “I’ll be fine in an hour.”

Their eyes were glued to the T.V. screen in front of them as they kept playing.

“It’s kind of late,” Hayden objected again. He really didn’t want her to leave. He wanted to keep her all to himself.

“I know,” she said. “I won’t be gone that long.”

Hayden was quiet, which Stormy knew wasn’t a good thing, but then she had to remind herself that he wasn’t her boyfriend. Even if he was her boyfriend, it wasn’t his place to dictate when she could see her friends.

An hour later, Stormy was buzzing across town to Brooklyn’s apartment. The last couple weeks since Brooklyn had returned back from L.A., she’d been going out less and less. Stormy suspected it had more to do with her horrible experience with Zander than anything else, but she didn’t know for sure. Brooklyn was probably afraid to put herself out there again and trust another guy.

“How’s it going?” Brooklyn said as she let Stormy in. “No offense, but you look kind of rough.”

“Thanks,” Stormy said with a dry tone. She didn’t need Brooklyn to state the obvious. “I feel rough.”

Stormy took a seat in the recliner and released a big sigh.

“What’s on your mind? Spill,” Brooklyn instructed.

“Are you wanting to know if I’ve heard anything from Ryder?” Brooklyn asked. She nailed it.

Stormy nodded and looked at Brooklyn with pleading eyes.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but he has called me a few times. He’s super depressed,” she said, though she seemed annoyed. “He talks about you nonstop. He’s really confused.”

“Really?” Stormy said as a smile crept on her face.

“You’re not thinking of going back to him, are you?” Brooklyn asked. “Please tell me you’re not going back there.”

“I think I should at least give him an explanation, don’t you? I didn’t even give him that.”

“The douchebag put you in danger,” Brooklyn said as she crossed her arms. “Why do you want to go back to that? He put me in danger too.”

“Call me crazy, but I almost don’t think he’s a bad guy,” Stormy said as she cringed and waited for Brooklyn to bite her head off. “He had honorable intentions.”

“Honorable intentions my ass. You always do this,” Brooklyn huffed. “You paint people the way you want them to be and not the way they actually are. You’re ignoring the facts here. We almost got shot that night and you know it.”

“I think I know him a little better than you,” Stormy snipped. “He wouldn’t have let anything bad happen. He had it all under control”

Brooklyn said. “You asked for my opinion. I’m giving it to you. Don’t get mad.”

“Sorry,” Stormy said. “I just have a million thoughts running through my head right now. And I miss him.”

“Of course you miss him. He was your knight in shining armor. He rescued you when you were at your lowest. He promised you things and whisked you off your feet. Of course you miss that. You miss that fantasy life he projected to you,” she replied. “And he reminded you of Jett.”

Stormy picked at her nails as she avoided Brooklyn’s glare. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I’m not trying to burst your bubble. I just think you need to think long and hard before you let him back in your life,” Brooklyn reiterated. “I thought you wanted to get out of that lifestyle, but here you are thinking about delving right back in.”

“I better get going,” Stormy said. “Hayden doesn’t want me out late.”

“Hayden doesn’t want you out late?” Brooklyn scoffed. “What is he, your father?”

“He’s been really protective of me lately,” Stormy defended him. “It’s weird. Whatever. He’s letting me stay with him, so I try not to argue with him.”

“You know, you can stay here too,” Brooklyn said. “I don’t know why you’d want to stay with freaking Hayden of all people.”

The thought of staying with Brooklyn had never even crossed her mind until then. She loved her to pieces but never thought she could actually live with her.

“Would you want me to live here with you?” Stormy asked. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Yes, for the love of God,” Brooklyn said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you away from Hayden. He’s freaking obsessed with you. It’s weird. He’s just trying to keep you all for himself. You’ve been back for two weeks, and this is the second time I’ve gotten to hang out with you alone.”