Brooklyn did have a point.
“Yeah, I probably do need to get away from Hayden,” she said. “It’s really confusing to be living with him, but I will say he’s been a perfect gentleman. He hasn’t even so much as tried to kiss me.”
“Aw, well isn’t that just lovely,” Brooklyn smirked. She was such a sarcastic bitch when she wanted to be. “Move in with me. Please.”
“Fine,” Stormy conceded. “I’ll bring my stuff over tomorrow morning. Let me break it to him gently.”
Brooklyn smiled big and wide as she was just thrilled to get Stormy away from Hayden one more time.
Stormy drove back to Hayden’s where he was sitting on the couch in the dark waiting for her.
“I was worried,” he said as she walked in the front door.
“Ha, why?” Stormy laughed. “I was at Brooklyn’s for one hour. You knew where I was.”
His possessiveness was really starting to get old.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Never mind. I’m just glad you’re home.”
“I’m going to go to bed if that’s okay,” Stormy said as she stared at the couch he was sitting on. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Hayden said. He stood up, lingered for a bit, then made his way back to his bedroom and shut the door.
Stormy dreaded telling him the next morning that she was moving out. He’d been so good to her the last couple weeks, but she didn’t want to get his hopes up. She couldn’t live with him any longer. She didn’t like how almost greedy he was becoming about her. It was almost bizarre and it freaked her out.
CHAPTER 24
Sunday morning was a breath of fresh air. Stormy had broken the news to Hayden as gently as she could, but she still knew she had dashed his hopes of getting back together anytime soon. He took it exactly the way she thought he would and closed himself off as she grabbed her things and left. He didn’t even so much as tell her goodbye.
She loaded her bags up into her rusty, red car and drove across town to Brooklyn’s place. She clutched onto her phone as she thought about calling Ryder. It seemed insane and she was sure Brooklyn would flip out if she knew, but she wanted to hear his voice again. She missed him. She missed him so much it hurt, but she knew it was over between them.
It was for the better, she told herself a million times. It was simply how it had to be.
“Hey, roomie!” she said as she let herself in to Brooklyn’s place. “Happy moving in day. Sorry I don’t have a lot of stuff.”
Stormy dropped her things by the door as she attempted to catch her breath. Climbing three flights of stairs with three pieces of luggage was no easy feat.
“Let me help you,” Brooklyn said as she grabbed one of the bags and threw it on the bed in the spare room. “We need to decorate this room.”
Stormy stared at the pale, off-white walls that surrounded them. She collapsed on the bed and rubbed her hand along the comforter. This was going to be her new home for the time being.
“What’s wrong?” Brooklyn asked. “We can get you new bedding.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Stormy said as she fought back a couple rogue tears. “Just thinking about stuff.”
“Did you hear that?” Brooklyn asked. “I think someone just knocked on the door. Who the hell would come over at nine on a Sunday morning?”
Stormy stayed in the room as she unzipped her bags and began hanging her things up in the closet. She heard Brooklyn shriek, so she ran out to see what the fuss was about.
Standing in the doorway was Ryder, bag over his shoulder,
“Stormy, I had no idea he was coming,” Brooklyn mumbled with a big frown on her face.
“I see that,” Stormy replied.
Her heart dropped to her stomach and she lost her breath. He took the wind right out of her. She backed up and braced herself against the wall as he reluctantly stepped towards her.
“Stormy,” he said. “I-I…”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish whatever it was he was trying to say. She couldn’t bring herself to say a word to him. She didn’t know if she was happy or appalled that he had just shown up in Coleville uninvited and unannounced.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked. He took no more steps towards her as he cemented himself firmly just inside the doorway with his hands in his pockets.
“I guess,” Stormy said. He had traveled all that way, and the least she could’ve done was hear him out. “Since you’re here.”
Ryder looked around the small apartment.
“Where should we go?” he asked.