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It reminds me of music.
An ache darkens his eyes and his hand stops flirting with the elastic of my underwear. “You know a lot more than that. ”
“I do. ” I link my fingers with his and wish I could take his pain. I know his parents hate each other and that this trip is an attempt to save their marriage. They won’t divorce, but it’s an attempt to rekindle the flame. I also know that watching his family fall apart is killing Ryan.
More importantly, beyond all the hurt that pricks at him, I know that I bring a smile to his face and I know that he loves me.
“I know very little about you and I want to know everything. ”
And we’re done. “You know plenty. ” He knows enough. I roll away and reach for my shirt on the pillow beside him. Ryan snatches it and tosses it across the room. “You’re not running from me anymore, Beth. ”
Hot anger courses through my bloodstream.
“I’m not running. I thought we were going to enjoy each other tonight and obviously you’re not up for it. ”
“Tell me about your dad. ” Ryan stays lazily stretched on the bed while I straighten my spine by his pillows. How can he be so arrogant as to think he deserves answers from me?
“That is none of your business. ” That’s no one’s business.
“Come on. Tell me something. Tell me about your mom. ” His voice becomes taunting and I curl my legs into my chest.
“Her name is Sky. ” There, I gave him something.
“You can do better. ” Anger creeps into his patient tone. “Tell me why Scott won’t let you see her. Tell me something. Anything. You told me once that you aren’t scared of anything.
Right now I see a liar, because you’re terrified. ”
My head snaps up. “Fuck you. ”
Ryan doesn’t flinch. “Tell me why you’re back in Groveton. Why aren’t you still in Louisville with your mom?”
“I was arrested, all right?” My pulse thunders at every pressure point in my body.
Will this be it? The final blow that pushes him from me? Three days. I have three days until I leave and this is not how tonight was supposed to go.
Not expecting that answer, Ryan’s eyebrows furrow together. Nausea spins in my stomach.
He’s judging me. I know it. Ryan grabs hold of my ankle before I can step onto the floor. “You already know my opinion on running. What were you arrested for?”
Sweat breaks out on my skin. I can imagine the thoughts in his head and his impending judgment. “Does it matter?”
He loosens his grip as his fingers slowly slide up my leg and massage my calf through the material of my jeans. “I don’t care who you were in Louisville because I’m in love with the girl you are now. ”
Love. That word from him makes my heart flutter and my head hurt. “Then why do you want to know?”
“Because I want you to trust me. ”
Blah. Trust. “I’m half-naked on your bed. We could be doing so many other things. ”
The right side of Ryan’s mouth quirks up.
“And if you tell me, maybe we’ll get around to those things. ”
I pull my hair forward. What do I tell him?
The official story or the real story? He told me about his brother and his parents. I can trust him with this. “My mom broke out the windows of her asshole boyfriend’s car after he hit her. He was going to hit her again, so I picked up the bat and was swinging it over my shoulder to hit him when the cops showed.
Mom is on probation, so I took the fall for the destruction of property. My aunt called Scott to bail me out so…” I wave my hand in the air. “Here I am. ”
