“Then Anson knows where to find me. I’d look forward to the chat.”
He nodded before backing away and closing the door behind him. I watched as he led Rosalie to the SUV, closed her in, then got behind the wheel.
Watching her go was like having my heart torn from my chest.
I sobbed softly as she went. It didn’t take long before the taillights disappeared as they turned the corner to go to her hotel.
I breathed out and let my head fall back.
Fuck.
I missed her already.
31
ROSALIE
“Are you sure you’re OK?” Ryder asked as we got into my hotel room. We’d opted to stay at a hotel here since we’d be here a few nights.
I rubbed my eyes and nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. I just need to sleep.”
Ryder gave me a sympathetic look before I turned to walk away. Instead of letting me go, he grabbed my hand and gave me a gentle tug back to him.
I stared up into his eyes.
“I have watched you for over half a decade, red,” he whispered. “I know when you’re hurting. When you’re lying. When you’re scared. You can sleep if you need to, but eventually you have to deal with all this. And by all, I mean everything, right down to you, Blondie, and sweetpea. Seeing him tonight has clearly opened old wounds. I’m going to ask you again. Are you sure you’re OK?”
I swallowed hard as I stared up at him. “I-I’m not.”
“Come here.” He dragged me into his arms and held me tightly against him. “It’ll be OK. It might be a range of OK, but it’s still OK.”
I nodded against his hard chest as I clung to him. I felt so alone. I didn’t have Evan, Klaus, or Ani here with me. That’s how it always was. When they weren’t around, I had Ryder.
“You need sleep,” he murmured. “Anson should be back soon.”
“OK,” I said, making to back away, but Ryder lifted me into his arms and smiled down at me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, crinkling my brows as I stared up at him.
“Taking you to bed. It’s been a long day. It’s the least I could do,” he said as he walked us to my bedroom in the suite.
Gently, he sat me on the bed.
“Ryder…?”
“Just…sleep, OK? We’ll talk tomorrow. I’m tired too. Being back here just sort of opened up a lot of old memories, I guess.”
I nodded. I could understand that.
He placed a tender kiss on my forehead before leaving me alone, his head hanging. I didn’t know what was up with him, but we were both exhausted. We could figure it out tomorrow. He never took time off. Even when I wasn’t on tour, he was working, whether with me or with someone else Klaus assigned to him.
Sighing, I got up and went to my bathroom, noting that my shades were drawn, the heavy curtains pulled tightly together.
Quickly, I showered and pulled on a short purple nightgown and went back to my room and frowned. My curtains were open slightly now.
“Ryder?” I called out, going out to the living room area. “Hey, Ry?—”
A cry left my lips as I saw him lying on the floor, his eyes closed. I rushed to him and saw he was out cold. Quickly, I checked his pulse, and it beat strongly and steadily. There wasa trickle of blood on his cheek from his hairline, with a bruise forming. A lamp lay broken nearby.
