“Or did he ask you to ship them?”
He doesn’t answer. Just shifts his weight from one foot to the other.
“How did you pay for your plane tickets here? And the ticket to the game? Who’s paying for your hotel?”
“I-I am.” Ryland shifts again.
“Really?” I look around the wall of hockey players at my best friend. “Lola, do you ever recall Ryland willingly dropping the kind of money he must have spent this week on anything, ever?”
A slow grin spreads across her face. “You know what, babe? I really don’t.”
“Seems strange, doesn’t it? That he’d spend all this money now that we’re broken up?”
“Sure does,” Lola replies.
Turning to Ryland, I note the way his eyes shift, the way he rubs his mouth, and the fact that he can’t seem to make eye contact with me. “How’d you get my dad to pay for all of it?”
My ex stills. “Why does any of this matter?”
“You know, my dad has given you alotof leeway and autonomy over the years. In fact, I happen to know he gave you acard with access to a hefty account so you don’t have to expense anything or use your own money. I also know he’s way too lax about that kind of thing, and he probably never even thinks to look at the expenses coming out of it.”
Ryland’s right foot begins to tap against the floor. “Are you accusing me of something?”
“No, of course not. I’m just thinking out loud.” I peer around the wall of hockey players again. “Lola, I wonder if I should suggest that my dad has his accountant comb through all the business expenses that have come out of that account over the last few years?”
“That sounds like a smart idea to me,” Lola says, nodding. “I’m sure nothing has come out of it that shouldn’t, but he really should get better about keeping track of his expenditures. I know he’s rich, but heisgetting divorced, so the lawyers will need to comb through everything, anyway.”
The color leaches from Ryland’s face.
“So true. But you know, if theydidfind something they shouldn’t, I could probably put in a good word with my dad. Under a few conditions.”
“So generous of you,” Lola says, nodding seriously.
“And what would thoseconditionsbe?” Ryland asks, his voice flat and quiet.
“They’re simple, really. You leave. You don’t file charges against Sebastian, you don’t sue him, you don’t speak his name. And you leave me alone. For good. I never want to see you or hear from you again.” Narrowing my eyes, a gleeful satisfaction expands in my chest when Ryland grimaces. “Got it?”
“Yeah. Got it.” He can’t even look at me. His shoulders curl and blood still trickles out of his nose. He looks pathetic.
“Great. Since that’s all settled, you can see yourself out. See you never.”
That finally gets Ryland to look up at me, and I’d be hurt by the animosity in his gaze if I still gave a shit about him.
But I don’t.
All eyes and phones follow Ryland as he turns his back with one last dirty look in Bash’s direction, picks his way through the crowded bar, and walks out of the door and my life forever. Bash squeezes my hand, and the crowd cheers, everyone going back to their drinks now that the drama is over.
“You okay?” he asks me, cupping my face with his bruised hand, his eyes soft and his voice tender.
“Me? I’m not the one who just punched a guy.” I gently tug his hand away from my face so I can inspect the damage he did to his knuckles. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve had worse on the ice,” he says with a shrug. “I’m sorry he said all that.”
“Fuck him. What he thinks doesn’t matter. All I care about is what you think.”
“I think you’re the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman I’ve ever met. And I’m hopelessly in love with you.” The corners of Bash’s lips twitch before curving into a smile that steals the breath from my lungs.
“Then I’m more than okay. And I love you too.”
