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He nods.
My heart aches for Ryder. It shouldn’t, but I’m not the kind of person who turns their feelings on and off like a faucet.
“Apart from throwing chairs around, is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s okay. Upset, but desperate to explain everything to you.”
“Okay.” I nod, but I’m not sure what I’m agreeing to.
Standing, I grab my purse from the floor and glance between Liam and Mia, their arms linked as Mia snuggles deeper into Liam’s embrace. They make such a cute couple.
“I’m going to go for a walk. I need to clear my head before I go back and talk to Ryder.”
I also need to consider whether or not I need to find alternative accommodations. I always have my father’s tumbling down house, but then he’s not really my father. Even if he were my father, I’d prefer to sleep on the streets than under that roof. The drunken bastard can rot in his own dilapidated house if he ever shows up again.
It was a huge sigh of relief for me when he left nine months ago. He never physically touched me, but his words were vicious.
“If you need anything Dahlia, please let me know. The spare room is yours if you want it as well.” Mia lets go of Liam and walks the short distance between us before pulling me into her arms for a hug. I return it, and try not to blubber all over her.
“Thank you.” I pull back out of her arms. “Thanks for checking up on him for me.” I offer a wry smile toward Liam.
“You’re welcome.”
At the front door, I place my hand on the knob and pull it open. As I’m walking through, I glance over my shoulder and watch as Liam pulls Mia fully into his arms.
Closing the door, I can’t help the tears that fall down my face. I want what they have. That’s all I’ve wanted since I was old enough to know what should happen between a man and a woman. I read lots, and always have, so I know relationships can be happy. I know that the people in them can be treated with love and respect, unlike the relationship my so-called parents lived through. The lives of the characters in the novels I’ve read are fiction, but I’ve seen with my own eyes what it’s like to be in love. Phoenix and Thalia spring to mind. Phoenix would rather cut off his hand than hurt Thalia; just like my brother, Reece, would with Callie.
I thought that the relationship building between Ryder and I was going in that direction. Well, not necessarily marriage, but I know I haven’t imagined the way Ryder looks at me. It’s like he sees into my soul and knows all my secrets. It used to be unnerving but now, it’s as though I’m the only one he sees.
Sighing heavily, I walk outside into the fresh air, and head toward the forest path. The path will take me toward the lake and my thinking spot.
It’s the place I’ve escaped to for more years than I can remember, whenever my parents were fighting or whenever something bad happened. I always came here alone and it’s a place that everyone knows to let me be . . . even Reece has figured that out. He’s come after me a few times but he stays silent the whole time I’m nestled into the space between the branches of the large oak tree. I think it’s the only times when Reece manages to bite his tongue and stay silent. He has a habit of opening his mouth before he thinks, which has gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion.
I can’t help smiling about Reece. Callie is perfect for him since she puts him in his place pretty damn quickly, if you ask me. In all honesty, I think all she has to do is strip to shut him up.
Chuckling, I make my way down the path, which is only wide enough for one person at a time. The trees have grown to form a tunnel, which I love to walk through. When I was small, maybe around five or six, they used to give me the spooks, but then, as I got older, it became a secret path just for me. It’s magical and any spooks I did have, disappeared many years ago.
It doesn’t take long for me to arrive at my spot, which is a well-worn seat between two branches. Pulling myself up, I hook my purse on the branch to the side and stretch out, with my feet resting on the opposite branch. If my butt were any bigger, I wouldn’t fit.
Wiggling around, I finally get comfortable while gazing out across the lake thinking about Ryder, and what the hell I’m going to do. In fact, that’s all I’ve been able to think about since his mom dropped the bombshell.
Pulling my sweater on, I decide that I’ll wait to make any decisions until after I’ve spoken to him. Part of me is hoping I’ve imagined the whole thing, even though I know I haven’t.
The stress is so damn tiring. Snuggling down into my thick sweater, I don’t fight any more and let my eyes drift.
Chapter Three
Ryder
Where the fuck has she gone?
That’s the thought that keeps running through my head the more I run around town looking for her.
It’s past eleven, and according to Mia, Dahlia left her house around four. Liam told me she’d planned on getting some air to clear her head before coming back to talk to me, but that was hours ago, and I’m worried sick. My only hope as I drive through town for the fourth time is that she’s at a friend’s house instead of out in the cold, even though I’ve called them all.
The town is dark with only the odd car going past my slow truck. The only sign of life is the comings and goings at Kix, which is in Suzie’s capable hands. She’s worked at Kix since I opened the doors and is someone I trust to look after my place.
So instead of having dinner tonight with Dahlia, I’m out, trying to locate the girl who holds my heart in her hands. Not that I’d ever tell her. She’d probably freak or maybe I would, but there you have it. Dahlia has managed to get under my skin.
