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“Max.” He extends his hand toward Jace, as he introduces himself.
“Jace.” They shake hands.
My head is spinning with how everything seems to be getting out of hand.
Max pulls me out of the chair. “Knock him dead, honey.” He kisses my cheek and, before I can object, walks out the door with Jace.
I’m left stunned in the middle of Kix, not sure I have the courage to go upstairs and make him listen.
No, I have to do this. I’m starting to think that maybe it’s our lack of communication that has made things a lot worse than they are, and maybe, if we’d talked to begin with, we’d still be together. At least, that’s how Jace made it sound.
I can do this . . . I can.
Oh boy!
Before I can change my mind, I head to the back of the bar and up the stairs. I leave my shoes at the bottom so he doesn’t hear me.
My heart is beating so fast with nerves that I take a minute to calm down. I need to stay calm. Not just for the baby, but because I need to make him listen without losing it.
About to walk into the apartment, the door suddenly opens and I’m faced with Ryder.
The stress around his eyes and the pallor of his skin tell me he’s finding me being here just as difficult as I’m finding it.
“I can’t talk to you right now.” He slips past me. “I’m sorry.”
I drop to the stairs and watch as he disappears. Moments later, I hear his truck start up and the wheels burn rubber as he tears out of the parking lot of Kix.
My hands go around my stomach to protect our baby while I try to hold myself together.
Out of all the reactions I imagined, this wasn’t one of them. Probably because all the ones I imagined had him taking me into his arms and asking for my forgiveness.
Slowly standing, I walk out of Kix and head toward the diner where Max and Jace should be, while I wonder whether I’m ever going to get anywhere with Ryder. I can’t understand why he’s being unreasonable and not wanting to hear what I have to say.
Our problems stem from lack of communication, and his behavior isn’t helping to sort the mess of our lives out.
Before I can get too far, a truck pulls up beside me with the window down. “Dahlia, get in.” Jace.
“Where’s Max?” I ask climbing into his truck, unable to meet his eyes.
“Back at the diner, waiting for our food. I’m going to swing back and pick him up. I dashed back here as soon as we saw Ryder zip past, and realized he was alone.”
“He wouldn’t talk to me, Jace.” I bite my lip. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I wish I knew, but right now, you need to eat something and leave my idiot brother to stew.”
I stare off into space through the truck’s window as Jace stops. Max climbs in with his arms loaded up with food. The delicious aroma causes my stomach to rumble.
Jace chuckles. “See, I said you needed to eat.”
Max gives my shoulder a squeeze before Jace pulls away from the sidewalk.
“I’m going to take you both to my place. We’ll eat and you can stay there tonight.”
Jace being so kind when his brother won’t give me the time of day causes tears to leak from my eyes.
“Can you go back to Kix and let me grab the rental car? I’ll follow you back to your place. All our stuff is in the trunk.”
I’m glad Max remembers because I’d forgotten about our rental.
