AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He hopped into the passenger seat of Drake’s truck, giving one last wave before they drove away. She headed back to the dance studio, wondering at the exchange. Was Ryker just worried about his mom? Or had he hinted at something else that was bothering him with his “We need to finish this conversation” comment? Although they’d spent quite a bit of time together learning the most impactful, devastating details of each other’s lives, she wasn’t sure where he stood in the relationship. There were times, like at the restaurant in the Easter Bunny costume, when she was certain they had something permanent and amazing. But then there were times, like now, when she felt like a tiny gear in the complex mechanics of his life. Before he’d been interrupted, it sounded very much like he was queueing up an “it’s not you, it’s me” breakup speech…yet he’d kissed her in a way that seemed to imply something else.
She mulled this over as she picked up the girls. She fixed them dinner, supervised their squabbles, and insisted on dental health while standing at the bathroom vanity to time how long the toothbrushes were in Cici’s and Addie’s mouths. She put the little ones in front ofTinker Belland the Pirate Fairyon the portable DVD player, then sat with June, frantically Googling how to determine the radius of a circle with only knowing the degree of the circle’s arc. Finally, after these tasks, she checked her phone.
No texts. No calls. Nothing from Ryker but radio silence.
Crappers.
She wondered what Patty had wanted to speak to them about. Was she sick? Was that why the sweet woman had been urging Bryce to take on more responsibility at the café? Although her boss hadn’t seemed ill, Patty had been taking more time off lately, and there’d been those mysterious dates she hadn’t wanted to tell her sons about.
Then Bryce wondered if Ryker’s silence was more than whatever family situation he’d been called to tonight. Maybe she’d scared him off with her stress off-loading? Damn. She had to be better about not word-vomiting all over the guy every time they were together. Although she was always asking about his day at the garage, he never had much to say. Doubts crept in on silent feet until her head was overrun with worries and she was replaying his last words to her with all sorts of inflections.
Did his words “We need to finish this conversation” mean he had something important to say? Something unsavory? Something that would require him to cup her cheek, as if he were prepared to give her a breakup speech?
Eager to banish those thought demons, she threw herself into tonight’s reading ofPeter Pan, putting what little acting skills she had into every role, from Wendy’s delight at flying to Captain Hook’s commands to his crew to attack Peter. Afterward, the little girls clapped and cheered, and Bryce’s heart was full as she kissed Addison and Cecily good night and knocked on June’s door to wish her the same. Then she brushed her own teeth, washed up, and shut herself in her bedroom.
Pulling out her phone, she bit her lip, wondering what to text. Finally, she decided on just checking in—he had, after all, been picked up by Drake for some emergency family meeting. It was totally normal to check in—it wasn’t stalkerish at all.
Convinced she was doing the right thing, she decided on an opening.
Bryce: Hey there. Checking in to see if everything’s okay?
The dots on her phone danced immediately, and her heart lifted.
Ryker: Just a family thing. I’ve got to head out of town for a few days. Marine business. I want to talk with you when I get back.
Bryce frowned at her phone. What the hell did that mean? And what happened to wanting to finish their conversation tonight? She’d been so open—probably oversharing—with the chaotic details of her life. Why didn’t he trust her enough to do the same? She wanted to reply she hated sudoku and any other cryptic puzzle, including this freaking text exchange. She wanted to demand he tell her what was happening.
But maybe that was overstepping? They’d dated a few times. They’d slept together once. She’d spilled the beans that she’d kind of fallen for him—was this his way of cooling things down? Telling her she was feeling too much too fast?
Bryce: Um, ok. Is it a hug emergency?
She finally tossed out this half joke, half plea, hoping he’d read her insecurities in the message—hoping he’d reassure her. When his reply arrived, his words hit her square in the chest.
Ryker: Call you soon.
Her mouth dropped open. He’d call her soon?
She texted him back, fingers flying over the keyboard.
Bryce: Is there anything I can do to help?
Ryker: Negative.
Biting her lip, Bryce debated what to write next and if she should use emojis, or if sending a heart, or a heart-eyed face, was too much. Finally, she opted for just words, matching his energy.
Bryce: Travel safe.
Her guts churned like a stand mixer on high as she waited for those dots to appear, showing he was replying.
But they never did. After thirty minutes of checking, she finally flipped her phone over. She was done worrying about the weight of her feelings for him and how much they probably outweighed his for her. And she was going to do her best to put out of her mind his request to talk when he returned. It sounded ominous—worse, it seemed to point emphatically to her fears being valid. The guy was going to break up with her.
Flipping off her bedroom light, she huddled inside her bed, listening to the angry splatter of the sleet against her window. She’d been convinced that Ryker was different. He was the guy who returned her smart remarks. The one who kept pace with her on a run, who never blinked in the face of her nieces’ emergencies, who was the steadying force she thought she’d finally,finallyfound.
But she had gotten it all wrong.
Chapter 17
Boys, I have something to tell you,” Patty said after Ryker followed Drake into the house. She wore a black blouse with sparkly bits sewn all over the front paired with dark blue jeans that appeared to have a crease down the front, as if she’d ironed them that way on purpose. Her hair was curled, she had on makeup, and she looked way fancier than she normally did for work. “Two things, actually.”
