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Ryan shifted in his seat, cleared his throat. “You always look good though…I mean, when I saw you for the first time at the resort, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. You took my breath away…just like you always have.”
Pretty lies from a pretty mouth.
“I have some things I want to say, but I think I need to wait until we get there.”
I eyed the surroundings outside my window in confusion. We headed out of town, past the resort…up a winding familiar hill. I whipped my head around as we crawled up the mile from the bottom to the top of the butte.
“Why are we here?” I whispered, sitting taller as the dark iron rod gate swung open.
Had he just pressed a button, or had I imagined that? I couldn’t find my voice to ask.
The SUV crawled along the asphalt that led to a massive house. Red brick with a black door, smooth stone covering at least fifteen steps leading up to the massive stoop. There were over a dozen or so windows on the top two floors, and at least sixteen massive ones that encased the bottom. To the left was an immaculate-looking structure, clearly used for some type of equestrian event. I knew if I walked in that direction, I would see animals, or more spaces provided for them.
I exited the car, not waiting for Ryan.
Crystal blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see from where we stood. Wisps of autumn stung my face as my hair whipped around, but the tall trees along the property helped ebb the intensity of it.
I spun around, facing the house again. Ryan stood, shifting from foot to foot while he waited for me to come back.
“What are we doing here?”
“Do you remember that stubborn millionaire with the cows who wouldn’t sell?” Ryan spun the keys in his hand, flipping the small leather flap over his thumb. I tracked the movement as my emotions spiked to dangerous levels.
“He finally caved. He’s living in Florida with his grandson now.”
My mind tossed ideas back and forth like an overinflated beach ball. I wanted to jump up and down and scream for joy at what Ryan was insinuating, but he’d taught me to know better.
“Okay…what does this mean?”
“I messed up, Bex.” His voice was metal on metal, low and pained, cutting through me.
His expression shuttered as he watched me.
“That day Logan showed up…I just snapped and assumed the worst possible scenario. I figured it would have been easier to walk away than walk through playing second string. So, I left. I made you think it was you, but…” His voice tipped, the strain in it revealing more than his words. The vulnerability in it made me step closer.
“Whose house is this, Ryan?” I had to know.
If this wasn’t his, there was no point in us even having this conversation. If he hadn’t made some grand gesture then I didn’t want to show any of my proverbial cards.
“It’s mine.” He watched me carefully.
I waited, brushing rogue strands of hair away from my face.
His brown boots moved closer to where I stood.
“Bex…I regretted everything I said to you the second I said it. I wanted to come back as soon as I left, but I was stubborn. Still, once I was in Brazil, I stopped showing up for script readings and essentially sabotaged filming just three weeks before backing out of that role. I moved back to Portland and started lining up interviews to announce my retirement.”
What?
Ryan’s scent tickled my nose. He stood just a foot from me now, his tan skin so close…close enough to touch.
“You…” I swallowed the thick burn in my throat. “You…quit?”
He couldn’t have. There was no way. I had been there that day in his house; there was a whole team…and those questions…
“I booked all these interviews, let them ask a thousand questions, but the end result—which hasn’t been leaked yet—is that I’m retiring from acting.”
“But why?” I exhaled silently, searching his face.
