Chapter Twenty
I tried salvaging my phone before I fell asleep last night, but it was no
use. It was in two completely separate pieces. I set my alarm so I could
get up early and stop and get a new one on my way in to work today.
My face doesn’t look as bad as I feared it would. Of course, it’s not
something I could hide from Allysa, but I’m not even going to try and
do that. I part my hair to the side to cover up most of the bandage
Ryle had placed over my eye. The only thing visible from last night is
the cut on my lip.
And the hickey he gave me on my neck.
Fucking irony at its best.
I grab my purse and open the front door. I stop short when I see
the lump at my feet.
It moves.
It’s several seconds before I realize that lump is actually Ryle. He
slept out here?
He pulls himself to his feet as soon as he realizes I’ve opened the
door. He’s in front of me, pleading eyes, gentle hands on my cheeks.
Lips on my mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
I pull back and scroll my eyes over him. He slept out here?
I step out of my apartment and pull my door shut. I calmly walk
past him and down the stairs. He follows me the entire way to my car,
begging me to talk to him.
I don’t.
I leave.
- • •
It’s an hour later when I have a new phone in my hands. I’m sitting in
my car at the cell phone store when I turn it on. I watch the screen as
seventeen messages appear. All from Allysa.