Resisting Ryder
Page 4
“I’m only twenty-two,” she yelled back. “I’m young. A lot can happen.”
Stormy realized her birthday was coming up in two weeks. Jett had been planning a special surprise for her big day, but now she’d never know what that was. Never in her life did she imagine she’d be a widow at twenty-three.
“What are you waiting for?” Ryder asked. “Come to California for a visit. I bet you won’t want to leave.”
Was that a genuine invitation? She wondered. Or was he just saying that because that’s what people say when they’re trying to be nice?
He pulled his bike into a parking spot and shut off the engine.
“Maybe when I get a job, I can save up some money and come out and visit,” she said.
“Or I could just fly you out,” he said. “Not a big deal. We’re family, right?”
“Oh, you don’t have to pay for me to fly anywhere,” she said.
“You’re my brother’s sweet, young widow,” he said. “It’s my job to look after you now, kid.”
Stormy loved that he said that, but hated that he called her “kid”. She was a young woman, not a child. She didn’t need anyone to take care of her. She just wanted a friend, someone she could rely on and talk to.
“You don’t have to take care of me, Ryder,” Stormy insisted. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”
“Jett probably left you a pretty penny, huh?” Ryder laughed, though Stormy wondered what the intentions were behind his question.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked. His words were like a knife through her heart. All along, she realized, he’d probably been testing her. That or he wanted money.
“As far as I know, all I have is our trailer,” she said through gritted teeth. “We never talked about money. He took care of everything. I didn’t ask any questions. He didn’t have a life insurance policy. Something we just never got around to setting up I guess.”
“Whoa, geez,” he said with his hand up in the air. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
Stormy sat in the passenger seat steaming mad. She couldn’t believe Ryder would even bring up anything about Jett’s money.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just that you don’t know me at all, and you’re already bringing up Jett and his money. You’re just like Misty.”
“That was low.”
“Do me a favor,” Stormy said as she turned to face him. “Don’t ever make another assumption about me again. Ever.”
“Well this day’s gone to shit,” Ryder said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
The two sat in complete silence as Ryder climbed back on the bike and continued riding around. A million thoughts circled Stormy’s mind as she tried to gauge Ryder’s intentions. At first she loved how comfortable and genuine he was with her. She loved that he had Jett’s smile and his same eyes and matching hair. She loved that he seemed to want to take care of her, but the minute he brought up anything about Jett’s money, everything she liked about him went out the window.
For all Stormy knew, Misty had recruited Ryder to spy on her, to peek into her life and see exactly what kind of person she was. Maybe Misty wanted to know how much money Stormy was worth now that Jett had died. She was always trying to get her hands on whatever she could. Misty had always insisted that Stormy was only ever after Jett’s money, and who better to get on the inside than Jett’s doppelganger brother?
“Look,” Ryder said as he broke the silence. “I’m really sorry. I really am.”
Stormy wanted to believe him but she just couldn’t. Her heart was still too raw from that week’s events.
“Maybe we should head back to my place,” she said in his ear. She wasn’t feeling the ride anymore. She knew she was being overly sensitive, but she couldn’t help it.
“I’m sorry, Stormy,” Ryder said the moment they got back to Stormy’s. “Please forgive me?”
She glanced over at his face and he truly looked apologetic. He held his hand across his heart as his eyes pleaded for her forgiveness.
“I’m sorry too,” Stormy sighed. “Please don’t ever bring up Jett’s money around me ever again.”
“Got it.”
It was not quite lunchtime, and Stormy just wanted to lay down for a bit.
“Help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen,” she said, though she really didn’t need to tell him to make himself at home at this point. “I’m going to take a nap.”
“It’s, like, 10:30,” he said. “You’ve only been up a couple hours. You’re really going to take a nap?”
Stormy nodded and trekked back towards her bedroom. She buried herself beneath the covers for the millionth time that week and sunk her head into the thick, feather pillows. For the first time all week, her mind was blank. She wasn’t thinking about Jett, and she wasn’t trying to figure out Ryder. She didn’t know what to think about anything anymore. She was tired of thinking. Her mind was exhausted, and she just wanted to sleep.
CHAPTER 5
When Stormy awoke from her nap, her alarm read four o’clock. She’d slept for over five hours. All that time, just gone. She felt bad for leaving Ryder alone all afternoon. She didn’t intend to sleep for that long, but her body must have needed it.
She left her warm bed and headed out to the living room to see what Ryder was up to.
“She’s up¸” Ryder declared when she walked in the room. “I was starting to get a little worried about you.”
She took a seat on the far end of the couch and wrapped herself in the fuzzy, sky blue blanket that was thrown across the back of it. She was still a little groggy from her nap, but she was going to force herself to be sociable.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to sleep the day away.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “You obviously needed it. What do you want to do now? I need to be in bed by eight tonight. I’m leaving at five tomorrow morning.”
“It’s a Friday night in Coleville,” she said. “All there is to do is go out for drinks or rent movies. That’s about it.”
“I’m not a big drinker,” he said. “Shocking for a guy like me, huh.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that Wednesday night when you chugged that glass of wine I gave you,” she teased.
“Let’s watch a movie,” he suggested. “I’m fine with that. What do you have?”
Stormy pointed to a cabinet in the back of the living room with a massive slew of DVDs. Jett was an avid movie enthusiast.
“DVDs are in there. Pick what you want,” she said. She stood up and headed to the kitchen to pop some popcorn. She was still a little ticked about their conversation earlier, but she was grateful for his low-key, low-maintenance company.
She came back with two bowls of popcorn and two cans of soda.
“Sorry I don’t have any candy,” she said as she sat everything on the coffee table.
Ryder was fiddling with the DVD player and figuring out the various remotes. Minutes later, the movie started, and he plopped down next to Stormy. As they sat a safe distance apart, Stormy couldn’t help but feel some sort of magnetic pull towards him that she couldn’t explain. While they sat together in the dimly lit living room that late afternoon, she wished more than anything that he would just hold her. Nothing more, nothing less, and no meaning attached to it. She just wanted to be held.
“What movie did you pick?” she asked. She was sure, though, that it wouldn’t matter. Most of the movies were Jett’s.
“Clear and Present Danger,” he said. “Random, I know.”
“Not random at all,” Stormy smiled. “Jett loved that one.”
Ryder smiled and gave her a pitiful look.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I talk about him too much, don’t I?”
“Stormy, don’t apologize for that,” he said, almost insulted. “He was your husband. You loved him. His passing was sudden and unexpected. It’s not even been a week. Talk about him as much as you need. It’d be weird if you didn’t.”
The movie played on, but Stormy didn’t pay much attention to it. She just tried to focus on being in that moment. It was all she had after all. Yesterday was gone. Tomorrow didn’t exist yet. All she had was that moment, on the couch, watching a movie with Jett’s brother.
A couple hours later the credits rolled across the screen as Ryder stood up and stretched. It was growing darker outside as the sun began to fade into the horizon, and he would be going to bed in the next hour or so. He grabbed the remote off the table and clicked the T.V. off.
Stormy threw the blanket off her lap and stood up to stretch her legs and walk around for a bit. She knew her time with Ryder was coming to an end and there was nothing she could do about it.
“So what now?” he asked.
“Is there anything else you want to do? It’s almost seven,” Stormy replied.
“Would it be okay if we went to the cemetery?” Ryder asked, though he seemed afraid of her response. “I don’t want to upset you, but I feel like I need to pay my last respects before I leave town. I can go alone if you want.”
“Absolutely,” Stormy replied. “You’d have to drive though. It’s across from your mom’s house. She knows my car and would flip out if she saw me anywhere near her street.”
Ryder shook his head. “So wrong. I’m sorry you’re treated that way. All you ever did was love Jett. You have every right to visit him as much as you want.”
She took a seat on the edge of the couch. “It’s just his body. I have his memories, his love, his spirit. I feel like he’ll always be with me.”
“That’s a beautiful attitude,” Ryder said. “Don’t ever lose that.”
Stormy was surprised that she wasn’t in tears. It was one of the first times that week she could talk about him, really talk about him, without bawling. She felt a little numb on the inside and a little dried up, but on the other hand she felt the tiniest glimmer of hope for her future. It meant the world to her to have Ryder on her side and in her life.
“You’re his spouse, shouldn’t you have had the say over where he was buried?” Ryder asked. “Why do you just let Misty run the show?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I guess I was just in shock. Plus Misty paid for the funeral, the burial, the headstone. I don’t have any money. I couldn’t expect them to pay for everything and then tell them where to put him.”
“You need to not be so afraid of her,” he said. “She’s just a person, like you and me.”
“Yeah, a person who would love nothing more to hold things over my head,” Stormy remarked. “She paid for the funeral, but I’m sure she’ll come knocking one of these days asking for something in return.”
“I think you should contact her,” he said. “When you’re ready of course. Tell her you want to bury the hatchet and move on.”
“Easier said than done,” she scoffed. Her hands began to visibly tremble at the thought of interacting with Misty. Misty terrified her. She was crazy and there probably wasn’t a whole lot she wouldn’t do to get what she wanted. She just wanted that chapter of her life to end. She wanted no more reasons for Misty to meddle. “Anyway, let’s not talk about Misty anymore.”
“Agreed,” Ryder said with raised eyebrows. “So what are we doing tonight? Want to go grab a bite to eat one more time?”
“Sure.”
Stormy and Ryder left and stopped at a little restaurant just south of the downtown square. It was a newer spot and a lot of younger people went there, so Stormy was almost afraid to go. She didn’t want to be seen. She knew the entire town of Coleville knew her by name now. She was the young woman who married that bad ass biker gang VP who just so happened to be known for shady drug dealings. Stormy never asked, and Jett never told. She just pretended not to know what he did to generate income. She was happier that way, and he said she was probably safer that way.
She was loaded now, they’d all say. She was a millionaire. She was just using him. She never really loved him. People there thought he was a big time drug dealer, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth. He sold a little marijuana here and there and sometimes dabbled in gun trafficking, or so she assumed, but that was all she knew. She also knew how people in her town talked. She knew the rumors that swirled around that town like wildfire.
They took a seat in a corner booth in the back of the restaurant, away from the constant chiming of the front door as people came and went in droves.
“I think I’m going to have a drink tonight,” Stormy announced as she paged through the drink menu.
Ryder raised one eyebrow and smirked. “Good for you. I’m sticking with water. Someone’s got to be the sober one.”
Stormy kicked him playfully under the table.
“Ouch,” he teased. “Seriously though, drink as much as you want. I’ve got you tonight.”
She ordered some fruity, blue cocktail and sipped it quickly as Ryder sat across from her, nursing his water and reading something on his phone with sheer intensity.
“Anything good?” she asked. “On your phone, I mean.”
Ryder looked up. “Oh, just good, old Veronica. Up to her usual antics.”
“Oh,” Stormy said. She felt that bizarre pang of jealousy again but tried to stuff it down.
“She can’t understand that there are always going to be ups and down with our businesses,” he said. “Some months are better than others. She can’t just roll with the punches. She’s so high maintenance. Nothing like you.”
Stormy was shocked when Ryder compared Veronica to herself. She wondered if he meant to do that but decided she shouldn’t read too much into it.
“Thanks, I think?” she smiled.
“Nah, I just mean you’re a cool girl,” he said. “They don’t have a lot of girls like you where I’m from.”
Stormy was the quintessential girl next door and she always had been. She was average in height and build, and her long, dark, curly hair was rarely treated to hi-lights or anything special. Her face was never caked in makeup like Brooklyn or her little sister, Willow. She was perfectly happy in jeans and a t-shirt and the occasional dress. She was pretty low-maintenance, and she was never going to change that.
“Does everyone in California have blonde hair and implants?” Stormy asked.
“Ha,” Ryder laughed. “Not everyone. But it’s not unusual. You kind of get used to it.”
“Do you like that sort of thing?” Stormy asked. The drink was starting to get to her. Her face felt numb and her filter was starting to fade. Anything could come out of her mouth now.
“I mean, I don’t actively seek out girls who look like that, no,” he said. “But I wouldn’t discriminate. I tend to date women based on whether or not we click. The physical attraction is just secondary.”
“Do most guys in California like that stuff though?” Stormy asked with wide eyes.
“I don’t know,” Ryder laughed. “Why don’t you come out and see for yourself? I’m serious about that open invitation. You need to get out of Coleville. This place is not good for anyone.”
“You’re probably right,” Stormy said as she sipped the last of her blue drink. “Be right back.”
She stumbled out of the booth and ran up to the bar to order another fruity blue drink, making it a double. She was definitely feeling it now. The room was beginning to spin a little, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to feel nothing. The drinks helped clear her mind and made her temporarily forget the deep pain, loss, and trauma that still freshly resided inside her.
“Stormy?” she heard a familiar voice behind her. She flipped around only to be faced with none other than Hayden Goodwin. “What are you doing here?”
“Hayden,” she said, flabbergasted. “So we meet again.”
Hayden made a face at her dorky
comment. “Who are you here with?”
“A friend,” she said as she nudged towards Ryder sitting in the booth. His head was down, and he was staring at his phone.
Hayden squinted as he tried to figure out who the guy in the booth was. Stormy could read the judgment all over his face. He was probably wondering why she was hanging out with some other guy less than a week after her husband died.
“It’s Jett’s brother,” Stormy said in an attempt to squash any harshly incorrect thoughts going through his head. “He’s in town. Staying at my place. He leaves tomorrow. We’re just getting dinner.”
For some reason Stormy always felt the need to explain herself to him.
“Ah, I see,” he said as he kept staring at Ryder. The moment Ryder turned to look over towards the bar, Hayden turned his head the other way as fast as he could. Sitting in the corner, hunched over in the booth and dressed in leather, Ryder probably looked pretty intimidating.
The bartender sat her drink down on the bar, and she slapped a five dollar bill down in its place.
“Excuse me,” she said as she brushed past Hayden and returned to her booth.
“Was that guy bothering you?” Ryder asked as she returned.
“Ha. Hayden? No. He’s harmless,” Stormy said. “Just an ex.”
Ryder’s curiosity was clearly peaked at the mention of her ex. “Interesting.”
“Interesting how?” Stormy said. “Everyone has exes.”
“Do you still talk to him?”
“Not if I can avoid it,” she said. “He’s pretty much an asshole. He dumped me before he went off to college years ago. Tried to get me back when he found out I was getting married. He’s a very lost soul. I feel bad for him actually.”
“Been there. I, too, was once a very lost soul,” Ryder said, though he didn’t seem to care to elaborate on that.
The food arrived, hot and steaming, and the conversation seemed to cease as Ryder shoveled heaps of mixed vegetables and bites of cheap sirloin steak into his mouth. Stormy picked at her chicken sandwich and concentrated more on her drink. She was ready to go for a third drink until she stood up and nearly fell down.