The Ritual

I stay where I’m at, my hand pressed to my throbbing cheek and tears stinging my eyes. He turns to walk back over to me. “You okay?” he asks, cupping my chin and forcing me to look up at him.

“Yeah,” I lie, shamed and embarrassed at what she did. My mother has never hit me before. I wish I knew what her obsession with Matt was.

“You sure?” His emerald eyes search mine before dropping to my reddening face.

I nod, looking away from him, and whisper, “Thank you.”

Stepping into me, he gently forces me to look up at him once again. I can’t tell through the tears that I refuse to let fall, but he looks concerned. “You don’t need her, Blake. Not when you’ve got me.” Then leaning forward, he kisses my forehead before pulling me into the bedroom to start round four.

I hate to think of it, but it’s obvious he returned just in time.

_______________

I’M WALKING DOWN the hallway with Sarah at Barrington Monday morning when I ask, “Have you messaged me lately?”

She frowns. “Not since the other weekend. Why?”

I haven’t received any from her, but she’s also been staying at the apartment. Except for Saturday night. She and Gunner never did return after they left for the house of Lords party. Something tells me Gunner knew Ryat was back and wanted to leave us alone. “Well, my mother showed up at our apartment yesterday morning ….”

“She what?” she shrieks. “What did she want?”

“Well, that’s the thing. She said she’s been calling and texting me, but I haven’t received any. And I know you had said that you were texting me when Ryat and I were at the cabin, and I wasn’t answering.”

She nods. “I blew up your phone and nothing.”

I adjust the books in my hand. “That’s odd … right?”

She shrugs. “I call it a blessing. Well, not the fact that my calls didn’t go through, but definitely regarding your mother’s.”

“But shouldn’t your text have come through once I got service?” I ask, thinking out loud.

“Maybe. I guess it depends on how long you went without it. You were gone all weekend.”

“But …” It did work. I spoke to Ryat while I was there. I had called him and then received that text from him. Had it been dead when I plugged it in that night? I can’t remember. When I’m with Ryat, he demands all of my attention. “Will you call it now?” I ask her.

“Sure.” We come to a stop, and she digs her cell out of her back pocket. She goes to her recent calls and presses call on my number. Mine starts ringing immediately.

“Hmm.” I decline the call.

“See, like I said. It’s a blessing that you’re missing her calls,” she jokes.

“Guess so,” I add skeptically. It just seems odd.

“So, what else did she have to say?” she goes on.

“A lot. She walked in on Ryat and me both in towels fresh out of the shower.”

She throws her head back, laughing. “That’s fucking gold. Wish I was there to see it. What all did she have to say about that?”

“She went off on me. Said I was still marrying Matt …” I trail off, not wanting to tell her that my mother slapped me. It was embarrassing enough that Ryat was there.

“God, she’s such a bitch.” She sighs. Turning to fully face me, she smiles softly. “I’m glad you have Ryat. No matter the situation you have with him, he’s way better for you than dick face. I mean,” she goes on. “The guy has barely left you alone since the vow ceremony. Unless the Lords demanded his attention. You know for a fact that guy isn’t out there fucking around on you, and that’s more than Matt’s ever done for you.”

She’s not wrong about him not ignoring me as Matt has done in the past, but that doesn’t mean that Ryat isn’t fucking other women, right? Can I even call it cheating if he has been? I mean, this isn’t a relationship per se. It’s more of an understanding. I’m his and he’s … mine? Then I get a new thought. What if the Lords had him shack up with someone else for his assignment? He has spent every second with me, so it wouldn’t be farfetched to think they had him do the same with someone else, right?

Jealousy slithers up my back and makes my blood start to boil. Even though I have no right to call him mine, the thought of him touching someone else still infuriates me. I swallow down the bile that wants to rise at that thought.

“How are you and Gunner?” I ask, changing the subject. Trying to tell myself that it doesn’t matter. I don’t love him, and he’ll never tell me anything regarding the Lords.

“God, girl …” She licks her lips, and we start to walk again. “So fucking good.”