Surrendering Series Box Set

“Let me know if you remember anything,” I said. I knew what I was going to spend the next few hours doing.

“I’m sorry if anything happened. I really, really wanted to avoid this.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s my fault too. But we’ll figure it out. Do you want me to come over later?”

He folded his coat over his arm. “If you can do it without anyone finding out, then yes. I really don’t need the shitstorm this might cause to come crashing down on my head right now.” No, he definitely didn’t. Ryder had been through a lot lately, and he didn’t need to add to it. He was just getting his life back on track after an accidental overdose on pills. He’d gotten an apartment and a job, and was on his way to being a productive member of society. Whatever that was.

“I got it. I won’t say a word,” I said.

He nodded once. “Good. I’ll, um, see you later.”

I gave him a lame little wave and he left. But he was back in a second, a smile starting to spread on his face.

“You really looked incredible last night.”

“Thanks.” I returned the smile and then he closed the door softly behind him.

I lay back on my pillows and mentally berated myself. Almost immediately, I was interrupted by loud voices. I cringed and knew exactly who those voices belonged to.

So much for Ryder sneaking out. I heard him shouting and made up my mind to go rescue him from the firing squad, a.k.a. my best friend Rory and her sort-of fiancé, Lucah, who also happened to be Ryder’s brother. A clusterfuck is what this was.

Before I left my bedroom, I quickly grabbed a robe and wrapped it around myself, and headed toward the front door, where all the yelling was coming from.

“You are so irresponsible. I thought you’d changed, but I guess not.” Lucah’s face was red and angrier than I’d ever seen it. Standing beside him, with her arms folded, was Rory. She glared daggers at Ryder, who was just standing there and taking it.

Yeah, that wasn’t cool with me.

“Nothing happened. Shit, you two are worse than helicopter parents,” I said, walking over to join Ryder.

“Nothing happened? Really, Sloane? We’re not stupid.” Rory pointed to my attire and then to Ryder’s. “If this isn’t the textbook image of a walk of shame, then I don’t know what is.”

Rory and Lucah didn’t look much better than we did. Both wore the marks of hangovers, but at least they were dressed.

I poked Ryder. He should have been standing up for himself. He might have been Lucah’s younger brother, but he was a grown-ass man. He didn’t have to take this.

“I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly, and that was it.

I made a sound of frustration and everyone looked at me. “You have got to be kidding me. This whole fucking thing is ridiculous.” I was irritated but moving toward pissed.

Lucah opened his mouth to argue with me, but Rory squeezed his arm. Yes, I knew there was a lot of shit between Ryder and Lucah, a lot which I didn’t know the details of. Their relationship was more confusing than the plot of a foreign film with no subtitles.

“Can we please put a hold on this thing until we’ve all had some coffee and calmed down? I am not up for this right now,” I said, rubbing my forehead and wishing I could rub away the headache that throbbed there.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Rory said, changing tactics. She probably sensed the potential explosive situation and wanted to cool things down before they blew up.

“Lovely. Well, I’ll see both of you later,” I said, taking a risk and shoving both of them out the door. Lucah had a murderous look on his face, but went without protest. I shut the door on them and turned to Ryder.

“Coffee?”

“That would be great,” he said, tossing his jacket across my couch. “Guess I’m not getting out of here anytime soon.”

“Guess not.”

~*~*~

An hour later, Ryder was still in his tux, I was still in my robe, but both of us felt better. We’d had coffee, scrambled eggs, and toast, and were trying to piece together the events of the night before.

“So whose idea was it to do shots?” I asked.