Ryder (Slater Brothers 4)

I chuckled. “I agree, next time we can stay on site and shoot the shit in the café.”

“Sounds like a plan, buddy.”

We got to talking, and before I knew it we arrived at the hospital and were back on the delivery ward within half an hour.

“What are you doing?”

I looked up at Ash when he spoke. He placed his elbows on the desk of the nurse’s station I was sitting behind, his blond hair falling into his sky blue eyes.

I pointed to the stack of paperwork next to me. “Signin’ off on discharges, admittance forms and fillin’ out the supply list that needs to be filed by the end of the day. It’s nearly four and I want this done before I go home.”

Ash gripped onto the counter, then heaved himself up until he was sitting on it and looking down at me. I shook my head at him.

“Sally will wipe the floor with you if she catches you sittin’ up there.” I commented. “She is on shift today, she came in after lunch.”

Ash smirked. “Please, Sally loves me.”

My lips quirked. “It’s ‘cause you flirt with ‘er all the time.”

“I flirt with everyone,” he corrected.

I chuckled. “You’re such a flirt slut.”

Ash didn’t deny the charges, instead, he embraced them. “A man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do.”

I shook my head good-naturedly and looked back down to the form I was filling out, but once again my thoughts shifted to Ryder and it caused me to sigh.

“Hey,” Ash murmured. “You okay?”

I glanced up at him and nodded. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m great.”

He deadpanned, “You wanna try telling me the truth this time?”

His awareness of me caused me to smile as I looked back down to the form I was filling out. “You don’t want to hear about me silly drama, Ash,” I assured him.

I looked up just as he raised an eyebrow and said, “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.”

I thought about that for a second then said, “I... I just had a fight with Ryder last night.”

He winced. “Another one?”

Ash was the only person in the world who I talked to about Ryder because he was outside of my family circle. He didn’t go and tell the brothers or girls about my worries, he kept them between us, and I really liked that. It was kind of therapeutic to be able to vent to someone and not worry if they would tell Ryder or one of his brothers.

I nodded solemnly. “It was a bad one. He was so insensitive about me feelin’s with Bronagh’s baby. He called me jealous and told me it was me own fault I wasn’t pregnant because we never have sex.”

I left out the crude things Ryder said because Ash didn’t need to know how he spoke to me.

“What a fucking prick,” my friend grumbled, surprising the hell out of me.

I widened my eyes at him and he shrugged his shoulders unapologetically. “I’m not sorry,” he stated. “Your fiancé becomes a bigger dick every time you tell me about him. Does he not realise how good he has it with you?”

I felt my cheeks heat up. “I don’t think I’m anythin’ to fuss over, Ash.”

“You bloody well are,” he countered. “Don’t allow him to make you feel less than perfect, you’re all of that and more. Own it.”

I was mortified.

“Stop, Ash,” I whispered to avoid hearing the tremor in my voice. “You always embarrass me when you talk about me like that.”

He chuckled. “I know, but I’m hoping the more I go on about how fabulous you are, the sooner you’ll realise it’s the truth.”

I waved him off. “Your sugar sweet words will get you nowhere with me, cowboy.”

Ash winked. “I know, because you’re loyal to the core. You’re a good woman, and fuck Ryder if he can’t see that.”

He had a very odd way with words.

I smiled, appreciatively. “Thanks, Ash.”

“You got it, Angel,” he replied.

I lost my smile and growled. “If you ‘Angel’ me one more time—”

“I’m going to bring up a patient from Peter’s ward, catch you in a few.” He laughed and jumped off the counter before I could catch him and whack him upside the head.

“I’ll be here when you get back.” I wickedly grinned and wiggled my slapping hand at him. “Waitin’.”

He only smirked at me, the challenge I set clearly amusing him. I shook my head, smiling when he went out of view. He was great and I knew if Ryder wasn’t in my life I would be fawning over him and doing almost anything to be with him because not only was he gorgeous, he was so sweet and caring, but having him as just my friend meant so much to me.

I knew he would help me get through my break up with Ryder when I eventually ended things. I knew he would be there for me. That was just the kind of person he was. He was a sweetheart.

Thinking of how sweet Ash was brought on thoughts of how different he was compared to Ryder. My fiancé wasn’t horrible… he was just different now. For the first several years, he was so sweet and caring and put me at the centre of his world. Everything between us was so incredible. Things had certainly changed between us over the last year and a half.

Every time I saw him I felt just like the first night he entered my life, and that was both comforting and soul shattering because I had to break up with him knowing that he breathed life into me from the darkness.

Five years ago..

“I’m not feelin’ Darkness tonight, Ado,” I sighed into the speaker of my phone as I twisted my waist length brown hair around my fingers. “Bee had a bad day at school today, I think she got into an argument with someone. She won’t tell me what happened, but she is really out of sorts, she hasn’t picked up her Kindle at all today and that isn’t like her.”