Fading Out (Living Heartwood 3)

A tear slips down her cheek as she closes her eyes. “How did we get here?”

I move in and capture her waist, pulling her to me. Her whole body trembles against mine.

She shakes her head. “It was supposed to be…fun. How did we get here, Ryder?” She looks up at me, her pouty mouth beckoning me to kiss her. “How did I let myself fall so hard for you?”

She may despise those words, but they fill me with hope. They’re the most amazing words anyone has ever uttered. “I don’t care how,” I say, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “All that matters now is that you stay here—with me.”

Tilting her head back, I crave only one thing. To seal this moment with a burning kiss that will weld Ari to me permanently. And as I move in to do just that, my heart knocking so hard I know she feels it, I’m pulled out of the moment by a booming voice.

“Get away from her—” The guy grabs Ari’s arm, wrenching her away from me, and it’s the wrong thing to do. Just the wrong fucking move.

My fist hauls back—and Ari shouts, “Stop!”

Face twisted in anguish, fist cocked, I force myself two steps back and curse. Dropping my hand, I concentrate on Ari, making sure she’s okay. She rubs at her arm, but it’s more to soothe herself rather than out of pain.

The guy dressed in a black tux glares at me, his shoulders squared, then turns toward Ari. “Are you okay?”

The fuck… That’s my line, asshole. “One way not to have to ask that question—” I step toward him. “Is not to hurt her in the first place.”

His attention is back on me, brows hiked to his hairline. “You should leave. Before security is called. I’ll personally see you out.” He moves to take me by the arm and I grab his instead.

“I’m not leaving without her.” I nod to Ari. “And I’ll see my own self out.”

Ari pushes between us, her hands pressed to either of our chests. Rage burns through me, coursing and igniting. She looks up at me. “Ryder, please. Just go. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“What?” I glance between her and the douchebag—and it hits me. Like a fucking blow to my gut. “This is the guy? The guy?”

She swallows. “I can’t. Please. I just can’t.” Her eyes are pleading, and my chest is ripped wide open.

I have a choice: walk away now, and maybe talk some sense into her when she’s not surrounded by her overbearing family and their friends. Or hold nothing back.

Hell. I’ve slinked away like a coward too many times in my life. For her, I’m all in.

27

Arian

My world is shattering. Each carefully positioned piece cracking. I’ve vigilantly kept my two worlds from colliding—but now they’re racing toward each other at breakneck speed. The crash inevitable.

Foolishly, I thought I could get through tonight and somehow not be engaged by morning. I’m so disillusioned. I just continued to go through the motions; nodding along in conversations with Becca, not responding to my father’s emails, dressing for this party tonight. I’ve been told for years that this, right here, was my purpose. My role. And I never once fought for a different outcome.

And, oh, there’s a million, different little reasons that—when collected and placed side by side—make up the huge picture of why I didn’t. But individually, these reasons didn’t seem worth the effort, the struggle, during the time.

I allowed this to become my life. I’m the only one to blame.

Truth is, I had no idea how awful my life was until Ryder charged into it. I wasn’t painfully aware of how shallow and empty my existence was. I was blissfully unaware that I wanted something more. The acuteness of that desolation that I feel now—with his presence rolling over me in electrifying waves—is a punishment. Pure and simple. I could wish I never met him, but then I wouldn’t have the memories with him that I’ll desperately need to last me the rest of my miserable, lonely life.

“This is the guy, Ari?” Ryder says again, and it’s like salt being ground into an open wound. “You’re just going to walk away from us so you can give your parents this guy?” He looks Lucas over and shakes his head. “He must have something they want pretty badly.”

Lucas bows out his chest, affronted. But he doesn’t really have the right; my parents did choose him precisely for his father’s business connections. Our marriage will be equally beneficial and prosperous to both our parents.

Lucas scoffs. “Hey, look. Don’t take it so hard.” He says this to Ryder in his best commiserating tone. “Ari’s allowed to go slumming during college. Hell, I did. You just have to get it out of your system before—”

Ryder has Lucas by the collar, jerking him upright before Lucas can finish his sentence.

Remembering what Ryder did to his own brother, I panic. Throwing myself against Ryder, I wrap my arms around his strained arms. He won’t attack Lucas if it means hurting me. “You have to stop!” Ryder’s grip on Lucas loosens, and then he releases him all together. He gives him a hard push that makes Lucas stumble backward.

Ryder turns toward me, his chest rising and falling with his labored breaths. “Is it true? Is that what you meant on the beach that night?” His jaw ticks. “Is that what you were trying to make me understand?”