AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Likewise," I say. There's a beat of silence.
The disdain in her eyes is a cold blade, twisting with every passing second. Ryder's mother surveys me from head to toe again, her lips curling into a sneer.
"Darling, the thrift store is calling—it wants its gown back." Her voice drips with venom, and I can feel the color draining from my face. "Also, dear, where is your jewelry? Makeup? It's a ball, not a barn dance. And that hair—did you even attempt to see a professional stylist?"
The world shrinks to the size of this humiliation, and I am suddenly very aware of every eye upon us. My throat tightens, choked by invisible hands, and I'm gasping for air that won't come.
"Excuse me," I manage to choke out before I pivot on my heel and sprint away.
I hear Ryder call after me, his voice laced with concern, but it's too late. The need to escape is overwhelming; it propels me through the lobby doors and into the night air.
My heels click frantically against the pavement as I run with tears blurring my sight. I don’t stop running until I see neon signs to a downtown hamburger joint.
Barging through the restaurant, I ignore the startled looks from patrons enjoying their sizzling burgers.
The restroom door slams behind me, and I slide down against it, the floor sticky under my palms. I barely register the filth because shame is all-consuming. I pull out my phone with trembling fingers, fumbling through the app to summon an Uber to whisk me away from this nightmare.
Hot tears stream uncontrollably, carving salty tracks down my cheeks. I curl up tighter, knees to chest, on the grimy tiles.
I just want to go home.
Chapter 16
Ryder
I'm propped against the wall like some kind of decorative statue as I scan the ballroom. The laughter and clinking glasses are just background noise to the simmering annoyance brewing in my chest. Everyone here is wrapped up in their own little world.
My mind's stuck on Jayden – her green eyes that sparkle even brighter than these damn chandeliers, her fiery hair that I can't get out of my head. She should be here, laughing and having a good night, not alone because of me.
"Ryder, you really should try to enjoy yourself," Mom says, appearing beside me with a glass of champagne. Her words are soft, but they scrape against my insides like sandpaper.
"Enjoy myself?" I scoff, cracking my knuckles out of habit. "How can I when Jayden’s out there somewhere thinking I don’t give a damn?"
"Darling, she's just a girl, and this..." She gestures around the room, "...is your future."
"Fuck the future if it doesn't have Jayden in it," I growl.
Mom's eyes widen, but I don't care. Not anymore. It hits me – I love Jayden.
I need her, more than I've ever needed anything in this godforsaken charade of a life. Every fiber of my being screams for her smile, her laugh, her everything.
"I’m out of here," I state, already turning away from the ball.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mom's voice follows me, but I'm already out the door. The only place I think Jayden would be is at her apartment, probably curled up on her couch without a clue how much she means to me.
Well, that's about to change.
The realization of what loving Jayden truly means for me is barreling through my mind. I shove a hand through my hair. What does it mean—loving her? For a guy who thought he had his life all mapped out, this is uncharted territory. One thing is damn clear: I can't andwon’tignore what Jayden and I can be.
Mom's threats of cutting ties, of disinheritance—they're just background noise. She’ll try to control, to manipulate, but I’m done being a pawn in someone else’s game. Jayden's worth everything. She is all I need and nothing more
I reach my jeep and peel out of the parking garage, and I don’t stop until I’m standing in front of Jayden's apartment door with my fists hammering against it.
"Jayden!" My voice feels foreign as it bounces off the walls. My knuckles sting from the force of my pounding.
Silence is the only thing that greets me. I lean forward, pressing my forehead against the cool wood of the door. "Damn it, Jayden," I mutter as I consider the possibility that she's not here—that she's out there somewhere, slipping further away from me with each second that ticks by.
No, that’s not the case because I saw her car in the parking lot when I raced up here.
