ker's

cond the phone lit up. I

cted her

Little W

etched. She didn't say a word afte

you but I loved th

ce came, soft but rough as if she had be

the seat, my other ha

offers I don't

ment. Maybe the drag of a suitcase, I couldn't tell. Either way,

re else to go,"

those five words

tion," I said. "I'll

nessa'

ne I wanted to get away from. Now, he was sitting across fro

s going to r

where to begin. "What exac

glass, eyes locked on me like h

h and far from the crowd. The silence was so heavy that

cked you out." H

ack at him. "Yeah, pretty obvious, i

ng in, he placed a hard stare on me. "We talked about a lot

ly what I meant but he j

ying smile and waste my time, I'd rather be under a bridge, countin

night and I couldn't toler

t to do that?? I

just got divorced, I'm sure you're stranded

y inner cheek. How I hated

t this time, it all boils down to jealousy. Even if he doesn't love you,

hat do you mean? Why would he be jealous?? I mean-" I search

he leaned back on the chair, eyes

're not being straight. I need

'm a man. I know how thi

d." I correc

s ex-wife with another man. He would wonder if you ever loved him, w

y and too swift. And almost possible.

s, we keep going. If not-" his voice dropped low, almost in

is voice echoing like a promise in my ears. And his wo

o I have

oth

" I asked. He couldn't be so

A lot. More tha

so messy enough and I would love to not be inv

Dea

s. Somewhere, my rational side told me to withdra

d myself nod

something I couldn't name, b

t and I sat with him in the front. The city's night beauty blurr

Fake and tempora

arge Villa. I squinted my eyes at t

huh?" I c

his seatbelt. "Guilty. Wealth

he surprisingly took the reaction

mansion. Ryker paused, his hand on the doorknob. "Welcome ho

name. I shouldn't like it...

ed behind me. The house was a stunning display of beauty and luxury. Marble flo

om filled with his personal constellation and that he'd bought a vacation house on

ct?? Didn't expect we'd be nee

papers so no one forgets what we're playing at. " He s

ks were so impressive, pulling me in. Curiosity pulled me c

on a small photo frame turned toward

ng, I told myself

rembling slightly. I picked it up and saw i

photo was

other and then, to his father-someone who I'd only

eet when I saw the person standing next to

Ry

son his father had with their housekeeper. No one spoke about him openly, He was like the sin of

er be...tha