Ryder: Tomorrow then?
A seed of hope plants itself in my chest and I hate myself for it.
Kat: I can’t.
Ryder: You think I’m going to give up that easily? I have something you need, Kitten. Something I’m more than willing to give you.
Jesus.
I’m screwed.
So fucking screwed.
Because the more he texts me, the more I get sucked in.
Another text comes through but I frown at the name on the screen.
Styx: How are you?
Anger boils under my skin. I have nothing to say to Styx.
Not a damn thing.
But it seems he’s got plenty to say to me since another text comes through.
Styx: Come on, Kitty Kat. Don’t shut me out. I want to apologize… please.
Emotions engulf me and tears prick the backs of my eyes.
I want him to apologize too. But I know it won’t change anything. Stygian Johnson is as stubborn as they come.
Well, fuck him.
I close his chat thread and pull up Ryder’s name again.
Kat: Fine. You can take me out. But we can’t go anywhere local and it’ll have to be later.
Ryder: You got it. Pick you up at six. Wear something warm and comfortable.
Kat: Don’t come to the house. I’ll meet you at the gas station on Marren Street.
Ryder: I’ll be the good looking one on the bike.
I text back an eye roll emoji and throw my phone down on the bed. This has mistake written all over it.
But then, I never have been very good at making the right decisions.
10
STYX
My cell vibrating against my nightstand and then crashing to the floor is the wake-up call I definitely didn’t need.
I ended up working until close again last night despite the fact I’d already told my manager that I wasn’t staying—for the first time in… too long. But then she got a call that her dad had been taken back into the hospital and took off without a second glance.
I got it. If I had someone to care about, I’d have done the same.
But seeing as we were short-staffed, and even shorter of trustworthy staff who I trust to cash out and lock up, I had little choice but to stay and sort it all out.