CHAPTER SIXTEEN

RYDER

I hear my phone ring in my pocket, but I ignore it. My father very slowly lowers the little girl to where her feet touch the ground. I finally get a good look at her. She has brown hair and big green eyes. She looks so much like Becca did at that age it takes my breath away.

“We need to talk,” my father says.

I just nod ‘cause I don’t know what to say at the moment. We all make our way inside the house, and I find the first seat I can and sit. It’s the fireplace. Hanging my head, I run my hand down my face as bile starts to rise. Oh God, I slept with Rosie once. A very long time ago but it still happened, and now she’s been sleeping with my father. I’m gonna get sick …

“Here,” Rosie says, handing me a glass of water.

“Got any whiskey?” I ask roughly, and she nods before turning away.

“Son, it’s not what you think,” my father says, and I can’t help but laugh. That’s the same thing Ashlyn once said to me; although, at the time, I didn’t believe her. For the life of me, I can’t see this situation being anything other than what I see.

Rosie returns, handing me a glass of the whiskey, and I toss it back. “So this is why you gave over the company?” I ask, sucking in a deep breath from the drink. “So Mom wouldn’t get it when she finds out you’re leaving her for another woman.”

“Ryder …”

Rosie begins, but my father raises his hand to silence her just as the little girl runs into the living room. She has a blanket in her hand. It’s so long she drags it behind her. I sit up straight as she comes to a stop in front of me.

“Hi,” she says to me in the cutest little voice I’ve ever heard.

I swallow. “Hello.” My voice still rough.

“You’re my brother,” she states, and all breath leaves my lungs. “Mommy gave me this.” She holds the blanket up, and numbly, I take it from her. It’s a picture of me, Becca, Jaycent, and Rosie. It’s at Rosie’s high school graduation. And my chest tightens at the way this little girl gives me a huge smile. And at this very second, I wish to be as innocent as her.

I nod at her ‘cause what else is there to do?

“Maggie?” Rosie says, and the little girl turns around to face her. “Will you go play in your room for a little bit?” she asks. “Mommy needs to have an adult conversation.”

She nods her head quickly, making her brown hair bounce. Then she takes off in a mad dash through the living room, the picture blanket dragging behind her.

I hang my head, running a hand through my hair, and then I throw back what’s left in my glass. “How old is she?” I ask, clearing my throat.

“Five,” Rosie answers.

“Ryder, I need you to listen,” my father speaks.

“How could you?” I demand, standing. “How could you keep her from us?” I look at Rosie. “And you? Does Jaycent know?” She looks away from me, shaking her head.

My father stands and takes a deep breath. “Calm down. I didn’t cheat on your mother.”

I snort. “You think I give two shits if you cheated on her?” I demand. “I care that you kept this little girl from us.” I’m not an idiot; I know my parents aren’t faithful. Two people that unhappy won’t have that much respect for one another.

“I had to,” Rosie says as she starts to cry.

“Bullshit!” I snap.

“Enough!” my father roars.

I take a deep breath as Rosie stands and runs out of the room, crying harder. My father falls back down into his seat and sighs heavily. “She’s not mine,” he states.

I snort. “More lies.”

“I’m not lying.” He grinds out. “But she is your sister.”

I roll my eyes. “How is that possible then?”

He lifts his head, and his eyes meet mine and I see something in them that I’ve never seen before. Regret. It’s so heavy that I find myself sitting back down as well. “Maggie’s mother had an affair with Rosie’s dad. Your little sister is the result of that.”

ASHLYN

I lie in Ryder’s bathtub, music blaring and my bubbles so thick I can’t even see my body. An empty bottle of wine sits on the floor beside me. It was the first thing I did when I walked into Ryder’s apartment. And even though I drank the entire thing in a matter of thirty minutes, I’m not feeling much from it.

I’m in the middle of washing my legs when I see the bathroom door open. Ryder walks in with his head down. His hair is standing every which way, and his eyes look red.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately standing. He never did call me back today. So many times I picked up my phone to try again but didn’t want to bother him.

He turns, giving me his back while gripping the black countertop, and drops his head. I watch the muscles in his back strain against the fabric of his white button up.

“Ryder?” I yell over the music as bubbles and water slide down my body.

I step out of the tub to go to him when he reaches over, grabs the UEBoom that plays the music from my phone, and throws it across the bathroom. It hits the wall with a loud thud and then the music stops.

I stand outside the tub, dripping wet, body shaking due to the cold air, and eyes wide—not sure what to do. Or what to say. So I just watch him. Now that his head isn’t down, I can see him better in the mirror. And I was right; his eyes are bloodshot, and I take in a long breath and smell alcohol on him. Has he been at a bar? He’s missing his black tie he left with this morning and his black suit jacket. His shirt has the top two buttons undone, and it’s untucked.

Finally, he turns to face me, and I take a step back when he comes toward me. I see hurt flash across his face, and I practically run to him. I’m not afraid of him in the least. I wrap my arms around him, and he doesn’t waste a second as he does the same, pulling my wet body to him and soaking his clothes. “It’s okay,” I say, knowing that whatever it is, it’s bad.

Ten minutes later, I’m dried off, and he’s undressed. We crawl into bed, and I cuddle up to him. “Talk to me, baby.”

He lies on his back, staring up at his ceiling, me on my left side with my arm flat on his bare chest. “Did you have a bad day at work?” I know he was nervous today about signing the paperwork. He tries to be tough, but I think that would scare anyone. The fear of failure is stronger than love if you ask me. When you allow yourself to love someone, they have the power to break you. When you set yourself up high, only you can bring yourself down.

He takes a deep breath and finally speaks. “I have a sister.”

I frown. “This is about Becca?” Is he still mad about her and Jaycent?

He softly shakes his head. “I have a five-year-old sister. Her name is Maggie.”

I very slowly sit up and look down at him. His head falls to the right, and his eyes meet mine. “You’re not making any sense, babe.”

“I followed my father today after he stormed out of the office, and I found him at Rosie’s house.”

My frown deepens. “Rosie? As in Jaycent’s sister, Rosie?” I ask, remembering her from when Becca and I went to her salon and spa.

He nods. “She is raising my little sister.”

My eyes start to widen. “Rosie and your father have been having an affair?”

He closes his eyes, and I feel his heart start to beat faster under my hand that still rests on his chest. “My mother had an affair with Jaycent and Rosie’s dad six years ago, and she had his child.”

I can feel the heartbreak in his words. The way his muscles still strain as if he’s in physical pain. And if that didn’t give me enough clues, the fact that he said it all with his eyes still closed does. “Oh, God,” I whisper.

His eyes open, and he looks up at me. “My mother gave her to Rosie when she realized her dad didn’t want any more than sex. Now that my father wants a divorce, Rosie is afraid that my mother will come after Maggie just to be a bitch. And I would bet my life on it that she will. She would want that sympathy as a single mother.”

“Wow!”

He nods. “And the kicker? I’m the only one who knows,” he adds. “Well, you too.”

I sigh for his father and Rosie. How hard must it be to keep that kind of secret from loved ones. “Did you meet her?” I ask softly.

For the first time since he walked into the apartment, he smiles as he looks at me. “She’s beautiful,” he says as he sits up. I can see the excitement in his bloodshot eyes. “She’s so smart. She took me to her bedroom and showed me her stuffed animals. And told me how much she loves school. She’s in kindergarten, by the way.” His eyes light up, and his voice went from hurt to excitement as he tells me everything he knows about his little sister.

“That’s awesome, babe,” I tell him when he’s done.

His face gets serious, and he sighs. “I was sitting in the cab when I saw her run out of the house to my father. He picked her up and twirled her around before kissing her on the cheek. I thought she belonged to him. And a part of me was mad. That I never saw him that way with Becca. And then I thought that was why he was so willing to walk away from the company. To give this little girl the dad he never was.” He shakes his head. “But I was wrong.”

“It’s okay to feel that way,” I tell him. “That’s a lot to take in.”

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me down onto the bed. “I want you to meet her.”

I smile. “I would love to. But is that a good idea?” I ask. “If no one is allowed to know about her? How will your dad and Rosie feel about you telling me?”

“We’re all going over to Rosie’s house this weekend for dinner. Dad is telling everyone then.”

As I lie beside him, listening to the sadness in his voice while he tells me about his secret sister, I realize losing my job is small in comparison.