Taylor opened the door as Ryder brushed past her into the apartment. “Is anyone here?” he asked.
“No.” Taylor crossed her arms over her chest. Ryder took off his coat and laid it on the top of the couch. Why was he here? A deep line creased between his brows - tension radiated from him.
He walked up to her and took her hand, giving her that charming seductive smile she had seen him use on many girls. That smile never worked on her. “Hey, Taylor,” he said.“What are you doing here?”Ryder placed his hands on her hips. “Let’s be like old times.”Taylor raised her eyebrows. “Already forgotten your wedding vows?”He chuckled and kissed her neck, making her feel over-powered. She laughed as something in her churned. Something was different – not right about him. “I’m not going to be your whore. Why don’t you go back to your Luna?” He raised his head. He smirked at her, and glared deep into her eyes. Taylor turned her gaze to the side. That look. HeAlecia lay in bed, staring at the wall opposite of her. Ryder had left hours ago for work, after using her that morning. No, loving her. It was love like he did many mornings. She closed her eyes and images of last night filled her mind like they did every time she tried to rest. He seemed so different. Not the Ryder she knew. She wiped a tear from her eye. Perhaps she had been wrong. She shouldn’t have angered him, but used her love to soothe him into her wish. Her phone rang, but the need to answer it didn’t register until she realized it might be Ryder.She rolled over and answered. “Hey,” she said, not even looking at who it was.“How are you, Ally?” Alecia sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. It was Taylor. What did she want? “I’m fine.”“Well, can you let me in? I know you’re home.”“Oh, did you knock? I didn’t hear you.” Alecia got out of be
Ryder leaned over her, kissing her, with his hands immersed into her hair. She wished he would just finish up, but he took his time caressing the curve of her neck with his lips over and over again. For the last couple weeks she had been walking around on her tiptoes, trying not to set off the anger she had seen him display. Their conversations were forced and every part of her cringed when he held out his arms for her, despite how good they felt. She would go to him, trying to soothe him, gently loving him; hoping her love would reach him. At night, she would read him chapters from her romance novels, showing how couples could work through problems, and she mentioned a marriage conflict seminar she saw an advertisement for in the newspaper. He had not shown interest in either. Was any of it working? He stopped kissing her. Must be time for her shirt to come off. She raised her arms in the air, to make it easier for him. When she didn’t feel him touch her, she put do
The next morning, Chloe showed up at their apartment with her dark tresses pulled back into a tight pony tail, which contrasted with the form-fitting blue jeans and light pink cashmere sweater she wore. Alecia showed her to the kitchen, where she gathered the plates filled with the remnants of the pancakes she had made earlier. Trina sat at the table, fumbling with a napkin, her blue eyes wavering, probably remembering last night. The breakfast had been strained with Ryder not saying a word, but chewing his food slowly and scrolling through the news on his iPad while she and her sister chit-chatted about random topics, which at the moment she couldn’t recall. After he left for work, Alecia reached for a cup, thinking to pour Chloe some of the hazelnut brew in the coffeepot. Chloe laid a hand on her arm. “Ally, how are you?” Alecia stilled and turned to look at her sister-in-law, noticing the lightness in her eyes. “I’m fine,” she said.
Alecia walked into the hotel room, dropping the few bags of books on the counter. She glanced at the clock. She had a few hours to curl up and read before Ryder came back to the hotel – if he came back. Seattle wasn’t that exciting when there was no one around. She flipped on the TV and watched the news, hoping for more information about the case her husband was so immersed in. The Hendrix' firm was fighting for a pharmaceutical company wanting the town council to give it land for a large plant that would bring many jobs to the area. It was a simple matter, except for the fact the land belonged to 20 families who had been living there their whole lives. Alecia finally began to understand the reality of what Ryder meant when he talked about his father's plans, his father and council was slowly, gradually uprooting all the humans from their lands and forcing them into the suburbs The case was making headlines because a top law firm from Cal
Taylor rolled over and grabbed her phone, looking at the screen. It was Alecia. She looked at Chloe's sleeping form under the sheets, and got out of the bed. Chloe told her Ryder had been more tense lately and yesterday he had demanded Alecia come home. Something must have happened. She walked into the living room, closing the door behind her, and answered the phone. “Hello, Alecia,” she said. Alecia broke down into sobs, mumbling out broken sentences. “Calm down,” Taylor whispered. “You’re making no sense.” Alecia took a deep breath. “He made me stand naked in the middle of the room while he watched a game.” Taylor gasped. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Through fragments of sentences, Taylor pieced together what happened. She ran a hand through her hair. Mr. Hendrix had done something like that before to his wife while they watched from around a corner. Her childhood friend was his father. Ther
Ryder walked into the Seattle office of Hendrix Attorney at Law and took a step back. His father sat at his desk, tapping the end of a pen in a smooth rhythm. Ryder closed the door behind him, and stood with his hands folded in front of his waist. His father wanted something, but what could it be? He traced his mind, trying to figure out if he had left anything undone, but nothing stuck out. “Hello, sir.”His father leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. “Do you know who Greg McCannon is?”“He’s a reporter covering the case.”“What else do you know about him?”Ryder shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing. He just calls us all the time wanting info.”Mr. Hendrix sat up and folded his hands on the desk. “He’s got some damaging information on us.”Ryder sat in the chair opposite of his father; he couldn’t move his gaze from him. “How?”“It will be taken care of. Go to the hotel and spend the day with your wife. The council will bring the information.
He was everything a girl could want, rich, influential, and handsome, but as the muscles of his back rose and fell with each deep breath, she saw nothing but power. Alecia pushed his arm off of her and slipped out of the bed. She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at the girl she had become and not recognizing herself. Dark circles remained under her eyes; her skin blanched. Did Ryder still find her beautiful? To her, she looked dead. “You’re only twenty-one and your life has been lived,” she whispered. Ryder walked into the bathroom and ran some fingers across her back. She flinched and turned to him as he took off his black pajama pants and got in the shower. “Alecia, it’s Saturday get in here with me.” She tapped her fingers on the counter. He had always spoken to her like that, but now it held a different meaning. How could she have been so blind? Was she just too enamored with him to realize how he treated her? She slipped off
Alecia's eyes popped open and she stared at the ceiling as her stomach rumbled. She could gag at this moment. She pressed a hand to her stomach. What was wrong with her? Pushing herself from the bed, she stood and made her way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.She picked up a roll, but her stomach turned with just the thought. She pushed her hand hard against her stomach, but as she listened to the coffee drip into the pot, the aroma of the hazelnut entered her nostrils and something pushed up through her. She covered her mouth, and ran to the bathroom sweeping past Ryder. She threw open the lid of the toilet, and let everything in her stomach come out. Ryder bent down next to her and held her hair back.When it was all out, she took the cup of water Ryder handed her. She sipped the drink, swished her mouth, and spit into the toilet. She placed a hand on her head. “My head is hot, I must have a cold,” she said. She went to the guest bedroom and lay d