Page 112 of The Monster I Am
When I arrive at the Ridgeview Medical Center, still in some weird trance, I expect to be ushered away. But even late at night, the moment I mention the Astor name, I’m greeted happily and directed to Rylan’s room.
I walk in without knocking, spotting him sitting up in the bed, phone in hand. Ry does a double take when he looks up, surprised at my appearance.
“Bex,” he says quietly. “What are you doing here so late?”
Not answering him straight away, I scan the room, almost breaking down at how clean and tidy it looks in comparison from where I’ve just come from.
“I’ve been trying to call,” I finally say, eyes drifting to the phone in his hand.
Ry frowns. “I only just got my phone back. Tai had to go fetch it from the impound lot out of my car and charge it.”
I nod, as if it’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for his silence. I mean it is, but considering I’ve only just heard that Ry was in a fucking car crash, I’m not sure what else to think or do.
“Are you okay?” I ask instead, still standing close to the door.
He lowers the phone, brows knitted. “What’s wrong?”
For once, I don’t bother to dodge the question or hide the truth. We’re past that now, beyond all the bullshit and lies. “I didn’t know you were in an accident until just now.”
“What do you mean?”
He throws back the blanket, starting to swing his legs over the side of the bed. I finally move, crossing the floor before he can climb off to get to me. We’re not doing the running thing anymore. I can’t anyway.
Where would I even run to?
“Lay back down,” I order, but the usual fierceness is missing from my demand. “You need to rest.”
I grab the blanket and pull it back up but Rylan reaches for my wrist. “Bex, talk to me.”
If I wasn’t feeling so defeated, I’d probably laugh at the irony. The memory of similar conversations feels like a lifetime ago. It’s crazy how far we’ve come.
“I’m not even sure where to begin,” I admit, sitting down in the empty visitor seat. “Liv got me arrested and someone has destroyed my home.”
Ry stiffens, eyes blowing wide as he flings the blanket off the bed entirely this time. Facing me with his legs hanging off the side, he leans forward.
“What? What the hell do you mean you were arrested?Your house?”
I sigh, slouching forward to bury my face in his knees, resting my arms above my head. Warm hands rub my shoulders and I turn my head to the side. “Your dad rocked up at Willowbrook and made some threats again. I’m fairly certain it was adistraction ploy because Dean Lannister then showed up with the cops and arrested me.”
Pausing as his hands make their way up the nape of my neck and into my hair, a little groan slips out as he massages the back of my head. “As for the house—someone broke in while I was in custody and destroyed everything. Everything, Ry. Even Mom’s tombstone which somehow made its way from the cemetery to my bedroom door.”
I don’t realize I’m crying until Ry reaches under my face to lift my head. My tears are running down his leg, and he leans forward, kissing my forehead with a scrunched up, pained expression.
“Don’t you dare give up and let them win,” he growls quietly. “We’ll fix this. I’m calling the others.”
“I’m not sure we can fix this, Ry. He’s forcing me out of Ridgeview Valley.”
“You’re not leaving us,” he snaps firmly.
I rest my forehead against his. “What if I don’t have a choice?” I whisper. “I’ve got nowhere to go and nowhere to stay. And look what happened to you. I have no idea what went down but there’s no doubt in my mind they did this.”
Ry pulls back slightly to find my eyes. “Drunk driver ran the red.”
“And you believe that?”
“Not even a little bit,” he replies without hesitation. “Because I was on my way to you.”
Sighing, I loosely sling my arm around his neck, determined to hold him close in case we’re suddenly ripped apart. Not too close though… because the idiot is inches away from accidentally tearing out the cannula that’s sticking out of his hand.
