As Fortune Would Have It ✔

{Chapter 22}

It was like I was numb, that's the only way I can explain it.

I couldn't really process anything, except for the fact that Ryder Earrings was on the other end of the line.

Ryder Earrings was the person I called.

But the scariest thing of all?

Ryder Earrings was Jake.

I swallowed, my hand dropping from my face, shaking, pressing the end button.

Ryder shrugged, pulling the phone away from his ear, apparently not noticing that it was me on the other end of the line. "Hmph. Well, whoever it was, they hung up."

I nodded, my nerves getting the best of me. I began to look anywhere but at him until my eyes caught the bathroom.

My eyes widened and I gestured towards the door, forcing a smile on my face. "Hey, Lise, I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. I'll meet you in a few minutes."

I looked at Ryder and my stomach dropped. So many feelings hit me all at once, yet I smiled anyways.

He returned the favor and nodded. "Cool. So, okay, I'll go grab my stuff from my room and I'll meet you guys outside."

I turned away from both of them and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

Well, even though he basically lied to me about everything, at least he was nice about making sure we got to my car safe.

What the hell, Hal? Seriously? Are you seriously allowing yourself to feel sorry for this jerk? He led you on, lying to you about who he was for his own amusement, his own sick, twisted game that he pawned you into.

No.

I shook my head. I wasn't going to give in to this. Andy was right all along. I didn't even know Jake. He was just someone I met recently, it's not like he had some huge life-changing effect on my life, so why was I making such a huge deal out of this?

I went to the sink and turned on the faucet, allowing water to pour into my hands before splashing it on my face. I blindly grabbed the paper towels from the dispenser nearby, drying my face, then threw it in the trash.

I looked in the mirror and took a deep breath before deciding that it was time for me to exit the bathroom and see what would await me outside.

~*****~

Lisa waited on the sidewalk outside the dome, Ryder standing next to her, a HUGE duffel bag in hand. He looked more like he was going on a trip more than protecting us on the sidewalk, unless he had some hardcore weapons in that bag, which I honestly doubted.

I walked towards them slowly, until finally I reached them.

Ryder smiled. "Hey, you're back!"

I glared at him. "No shit, Sherlock."

Ryder scoffed and Lisa looked like she was ready to murder me, so, hey, I guess Ryder's bag would come in handy after all.

"Someone really doesn't like me."

I smiled. "It honestly doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Lisa turned to me, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, you're gonna have to learn how to deal with it, Hallie. Especially since-" She stopped talking, becoming silent.

"Since what?"

She still didn't answer, and I found myself getting more and more agitated by the minute. Whatever.