Hiding in the Advice Column

35

I felt myself being moved. Carried, actually. I was gently placed down on something soft, but uncomfortable.

How did I end up here? I was in the kitchen, throwing dishes at someone.

At Ryder.

My eyes fluttered open and I noticed the lamps were on.

I saw the blue eyes looking straight at me. I gasped as I sat up, moving to the corner of the couch.

"Ryder?" I whispered. This can't be real. "I thought you were dead."

Ryder just smiled at me. "No. I'm not dead. But that might explain you fainting. I've never seen you faint."

I didn't care that he was teasing me, or the ridiculous grin on his face. I pushed myself off the couch and into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him.

"I thought you were dead." I repeated. "No one would tell me about you. Then all the legal paper work..." I rubbed my head. "I don't understand."

I pulled away from Ryder and looked at him.

"You got shot!" I remembered as I ripped his shirt off. Ryder chuckled as I did the action, my hand moving to his new scar on the right side of his chest.

"Yes I did. But I'm fine now. I am." He reassured me, holding my hand that was flat on his chest.

I felt more tears form and run down my cheeks. "But..."

"I was transferred to a different hospital. I didn't want Gabriel to tell you because I wanted you to get better instead of stressing." Ryder placed his hand on my cheek using his thumb to rub away the tears on one side.

"But I believed you were dead!" Came the all too familiar words. "If Gabriel knew you were alive, why did she give me that envelope? With your will in it?"

Ryder frowned but kept his hand on my cheek as I covered it with my hand. "I don't know."

I searched in his eyes, trying to find an answer, but I already had one forming on my lips. "I don't care." I whispered as I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around him again and kissed him.

Bittersweet kisses, salty from tears, yet possessive and attentive. Mine. I felt myself going backwards, gently and slowly, as Ryder climbed on top of me, laying me down on the couch, his lips not leaving mine.

His hands wondered over my body as I held him closer to me, not wanting to let him go.

"Where's Rowan?" He mumbled against my lips.

"In the main bedroom." I answered as I kissed him again.

Ryder pulled apart from me, standing as he took my hand, pulling me up. I didn't pull away, I accepted it as I gasped then squealed out a small laugh as Ryder picked me up, carried me to a bedroom.

Love. Not sex. That's what we did all night, well, the remainder of what was left of the night. The kissing and touching, the passion between us. I allowed it to consume me once again as I felt my hands being pinned down, teeth scraping my skin, my toes curling.

****

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." I whispered out, my head on Ryder's chest as his hand moved slowly up and down my back.

"You were being a mother. You're the one that told me that to be a parent, you have to be selfless, do for your child before yourself."

I smiled.

"You were brave. I thought I lost you for a while."

"Me too." I answered. I let the next couple minutes pass in silence before sighing and sitting up, draping a blanket to my bare chest and looking at Ryder. "Have you spoken to your parents?" I asked curiously.