Playing Dirty

Twenty Five

It took several minutes for the address Sam rattled off to sink in. Surprised, he paused, fingers hovering over the navigation system as realization dawned. Lifting his eyes, he stared through the rear mirror at her reflection, eyes shielded by oversize dark glasses so he couldn’t get a read on her thoughts even though she stared back at him.

“That’s where you live?” he asked, needing verbal confirmation. A part of his brain registered how pale and tired she still looked, bringing to a fresh wave of guilt for being the cause of her stress.

“Yes.” she nodded and cocked her head at him. “Is there a problem? If it’s too out of your way, I can always take a…”

“It’s fine.”

He cut in, giving her a slight smile, while his mind raced with a million questions. Like, how long had she lived there? He’d moved out a year ago, but before that, had lived there since leaving college. He’d sold the entire building after the big, fucking disaster, unable to stand one more moment in the place that held a bitter memory. If she’d been there for more than a year, that raised another question, one that had him searching his memory for the answer. Had they somehow crossed paths and he’d never noticed?

So many questions, but with a glance at his mother seated beside Sam, he held his tongue.

Time enough for that later.

Putting the car in reverse, he backed out of the parking spot. “Are you sure you’re okay? We can head to the hospital if you’re still feeling faint.”

Her lips curved in a smile and she shook her head and he didn’t miss the wince of pain that quickly followed. “I’m much better. I just need to take my medication and I’ll be right as rain.”

The tightness around her mouth and cheeks leeched of color still worried him, but he nodded.

“Sure.”

The drive to her place was done in silence, the occupants wrapped in a cocoon of their thoughts. Soon, Ryan pulled into the familiar neighborhood, once a bustling commercial area in the eighties, the buildings had been revamped into a modern residential area boasting luxury apartments and condos. Catching sight of the building he’d once called home, tightness bloomed in his chest as memories swamped.

He and Nicky strolling down the tree-lined street, hand in hand as they took advantage of a mild summer evening. The awkward but thrilling kiss under the awning, boxes of her stuff between them, excited for the new phase of their lives as a couple living together. Cuddling under the stars on their private rooftop garden, perspiration coating their bare skin in a fine sheen after the exertion of sex.

Coming home, eager to hold the woman he loved in his arms, only to hear the sounds of torrid sex coming from their bedroom, finding his fiancée astride their next-door neighbor, a man whom Ryan counted as a friend.

A bitter taste flooded his mouth, chest constricting from the still fresh picture in his mind.

“Ryan?” His mother’s voice drew him back to the present. With a start, he realized he’d pulled into an empty spot opposite the apartment building and had been just sitting there, staring into space while the engine idled. “Are you alright, dear?”

“Yeah,” he drew in a deep breath and raked fingers through still damp hair.

“This is the place you used to live, isn’t it? The one your grandfather left you?” Kelsey leaned forward to peer at the grey and brown structure. “I remember coming here to visit a few times."