Rivals In Love (Wild Creek Ranch Book 5)

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was a huge online drive that Gabrielle launched after Uncle Will left. Being immensely popular, she soon collected many signatures against Wyatt and his friends. She forwarded them to Uncle Will within a matter of just twenty-five minutes.

Leaving matters in the hands of the police, they relaxed a little, waiting for the results. Gabrielle shrieked with delight, seeing a letter of apology framed by the authorities of the college in her inbox. She forwarded the letter to all the victims who had signed the petition to get the culprits punished.

Eventually, Wyatt and his friends were forced to leave college. Later, they found out that he had left Laramie and moved to UCLA, along with his friends. It was a win of the good against the bad.

However, it taught Georgia many important lessons in life. It taught her she needed to first distinguish the good from the evil before trusting anyone blindly. Wyatt was evil, and she had no idea of what lay behind his facade while Gabrielle did. She had to learn to distinguish, just like Gabrielle.

After meeting Wyatt, Georgia realized that a relationship could not be forced upon you. It should be left to happen naturally. What she shared with Ryan was spontaneous. The kisses that they shared were magical. They didn't make her cringe. It was true Ryan took out the anger he felt for her brothers on her. It was a wrong move, but whatever he did was for his family's welfare. His motives weren't evil like Wyatt's. Surely she was hurt by Ryan's actions, but he didn't plan to harm her the way Wyatt did.

She also learned another lesson. It was useless to move on from Ryan and plunge into a relationship just to prove to him she had moved on. Her heart loved Ryan, and it was okay to live with her unrequited love. While she couldn't forgive Ryan for hurting her, she couldn't move on from him, too.

So studies continued, and she switched off her senses to any guy who approached her. Gabrielle stuck to her like a rock. Her indomitable spirit and her strength of character made Georgia want to be like her. So, in the next few years, she learned a lot from Gabrielle. Georgia learned to stand up for herself. She learned to be fearless and strong. She learned to live positively.

At home, her uncle and aunt, as well as her brothers, supported her in everything they did. She had the freedom to do what she wanted and she never let them down. She aced in her studies and found a good internship opportunity in Laramie at a reputable petting zoo nearby. While Gabrielle prepared for the pre-vet, Georgia learned much new stuff and loved the experience at her workplace.

She received the news of Brian's wedding but didn't feel like calling him or attending it. So after a year when Greg got married, Georgia's reaction was the same. She wasn't interested in their lives. She had no news of Ryan and knew that while she still loved him, he might have moved on from her. After all, they never were in a proper relationship. They only shared two casual kisses. While for Georgia, they meant everything. They were her only memory to last a lifetime. Ryan might have forgotten her completely.

But she was wrong! Ryan was brokenhearted and changed. For years, he lived with a guilt that ate him alive. He knew he had no way to ease his mind. Georgia was gone forever without giving him a chance to apologize. His heart cried every day, and he remembered her hurt expression every single moment. He knew that the only probable cause behind his condition was that he had unknowingly fallen deeply in love with her. It was a love which had no future. It was a hopeless feeling as every day he waited for her to return to him, but by the end of the day, he felt only unhappiness, dejection, and heartbreak.

His whole family noticed his condition. "I know you like her more than you should, bro. There's no point in denying it," said Ryder.

Ryan shrugged. "Where am I denying it? I know that I've fallen in love with her, but the way I've hurt her, she's gone forever. I've lost her," said Ryan, holding his head in his hands.