The Risk To Love

CH 32: Maze Runners & Walking Corpses

I felt a surge of confidence and angled my body to face his own. "Glad you think so."

"Aye, and thanks for tryna get through to Ryder, he may not act like it but I bet he appreciates you," he swiped his thumb back and forth over my hand making me feel tiny sparks.

I smiled back. If only he knew how far our friendship had escalated from last night.

"Now, if you could only talk him out of being in that gang-" he added letting out a cynical laugh. "That would be a miracle."

"Wait, you know?" I was shocked. The wind rustled through the cherry blossom tree that we were sitting under.

"We may not be close. But I'm not an idiot. That was one thing that we disagreed on the most," he clucked his tongue swiping his hand through his thick hair that wasn't held up in a man bun today. He looked preppy but cute.

I was ecstatic I had someone who did give me answers. So now I'd just hope he'd tell me the whole truth.

"Did you disagree on it because of what happened to his girlfriend?" I bit my bottom lip between my teeth.

His hands fisted into tight balls before separating himself. "Is that what he told you?" He spat out his eyes wide with disbelief. His aggressive side scared me.

"I overheard the other guy mention something about her being held captive the last time? Did it not end well-"

He stood abruptly from the bench shoving his hands deep in his pocket and flipping his hair back. His face was tense with anger and rage.

It was a mistake asking. "I-I didn't mean to overstep-"

"Ryder always had a habit of taking what's mine. Its his way of proving he's the superior brother and a grade A asshole. Her name was Tasha..." he trailed off sitting back down after calming down.

I forced myself to clamp my mouth shut from being extra inquisitive.
"She had just moved into our school in junior year and months went by, we hung out, dated a while then she became my girlfriend...things were going great for a while." He looked off shaking his head.

"Soon after she confessed she had a run in with Ryder and he came onto her."

By now my mouth was wide open, as if he was re telling another version of my soon to be life story.

He inhaled quickly."I forgave her with time, knowing how persuasive my brother could be and told her it wasn't her fault. She said it wouldn't happen again. I believed her. I thought we'd moved past it." He leaned forward his forearms rested on his thighs. He rubbed his face roughly before placing his fists under his chin.

"You caught them, didn't you?" I asked perplexed already knowing where this story was heading.

"We went to my mates party after the team won our lacrosse game. She was missing that night so I went to look, only to find her pressed up against the bathroom wall with Ryder's tongue down her throat. I got mad. Real mad."He reminisced bitterly his eyes distant.

"That slut," I muttered incoherently shaking my head wondering how someone could do that.

I'm one to talk. I was such a hypocrite.

"They left together but Tasha was caught up in a bad exchange with a guy who had beef against Ryder and his crew...she got hit badly a few time before Ryder and his posse arrived at the location. As mortifying as it sounds, a part of me was saying she got what she deserved. He ended their fling with her straight away saying he was bored."