Ink

Chapter 54

"I don't like this Ryder."

"Me either."

"We should have stayed with her."

"I know."

"What if she's in danger?"

"She's definitely in danger."

"Wow you just don't care about my feelings at all."

"What?"

The two men stand in the corridor to the conference room. One pacing back and forth, and the other leaning against the wall.

"Don't you—what—me Ryder."

"I will what you because I don't know why you're acting like this."

"I know you don't really care about Al."

The white haired man raises a brow.

"Really? How do you figure?"

"You really want me to spell it out for you?"

Ryder shrugs.

"If that's what it takes."

"Fine—" Caleb cracks his knuckles. "Prepare to be roasted."

The other man merely chuckles while wondering how long Caleb could keep this up. He had a tendency to play tough guy when he was actually quite soft.

"Every since we met her all you've been saying is that her only purpose was to satisfy the prince—"

Ryder purses his lips slightly.

"All that she has done since we met her was prove to us how great of a person she is. She helped us restore power to the hospital, she helped lead Klaus and her father here away from danger—hell, Ryder—she even brought us closer together."

The white haired man lets these words sink in.

"I—don't know what to say." His words are slower than usual. More calculated to avoid setting off his friend.

"Don't worry I don't need you to say anything." Caleb responds. "Do you even remember the saying if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all? Does that ring a bell?"

"Walker—"

"It's actually funny because if you knew that saying then you would never talk—like ever."

Ryder glares at the man in front of him as he walks up and looks him dead in the eye.

"If she gets hurt it's your fault." Caleb says, poking a finger in the center of Ryder's chest. "Because you always have to follow the rules like the good boy you are—"

"Caleb—"

But Caleb doesn't stop. He's fuming as he steps back from Ryder and shakes his head.

"Is this what he would want?"

Ryder's eyes glow in anger. In an instant, he has Caleb pushed against the far wall dangling by his shirt.

"Do not talk about him Walker, I mean it.

"Why not Ryder? Are you too afraid that if we finally talk about him, you'll have to accept that fact that you're a coward?"

Ryder's eyes flash red as he raises a hand from the wall and balls it into a fist. Caleb's eyes do not falter from his gaze as he can sense resolve melting away from the man before him.

"Do it." He says lowly. "Show me what kind of monster you really are."

There's a loud bang as Ryder's fist makes impact with a surface. Caleb's eyes close in reflex as he braces himself for a death blow. What is is surprised to see when he opens them, however, is Ryder with his head down on his shoulder. He follows his arms path to a large dent on the wall next to his head.