Sweet Caroline {Ryan Blaney} ✔️

seventeen

"How are you sure that she is yours and not some girl who wants money from you? Have you taken a paternity test?" Elle interrupted. "You haven't taken a paternity test." She didn't wait for Ryan to answer, "You just took her at her word and launched into playing dad. Please, tell me that you haven't given this woman money." She rubbed her temples as she waited for Ryan's response.

Ryan frowned. It had never occurred to him that Caroline could be anybody's but his and Lydia had never even breathed a word of wanting any sort of financial support. "I don't need a paternity test and she hasn't asked for a single cent from me." Ryan unlocked his phone, finding the folder that housed all of the pictures he had of Caroline. He clicked on a recent one of the both of them, turning the screen toward Elle.

She took his phone, studying the picture. "Wow." She breathed, shaking her head before her eyes met Ryan. "She's like a little carbon copy."

Ryan nodded, taking his phone back. "She is. She's great. I'm still getting to know her but --"

"Why doesn't Stacy know?" Elle glared. "This is typically something that you would tell your girlfriend."

Ryan knew this was his chance to try and make Elle understand. He tapped through his phone, selecting one of the nasty voicemails from Stacy that he had accumulated in his voicebox. He put it on speaker, pressing play.

Elle leaned forward to listen as Stacy's voice drifted up through the speakers. Ryan winced at the words -- words that he had heard her say millions of times, "I hope the whore is worth it and you have your fun because she's going to realize that you're worthless. You are a worthless piece of shit --." Ryan shut the voicemail off.

"I was visiting Grandma and stayed for dinner and didn't text Stacy back quick enough," Ryan informed Elle.

Elle's mouth was slightly agape, her eyes wide as she processed what she had just heard. She shook her head, "I don't understand."

Ryan selected another voicemail, letting Elle listen. After that one, he played another and then another when that finished. He was going to make Elle understand, to make her see the hell that he's been living for six years. He needed her to understand that Stacy was not the perfect woman that she had made herself out to be.

"Okay." Her voice was low and shaky. "I -- I don't know what to say, Ryan." Ryan could see the tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Ryan shrugged. "I'm going to leave her, I just couldn't bring myself to do it and lose you." A lump formed in Ryan's throat but he tried to remain nonchalant. "And I know if Stacy knew who Caroline was, things would get way worse and I can't put Caroline in the cross-fire."

Elle nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. She reached up, wiping them with the sleeve of her shirt. "All this time, I thought --" She shook her head. "If I would have known, I never would have said anything, I would have told you to get out. Why didn't you show me this before?"

Ryan shrugged again, "I tried to tell you that I was miserable once, Elle. You told me that you'd never forgive me if I broke up with Stacy." He buried his hands in his face for a moment before looking up. He felt pangs of guilt at Elle's tears but he couldn't help but feel like a weight had been lifted off of his chest that Elle seemed to understand now.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I should have believed you, God, I don't know why I didn't believe you." Elle shook her head. "I do have one question." Ryan nodded, signaling her to ask. "If you had a one night stand on my wedding night, why am I just now hearing about Caroline?"