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"Wait, hold on. My sister is calling me. I will call you back." As soon as the words left Ryan's mouth, he accepted his sister's call, bracing himself. "Hello?"
"Ryan Michael Blaney." She roared, the anger was palpable in her voice. "I did not want to spend my wedding anniversary consoling your girlfriend. Are you really cheating on her?"
"Do you actually think I would do that, Elle?" Ryan snapped.
"I don't know but Stacy was hysterical." Elle sighed. "What happened, Ryan? I want the truth."
Ryan chewed on his lip, trying to decide what he should tell her. Normally, he'd give her a bullshit excuse but today? Today he was going to let her know that the woman she had deemed his perfect match was anything but perfect. "She threw a vase at my head because I have plans on Monday so I can't be there to film her dumb show."
"She did what? Ryan, that doesn't sound right, that doesn't sound like Stacy." Typical Elle, trying to defend Stacy as always.
"She does it all the time," Ryan muttered. "She threatened to expose me, she threatened to ruin my career, Elle."
"You must've misheard her, Ry." Ryan's lips twisted into a frown. He should've expected this to happen.
"No, she was pretty clear." Ryan huffed, anger bubbling in his chest. He had always been so close to Elle, he had always considered her one of his closest friends. And here she was, taking Stacy's side.
"What are you even doing on Monday?" Elle questioned. "What could be so important that you would upset Stacy like that?"
Ryan gritted his teeth. He desperately wanted to tell Elle about Caroline but he knew that she would just turn and tell Stacy, inciting a shitstorm with a magnitude that Ryan didn't even want to think about. "I'm going to help my team get stuff ready. The playoffs are starting soon and they've been putting overtime so I think I should too. You know how much I hate Racing Wives, Elle. I'm not going to skip out on my team for it."
"I hope it's worth it, Ryan." Elle's tone was foreshadowing. "Are you willing to throw away nearly six years of dating over this?"
Ryan's brow furrowed, "What did she say to you?" Maybe he wouldn't have to break up with Stacy, maybe she would leave on her own, that would make his life way easier.
"Nothing that I'm going to repeat." An awkward silence settled over them, Ryan biting his lip as he tried to figure out what to say to his sister that didn't start with fuck and end with you.
"It's really going to be like this?" He let out a bitter laugh. "I am your brother, Elle. The fact that you don't believe me? You don't know how upset I am--"
"Look, I calmed Stacy down, talked her down from whatever rash things she was thinking. I don't know who to believe but your standoffish attitude is really not making me want to believe you. Stacy should be on her way back to your house and you need to fix it, Ryan. Fix it before you lose the perfect woman."
"What if she's not the perfect woman from me?" Ryan regretted saying that to Elle but he couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Don't be a dick, Ryan." Elle dismissed him. "I'll talk to you later."
Elle ended the call and Ryan shot Lydia a quick text to let her know that he wouldn't need the cease and desist ist letter. He had been shocked when she had offered to help him but thankful. His finger hovered over the call button but he heard the front door shut. With a sigh, he dimmed his phone screen, putting it in his pocket.
Ryan braced himself for whatever was about to unfold. Normally, he would rush to the door, apologetic and ready to beg for her forgiveness. But something had shifted in Ryan -- a strength, a determination, Caroline. If Ryan couldn't get himself out of this relationship from himself, he was going to do it for her. He had to.
tw- verbal abuse
Stacy appeared in the doorway of the living room. Ryan couldn't help but take note of her unusually disheveled appearance. They stared at each other in a silent standoff before "Do you see what you do to me? Do you like hurting me?"
"Stacy..." Ryan's voice trailed off as he tried to think of something to say to her.
"Would it be better for you if I jumped off a bridge?" She snapped. "Then you could go be with whatever girl that you're sneaking around with."
"I'm not cheating on you." Ryan choked out. "Damn it, Stacy. I have been nothing but loyal to you."
"Right. I forgot that nobody wants you. You couldn't even find somebody to cheat on me with," Stacy laughed. "You're worthless, Ryan. I don't even know why I love you anymore, honestly. I could do much better."
Stacy's words hit Ryan like a sucker punch in the gut. He felt the familiarity of doubt creep back in. Maybe she was right? Maybe he was worthless. Caroline's face flashed in his mind, keeping him from the apology that Stacy was expecting.
"Why don't you leave?" Ryan couldn't believe he was actually asking her this question. Hell, if somebody would have told him that he would have the guts to ask this question a week ago, he would have laughed, but here he is.
"Is that what you want? Maybe I will jump off a bridge, seems how you want me dead anyway?" Stacy snapped.
Ryan's eyes widened, "That's not what I said," He murmured.
"That's what you meant though. I can see it in your eyes, Ryan. If I jump, it's on you, you'll have made me do it." A faint smirk spread across Stacy's lips like she knew that she had backed Ryan in a corner.
"Don't do that." Ryan shook his head. "That wouldn't solve anything."
"You know what would solve something?" Stacy tapped her finger on her chin, pretending to think. "I can think of two things. Hand over your phone to prove to me that you aren't cheating and then you'll be here all day Monday to film."
Ryan's heart pounded as his hand covered the pocket his phone was in. There was no way he was going to let Stacy have his phone and see the pictures Lydia had sent of Caroline, precious moments that he had missed. And he sure as hell wasn't going to give up a single moment with Caroline on Monday.
"That's not going to happen." Ryan stood up, "I'm not cheating but you don't need to see my phone to know that. I'm going to bed. You can sleep in the guest bedroom." Stacy's mouth was agape as he pushed past her.
end tw
"You're going to regret this, Ryan." She hissed as he jogged up the steps.
"Not likely," Ryan retorted under his breath. Once Ryan was safely in his bedroom, door locked behind him, he crumpled into a heap onto his bed. He thought he'd feel better after standing up to Stacy but he was terrified what was going to happen tomorrow after she had all night to stew about it. He hated that he felt this way and wished that there was a clear way out that didn't involve financial or career ruin.
Ryan pulled out his phone, opening the pictures that Lydia had sent to him. It felt surreal, today he had found out that he had a daughter, a daughter. And while this was so new, Ryan couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the love that he felt as he looked at the pictures of Caroline. He pushed out the echoes of Stacy telling him how worthless he was. He had seen the way that Caroline had looked at him, anything but worthless. That brief look in her eyes that she had when she jumped into his arms in the parking lot gave him all the strength he needed to get to Monday, no matter what happened.
Monday couldn't come fast enough.
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Summary: Ryan's sister, Elle calls him and asks him what happened but refuses to believe Ryan. She tells Ryan that she's diffused the situation with Stacy and tells him to fix it or he's going to lose the perfect woman. Stacy arrives home and an argument ensues. Ryan holds his ground and tells Stacy to sleep in the guest bedroom. Ryan looks through the pictures of Caroline again, finding the strength to make it to Monday.
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