Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 65354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“I do. I was calling and texting you.” He moved forward and drew it from his pocket, handing it to me. I stared at the screen and the icon that would lead me to the truth, and my hands shook. “Elyse? What’s wrong?”
I finally typed my mother’s name and the year of the murder into the search bar. I looked over the results and picked what I thought was the best source, the local paper, and clicked on it.
“This might not be word for word, but it’s my past. You deserve to know it.” I handed him the phone before I lost my courage, taking in the intense look in his eyes. Ryder accepted my offering and leaned back as I focused on the food that he fixed for me. I sipped the now cooling tea gratefully, needing it for my raw throat. After I took a few drinks, I set that down and reached for the bowl of spaghetti. I stole a look at Ryder, and he was reading intently, his jaw set firm as my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. I looked back at the plate and took one bite of food, then another. I felt like I might throw it up, but I was hungry. I was weak from it at this point and I needed all the strength I could get to deal with this.
Chapter 15
RYDER
HOLY FUCK.
I read the article, stunned by the story it told. Elyse wasn’t mentioned by name in the piece due to her age, but I recognized she shared her last name with the victim. I knew it was her who suffered so much, and a lot made sense now.
Her mother had been murdered in a robbery at her home, and Elyse had been there at the time, hiding. Her mother’s murderer was never caught. I didn’t know how much Elyse remembered about it or what she’d seen, but I thought back to the night of my game. She came to watch me play hockey and left before I ever got to see her. I saw fear in her face when we met to talk about it, and she told me that she didn’t like violence and aggression. I just didn’t know it went back to something like this.
“This is why the game scared you. This is the reason I scare you,” I murmured as she gave me a puzzled look.
“You didn’t scare me. Not that. Life scares me.” Her words were honest, and I blinked at her. “My dad faded away after that night, and I stayed with my grandma a lot when I was younger. I was close to my aunt as well. They did a good job of trying to be mother figures to me, but I always felt the void without her. I was little when she died, but there are so many good memories that I play in my head like a movie. It was a hard time, and I withdrew. I just went to school and did well and otherwise hid from everything. I was lucky to meet Tori in my first year in high school, and we connected right away. She’s one of the few who knows about that from me directly.” She waved her hand towards my phone and sipped her tea again.
I noted that she managed only a few bites of food and held back the urge to tell her to finish it. Elyse was a bit of a mess right now, but I knew she needed time. Despite her past, I’d be the one to stay and fix her.
“I’m glad you’re willing to share this with me.” I covered her hand with mine, and she looked at me with shimmering eyes. I reached that same arm around her to pull her close as she cried into my chest. It was the soft cries of a woman who had done a lot of it in her short life. I stroked her hair and murmured words of comfort, giving her the time to let it all out.
“God, I’m a hot mess. I’m sorry.” Elyse wiped her eyes as she leaned her head forward.
“It’s fine. You can grieve.” I thought to myself how beautiful she looked, showing me this side of her. “In fact, feel free to do it anytime. I’m here for you, Elyse.” Her eyes widened slightly at my words, and I nodded gently. “I mean that.”
“You do?” Her voice was low.
“You think I’d hold that against you in some way?” I pressed, and she shrugged weakly. “Never. You weren’t at fault for anything. I’d consider myself lucky that you’re here to be with me, given what might have happened.”
“Oh.” She nodded and wiped at her eyes again. “It’s just that I am prepared for this to come out after the show, and it makes me nervous. Not so much that buyers will hate my work or anything, but I’ve gotten a lot of pity from this. I want to be an artist and not the broken girl I spent so many years as back then. It’s hard.”