Mrs. Robin's Sons by Kori Roberts (free children's online books .TXT) 📗

“What I don’t get is why this guy isn’t helping you.” She could feel Ethan studying her closely as she pressed the elevator button. Finally, he said, “You’re doing all of this, and he doesn’t even know, does he?”

Rylee ignored his question. “Look, Ethan. Thanks for walking me back. I’ll talk to you later.”

Ethan reached for her hand and held on tightly. He moved closer to her until their bodies were practically touching. “You know, I would have given you the money if you’d asked me.”

“I don’t want your money, Ethan.” Rylee pulled her hand away. “I never did.” God, why couldn’t he just let it go?

“Yeah, I know.” His laugh was filled with resentment. “Just like you don’t want me, either. Right?”

“Don’t do this, Ethan. You’ve shown me a different side of you these past few weeks that I really like. Please don’t make me regret trusting in you again.”

“He doesn’t deserve you.” Before Rylee could respond, he leaned forward and kissed her. As she pushed against his hold on her, she was vaguely aware of the elevator door opening.

“What the fuck?!”

She snatched away from a startled Ethan and looked into Nick and Noah’s angry faces.

*

Nick and Noah had been upstairs for hours, practically out of their minds with worry as they tried to figure out where Rylee could be. Finally, at nearly three o’clock in the morning, they’d gotten so frantic, they couldn’t take it anymore, and they’d decided to go and drive the route Rylee would normally take to their house in order to look for her.

Nick couldn’t believe his eyes when the elevator doors opened, and he saw Rylee standing there, dressed like she’d just come back from a date with that bastard, Ethan, who was kissing her like he couldn’t wait to get her upstairs and into bed.

He didn’t know what hurt more; knowing that Rylee lied to them so she could be with another man, watching that same man touch what he considered Noah’s and his, or seeing the look of guilt on her face when she saw them.

Nick heard Ethan’s shocked laughter. “Jesus, there’s two of you? Well, I guess it would take two boys like you to be man enough to handle a woman like Rylee.”

“Ethan, don’t —” Rylee tried to intervene, but Noah’s fist shot out before she could finish her sentence, hitting Ethan in the mouth, knocking him to the floor, and wiping the smirk off his face.

Nick ignored the shocked gasps and startled screams from the few onlookers in the mostly empty lobby as he wrapped his arms around Noah’s midsection to hold him back when he lunged at the prone man.

“You got something else you wanna say, motherfucker?” Noah yelled, and struggled against Nick’s hold on him. “I’m right here, and I’m more than happy to take you down again!”

“Noah, please!” Rylee begged. “Don’t do this! It’s not what you think.” Nick watched Rylee help Ethan off the floor, and he felt a brief moment of satisfaction as he watched the blood flow from Ethan’s busted nose and split lip.

Nick released Noah before he turned his attention to Rylee. His heart ached as he looked at the woman he loved so much. “If it’s not what we think, then tell us what it is.” He spoke through clenched teeth.

“Tell us you didn’t lie about having to work this weekend, so you could be with somebody else. Tell us you weren’t just standing here, kissing another man, and letting him touch you.”

Nick’s voice cracked, and he fought to control the hurt and anger that threatened to overwhelm him. “Because that’s what we think, Rylee. So, go ahead. Tell us we’re wrong.”

He and Noah stood there waiting for Rylee to respond. And, with each second that passed, Nick died a little more inside. He secretly wished that she’d deny everything, tell them they’d imagined what they’d seen, and put them both out of their misery.

He could feel the box that contained her ring in his pocket, practically burning a hole through his thigh as he remembered why he and Noah had come here to begin with. He thought about everything they were willing to do, everything they were prepared to give up for this woman, and it made him want to cry.

“It wasn’t for the reasons you think,” Rylee finally said. “Please, Nick…Noah…” She looked between them. Nick could see the tears shimmering in her eyes, and he wanted so badly to pull her into his arms. But then he looked at Ethan’s bloody face, and he felt the rage return and his resolve harden.

“Please,” she begged. “Let’s go upstairs and talk. I’ll explain everything. Just…not here.”

Nick looked at the two security guards and the small crowd of people who stood along the perimeter and watched their little group. He knew that they’d already caused enough of a scene, and he didn’t want to embarrass Rylee any further in front of her staff. But he had no desire to talk to her at the moment, either.

As if he were reading Nick’s mind, Noah said, “Fuck this shit.” Nick saw him give Rylee a look filled with disappointment and disdain. “Come on, man. Let’s go.”

“Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Nick shot Rylee a withering glance of his own.

“There’s nothing here for us any longer.”

Chapter Twenty-three

Rainy days and Mondays. Rylee sat in a large overstuffed chair outside of her boss’s office and stared out the window as the rain poured down outside.

The crappy weather was appropriate, really. It matched the crappy mood she was in, the crappy weekend she’d had, and the crappy direction her life had suddenly taken in just a matter of days.

After making sure that Ethan was okay and convincing him not to file assault charges against Noah with some none-too-subtle warnings that she’d tell how he’d provoked the entire incident with his comments, Rylee had spent the rest of her weekend trying