Page 34 of It Never Was

"I wasn't—"

"Do as you're fucking told, Ryen!" My whisper almost reached a scream. I felt her whole-body tense, and I released my clutch on her neck forcibly. She didn't look at me as she turned to go back to her seat, her hand rubbing against where my grip had been, the other cradling the bucket of popcorn that started this mess in the first place.

The rest of the movie was watched in silence. She learned her lesson.

If Willow had heard about that one, I wouldn't have been surprised if she slit my throat in my sleep. But as always, Ryen didn't tell Willow the full story, so I got to live another day. I am sure the same thing happened the other week. The thought makes me grin as I knock again, and Willow crosses her arms as she looks up at me again. This time Ryen turns to see what Willow is glaring at. When she realizes it is me, she can't help but look smaller than before. She turns back to look at Willow and I see her shoulders shrug as she says something to her. Willows rolls her blue eyes.

"The door is unlocked," Willow growls loud enough to hear through the glass. I open the door and strut up to the counter. Ryen is still facing Willow, her back to me.

"Make this fast. I have to close up shop," Willow spits out and walks away, leaving Ryen and I alone.

"Not happy to see me?" I say to Ryen's back.

She slowly turns, her eyes down, arms crossed in front of her. She looks like she is contemplating what she is feeling or what she wants to say.

"I don't know how I feel, Devon." Her voice is barely a whisper, but I hear it, nonetheless.

"Come on, babe," I say softly in the voice I know she loves.

"Come on babe?" she spits back, her eyes never leaving the spot on the counter she is fixated on. "Is this a joke? After what you did?" her voice comes out sounding assured she is in the right.

"After what I did? I reacted to what you did, Ryen." I keep my voice down. I don't want Willow to hear. Even though my body is starting to tingle like it does when I think of Ryen and other men. Men touching her, looking at her, speaking to her. My finger twitches and I make a fist to ease the anger.

I didn't come here to fight again. I came here to get this over with and go back to normal, whatever normal is for us.

She must see me tense my fist because she sways back just a fraction of an inch, but I notice. "What's wrong, Rye?" My voice is low and controlled. "Was a week not long enough for you to see what you did was wrong?"

Her eyes finally start to crawl up my body, stopping at my chest as she takes a deep breath before finally looking at me face to face.

"I didn't—I didn't do anything wrong though, Devon." With every word she shrinks into herself. The heat in my groin lights up as the fear engulfs her body, her eyes, and her voice. It all makes my dick twitch. I almost let out a groan with how satisfying it is to see her alarms go off as the fear takes her over. All because of me. I tilt my head and a dark grin forms on my face.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

21

Ryen

I don't know what I expected this moment to be like. I don't even remember what I wanted to tell him, but I know that whatever it was didn't include me curling into myself silently as we sat at one of the tables at the coffee shop. I hear the sound of the mop bucket splashing as Willow dunks it back in for a rinse as she cleans the floors of the shop.

"I don't know what there is to talk about if you don't see my side, Devon." I keep my focus on my fingers picking at each other as they rest on my lap. Trying to sit as tall as I can, but I can feel myself shrinking every second I sit here in front of him.

"I could say the same about my side…" His voice is still as rough as it was when we were by the register a moment ago.

I take a deep breath, feeling like this conversation is not going to go very far at this rate.

My chair is abruptly yanked forward, and my legs widen to make room for Devon's as I am pulled towards him. The sound of the metal chair legs scraping the floor sends shivers down my spine.

"I don't think you quite get it," Devon's voice hits my face, "I gave you a week to mull things over, I gave you space. Did you learn your lesson or not?"

What the hell?

"What are you talking about? Did I learn my lesson? What lesson was I supposed to learn here? That you overthink things. That you jump to conclusions?" I am shocked at the level of my voice, and my blood heats.

Devon's eyes turn dark, and he places his hands on each of my thighs.

"The lesson was, don't entertain people behind my fucking back. I get it, you are gorgeous—" I feel my cheeks get hot at those words, that compliment.

You are mad at him right now, Rye. Get it together!

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