Page 12 of Ransom

She’s my constant.

I feel her nod against my shoulder, her body shaking with silent sobs. I hold her tighter, my own tears falling freely now. I hate crying, but she's not going to judge me, and I don't have the strength to fight them back. Not tonight.

"You've always been there for me," I whisper. "Through everything. Let me be there for you now."

Maggie pulls back, wiping her eyes. She manages a watery smile. "You already are, Blair. You always have been."

We sit there, hands clasped, neither of us speaking. There's no need for words. Thirty years of friendship, of shared joys and sorrows, fill the silence between us.

She pulls back, wiping at her eyes. "God. I'm so sick of being sick. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Tell me about Ransom. What are you going to do this time? I honestly thought he'd back off after the glitter bomb."

"It was pretty spectacular."

"I know," Maggie says dryly. "You tested it in my freaking kitchen."

My cheeks redden. "Yeah, I'm still sorry about that. I got a little caught up and forgot where I was."

"I'm shocked."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

We glare at each other, lips twitching. She finally shakes her head and curls up in the corner of the couch. "You could just go and talk to him in person. The rigged packages and the bullet holes in contracts don't seem to be working."

"I'm not going to see him. Not ever."

"Blair, you?—"

"Never."

Maggie sighs. "He was a kid. So were you. It was a long time ago."

She's right. He was a kid. Technically, I was too. But the feelings were very real and very grown-up. "He's never tried to come back here either. He was pretty fucking clear when he left, Maggie."

"He was fifteen. What did he know about anything at that age?"

That's the thing. Ransom, at fifteen, was more certain and more mature than men three times his age. He meant every single word. "You weren't there that night. You don't know. But I do. Ransom Kyle is done with me, done with this town, and there's no point in trying to change that. He doesn't deserve a minute more of my time."

Maggie sighs again and pushes herself to her feet. "That's the problem, honey. He's taking up way too much space in your brain for a man you say you're done with. At some point, something's got to give."

"Maybe. But it's not going to be me."

"Careful. That kind of talk could get the universe to start meddling. Hell, one day, Mr. Billionaire Fancy Pants could come walking down Main Street, and you won't have any choice but to deal with him."

Something crawls up the back of my neck. That won't ever happen. It can't.

"If he ever shows his face in this town again, he'll be sorry."

Maggie just smiles and waves goodnight. She doesn't believe me.

I'm not sure I believe me either. There's nothing I can do to hurt Ransom Kyle. He doesn't have a heart.

And he cut mine up in little pieces forever ago.

5

RANSOM

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