Page 80 of Only for Love

“God!” I push off the couch. “You don’t know that.”

“He skipped town after he—”

“Ryan Kingsley, don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

“Emma.” Patronizing me, he follows me and rubs my shoulder. “When a guy walks away after—”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. He was your best friend, Ry. Do youreallythink that Grayson screwed me, got his jollies off, and walked out like I was some high school checklist? You don’t think thatanythingelse could’ve been at play?” I snap at him. “We’ve avoided this conversation for years now. So, here it is. Let’s have it out.”

“He left. That’s all that matters.” Ryan goes back to the couch. “Poof! And the asshole was gone. You were alone at the beach. I’ll never forget. Fuckin’ never forgive myself.”

“Enough with that. I’m so sick of you acting like you have something hanging over your shoulders. Like you—”

“I wasn’t sick.” His head drops. Hell, his whole body slumps.

I don’t understand. “What?”

Ryan rubs his temples, and even Cherry steps forward, curious. A ragged growl pushes from his lips. “I wasn’t sick the day you and Gray went to the beach. I wanted you two to work your shit out. So, I bagged on the ride to the shore. You two made up or whatever, job well done on my part. So I thought.”

Holy. Effin’. Shit.“Oh…”

“Holy crap, Ryan.” Cherry drops to the other side of him on the couch.

Still rubbing his temples, he barely lifts his head. “See? I played a part in this mess.”

Now I understand the years of anger and his constant sense of guilt. I sit down and lean my weight against him and then hug him. “Gray and I…. we would’ve ended up at the same spot. The same… situation.”

He shakes his head. “I pushed it.”

“No,” I whisper. “We had to work through something that happened before.”

Cherry hugs Ryan from the other side. “They did have… a before.”

I know she remembers the details from after the Sadie Hawkins dance, from when I camethisclose to losing my virginity.

“Grayson and I were still crazy about each other.” I tuck my chin on the edge of his shoulder, appraising the barren room and boxes and briefly wondering how life would be if I traipsed off to college. “I loved him way before I was pregnant. He loved me, too.”

Ryan pushes away from Cherry and me. “Guys will say anything to get what they want. Youdoknow that. You’re not stupid.”

A calm lands over me. “I have no doubt that Grayson Ford still loves me as much as he did the day I first kissed him. None.”

Ryan’s jaw drops.

Cherry tucks her legs under her as she repositions on the couch. “But he still left.”

I nod. “But this is the thing: he was gone way before the beach. I just didn’t know it, and he couldn’t figure out how to share it.”

Her head tilts. “Meaning?”

I’m just repeating myself at this point, and I don’t know what I expect from them. “This isn’t going anywhere. If you can let me be, I have things I want to do.” Like find Grayson because I need a hug.

Ryan crosses his arms and leans against the window. He makes an imposing impression, and I’m half-sure he’s doing it to warn my new neighbors that I have an enormous older brother standing watch. “Emma—”

“I need to call Mom and have a potentially awkward conversation with Dad. If you want to unpack boxes, have at it. Otherwise, I love you, but go.”

“Okay. Fine.” Cherry’s eyes flash to Ryan, and she fidgets. It’s a telltale sign that she’s up to something. Besides, that was way too easy. Something’s off.

“What?” I ask. Ryan’s expression betrays nothing, but Cherry’s plans are always on her face. Warning bells are ringing. She’s up to no good. “What now, guys?”

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