Page 57 of Release Me

My shoulders sink with relief. Becca left before three, so Ryan wouldn’t have seen or heard anything. Even though we ended things, I don’t ever want to hurt her. “So … last night with Kyle was good?”

Ryan dips her head and smiles shyly. “Yeah. He’s a nice guy.”

“A real prospect?”

“We’ll see.” She reaches up to smooth the wrinkles in my T-shirt. “You’ve gotta go.”

“I do.” Still can’t believe I’m going along with Connor’sharebrained plan. “Keep in touch, and good luck with your exams.”

“You kidding? I have my own condo now. I’m gonna ace them.”

I hesitate and then, dropping my duffel bag, rope an arm around her shoulders and pull her to my chest. “Take care of yourself, and text meanytimeyou need to talk, or for whatever reason. I’m serious.” I press my lips to the top of her head. Her hair smells like her strawberry shampoo.

“You too.” Her arms tighten around my waist for a moment before she pulls away. “September, Connor?”

“Yup. No parties or boys while I’m away.”

She rolls her eyes.

“We took out the trash. Maria will be here around ten to clean.”

“Oh, by the way, I’m hiring someone to steam-clean the jizz out of the couch, and I’m sending you the bill.”

“There’s no jizz on the couch,” Connor argues.

“You didn’t see what I saw when I came home.Believe me, there’s jizz on that couch,” she counters with a shudder.

“Fine.” Shoving the rest of a banana into his mouth, Connor strolls out the door, hollering, “See you in a few, baby sis.”

I collect my bag. “Stay out of trouble.”

Ryan folds her arms. “I’d say the same to you, but …”

With a wink at her, I trail out the door after Connor.

He slings an arm around my shoulders. “Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?”

I cringe and shove him away. He’s way too loud for this early in the morning. “Don’t make me regret this.”

29.Ronan

One year later,Wolf Cove, Alaska

TheO-shaped smokering floats upward from my lips and dissipates in the frigid spring night, polluting the otherwise pristine northern air. Another bad habit to add to the lengthy list of stupid decisions I’ve accumulated over the years. I may as well set fire to my wallet for all the money I’ve handed over to good ol’ Marlboro, and that says nothing about the health risks.

How many of these did I smoke last summer, sitting in this very spot by the water—with Connor, with Abbi, by myself—savoring all that this resort in the middle of nowhere has brought to my life?

Too many.

But it ends tonight.

I mash the last of the cigarette into a stone and tuck the extinguished butt into an empty beer bottle. If this weekend has proven anything to me, it’s that I need to grow the fuck up. Make serious changes. I’m turning twenty-six in the fall andwhat have I accomplished in the last year besides getting over Tasha?

I snort.

Yeah, I got over my ex-girlfriend by falling for someone else. I knew from the day I laid eyes on her that Abbi Mitchell and I would never be anything more than what we are, but that didn’t stop me. What was it, though, that hooked me so thoroughly? Her fiery red hair? Her innocent yet curious golden hazel eyes? The way she blushes as she tells you the dirty things she wants you to do?

All of it, probably.

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