Page 17 of Tag

“Let me come to you.”

His voice did that thing, landing in the part of my chest where my composure lived and rattled the walls. I knew he wasn’t asking. I wanted to let him.

Ryder had always been my shelter from everything and anything that made me afraid, whether it was a spider or a storm. But letting him in now would only make everything worse.

“No.” I forced out gently. “You can’t come here. Ashton’s asleep, and I’d have to explain everything. It’s better if I wait until daylight.”

“I wouldn’t give a fuck if he were right beside you. That has nothing to do with us. Matter of fact, how is he even sleeping when you’re not there? You’ve never left my bed without me knowing, and you never will.”

The implication behind that caught me off guard. It meant he saw a future where we’d be sharing a bed again. We hadn’t done that since freshman year of college, back when it was a bit easier to ignore the way he looked at me and hide how much I adored it. Long before that, when we were younger, it was late-night movies, sharing secrets, him stealing my blanket, and me shoving him off the bed in retaliation. It had never been more than that. It was never like this.

I shook my head as if that would clear it. I wasn't going to let my thoughts go there. I couldn’t afford to drown in a deeper sea ofwhat-ifswhen I was already treading water just to breathe.

“Calm down, okay? Nothing happened, Rye. I’m—.” I paused mid-sentence. A low engine rumbled on his end of theline, followed by muffled voices. My eyes narrowed. “Did you just start your truck?”

He didn’t answer.

“Ryder, please.”

“Stay inside. Check the locks,” he ordered softly.

“I will. If I see anything else, I’ll call.” I locked the door and tugged the long blinds shut. I doubted anyone was going to Spider-Man their way up to the third floor, but better safe than sorry.

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Hey! Wait—.”

“Don’t tell me to stay away again. I heard you the first time. I’m pretending I didn’t because everything in me is screaming to do the opposite.”

His tone was still soft, but the edge beneath it was impossible to miss. I wasn’t sure if the hostility was aimed at Ashton, the tension between us, or the person who had better be long gone before Ryder found them.

“I didn’t mean—.” I started, guilt bleeding into my voice

“Don’t say sorry to me,” he cut me off one last time. “I’m letting you stay with him.” A second later, he added, “For now.”

The phone beeped twice, signaling he’d ended the call. I stood there, staring at my phone with a slow-building scowl. He waslettingme? The freaking nerve of him.

I shot him a text.

Don’t go off and do anything crazy, Ryder.

His response didn’t come for another grueling fifteen minutes.

Rye????

When it comes to you, Sass, Crazy’s much too tame a word for what I’m willing to do.

You’ve been so good, Rye don’t let something this silly mess it up.

I didn’t get another reply for hours.

By the time my phone buzzed again, shy of 4 a.m., I was staying awake purely from pinging between royally pissed and viscerally concerned. And Ashton still hadn’t woken up once.

Rye????

Go to bed.

That was it?

---