Page 220 of When We Fall: Part Two
Ryder pursed his lips.
“Anson, you need her as much as she needs you.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I fucking know. Timing is just never right with us. I don’t even know if she wants me. She told me no. She said never. I still believe she meant it.”
“That was before?—”
“And so much has happened. I’m not going to force it. I-I can’t. She needs time to heal. I’m here for her as her friend. That’s it.”
Ryder sighed and shook his head before grumbling about how I was an idiot.
I didn’t argue with him. I was an idiot, but I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to pressure her after everything she’d been through.
Timing isn’t right.
Fuck, it’s never right.
It sucked.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Ryder called out affectionately.
I looked over to see Rosalie sitting up. She nervously tugged at the impossibly short dress she was wearing, her cheeks red. Her curls were wild and gorgeous.
Fuck, she looked good.
“Morning,” she mumbled before going into the bathroom.
Ryder shot me a look that told me to make a move. I scowled at him. Making a move worked shit for me. I couldn’t handle a third rejection. At some point, I did need to move on.
I thought I was doing that, but my heart clenched as she came back into the room, still in that fucking dress that was driving me insane.
She came right into the kitchen and up to me.
I paused mixing the pancake batter and stared at her.
“Hey,” I said, giving her the best smile I could muster.
“Can we talk?” she asked softly.
I nodded and glanced to see Ryder pretending to be busy on his phone. He looked up at me.
“I’ll finish breakfast,” he said. “I’m hungry.”
I nodded for Rosalie to follow me, and she did, going into the spare bedroom.
She blinked as she took it in. Apparently, she hadn’t snooped in there.
“Wow,” she murmured, looking at all the baby furniture I’d picked out for Bianca. I wasn’t sure if it would be used, but I’d rather have it than not.
“Yeah, I-I wasn’t sure what was going to happen once the babies were born,” I explained, watching as she ran her fingers lightly along one of the cribs until she got to a teddy bear. She picked it up and hugged it.
It took me a moment to realize she was crying.
“LeeLee?” I moved behind and reached for her.
She turned and looked up at me, tears on her cheeks.
“Fuck, I-I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry.” I realized she’d lost her baby before, plus with Fox gone and shit with the horsemen over, of course, this was the worst place to bring her.
