Chapter 19
Hannah was caught off guard by Ryder’s panicked reaction Looking up stars the see the text in his eyes–the kind of primal anxiety you’d see in someone terrified of being abandones. Something twisted in her chest. They’d only known each other for days, but its extol attachment seemed intense and genuine,
“Hey, relax,” she said softly, touching his arm. “Nothing’s happening with a. He just cresting te
for the night.”
The tension visibly drained from Ryder’s shoulders. “Sorry about that,” he numbled, looking tones at where he’d grabbed her, “Did I hurt you? I got carried away,”
Hannah shook her head, focusing on his split lip. “You still haven’t put anything on that out. I told you to pick up some antibiotic ointment.”
Ryder gave her a sheepish look. “It slipped my mind.”
With a sigh, Hannah went to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom.
Back on the couch, she tilted his chin up with her fingers. “This might sting,” she warned, dabbing antiseptic on the cut. Ryder didn’t flinch, his eyes locked on her face with a mixture of trust and something deeper.
Kaden watched from across the room, jaw clenched so tight it hurt. The casual intimacy between them was like sandpaper against his skin.
“I can do that,” he said abruptly, crossing the room and reaching for the cotton swab.
The moment he touched Ryder’s face, the younger man jerked back dramatically. “Jesus! What are you trying to do, reopen it?”
“Oh come on,” Kaden snapped. “I barely touched you.”
Hannah shot him a warning look. “Seriously? Haven’t you done enough damage for one day?”
She nudged Kaden away and resumed tending to Ryder’s lip with gentle fingers.
Kaden retreated, forced to stand there helplessly as Hannah leaned in close to examine her handiwork. The tenderness in her expression as she looked at Ryder made something shrivel inside
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Chapter 19
him.
That night, as Hannah headed to her bedroom, Ryder followed her down the hallway like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Kaden stepped into their path, blocking the doorway. “Where do you think you’re going?” The question came out like a growl.
Ryder’s demeanor shifted instantly. The vulnerable young man disappeared, replaced by someone much more calculating. “To bed,” he said with a casual shrug. “With Hannah. Where else would I sleep?”
“Like hell,” Kaden said, his voice dangerously low.
Ryder gave him a slow, deliberate smirk. “Bit late for the protective ex act, don’t you think? We’ve already slept together. Last night, actually.”
The words hit Kaden like a physical blow to the gut.
It had happened that fast? But of course it had. The kid looked like Chace Crawford’s clone. Hannah never stood a chance.
Something snapped inside Kaden. Before he could think, his fist was clenched and rising–but before he made contact, Ryder suddenly dropped to the floor with a loud thud.
Hannah appeared in the doorway instantly. “What the-” Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“I didn’t touch him!” Kaden protested, hands raised. “Hannah, I swear-”
“Save it,” she cut him off, her voice like ice. “I’ve seen enough. One more stunt like this and you’re out. I don’t care where you sleep.”
She helped Ryder up, her arm protectively around his waist as she guided him into the bedroom. Before shutting the door, she gave Kaden a look that could have frozen hell.
Kaden stood alone in the hallway, the weight of what had just happened crushing down on him. He’d been completely set up, and Hannah had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
The next several days were pure torture. Kaden was forced to watch as Ryder played his part to perfection–devoted boyfriend in Hannah’s presence, smug manipulator the moment her back was turned. Every time Kaden tried to expose him, Ryder managed to twist the situation, making Kaden
uth an
Degret Comes Too Late
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Chapter 19
look like the jealous, unhinged ex while he played the wounded innocent.
By the end of the week, Kaden was ready to lose his mind.
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