Then she pulled back slowly, gave my shoulder a squeeze, and took off. I turned to my left and started walking. I’d taken about two steps in her direction when I lifted my gaze and locked eyes with Scarlet.
I couldn’t read the look that washed over her face.
And when I finally stopped in front of her, everything I thought I would say flew out the window.
I stared at her for a long time. We were both silent for so long; it was a wonder the store hadn’t closed for the night.
Eventually, I broke the silence. And instead of saying what I’d planned on saying, I blurted, “You never called.”
I never called?
I never called?
After fourteen years, those were his first words to me.
Granted, I didn’t call him. But it took a lot of nerve for Ryker to walk over here and say that to me when I’d just been staring at him for the last several minutes.
It had suddenly all made sense to me.
From the moment I woke up this morning, I’d felt that weird vibe. And all morning long, that vibe was making me feel happy and excited for reasons I couldn’t explain. Once I got here to the book store, it didn’t lessen. Toward the tail end of the signing, something changed. It was as though my body knew he was here. The feeling was so strong and indescribable, and it was not to be ignored.
I didn’t understand what was happening, and I tried to focus on my readers. But it was a relief when I stood for a picture with that final reader and signed her books. It wasn’t that I was unappreciative or didn’t enjoy the signing. I loved it. I adored meeting my readers, but I couldn’t shake the feeling.
In an instant, I realized why. I’d been packing up my things when I looked up. I could only see his side profile, but I knew it was him. I’d recognize him anywhere. And he was talking to one of my readers… a reader I distinctly remembered talking to because of the specific words of praise she offered regarding Seven Years. She was incredibly beautiful, and it was clear to see how comfortable and cozy she was with Ryker. With my guy.
A sick, empty feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if she knew. Did she know her boyfriend had made promises to me? Did she know Seven Years and every other book I wrote was about the man standing beside her?
Worse yet… did he love her?
Ryker had moved on. He moved on and still had the audacity to show up here and approach me the way he had.
How dare he?
How dare he promise me he’d never give his heart to another woman and then show up at my signing with that woman?
It had to be the cruelest thing someone could do.
And if there was one thing I thought I knew about Ryker, it was that he wasn’t a cruel person. Misguided? Yes. Foolish? Yes. Cruel? Never.
“Scarlet?” he called.
I closed my eyes and dropped my head forward. For the first time in all these years, the sound of his voice saying my name was so bittersweet. I could feel my emotions bubbling to the surface.
God, I missed him so much.
Now he was here and just as devastatingly handsome as he was all those years ago. Maybe even more so now.
It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t fair she had him now.
It wasn’t fair that I was still so in love with him.
“Scarlet?” he repeated, his voice somehow softer and gentler now.
Tipping my head up, I opened my eyes again. One tear rolled down my cheek, and I focused my eyes on his face. He was watching the tear fall, and something changed in his features. I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know anything anymore.
When he looked directly in my eyes, he asked, “Why didn’t you call?”
For the first time since he’d approached, I spoke. “You made me promise I wouldn’t,” I answered, my voice raspy.
“No, I did not,” he returned, his gentle tone completely gone and replaced by an edge of impatience.
Yes. Yes, he did.
“Promise me you won’t call me until you graduate from medical school,” I repeated the words he said to me fourteen years ago. After allowing them to sink in, I continued, “I made that promise to you.”
I saw the moment when realization dawned. “And you obviously never graduated from medical school,” he surmised.
I shook my head.
“Fuck,” he clipped in a hushed voice. “Fuck.”
I didn’t respond because I wasn’t sure what I could say at that moment. As much as I wanted to launch myself into his arms, I couldn’t. He was very clearly not mine anymore. The longer I stood there, allowing that reality to settle in my chest, I was losing my grip on my emotions.
“Scarlet, we need to talk,” he said, though it sounded like he was pleading with me.
Did we?
I wasn’t sure I’d come out of another conversation with him feeling any better than I did after the last one we had, but maybe it would help me. Maybe I could get closure and find a way to move on.
Who was I kidding?
I’d never move on from him.
The depressing reality hit me like a ton of bricks, and all I wanted to do was crumble to the floor and cry.
Swallowing hard past the lump in my throat, I croaked, “Ryker, I—”
“Not here, sweetheart,” he cut me off.
Sweetheart.
I hated how much I loved hearing him say that again.
Nodding because I know I couldn’t do this here anyway, I blurted, “I need some time, Ryker.”
“It’s been fourteen years,” he hissed.
Looking around the store, I tried to think quickly. I had no time to process any of this.
“Can you give me an hour?” I asked.
“And then what?” he wondered.
“I’ll call you, and we can plan a time to get together,” I replied.
He shook his head. “Scarlet, I can’t walk out of here believing you’re going to call me, and an hour from now, that call never comes,” he advised.
I winced. Maybe I deserved that, but didn’t he think he was partly to blame for all of this? I wanted to scream at him for this; however, I wasn’t about to make a scene.
Quickly, I reached out and grabbed one of my Scarlet Morgan stationary pads and a marker. I scribbled down my address, tore the paper off the pad, and handed it to him.
“That’s my address,” I started. There was no missing the surprise in his face. As another tear escaped, I continued, “I’m begging you to give me an hour, Ryker. Please.”
He dipped his chin slowly and said, “I’ll be there in one hour, Scarlet.”
I felt like I was going to hyperventilate; my chest was rising and falling so fast in my vain attempt to keep my emotions under control. Any success I might have been making was blasted to smithereens when Ryker, who had already slipped the piece of paper into his pocket, reached out and used the pad of his thumb to wipe away my tear.
His touch. His tender touch on my skin for the first time made me feel things I never expected.
A tortured sound escaped from the back of my throat before I could stop it. Terrified I was going to break down completely, I whispered, “Please go.”
I didn’t know if he knew I was on the verge of losing it, but Ryker honored my request. He dropped his hand from my face, took one last look at me, and walked away.
For several long minutes, I stood there, unmoving. It wasn’t until Elise came bounding toward me and declared, “Well, this was a huge success. You’re such a superstar, babe.”