Chapter 17
Three months later
Lexi
I’m back in Perth, at the apartment with Tee, and things are going well. Ryder is still on tour, and my life has gone back to normal. I’m back to working at the bar at Steele, after Chase asked Payton to take me back. I’m working here full time now, as my office job has already been replaced.
I even started seeing someone. His name is Derek and he's a friend of Kade and James. He asked me out about ten times before I actually agreed to go on a date with him. The man is relentless, that’s for sure. He's also quite delicious, with brown hair and eyes, and a charming personality. We aren’t serious or anything, in fact, we've only been dating for a week.
“Well, if it isn’t my favourite bartender?” Derek flirts. I grin.
“I’m pretty sure you like anyone who gives you alcohol, Derek,” I tease. Derek chuckles and shakes his head at me. I’m pretty sure Derek and I are destined for friendship only, which I clearly stated to him, but he seems dedicated to proving me wrong.
“So, you ready?” he asks.
“No,” I say. Tee and Layla talked me into performing a song at the club. It has taken them about a month to wear me down, and I’m at the point where I'll do anything to get them off my back.
My point of relenting was when they got Kade on my case. The man's been playing pranks on me and annoying the hell out of me for the last month. He sends me video messages constantly, giving me a play by play of his day. He has also started trying to hook me up with James, and he keeps sending me pictures of James in various states of undress, and I’m pretty sure James has no idea. The latest one was of James in nothing but a towel, and the view was good, but James and I are just friends. When James goes away on business, Kade finds other ways to harass me.
Last night he sent me a picture of himself shirtless (wow) and the caption said ‘Kade and Nikki.’ There was no Nikki in the picture, so I texted back and told him so, thinking he sent me the wrong picture, but Kade texted back saying ‘she’s on her knees so you can’t see her.’ I choked on my coffee when I read that. Kade has no shame; he also sent me a message casually asking if I wanted to come over for a threesome. He better have been joking, you can never really tell with him.
I've met Nikki, the woman I found Ryder embracing. I obviously knew who Nikki was, heard about her from Layla and Kade, but I had never actually met her, so when I saw her with Ryder, I had no idea it was her. She admitted to knowing about me too, and when she heard I dumped Ryder, she took her chance. She was on the rebound from Kade, and she thought since Ryder was also recently single, it was a good idea.
At first we were both wary around each other, but we've become friends. She keeps telling me about Ryder and how much he cares for me, but then she let it slip that they dated after I left. I had no idea about it, for some reason I stupidly thought it was just the one kiss. That was the moment I agreed to go out with Derek. After I had left, heartbroken, Ryder resumed a relationship with Nikki. It didn’t matter to him one bit that I was gone. I’m not gonna lie – it hurt to hear it.
I walk around the bar, and groan out loud. I can see Kade, Chase, James, Nikki, Layla, and Tee, all sitting there, wearing smiles. Evil! The lot of them. I get my guitar and walk up on stage, taking a seat on the stool in the middle. The good thing is that it’s during the day and not many people are here. Steele turns into a restaurant lounge during the day, but today is pretty empty. Only a few customers are at the table besides Tee and the gang. I clear my throat and say into the microphone, “Just to clarify, Kade will leave me alone after this, right?” Everyone laughs, but I'm dead serious. His TMI messages and videos are driving me around the bend. The man is perfect until he opens his mouth.
“Hey! I thought we were BFFs!” Kade yells out, pouting. Everyone laughs, myself included. I start to strum on my guitar, and everyone goes silent. I gulp, and look down at my shaking fingers. Okay, I can do this, these people are my friends and family. I look at Tee and our eyes connect. She gives me a small nod, an approving smile. I nod in return and close my eyes. Everyone and everything fades away as I start to sing. One of my favorite songs ever to both play and sing is ‘The Special Two’ by Missy Higgins, so I chose that to sing today. As usual with this song, soon I’m completely lost in the music.
I sing the lyrics, my heart feeling each and every word. This song is really beautiful, and I can’t help but think of Ryder and what could have been. I sing effortlessly, the words and tune pouring from my voice and my fingers. When it’s done, and I sing the last note, I almost sigh in relief, and slowly open my eyes.
Everyone is standing and cheering, and a laugh bubbles in my throat. I can see the looks of awe from Layla, Kade, Derek, Chase, and James. Tee is the only one who's heard me before, which is probably why she's sporting a smug ‘I told you so’ look. Someone cheers louder than the rest, and my gaze goes to the back, where the cheers are coming from.
I do a double take when I see Ryder. He’s standing there, leaning against the wall, clapping away. His gray eyes are intent on mine, and he looks… proud. He's proud of me. He's wearing distressed jeans with a tight white t-shirt, and he looks amazing. His hair is longer, shaggier, curling around his chin. I feel like someone is squeezing my heart. I knew he would be back eventually, but today of all days? I tear my gaze from his and walk off the stage. I take a seat between Tee and Derek, my body trembling slightly.
“I’m next!” I hear Ryder call out, causing me to flinch. All eyes glance between Ryder and me as he walks towards us. Derek tenses beside me, and moves his body closer to mine. Ryder walks straight to me and I hold my breath, waiting for his next move.
“May I?” he asks, gesturing to my guitar. My eyes take him in greedily. I also take a second to enjoy the husky drawl of his voice before I nod. He gently takes my guitar and walks onto the stage, sitting on the same stool where I sat moments ago. The club is so silent you could hear a pin drop. Ryder takes the microphone in his long fingers and raises the stand from where I had lowered it down to my sitting level.
“This song is for Lexi,” he says, glancing up and pinning me with a searing look, watching me underneath his thick inky lashes. I can’t help it when my lip twitches as Ryder starts to sing ‘Suffocate’ by J. Holiday. Looks like Ryder's been getting familiar with one of my favorite artists, because last time he didn’t even know who J. Holiday was, and I know how Ryder feels about R&B music.
Ryder’s deep husky voice sends shivers down my spine. When he stops the song half way and breaks into ‘Pimp in Me,’ I lose it, laughing. After he’s done, we all clap and cheer. I can’t stop the smile that beams on my face.
“Lexi, I love you. I want you. Please forgive me, my queen of hearts,” Ryder says into the microphone. My smile immediately disappears. I feel Derek wrap one of his hands around my waist, and Ryder’s eyes narrow on Derek when he notices.
“Excuse me,” I mutter, getting out of my chair, and walking outside. All of this is too much, and I need a moment to think.
I’m weak.
I’m weak because I want nothing more than to run into Ryder’s arms.
*****
Ryder
“Lexi?” I call out. I notice her leaning against the wall outside, her arms wrapped around herself protectively.
“What are you doing here, Ryder?” she asks in a small voice. My eyes take her in greedily. She looks a little different. Her hair is longer, and dead straight. She must have done whatever it is women do to get rid of her gorgeous curls. I was surprised when I saw her on stage, but so very proud. I know how much she hates it up there. She was a vision, her eyes closed, singing like an angel in that slightly husky tone of hers. Her voice left me breathless.
“We’re on break right now, so I came home. I didn’t know you were back. I actually came here to find Tee and ask her where you were,” I say.
We’re quiet for a few moments, before I have to ask, “What was that with Derek inside?”
“We’re together,” she says, looking at the ground and fidgeting with her hands.
I didn’t expect that. I’m pissed. I don’t have the right, considering I did date Nikki, but f*ck.
“I’m gonna go back inside,” she says quietly. Before she moves, I grab her arm and move in closer.
“Lexi, I’m sorry. Give me a chance to explain some things. I want to make this right. I want you, desperately. I love you, Lexi,” I tell her.
“I can’t, Ryder. You replaced me almost instantly. You guys are all the same. Sax cheated on me when I was grieving and you…” she trails off. F*ck, Sax cheated on her? I didn’t even know that.
She tries to shrug me off her, but I move faster. I capture her lips with mine, gently nudging her mouth open with my tongue. I know when she gives in because her whole body relaxes, and she leans into me. She tastes amazing, I've missed this so damn much. She moans into my mouth, but then suddenly freezes, and rips her mouth away from mine and shoves me away.
“No, I can’t do this, I don’t cheat!” she yells at me, and then runs back into the building. F*ck!
I don’t bother going back inside. I’m going to go and have a chat with f*cking Sax. He’s all pissed and mopey over Lexi, yet he cheated on her.
He needs to get off his high horse and let Lexi go.
*****