❝You know I love you, right?❞
21-year-old Kendall Morgan moves to Los Angeles where she plans to live out her dream. But there is only one problem: She doesn't even know where to start.
One fateful day, while working in a coffee shop, she meets Holl...
RYAN WAS standing in the doorway of his house, looking at the place he called home in distaste. He was more than angry, and all he saw was red. The more he thought of how his plan had failed, the more furious he became. His car was totaled, and it would take a mass amount of money to repair the damage he caused. But what made him angrier was that Kendall had disregarded everything he said and left.
How could she leave?
He drove his fist into the drywall next to him before shutting the door. Ryan then walked into the kitchen, picked up the bar stool that Kendall had sat on many times before, and slammed it against a wall. The wooden legs of the stool break on impact. Soon after almost everything in the house was destroyed. It looked as if a tornado had tore its way through the modern mansion. Furniture and glass from picture frames had been scattered throughout the large space.
Breaking things gave Ryan a sense of control. He was able to regulate how much he broke, and how he broke it. It was his therapy. Sometimes it would work, and most of the time it wouldn't. But it still felt good to feel shattering glass under his knuckles.
Ryan was in a bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror with hooded eyes, watching the way his shoulders and chest heaved. He hit the glass repeatedly. He hit it until his hands were numb and his reflection distorted. Blood dripped from his hands and into the sink, but Ryan didn't care. The bathroom air had a sharp copper scent, but that didn't matter. His hand was broken and swelling, but that was the least of Ryan's worries. The only thing he cared about at the moment was Kendall, and Kendall didn't even care about him.
Ryan couldn't seem to understand why Kendall had left, even after he threatened to take his life. It was supposed to work; it had always worked with Claire.
Ryan sauntered into his trashed bedroom and put his head in his bloodied hands. He was plotting, and the plan he was concocting had to work.
All he had to do was buy a gun.
★
"How come you've never mentioned this place to me before?" Phoenix asked, taking a sip of her latte.
Kendall shrugged as she continued to wipe down the counter. "It just never came up. Besides, you've never told me where you work, either."
Phoenix curled her fingers around the white mug, it's heat warming up her palms. "I'm a journalist for Iridescence."
"Really? The magazine?"
"Yes. What'd you think I did?"
Kendall opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Eric, who came out of the employees only room. "Hey, I finished counting the inventory."
Kendall nodded and turned back to Phoenix when her phone vibrated repeatedly. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and furrowed her brows. As soon as she saw the full message displayed on the screen, her heart dropped.
"Who is it?" Phoenix asked, concern written in her expression.
"It's Ryan . . ." Kendall responded, running a hand through her hair and untying her apron. She tossed the keys to Eric. "I have to go."
Kendall practically ran from the coffee shop to her apartment. She grabbed her cars keys from her desk then raced to the parking garage where her car had been sitting for the past week. She couldn't bring herself to drive it, and she had intended to return it to Ryan. But they had just broken up; the wound was still raw. And Kendall wasn't sure if she was even ready to see Ryan again. Despite this, she got into the car and calls Ryan. He picked up on the second ring. The sound of choked sobs traveled from the phone to Kendall's ear, causing her heart to break even more.
"Hey," Kendall said softly, slightly panicked. "Hey, I'm on my way, just please stay where you are. Don't do anything."
"It'd be better for you if I was dead," Ryan said, his voice choked up.
Guilt welled up in Kendall's stomach. This was her fault. Everything was her fault. He said he would hurt himself and she choose to ignore him. If she had taken him more seriously, then none of this would be happening.
"No no no no no. That's not true." Kendall's face became hot and tears streamed down her face as she tried to keep her eyes on the road. She racked her brain for ways to keep Ryan on the line. "Do you remember that Thursday when we first met? I had noticed you the moment you walked into the store, although I actually didn't recognize you. You just gave off this intense, mysterious energy. I guess that's what drew me to you."
The rest of the drive continued that way; Kendall reminiscing about their relationship and Ryan remaining silent, occasionally sniffling.
Kendall parked her car in Ryan's driveway and walked up to the front door, luckily finding it unlocked. Glass crunched beneath her flats as she looked around at the trashed house. Sobbing from upstairs could be heard, along with the unmistakable sound of a handgun being loaded. Time seemed to slow as Kendall raced up the spiral staircase, the only sound being her own heartbeat. Her throat was dry, her heart ached, her eyes burned, and her entire body was cold. She felt as if she weren't in Ryan's house, living through this terrifying moment. Nothing felt real.
Ryan looked up at Kendall with tear-filled eyes as she appeared in the doorway. He held the gun to his temple, gripping it tighter.
"Ryan," Kendall said, taking small steps toward him. "Put it down."
"Why?" Ryan asked, almost hysterically. "Without you I'm nothing."
"I'll be here for you this time. I promise. Just, please, put the gun down." She was desperate. Kendall knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she was the reason Ryan killed himself. The thought alone made her heart hurt. If it was the only way to keep Ryan alive, then she was willing to give him another chance.
Ryan dropped the gun on the ground and Kendall rushed to him. "Your hands . . . they're broken." Unable to control herself any longer, Kendall pulled Ryan into a hug, her shoulders shaking heavily from crying.
"I'm sorry," Ryan said softly.
"It's okay. I'm here now." Kendall hugged him tighter. "I'm here now."
К сожалению, это изображение не соответствует нашим правилам. Чтобы продолжить публикацию, пожалуйста, удалите изображение или загрузите другое.
