Eight Years in the Shadows Chapter 2

Late that night, I lay in bed in the dark.

The second I closed my eyes, a car horn blared from downstairs.

I checked my phone beside the pillow.

Dead.

Not my problem.

But the honking kept going, each blast louder than the last, ripping through the quiet apartment complex.

I yanked the blanket over my head and tried to ignore it.

Then the neighbors started yelling.

"People are trying to sleep! Have some manners!"

"You think you own the whole building?"

My chest tightened, and my eyes snapped open.

Mom had terrible insomnia. She needed sleeping pills every night, and even then, she was a light sleeper.

She might still be asleep, but not for long.

I dragged myself out of bed and leaned over the windowsill.

A familiar luxury car stood out in the dark.

Ryan's.

I gritted my teeth, grabbed my jacket, and rushed downstairs.

Ryan leaned against the car, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling around him.

The second I stepped outside, his eyes found mine.

Like he knew I'd come.

A cold smile tugged at his lips.

Fuming, I yanked open the passenger door without looking at him.

He stubbed out his cigarette, tossed it into a trash can, got behind the wheel, and pulled away.

The drive was silent.

Neither of us said a word.

I knew he was pissed I'd turned off my phone.

Ryan was obsessed with control. If I took a few minutes too long to reply, he'd either freeze me out or blow up.

Tonight, I'd shut off my phone and disappeared for hours.

I'd crossed the line.

So he broke our unspoken rule.

He came to my run-down apartment complex and kept honking until I came downstairs.

The air inside the car was suffocating.

He kept pressing the gas, the wind roaring around us.

Then another car pulled alongside and cut us off on purpose.

The driver rolled down his window and sneered.

"Hey, asshole. Think you own the road because you've got a nice car?"

Ryan didn't even glance over.

He floored it.

The two cars tore down the empty street in a reckless race.

At first, I felt nothing.

But he kept speeding up, driving like he had a death wish, and panic finally hit.

My heart jumped into my throat.

"Stop chasing him! Ryan, please!"

I kept saying his name, my voice shaking.

He glanced at me, that faint smile still on his lips.

I knew him too well.

The angrier he got, the colder his smile became.

Finally, he jerked the wheel, left the other car behind, and pulled into the condo building's private garage

The car stopped smoothly.

But even after the speed was gone, my body stayed stiff, my back soaked in cold sweat.

Silence filled the car.

Ryan leaned over and unbuckled my seat belt, his eyes locked on mine.

When I didn't move, his voice softened. "Get out."

Everything I'd been holding in all day—

hearing about his engagement,

Mom's words feeding every insecurity I had,

and the fear from what he'd just done—

finally broke me.

I tipped my head back and burst into tears.

Ryan went still.

Then he reached over and gently wiped my face.

"Don't cry. I'm here. What are you scared of?"

Heartache. Anger. Humiliation. Helplessness.

They all lodged in my throat.

I couldn't get a single word out.

All I could do was cry.

Ryan let out a quiet sigh and pulled me into his arms.

I completely lost it.

I bit down hard on his shoulder.

Hard enough to taste blood.

I froze.

'Oh no.'

Ryan never let me get away with this.

Sure enough, his hand shot up. His fingers closed around my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

They were dark with possession.

"Getting brave, aren't you?"

Then he scooped me into his arms.

This was the condo only the two of us knew about.

No one would ever find us here.

It wasn't in Ryan's name. He'd put it under a friend's to keep his mother from finding out about me.

The second we stepped inside, every trace of tenderness disappeared.

The anger he'd been holding back all night crashed into me.

It became too much.

Before I could stop myself, I slapped him across the face.

The crack rang through the condo.

He went still.

Some of the hostility drained from his eyes, and his grip loosened.

Only at moments like this would he let me fight back.

He let me struggle.

He let me cry.

He let me fall apart.

Sobbing so hard I could barely breathe, I rasped,

"I hate you, Ryan. I hate you more than anyone."