Losing My Life

Chapter 32

Rory's unconscious mind plays the same dream cycle over and over again. The only part he can't return to is the young woman he asked who she was when he awoke. The conversation he had with Josh about him being this wild person began to wear him down, and his dreams became increasingly disturbing.

He drives up to his house, glad to be back home, rushing in to see Ryleigh and falls into his arms. The home, however, is empty when he enters, just as it was when Stace left. Rory calls out her name but gets no response, so he searches the house for her.

Running upstairs to check the bedroom, including the one converted into a nursery, but it's empty with nothing in it. The last room he checks is their bedroom, where a woman stands in the corner looking out the window at the Los Angeles view, but he knows it's not Ryleigh.

'V?' He calls out, and she turns around in the silky black robe she was wearing when he tattooed her.

'Hey baby,' With a lustful grin, she turns around and steps closer to him, opening her gown to reveal the black sexy lace lingerie. 'I missed you... You still got my tattoo to finish.'

She rises on her toes and looks into Rory's eyes,

'I can be naked if it's better.' She whispers and removes the gown from her body. Rory is speechless and hungers to be touched by her.

The temptation is intense, as her semi-naked petite body sends his mind's toxins into overdrive.

'You know you want to...' she adds as she wraps her arms around his neck, '... Don't fight it.'

Rory leans down to kiss her lips, but he hears a woman calling his name and recognises it's Ryleigh. He came to a halt when he heard her voice and called out to her and sprinting down the hallway to meet her, who is dressed in a formal black gown and has puffy, red eyes.

'Why couldn't you be at the funeral?' Ryleigh challenges.

'What?'

She sees over his shoulder, Valentina leaning against the door frame, posing to entice him back in. Rory looks back too and returns his gaze to Ryleigh's, who is looking at him with disappointment in her eyes.

'Of course, some things are more important to you.' She scowls and dashes out of the house.

'Wait, Ryleigh!' He cries, running after her.

'You couldn't even turn up to our child's funeral!' She yells at the bottom of the stairs. He stops as the words sink in that their child has died and he wasn't there to support her.

He notices a young woman who had woken him up, and he wanted to know who she was standing beside Ryleigh, dressed formally as well, and she looks at him with sorrow. Oddly enough, they have the same eyes and watches them walk out the door.

It became all too much for him that his mind wanted to wake up. The sexual thought of Valentina was wrong and guilt trembles all over his body. He should be thinking about Ryleigh and only her. Being far apart for so long, he almost forgot how it felt like touching and kissing her. Rory knows that none of it is true, but he also realises that he can't think like that again, ever.

Since he was awake, he checks his phone with a message from Stacie. She mentions going away for some business training and asks if Ryleigh could look after Layla again. Layla has been over for the most extended amount of time in a year, and he isn't there to share it with them, which makes him sad.

Rory sends the details over to Ryleigh and starts playing her music. Including the one where they worked on the show together and kissed for the first time. It was the directors' suggestion, and they went along with it. He hopes it will remind him of who he really loves and why.

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Rory's expecting to return in a matter of weeks, which means the baby will be due soon, and Ryleigh is hoping the baby will not stay in her womb past its due date. When he sends a message about having Layla again, Ryleigh is anxious.

Bringing his daughter over is just another way to torture her and to ask for more money. Ryleigh is now having trouble with basic tasks such as tying her shoelaces and bending down to pick up objects as she continues to grow. The hot weather's gives her hot flushes, as she wears loose clothing and stays in the house with the air conditioner on.

In the end, she persuades Kelsie that she should stay and venture out on her own to get Layla. She gives an excuse that she is uncomfortable from sitting in the car for long periods of time and that the air conditioning in the vehicle is ineffective to keep her cool.

She should be able to think more clearly now that she has her own company, but Ryleigh addresses all the negative impact for the last few months and how to deal with them. The best thing is to tell the truth, but doing so would result in losing Rory and the baby.

Her career would suffer as well, and she sometimes wishes she hadn't joined the show in the first place. She had never met Rory, never had fallen in love with him, and wished she had never gotten pregnant.

She is even more stressed because she has no one to turn to, and all she does is cry in her sleep every night. When she does, the baby kicks her in the stomach as a cue to stop thinking this way. It makes her want to fantasise about holding her baby as she sleeps.

She tries to imagine all of the fun things they will do together, such as watching them take their first steps, speak their first words, drop them off at school, and learn to play the guitar and piano. Only if she told Rory the truth she would be able to enjoy all of the happy moments that were about to occur. She doesn't want to go too far and force him to choose a side because it will just make things worse.

Then, seeing Rory so close to Valentia and seeing videos and news adds to her stress, and she wonders if he is taking this seriously. Is he already implying that he wants to move on and wants a change of scenery? She places the blame on herself and concludes that she is too difficult to deal with. Not adventurous or not affectionate enough to his standards.

Given that Rory has been doing this since he was young, she may not be professional enough, and Valentina might be a better fit for him. Everyone wants to see a celebrity couple. She has no ties, and maybe that is what he prefers.

Maybe Ryleigh is like another Stacie, nothing much to her, and now having his child, he won't be able to be as wild and free. She puts her negative thoughts aside and pretends to smile for his daughter.

Kelsie arrives with Layla and is desperate to hug her as if it were her last.