Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 24

Sky opened the door to the infirmary, relief washing through her like a tidal wave upon seeing Ryleigh sitting on the edge of one of the beds. Ridge was standing in front of her, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. It was endearing how he thought that gesture made him look more intimidating – like anything could.

"I'm just saying I can take it," Ryleigh said.

"I'm not giving you pills and that's final. You have to stop asking me, because I'm really bad at saying no. They might kill you."

"I'm asking for sleeping pills, not pain killers. Besides, I don't have as much silver in me as I used to. I'm willing to take the risk."

"I'm not."

"Ryleigh, I need your help," Sky said, before they could launch into another round of bickering. "Father, please give us a minute?"

"You can have all the time you want. We're done here." He shot Ryleigh a stern look and headed for the door. "I'm on house calls if anyone needs me."

Once the door clicked shut behind him, Ryleigh slid off the bed. "Your father is really annoying."

"Try growing up with him."

She chuckled. "Fair enough. So, what's up? Does this happen to have anything to do with your transgression the other day?"

Sky glanced around her to make sure Ridge was really gone and no one else was present. "Yes."

"Do you want to go outside?" Ryleigh started towards the door, but Sky pulled her back.

"He's looking for me. We have to hide."

Ryleigh opened her mouth, then shut it. She slowly eased herself back onto the bed. Sky moved to the wall, pressing herself against it so she couldn't be seen from the windows.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Ryleigh pressed her fingers against her lips to poorly hide a smile.

"Don't laugh. He's been linking me, saying we need to talk. I keep telling him I'm busy, and when he manages to sneak up on me, I give him a lousy excuse and walk away before he can protest. So now I'm trying to make sure I'm never alone, because I think you were right – he doesn't want the secret out either. He won't start about it as long as there's someone with me."

"Sounds like you got it all figured out."

Sky scoffed, resting her head against the wall. "Have you met Conall? He's impatient. He won't let me avoid him forever."

"So, unpopular opinion, but what if you talked to him? Get it out of the way? Because from where I'm sitting, it sounds like it's inevitable."

"That's a terrible idea."

"Alright. Sorry. Don't bite my head off. As someone horrible at communicating myself, I get it, but have you looked at yourself? You are literally shying away from windows at this point. Just tell him it meant nothing and move on. You say he does this all the time. Surely not every woman he sleeps with proceeds to run around in a frenzy, contemplating whether becoming a rogue is not an easier way out than talking to him."

"Well, no." She exhaled a slow sigh through her nose.

"It did mean something, didn't it?" From the corner of her vision, she saw Ryleigh quirk a brow at her.

She made no reply. She'd rather die than admit that yes, perhaps, in a pathetic, self-destructive way, it had meant more than it should have.

"Maybe it meant something to him as well?" Ryleigh said. "This could be the start of something."