The Stolen Boyfriend

Chapter 12| Breaking Down

Ryker

As I drove back home with her by my side, I couldn't help but notice how sad she appeared in her silence. Whatever he did to her affected her deeply. I had to do something to cheer her up since I hate seeing her sad.

"Here. I got this from one of the men I beat up." I said as I handed her the phone. She was so lost that she flinched at the sound of my voice.

"Yes, thank you. I completely forgot about it." She checked her phone for any calls or texts, which reminded me of a question I needed to ask her.

"You know it's not funny to text someone "Follow me" with a wink emoji and your location below." I turned to look at her while keeping my eyes on the road.

I enjoyed hearing her laugh. "Sorry about that. I didn't take it seriously." She was already out of breath as she spoke these words.

"Which brings me to my point." I sighed before adding, "Care to explain who that man was?" As I asked her, our eyes met, but hers seemed exhausted.

"That was my ex." She muttered as she dropped her head.

"Your ex-," I began. "Wait, your ex?" I repeated in disbelief, or rather, surprise.

"Yeah, I know. Scary, right?" She chuckled nervously. She was uncomfortable with the subject, but she continued, "But don't worry, he wasn't like that when we were dating."

"I see." I nodded in understanding. We both fell silent for a long time. I couldn't speak because I was struggling to find the right words, and I ended up speaking whatever came out of my mouth first.

"I'm just relieved you're now safe." I knew I'd chosen the wrong words because she kept quiet and didn't say anything. God, I'm not used to this. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, realizing that words would most likely only hurt her.

I eventually heard something from her side. The problem is that she wasn't talking; rather, she was crying. That sound broke my heart even more, so I pulled over, unfastened my seatbelt, and turned to look at her. She was covering her face with both of her hands.

"Hey, hey. Listen to me. It's okay. You're okay now." I comforted her. 

“Laura, please just look at me." She eventually looked at me with teary eyes.

"Don't worry, this will never happen again because I will protect you. Even though I know you'll get furious and insist that you can protect yourself since you're a big girl, I can't sit back and watch you fight on your own. It breaks my heart to see you sad."

She finally calmed down a little. "Breathe." She began to take slow, deep breaths.

I sighed, relieved that she appeared to be at ease now. We were quiet for a while, which helped me spot a fast food truck around the corner. I was surprised that it was still open this late.

"Wait here, I'll get you your favorite burger." I smiled as I stared at her. I sensed her surprise when she heard what I said. She is now aware that I tried to get to know her.

"Here. You can have them all." I handed her a bag full of double cheeseburgers, and she stared at it with wide eyes.

"I can't eat all of this by myself. Let's share." She handed me a burger, which I accepted.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked. She nodded in response, swallowing a bite of burger.

She eventually spoke up and said, "Thank you so much. For everything."

"It's good to have you back." I smiled.

"You really missed me, huh?" She asked, a playful grin on her face.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." I replied as I took another mouthful of my burger.

"I knew you would say that because you know my favorite burger even though I never mentioned it to anyone." She sighed as she faced me.

I pretended to be too busy to stare at her.

"Have you been watching my interviews, Mr. Astor?" She pronounced my name in a way that gave me the shivers.

"Well, I was just scrolling through my phone and came across one of your interviews and heard that you like double cheeseburgers, that's all." I replied, unable to look her in the eyes.

"I mentioned my favorite fast food in an old interview that most people forgot about." She corrected me. I couldn't say anything more.

"Should I start worrying about myself?" She asked, sighing deeply.

"Not at all. Don't worry. I mean no harm. I just—" I hesitated for a long time, unsure if it was appropriate to tell her this right now.

I gathered myself and took a deep breath before adding, "I want to get to know you, Laura."

Her eyes widened as I spoke, and she was too stunned to speak. I noticed a slight blush on her cheeks, which she hid with her palms when she looked away.

"You see. I'm good at everything except relationships." She sighed, lowering her head.

"I'm not sure what to say to you." Another sigh followed by a nervous chuckle.

"But you should know that no matter what happens between us, all I want for you is to be happy." When she finally looked at me, I couldn't help but notice the genuine smile that formed on her lips.

I leaned in closer, hesitant to place my hand on her. She noticed my hesitation and assured me with a nod. 

I slowly placed my palm on top of the top of her hand. "I'll find happiness once I'm with you." As she began to look away with that light flush on her face, a warm smile formed on my lips. 

I held my breath as I felt the warmth of her hand beneath mine, and I remembered feeling the same warmth in her touch even in my dream of her.

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.

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