Now, at least, he had something to say. Ryker scooted closer, his knees rubbing against the side of the mattress. He pressed his forehead against his father’s cold, translucent palm.
“Dad, I… I don’t know what to do,” he whispered. His voice cracked on the last word.
Ryker hated admitting a weakness, even to his unconscious father, but this problem was larger than him. He didn’t even know if it could be solved.
Cyrus didn’t stir. The only sound was the slight whirring of the machine monitoring his heart rate.
“Things have been… difficult,” Ryker admitted. “With the Choosing… and with my wife, Brynleigh.”
Still no response.
He closed his eyes and blew out a long breath. In a low voice, he told his father about everything that had happened since the wedding.
Ryker skipped over certain details—he would rather die before sharing details of his sex life with his family—but he laid the rest out as plainly as he could. The shifter’s arrival, Brynleigh’s reaction to him, her pleas, the shooting, and the pain Ryker felt after, knowing she’d betrayed him.
He didn’t stop there.
He shared about the agony, heartbreak, and pain that had been his only companion for days. The hurt he’d felt at Brynleigh’s betrayal. How he’d found her in The Pit and heard her confession. And the more recent events. Jelisette de la Point. The deal. The Rosewood.
“The thing is, I… Iunderstand.” Ryker opened his eyes and stared at his father’s immobile form. “Her motives make sense, in a dark way, but I don’t know if understanding why she did this is enough. I loved her with all my heart, Dad.” If the ache in his chest was any sign, maybe he still did. But he didn’t know what to do with that information. “And now…”
What did people do with broken hearts? How could pain like this be mended?
Their problems weren’t one-sided. Ryker was self-aware enough to acknowledge that he wasn’t fucking perfect.
But…
The door creaked behind Ryker, and he jolted. Dropping his father’s hand, he twisted around.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Brynleigh stood in the doorway, her wide black eyes staring at him. “I knocked several times, but you didn’t hear me.”
She was still wearing the same sweater from yesterday. She twisted her hands, the black sleeves falling to her fingertips. The uncertainty in her voice made his heart hurt, and despite everything that lay between them, he wanted to gather her in his arms.
But he didn’t.
The brokenness of their relationship was like a canyon stretching between them. He wasn’t sure they could ever close the divide.
Ryker stood, and his fingers flexed at his sides. They itched to touch her.
“What do you need?” he asked softly.
A frown pulled at Brynleigh’s lips, and a line marred her forehead. “It’s almost dusk, and I have to go to Jelisette’s tonight.”
The debrief.
With everything that had happened with his father, Ryker had forgotten all about it. He hadn’t even realized an entire day had passed.
“Oh.”
Brynleigh worried her lip. She’d been doing that a lot since he rescued her.
“I’ll need to leave soon. Jelisette doesn’t like it when people are late.” Pain flashed across Brynleigh’s face, a whisper of hurt that had Ryker wanting to punch Jelisette.
“I understand.” His gaze swept over Brynleigh, cataloging the paleness of her skin, the darkness in her eyes, and the way her fingers tapped nervously against her leg. “Are you hungry?”
Relief flashed through those black orbs.
“Yes,” Brynleigh breathed. “I wasn’t sure… Is there…”