Ryin

Ryin tried to act unbothered, but she was anything but. From the moment the Uber pulled away from Dorian’s townhouse, her stomach had been in knots.

She stared out the window the entire ride home, replaying the way he had looked at her after finding the messages. . . like she was someone he no longer recognized.

She hadn’t cried.

But she’d come close.

Her mind spiraled the whole ride.

Did he tell Zoie?

Did he call Tony?

What if Zoie already knew? What if everything blew up before she had the chance to explain? Not that she had a good explanation.

She’d called and texted Tony not long after leaving Dorian’s house.

Ryin: We need to talk. NOW.

Tony: I’m working a 12. Meet me behind the store near the end of my shift. 9:30.

He hadn’t answered her call. He had only sent that one cold reply, like she was a problem he was scheduling around.

Typical.

By the time she got home, her nerves were shot. Her pulse didn’t slow, even after a hot shower and a few hours of hiding in her room.

Her cousin Stephen noticed. Of course he did.

He’d been staying in one of her older brothers’ old rooms since Wednesday night, in town with his parents for Thanksgiving break. Stephen had always been good at noticing when something was wrong.

She’d barely eaten dinner. Barely said three words.

Still, he didn’t press. He watched her quietly until they were clearing their plates, then asked casually, “Want me to take you somewhere? Get you out of here for a bit?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. That’d be good.”

Moments later, they were buckling up in his parents’ car.

“You want me to just drop you near the plaza?” Stephen asked skeptically as they backed out of the driveway.

“Yeah,” Ryin said, adjusting the sleeves of her cream-colored shirt. “Zoie and I are meeting at Aéropostale.”

That, of course, was a lie.

Zoie was home studying for her upcoming practicals and had already told Ryin she wasn’t going anywhere that day.

Stephen didn’t question it.

He only nodded, the look in his eyes unreadable. “Cool. Call me, and I’ll circle back later.”

He didn’t need to know the truth.

That she was meeting Tony.

***

Tony was deep into a twelve-hour shift at Urban Drape Studios. He wore the tailored shirts, signature cologne, and polished smile the job seemed to require. 

But Ryin knew who he really was.

Shamefully, she loved him anyway. She always had, since the eighth grade, back when things were simple. Back when he wasn’t so cruel. Back before the arrogance and the lies. Before being with him became something she had to hide.

She stepped out near the back entrance of Westview Plaza, waving Stephen off. “Thanks. I’ll text when I’m done.”

Her outfit was simple.

Cream long-sleeve shirt. Tan puffer vest. Brown sweatpants that hugged her hips. Cream Air Maxes. Her lip gloss was fading, and her dark hair was clipped back in a claw clip, with a few loose strands falling against her face.

Her reflection in a storefront window looked put together.

She didn’t feel that way.

The closer it got to 9:30, the less certain she was that she could hold herself together.

As she walked behind the boutique, the cold wind sliced across her cheeks, but she barely felt it. Her heart beat harder with every step. By the time she reached the alley, her breath kept catching in her throat.

Tony was already there, pacing beneath a flickering alley light. The glow cast sharp shadows across his face.

He didn’t greet her. He didn’t ask if she was okay.

“Talk,” he snapped the moment she stepped within range.

Her voice trembled, but she forced the words out. “Dorian knows.”

Tony stopped mid-step. He turned slowly, his jaw tightening. “Knows what, Ry?”

“About us.”

His shoulders squared. His brows pulled together as he took a slow step toward her.

“What did you tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him anything,” she said quickly, her voice rising. “He went through my phone while I was asleep this morning.”

“You’re kidding me.” Tony dragged a hand down his face.

“I’m not. I came to warn you so you could get ahead of it before Zo—”

“Don’t bring her into this,” he growled.

“She’s already in it! She’s your girlfriend—”

“I said shut the fuck up!”

She stepped back. “You don’t get to act mad. You’ve been using me—”

That was when he snapped.

He lunged.

His open hand struck her in the throat, right beneath her chin, forcing the breath from her lungs. She stumbled backward, coughing violently as her hands flew to her neck.

Before she could recover, he grabbed the front of her vest and slammed her against the brick wall. Her back and the back of her head struck it so hard her knees buckled.

Stars exploded behind her eyes. She tried to scream, but his hand was already around her throat, squeezing.

“You let him find out on purpose, didn’t you?” Tony hissed, spit flying.

“I didn’t,” she rasped, clawing at his wrist.

“You wanted this to blow up. You’re jealous of me and Zoie. You’ve always been jealous of her!”

Her nails dug into his forearm, desperate to make him let go.

“This is your fucking fault. All of it! You couldn’t handle being second, so you set me up.”

He threw her onto the gravel.

Her knees slammed against the ground. Her left wrist folded beneath her, sending pain shooting up her arm. She screamed, but it came out broken and thin.

Then came the kick.

His foot rammed into her stomach once, then again, until she folded in on herself, gasping for air as the taste of bile rose in her throat.

“You think you can fucking ruin me?” he barked.

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the gravel. Her shoes scraped against the ground. Her hip burned.

She couldn’t fight. Her limbs wouldn’t move fast enough.

“Tony, please,” she sobbed. “Please, stop.”

“If Zoie finds out, if anyone finds out, I swear to God, Ryin, I’ll end you.”

He grabbed her face, his fingers digging into her cheeks so hard her jaw popped. Then he shoved her backward. The sudden motion forced her teeth down onto her tongue.

Warm blood filled her mouth.

She coughed once.

Then he rolled down his sleeves.

Adjusted his collar.

Scanned his badge on the keypad beside the back entrance and disappeared inside.

Ryin lay twisted on the cold gravel, gasping. Her face burned. Her ribs throbbed. She couldn’t move her wrist.

The alley spun around her as she lay on the ground.

She didn’t cry.

She couldn’t.

Not yet. The shock held everything else at bay. 

Every movement hurt, but somehow, she forced herself to her feet. Her steps were uneven, her side on fire, but she kept moving, limping toward the front of the plaza.

She collapsed onto a metal bench at the bus stop, her body folding in half.

The streetlight above her flickered, casting a dull yellow glow over the bus stop.

She pulled out her phone with her good hand, her thumb shaking as she unlocked the screen.

She tried calling Dorian.

The call went straight to voicemail.

Of course. He had blocked her.

She stared at his name in her call history. For a moment, she considered calling Stephen, but she couldn’t let him see her like this. She couldn’t imagine trying to explain what had happened.

Her fingers shook as she tapped the call symbol beside Zoie’s name.

It rang once.

Twice.

“Hello?”

Her voice cracked. “Can you come get me?”

“Ryin?” Zoie’s voice sharpened. “Where are you?”

“A bus stop. Near Westview Plaza.”

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“I—I just really need you to come get me,” Ryin whispered. “Please.”

“I’m on my way,” Zoie replied without hesitation.

The line went dead.

Ryin looked down at her phone just as the screen went black. She pressed the power button, but only the low-battery icon appeared.

She didn't move.

Didn't fix her hair.

Didn't wipe her face.

She just sat there, letting the pain settle wherever it wanted.

Her wrist throbbed. Her tongue stung. Every part of her body felt bruised.

She pulled the hood of her puffer vest over her head, hiding her face from the passing cars as the wind tugged at the loose strands of her hair.

She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around herself as best she could.

"I can't let Zoie find out," she whispered.

Her voice broke on Zoie's name.

This time, she let herself cry.