Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Alecia lay in bed, staring at the wall opposite of her. Ryder had left hours ago for work, after using her that morning. No, loving her. It was love like he did many mornings. She closed her eyes and images of last night filled her mind like they did every time she tried to rest. He seemed so different. Not the Ryder she knew. She wiped a tear from her eye. Perhaps she had been wrong. She shouldn’t have angered him, but used her love to soothe him into her wish. Her phone rang, but the need to answer it didn’t register until she realized it might be Ryder.

She rolled over and answered. “Hey,” she said, not even looking at who it was.

“How are you, Ally?”

Alecia sat up and placed a hand on her forehead. It was Taylor. What did she want? “I’m fine.”

“Well, can you let me in? I know you’re home.”

“Oh, did you knock? I didn’t hear you.” Alecia got out of bed and opened her front door.

Taylor smiled even though there were traces of moistness in her eyes. Something must be wrong. “Want to go to the park?” Taylor asked.

“Sure,” Alecia said as she walked back into the apartment and grabbed her purse.

“Ally, you’re still in your nightgown.”

Alecia looked at her gown. Her cheeks warmed. She returned to the bedroom she shared with Ryder and came back five minutes later in a pair of blue jeans and a sweatshirt with her hair loosely in a ponytail.

A few pigeons plucked at seeds left on the ground, while a squirrel ran up a tree chasing another. Taylor kept looking at her face, so she tried to hide what she was feeling. It probably didn’t work. Her eyes felt so moist, so raw. How much had she cried last night?

“Are you really okay, Alecia?”

Alecia crossed her arms around her waist. “Ryder and I just had an argument last night, but everything is fine.”

Taylor nodded. “What was it about?”

“Oh, I don’t even remember. It was silly. Every couple has arguments.”

Taylor leaned forward. “You still seem hurt by it.”

Alecia forced a smile, and closed her eyes as tears filled them.

"It was no simple fight,” Taylor said.

A couple tears fell from Alecia's eyes.

“Did he hit you?”

Alecia turned a sharp glance to Taylor. “Why would you think that?”

"Because I know he’s capable of it.”

Alecia shook her head. “Ryder would never hurt me.”

Taylor looked at the ground. “He came to my place last night.”

"He did?”

"Yeah.” Taylor stood and walked from the bench.

Alecia jumped to her feet and chased after her. What in the world was he doing at his

ex’s? Hopefully, just looking for advice.

“Taylor, tell me about it.” Taylor turned to her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I could lose Chloe over this.” Taylor pointed at her chest. “I don’t know why I’m speaking, except for the fact that I’m so sick of the control they have over the women in their lives. You know, she didn’t want Lucas for her mate.”

Alecia took a step closer to her. “I promise I won’t say anything.”

"How can I trust you?”

“We’ll share secrets. Ryder would be so mad, if he knew I told you this.”

Taylor walked over to her and wrapped her arms around Alecia. The scent of her floral perfume surrounded her. This girl held Chloe as a lover, but her as a friend.

Alecia snuggled her face into her shoulder - her touch soothed her rattled nerves and for a moment she felt the sense of security she had lost last night.

"What happened?” Taylor whispered into her ear.

"He just got mad and....” If she could just hide away. Alecia covered her eyes, but the pounding sound rang through her mind. “

"He locked me in our room and....” Alecia let the story unfold while tears rushed down her face.

Taylor pulled her close, caressing her back, crying with her.

When she finished, Alecia pulled from Taylor and stared into those exotic green eyes.

"What happened when he came over?”

She bit on her lips. Please let him have just wanted to talk. She didn’t know what she would do if she found out he’d cheated on her.

Taylor took a deep breath and exhaled out in a smooth stream. “He wanted sex, Ally.”

Alecia took a step back. “What?” She was lying. She had to be.

“I think he wanted to hurt you, to prove you have no power over him.” Taylor took her limp hands. “I sent him away. I promise you I did. I imagine he found someone else.”

Not one part of her wanted to believe Taylor. But it was true. She knew it. What did Taylor have to gain from telling her what so many had told her before? Ryder slept around. Alecia wrapped her arms around her waist. What was she going to do? She couldn’t stay with someone who disregarded their wedding vows. But the thought of walking away sent sharp stabs throughout her.

"Alecia, you’ve got to be careful. You’ve to be.”

Alecia remained silent.

“Alecia, when I rejected him, he threw me back against the wall.”

Alecia clamped her eyes tight. He would never do that to her. Never. Taylor wasn’t the woman he loved and maybe he just slightly shoved her.

“I’m sorry to debunk the image of your prince.”

“Do you know how many people he’s slept with?”

“It’s uncountable. He’s so used….”

Alecia shook her head. He had lied to her. How did this all start? How had Ryder just moved into her life? Right now it seemed like he had been there from the moment of her birth, he had ingrained so much of himself into her. There was never a thought that didn’t center on him. She had denied her faith for him. She looked up at the sky. Was this her punishment for abandoning the freedom council? “What am I to do?” she asked.

"I don’t know. You can’t leave him. There’s nowhere you can go he won’t find you.

Hendrix don’t let their women leave and it's worse now -- I heard you let h mark you.”

“I actually believed he loved me.”

Taylor half smiled. “I don’t know if he loves you, but he’s definitely obsessed with you.”

A smile seeped across her face. At least he did want her, and her marriage wasn’t a show.

"Alecia, obsession is dangerous.”

She focused on Taylor's eyes. “I love him. Maybe I can help him.”

"He’s becoming his father, you can’t fight that.”

"But I have to try. I love him.”

"You will fail.”

Alecia turned around and watched the children playing in the distance. A young boy with light brown hair kicked a ball up a slide while another young girl tried to catch it. She could do it. She’d find a way.