Chapter 94

* Janie *

After almost losing what little mind I had left dealing with that Jessica person, I headed back upstairs to cool off. That, and I could feel the shakes coming on, and there was no way I was going to let her see me like that. It was bad enough that she was here during the worst time of my life; no need to give her more to gloat over.

I’d torn the stupid piece of paper she waved around in my face in half, only to have her laugh at me and claim that that was just a copy, and she’d be more than happy to show me the original once I calmed down.

Once back in my room, I searched for and found my phone, which had been fully charged, thank heavens because there was one thing I needed to do before I blacked out from withdrawals, something I haven’t had to worry about in a long while, not since I’d hooked Ryder and his money had kept me supplied with everything I needed.

That feeling of drowning in dark water tried to creep up on me again, but I pushed it back the best I could. My hate and anger at the thing downstairs and the little bitch that was hell-bent on destroying my life gave me the energy I needed.

I wouldn’t have remembered her name, but the contract she’d waved in my face had it written, so it was easy. I googled the name, expecting nothing. I wanted nothing more than to go back down there and laugh in her stupid face because I was sure that she was putting on airs in front of me with nothing to back it up.

Even though her clothes and shoes were the real thing, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have found them at some consignment shop, or maybe the little bitch had given her some money for tormenting me. Those were my thoughts and my hopes as I typed in her name. I almost fell over when she was the first person to come up in the search engine.

Not only was there mention of the interview she’d done years ago before all this had happened, but her credentials and stats were front and center. “An investment banker? How? SHE MAKES ALMOST FOUR MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR?” That can’t be possible, can it? She’s about my age, she came from nothing… how?

I almost went back downstairs to ask her, to force her somehow to tell me that it was not true, but instead, I kept reading. She’d graduated early and went on to Wharton, where she caught the attention of her professors and peers with her business savvy. She started trading stocks as soon as she was old enough to work and handle her own money, dragging her family out of the slums they’d been used to for generations.

It was all there in black and white, and still, I couldn’t believe it. How could someone like her be doing as well as all this? I scrolled back to the interview she’d done, where she’d talked about me and how I’d terrorized her as soon as she gained entrance to the school.

I felt a bit smug that even with all that, she’d had to mention my name for props, but as it turns out, it was the reporter who’d made the connection and brought up the question of whether or not our paths had crossed while attending.

Jessica hadn’t held back, and I can almost imagine the sneer on her face as she retold the story of my bullying days. It was the reporter as well who’d mentioned the fact that I had dropped out to pursue my modeling career, and that bitch downstairs had only said, ‘Oh really, I didn’t know that; I don’t keep up with her and her ilk, though I do recall she wasn’t there my last year.’

I wanted to tear her hair out at the roots and…. Wait, her last year? Did she really graduate at fifteen? She would’ve had to because I left at fourteen. How did I not know that she was that bright? Now, I want to run and hide.

I felt small, belittled, like the nobody I was before Ryder. I hate that feeling and never thought or imagined it could happen again. How am I supposed to face her knowing what I know now?

It would’ve been fine had she only come into money because of whatever the hell it was she had going on here with my latest nemesis, but from the looks of things, she’d been doing quite well for a very long time. It was depressing to think about, so I didn’t. But that led my mind down another path.

If she’s that rich, why the hell is she here? There could only be one answer to that question. Payback. She was here for the sole purpose of making me suffer for the hell that I had put her through. What is it with people wanting to make me pay? They act as though I’m the first and last person to ever do the things I did. Like no one else fights for what they want by any means necessary.

It’s not like I killed someone; I just fell in love and married the man I was in love with. Is that so horrible? Sure, I’d gone about things in an unconventional way, and maybe I’d lied a little, but so what? I got the job done, didn’t I? People should be taking lessons instead of vilifying me in the press. Now, it feels like the world is against me.

I suddenly felt like all the energy had been sapped out of me, and there was nothing left but to crawl under the covers and pull them over my head to keep the world out. I had nothing and no one to help me right now, so there was no point in dwelling on anything. I’ll think about my next move after I get some rest. I scratched myself to sleep and welcomed the dark as it came.

***

It seemed like I’d barely closed my eyes when I heard the knock at the door. I lifted my head, eyes blurry and needing a fix even worse than before. “What?”“Your phone has been going off for the last ten minutes. Answer it or turn it off. Though I think you might want to see what that’s about.” I could hear the grin in her voice, and it made my stomach curl.

She’d only be this excited if she knew what that phone call was about, and I’d bet my life that it was nothing good for yours truly. I huffed my way out of bed and grabbed my phone, which had started ringing again. “What?”“Turn on the news, channel six.” That’s all she said, but I knew it was her; no way I would forget that voice. “You little….” She hung up.

I’d been so high and out of it that I only now realized that the room I’d left empty now had the bed I was lying on, along with a bureau and a TV stand. They’d even put curtains in the windows. That damn Walmart bag was still staring at me from the corner where I’d left it.

I found the remote on the night table next to the bed and turned the TV on, heart racing as I didn’t know what to expect. What I saw in the next two minutes made me scream loud enough to lose my voice. By the time I came to my senses, the room was trashed, and I was breathing as if it were my last breath.

***

*Elena*

Following the suggestion to check my phone, I didn’t know what to expect, but nothing could’ve prepared me. I was left speechless, for lack of a better word. “Oh, my word, no, he didn’t.” My poor baby. I need to get to him now. He must be feeling pretty raw after exposing himself like that, something I know he hates.

Almost as soon as I had the thought, there was an uproar on the set, and I turned to see him walk in, looking like he hadn’t just rocked the world on its axis. It took a few seconds for my head to clear, but I remained rooted to the spot. It’s not often I see him in a suit, and as usual, he made my heart do cartwheels in my chest. The boy does clean up well.

I looked from him back to the screen where the press conference he’d held sometime today ended. I knew he’d probably come here straight after because he was wearing the same clothes. I didn’t know what to say as he winked at me before turning his attention to the crew, who were busy asking for autographs as if this wasn’t a set packed with some of the most iconic legends in the entertainment industry.

Ryder tends to have that effect on people, though, and even my costars, whom I dreaded looking at for fear of their disapproval, were wearing indulgent smiles on their faces. “Why don’t you go on ahead? We’re done here for the day anyway.”

They both came to stand on either side of me but kept their eyes on the melee taking place across the room. “You gonna be okay?” I felt a comforting arm on my shoulders.”Yes, I think so.” More than okay. I’ve never been more in love with this man than I am at this moment.

“We both saw the press conference. You had no idea, did you, that he was going to do that?”

I could only shake my head no as I fought back tears. The old Ryder wouldn’t have done that, wouldn’t have thrown himself on his own sword, so to speak. No, his way of dealing with things back then was to either ignore or act out even worse. I didn’t realize it then, but that was his way of freeing himself from the chains and shackles that were placed on us once we became stars.

Because I had grown up with it from a very young age, I never saw it the way he did, but now I get it. And I feel such guilt for not seeing it sooner, not understanding what the world saw as his bad boy act as a cry for help.

I wanted to run to him and throw my arms around him but held myself back. We’d caused enough of a stir for one day. Instead, I waited another five minutes until he was done signing autographs for my colleagues to approach.

The first thing he did was take my hand with the ring and bring it to his lips before walking me out of the room back to the dressing room to gather my stuff so we could leave. I was still too choked up to speak, so we communicated with smiles and hand squeezes until we left the building.

I was too preoccupied to notice that we left the building another way with my new security team leading the way, and by the time I did realize we were in the car being driven back to my place. I looked at him questioningly, “I didn’t want you having to deal with the crowd that was waiting out there, so the guys came up with this idea.”

I nodded and kept staring at him. He keeps surprising me, and I’m not sure my poor heart can handle it. I knew he’d changed; I’ve seen those changes myself, but it’s still a jolt to the system to see this new, self-assured, and very mature Ryder by my side.

This is the version of him I always wanted. The man who just sat in front of a band of microphones and told the whole world how much he loves and has always loved me. He admitted his part, his negligence, even admitted to not being deserving of me in the past, but I think the thing that got to me and is still making my heart beat out of time is the way he’d forcefully proclaimed that he’d do much better this time around.

That and the way he’d looked into the camera and asked my mother for forgiveness and apologized to everyone else who held me dear. It’s such an Un-Ryder-like thing to do. It was so out of the ordinary for him that I was having a hard time even now, even with all the changes, believing that he had come this far.

“Did someone else write that speech?”“Nope, it came straight from here.” He pointed to his chest. “I knew when you walked out the door with my ring on your finger that it would set off a shit show. Thanks for that; by the way, I would’ve been crushed if you’d opted to take it off.”

I knew it. I didn’t say it out loud, but the grin on my face came from the heart. “But…” I started to ask about his PR team and the backlash he might face because of what he’d done, but he stopped me. I had so many questions.

No PR team in the world would have their client bare himself to the world the way he just did. And they definitely wouldn’t have allowed him to take the blame for the situation and go so far as to spell out every detail of the last five years the way he had. I was still coming to terms with what I’d seen, and I was living it right alongside him.

“We’ll talk more when we get home okay.” He squeezed my hand and relaxed in his seat, no doubt now coming down from the rush of the huge decision he’d made.

As for me, I was on tenterhooks, but I wanted to watch it again and then again until I’d had my fill of the sweetness. After all the speculation and talk about us in the last few weeks, this was bound to cause an uproar, no doubt, but hopefully, it would put all the questions to rest. It was also going to get us hounded for at least the next year.

His phone rang, and he had to release my hand to answer, but he pulled me in close to his side to answer. I felt his body tense, then relax as he looked down at me. “That actually sounds like a pretty good idea. I’ll ask her.”

Ask me what?