Stealing Ryder Read Free Page A

never meant to be like this, us together. Nothing was supposed to happen this way.
    FUCK.
    Her face went to meet mine, as she breathed heavily a few inches from me. She was rubbing against me, and my bastard of a dick responded.  My cock and my heart aren't always on the same page. I would have taken Kylee right here on the stairs, but Harper isn’t just someone. Harper is whom I’m supposed to be with, and I would never do anything to hurt her. She will always be mine. Forever.
    “Kylee ,” I said, pushing her away before this went any further.
    “ Ry, I don’t get it. We are meant to be together. We were married, we have a baby, and our families want us together. I just don’t get it; what could go wrong?” she asked in a quiet voice that reeked of desperation.
    “A lot went wrong. You want me to be a lawyer…”
    “But that is what you are suppose to be! Football clearly didn’t work out for you, and now you sit on your...”
    “That is enough ,” I screamed with force.
    “I do not want to hear anything else ; do you understand, Kylee? I am not with you, and never will be again. I thought you liked Harper? I thought you didn’t mind her around Evelyn?” I asked her with genuine curiosity.
    “Ry, she doesn’t pretend like she is a mom with Evelyn does she?” she finally choked out when she was able to speak.
    This caught me off guard. I knew where she was coming from. She felt as though I replaced her with Harper , and now Harper was going to replace her as a mom. I would never let that happen. Harper knew she was always going to be someone important in Evelyn’s life, but Kylee would always be her mom.
    “I can promise you that will never happen. Evelyn will always see you as Mom. How can she not? You feed her, dress her, and love her more than my own mother even loves me. You are a good mom, Kylee, just not the right person for me.”
    “I want to go home.”
    “You are home,” I said with force, trying to emphasize that her new base is San Diego, not Houston.
    “My parents want me to come home ; they want to see Evie. I can go work with my dad as a secretary in his office. My old friends always ask me when I am moving back; I just want to go home.”
    “No. What about me?” I demanded , trying to keep my voice as steady as I possibly could.
    “Come back to Houston. You can go to law school, work for your dad. Come with me ,” she begged.
    “Not an option ,” I said, knowing I would never leave Harper alone here. And I didn’t want to ever face my parents again. In the four years since I left home, I’ve never once went to face the pieces of shit that birthed me. Why go back when I have everything here?
    “I can’t stay here; you know I can’t,” she said in a quiet voice; and without saying much more, Evelyn came bounding down the stairs with her little Barbie princess backpack on.
    “Look , Daddy!” she exclaimed, while showing me the front of her backpack with the Barbie’s face plastered on the plastic.
    “Just like you , hunny,” I said, lifting her up and bringing the rest of her stuff outside to the truck.
    The conversation between Kylee and me was over…for now. I had to talk to her more about it on Sunday. It would be settled then. Evelyn wouldn’t be confronted with two obviously-fighting parents. It was wrong.
    Just as I was about to carry her outside and into the car, I heard Kylee shout, “Wait!”
    I turned around and saw Kylee running from the inside of the house.
    I turned around, with Evelyn still in my arms, and Kylee came up to both of us. She went up on her tiptoes to kiss Evelyn on the forehead, and whispered loud enough in her ears so I could hear.
    “I love you , baby,” she said and kissed her forehead. I leaned down so she could kiss Evelyn’s forehead. She snuck in and pecked me on the cheek.
    “I love you , too, and always will. Think about Houston.”
    I turned around and walke d back to my truck, shifting the car seat, making sure it was in