Sweet Heart by Trina T (best books for 20 year olds .txt) 📖

never stopped loving him, that I never had another guy. My thoughts were always on him, always. But I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let him in again. I would protect Ryder this time around, instead of him protecting me. Even if it killed me to do so, I would.

“This was a mistake.” I said going for the door. Ryder was faster and blocked me.

“Don’t you run away from me, Cole.” He was getting mad again.

“I’m not running away, Ryder!” I said trying to match his angry tone.

“Don’t play me for stupid. Just because I haven’t talked to you in two fucking years doesn’t mean I forgot about you. That doesn’t mean I don’t remember how you operate.”

“Just cause you knew me so well back then doesn’t mean you know me now!” I fired back at him.
Ryder slammed his hand down on the counter, hard. I just jumped back about a foot and tripped over my own feet. I landed on my butt with terror in my eyes. I knew Ryder would never ever hurt me but her startled me.

Ryder’s face fell. He went from seeing red to guilt and sadness in seconds.

“Cole I…” He started but I jumped when he spoke. I was shaking and could feel my eyes filling with water.

Ryder bent down slowly in front of me. I was trying to calm myself down but it wasn’t working, which was making me even more upset. The fights with my dad these past weeks and then having all these confusing feelings about Ryder, I was on over load.

Ryder reached out his hand, slowly and touched my shoe then he slowly raised his hand up my jean covered leg. He rested his hand on my knee and scooted over to me. My feet were at his side and his feet were at mine.

“It’s ok. I’m sorry, sweet heart.” Ryder calmly said.

It had been so long sense I had heard him call me sweet heart, I just lost it…more. All my emotions rushed out of me. I started to cry, I put my hands on my face to try and hide it, but there was never hiding anything from Ryder. He moved his leg so that it crossed over my legs and he pulled me into his protective impress, holding me like he was my own personal cocoon, my protector. His body was so warm and familiar, I felt at home. He put his hand on my side and tightened his hold. I yelped and pulled back.
He looked at me, his brow knitting together. “I didn’t think I squeezed you that tight? You ok?”
Shooting pain was radiating threw my body. My side felt like it was on fire.

“Cole are you ok?” Ryder asked me again. I just nodded my head; I didn’t trust my voice to speak.

“Follow me.” Ryder said helping me up, careful not to touch my left side.

I followed him into a small bathroom. You could tell that two young guys lived here. The bathroom was a mess but the pain in my side kept me from picking up any of the dirty towels.

“Sorry about the mess.” Ryder said a little embarrassed. “Here, sit over there.” He motioned for me to sit down on the side of the bath tub. I did.
Ryder kneeled down in front of me “Take off your shirt.”

I looked at him like he was crazy.

“Don’t be shy, Cole, nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“Why do I have to take off my shirt?”
Ryder sighed “Do you always have to make everything so difficult?” Ryder ran his hand threw his hair. “I want to make sure your ribs aren’t broken. So please, can you take off your shirt so I can see if your ok?”

“I don’t mean to always be difficult.” I said in a huff.

I was trying to stall. I really didn’t want to be shirtless in front of Ryder, especially today. Of course I’d pick today to not wear a bra. I have smallish breasts so I don’t always have to wear a bra, plus I hadn’t done laundry in awhile so I didn’t have any clean to wear even if I wanted to.

“But most of the time you do!” Ryder said raising an eyebrow

“That’s not ture!”

“Strop stalling! Take your shirt off!”
In a way it was funny how he was telling me to take my shirt off but I knew if I laughed he’d probably want to shave my head to check for an injury there too.

“I’m not stalling!” Ryder just glared at me. “I’m not wearing a bra…” I finally admitted hoping to get him to back off. Didn’t work.

“So?” he asked and chuckled slightly.
“Ryder!”

“Cole, stop fussing! It’s not like I’m going to grope you. I just want to make sure your ok is all. Either I check or I’ll have Kyle do it when he gets home. Your choice...”

It was my turn to glare at him this time.
“Relax ok?”

“Fine! But I’m going to find a way to get you back for this!”

“Get me back? I’m just trying to help you out!” Ryder said almost mocking me.


Ryder
The thought of seeing Cole half naked did excite me a little. That was uncontroable, Cole was gorgeous! It was a fact. But my attention was on something more serious then ogling Cole’s gorgeous body. Cole grudently took her shirt off with her back to me. She winced a little but put up a brave face. She held the shirt, covering her chest and turned so that I was able to see her left side.

From just under her arm pit to touching her jeans, her skin was black. Not blue or purple or green but black.

“What the fuck did he do?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“I thought you were just going to check my ribs, Ryder?”

“Cole, don’t play games!” I ran a light finger over her side as I examined her side carefully.

“They’re not broken, maybe fractured though.” I said still angry. I couldn’t believe he had done this to Cole! She was the greatest person I knew and her dad treated her so horrible. I thought I would either kill him or cry my eyes out.

“Ok, good. Can I put my shirt back on?”
“Yeah…But you should go to see a doctor about them.” I really thought she should but getting her to the doctor was harder to do then rocket science.
“I’ll be fine.”

She turned her back to me again to put her shirt back on. As she did I caught sight of bruises marking her skin along her back. I couldn’t help feel the knot in my throat harden.

I was so mad. I can’t believe her dad treats her like less of a dog. I truly hoped her dad would burn in hell. I also had some words to share with Coles brother, Robin. He just up and left Cole in that house to fend for herself.

“Thank you.” Cole said to me out of the blue. We had changed from the bathroom to the living room. I had let Cole borrow an old pair of shorts. I had to admit she looked amazing in them. Her wearing my clothes seemed to sit right with me. We decided sense we didn’t have school tomorrow that we’d watch some movies and just have some down time. I was itching to ask her about what happened with her dad, why she had gotten beat like that but I didn’t know how to approach the subject, let alone if she would even tell me. I could tell that she knew I wanted to ask bus she wasn’t going to make it easy for me. She didn’t want to talk about it so that meant she was going to be difficult about the subject.


Cole
I could feel Ryder’s anxiety, he wanted to ask about the bruises. I knew he did. Actually I was surprised he’d lasted this long. We’d watched two movies already and it had to be at least one in the morning.
I really didn’t want to talk about my dad. I haven’t talked about it sense Ryder left town. He was the only person I talked to about my dad, Mayla knew or had an idea about what was going on in my house behind closed doors but we never talked about it like I had done with Ryder. I just wasn’t sure if talking about it with him was still an ok thing to do or if we should really just move on.

“Cole, your killing me here.” Ryder groaned.
I laughed. “How so?”
"You know what happened.” He said dryly.

“You don’t have to know, it’s not your obligation anymore to worry about me. I’m all grown up now.” I expected him to get mad at me about that statement but he didn’t.

“It was never and obligation, Cole. It was always a choice. Actually it wasn’t a choice either. I fell in love with you the very first time I laid eyes on you. And I haven’t stopped loving you sense. So me caring and asking what’s going on is not an obligation. It’s who I am. Please, sweet heart, just talk to me. Pretended everything is back to how it used to be, before I left.”

I was surprised at his calmness. I had no idea what to say. I hated telling Ryder about my dad and me, I hated the look he got on his face. Almost like he was feeling my pain along with me. I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me. I hated getting pitied. But Ryder wasn’t asking out of pity, he was asking out of love.

“You sure?” I asked before I started.

“Stop stalling, sweet heart.” I guess I got my answer.

I looked at the T.V. avoiding Ryder’s soft eyes and started. “ Well, it began when I had made dinner for my dad and his friend David about a month ago.” At the mention of David, Ryder flinched. He knew about David’s intentions wit h me. “So dinner went off without a hitch. I was cleaning dinner up when David said ‘So I hear Ryder Silvati is back in town.’ I shrugged my shoulders and took some of the plates away. But my dad got enraged and knocked me to the floor. And asked, ‘That bastard is back in town?’ I said I wasn’t sure, he called me a liar and kicked me in the side. That’s how the ribs started to blacken. He kept asking and asking ‘Are you going to try and run away with again? Are you going to leave me like your fucking brother and mom? Listen bitch, if you think you can leave me you have another thing coming. Do you understand me?’ he kept yelling that