THIRTY FOUR - LEXIE

Lexie At first, I was so overwhelmed by what Ryder had said that it didn’t fully sink in. It wasn’t until I got back to the condo, where I felt a little safer, that his words came rushing back. “Stay away from me, Lexie. Or I’ll send you packing back to Ohio, where you belong.” Was he serious? Would he really just toss me out and send me back home? A mix of embarrassment and anger bubbled up inside me. I dove under the bed, yanked out my suitcase, and unzipped it with shaky hands. I refused to let him control my life or push me around like that. Ryder could be sweet one minute and then completely ruthless the next. Caught between emotions, I ripped off the dress I’d borrowed from Samantha and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. I started yanking clothes off their hangers and throwing them into my cheap knockoff suitcase from Target. But halfway through packing, something inside me shifted. Ryder’s harsh words started losing their sting, and instead, I focused on his face, the way his eye