Chapter 16
Seeing his reaction, Ivy’s tears came pouring out: “Look, I know lying to you was messed up, but after all hese months together, you seriously gonna tell me you felt nothing? We just needed an excuse to get close, and I gave us that.”
We’re good together, aren’t we?”
Don’t be pissed at me. I know deep down you still care about me, right…”
vy’s voice got smaller and smaller.
ooking at Ivy’s tear-streaked face, Ryan felt nothing but pure disgust.
le’d been forcing himself to play the perfect boyfriend to lock down that inheritance money, choking down is growing disgust every day.
Jow that the truth was out? She made him want to puke.
He looked around the destroyed living room – blood pooling on the marble floor, Mr. Reed clutching his hest in shock, the lunatics who’d caused this chaos, and Ivy trying to play innocent.
verything about this whole situation disgusted him.
le stared down at her, his eyes like ice.
Cops are on their way,” Ryan said coldly.
hose words hit Ivy like a sledgehammer.
he looked up at him, totally broken.
ust yesterday they were hooking up in some fancy hotel, and now he was treating her like trash?
low does someone flip this hard overnight?
vy couldn’t process the complete 180.
Before, one sad look from her and Ryan would drop everything to make her feel better.
Now she was literally having a breakdown and he couldn’t care less?
she completely snapped, shrieking: “Ryan! Were you just using me for money this whole time?! We’ve been ogether for months why are you still hung up on Stella? What’s so damn special about that basic bitch!”
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The Last Text 1 Sent My Ev: “Rot in That Wheelchate I’m OFE
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“I don’t buy it! There’s no way you never caught feelings!”
The wail of sirens was her only answer.
Everyone except Mrs. Reed got loaded into police cars and ambulances.
By the time Ryan got out of the police station, it was past midnight. He didn’t go back to the Reed house- instead, he headed to his own apartment.
He hadn’t been there in months.
He’d moved in with the Reeds to play the perfect boyfriend for Ivy, but after tonight’s shitshow, there was 10 point going back there.
He flicked on the lights and stared at the empty place.
He and Stella had lived here together for a while.
t wasn’t big, but it had felt warm and cozy.
ust looking around brought back every memory of their time here.
When Ryan cooked, Stella would always sneak up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist, nuzzling
nto his back like a cat.
After dinner, they’d curl up on the tiny couch to watch Netflix, with Stella tucked against his chest.
Kitchen, living room, bedroom – Stella’s presence was everywhere.
yan squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to remember anymore.
He’d barely sat down when his stomach started cramping hard.
sharp, stabbing pains that felt like someone was twisting a knife in his gut.
Sweat beaded on Ryan’s forehead as he struggled to get up and find some antacids. He dug through messy drawers for what felt like forever, coming up empty.
He’d forgotten – Stella was always the one who kept his stomach medicine stocked.
During his fake amnesia months, he’d run out ages ago.
Whether it was the pain or just everything hitting him at once, Ryan finally broke down. Tears slid silently
down his face.
He curled up on the couch, crying like a kid who’d gotten caught doing something terrible, mumbling the
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Chapter 16
same words over and over.
“Forgive me, please forgive me…”
He cried himself to sleep, waking up with dried tear tracks on his cheeks.
His phone was ringing. Ryan opened his eyes groggily, the apartment feeling suffocating and depressing.
That wave of despair almost drowned him.
He answered with a voice that was completely shot.
“What?”
The voice on the other end was excited: “Ryan, we got something! Stella just posted on Instagram – location shows she’s in London. I also managed to track down her professor’s contact info!”
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The Last Text I Sent My Ex: “Rot in That Wheelchair, I’m Off to Marry a Better Man”
