Lovers of Yesterday

Chapter 22 • Him

Once the door opened, I tried to rush past the counter without Lynch seeing but that was impossible. He saw me as I walked in and followed me to the bathroom. I kept my head down while I opened the door. He was faster and before I could close it, he grabbed it and held it open.

"Let the door go, please," I croaked, rubbing my neck.

"What'd he do?" He demanded.

"Nothing. I just really need to use the bathroom."

He sighed. "No. I can see that you're lying. Did he hit you?"

"You should go back to the counter. There might be customers waiting."

"Vivian can handle them."

"But-"

"Damnit, stop making excuses, Ryder!" He raised his voice and I winced. He sighed again and whispered, "I know what the signs of abuse look like. I lived with it for years. Don't hide when I know you're suffering."

I turned and looked up at him. I didn't notice it before but I could see a bump under the collar where his necklace hung. When I met his eyes, they were solemn. His eyes drifted down to my neck. His jaw clenched and the look in his eyes hardened into something fiercer; angrier.

"Lynch, I can handle myself. You don't need to worry about my issues." I tried to smile but my lip trembled.

He stared at me. "How long has he been hurting you?"

"Mentally or physically?" I joked before I realized my mistake. He didn't know about the mental abuse.

"What?"

I couldn't answer. Bridget popped her head around the corner and saw us. "Is everything all right? I didn't see you up at the front, Ryder."

Lynch answered for me. "Will you allow us to go home early? There's something important we need to discuss."

She seemed shocked. "Of course. Go right on ahead."

She disappeared and he turned his attention back to me. "Grab your stuff. We're heading to my place. We're talking about all of this."

He left no room for discussion and turned on his heel. He headed in the direction of the lockers while I stood in front of the bathroom. Out of curiosity and fear, I stepped into the bathroom to look at my neck. It was red and already starting to bruise. I wasn't surprised. I've always bruised easily.

I walked out and headed back to the lockers. Lynch still stood in front of his. He didn't look at me when I entered. I shuffled over to my locker and pulled my drink out.

"Ready?"

I nodded. He led me out of the café and walked beside me back to his apartment. Nothing was said. I kept fidgeting with the cap on my drink, growing more nervous by the second. I was scared Liam was still around. That he was watching us.

When we reached his apartment, he unlocked the door and held it open for me. I stepped in and saw a noticeable change already. There were less boxes and his living room was now set up. He stepped past me while the door swung closed.

"Go ahead and sit down and get comfortable. I'll be a second." He said while walking back to his room.

Now I wasn't nervous that Liam was watching us. I was nervous about what Lynch wants to know. I did as he said and sat down on the couch. He walked back in a minute later and took a seat right next to me. He was so close that our arms and thighs brushed against each other.

"What did he do?"

I picked at the skin on my thumb. "He, um... he- he choked... me."

He was tense next to me. His fists were crossed over his chest. I didn't look up at him. I was scared he would be disappointed. Slowly, he relaxed and his arms fell away from his chest.

"How did he mentally abuse you?" His hand covered mine, stopping me from picking at my thumb.

"He-" I couldn't get the words out. My chest tightened in fear. I clamped my mouth shut. "No I- I can't."

"You can't what, sweetheart?"

"I can't be here. I need to go. He doesn't-" I abruptly stood up, causing his hand to fall away. I left my drink on the end table and rushed to the door.

"Ryder. Calm down. You're safe here." He placed a gentle hand on my arm.

He wasn't holding me here against my will. The door was still unlocked like he expected me to run. He was trying to comfort me instead of scare me. He was safe. I was safe. I dropped my hand from the doorknob and suck in a deep breath. I turned around but refused to look him in the eye.

"Can I hold you, Ryder? Will you let me?" His hands stayed at his side, waiting for my response.

I nodded. He stepped toward me and his arms encircled me. My head rested on his chest and my hands on his sides. I focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"I'm sorry." The apology escaped before I knew I was saying it.

"What're you sorry for, darlin'? I was hitting sensitive topics and you reacted in kind. I knew you'd react like that. It's not uncommon. I wasn't expecting you to answer me. I just wanted you to think on it." His hand moved to brish over my hair. "I told you I'd pull you out of that relationship if I found out he was abusing you. I'd prefer if you stayed overnight here or at Alexandria's place. You clearly aren't safe anymore."

"Ok, but I don't have anything. I don't have any clothes or bathroom stuff. I need to go back to my apartment for that." Even as I said it, I didn't want to go back.

He heard the hesitation. "You can borrow some of my clothes. They'll be big but it'll work for now. And if you want, we can go out and get some stuff for you."

"Ok."

"Do you want to do that now?"

"Um, sure?"

"Alright, do you want to change out of your uniform?"

"I think I'll be ok."

"Mm. We're stopping by Dria's," He stated.

He pulled away and I looked up at him. "Why?"

"We'll grab that bag of clothes so you'll have some stuff that fits you."

I thought about it for a second. "But she isn't home now. She's at work."

The side of his mouth quirked up. "And I know you know where the spare key is. Send her a text and say you're dropping by."

"I- Ok. I'll send her a text," I caved and agreed with him. I pulled my phone out and sent a quick text saying I was stopping by.

Lynch grabbed a set of keys that were hanging by the door and a jacket out of the closet. While he did this Alexandria asked questions.

That's fine, why do you need to drop by?
I'm grabbing the bag of clothes.
What??? You're risking it w/ Liam??
No, Lynch is having me stay at his place and he wants me to have some clothes that fit me.
What?!?! What the hell is going on? Are you ok, Ry?
I'm ok right now. I'll explain in person later. It's not something I want to text.
Alright, I'm holding you to it, text me if you need anything else
Ok, love ya.
Love ya

I turn my phone off and looked up at Lynch. He pulled the door open and waited for me to step out. I stepped off to the side while he stepped out and locked the door. We headed down to his car. All the while, I was thinking about what Liam would do if he saw us.