But Why Not

Chapter Twenty-Five

A loud knock at the door scared me out of my self-pity daze. I dropped my gaze from the mirror and backed out of the bathroom.

I wheeled into the foyer and unlocked the front door. "It's open!" I called as I backed away from the door so Ryder could open it.

Ryder pushed open the door and just stopped. His eyes passed over my battered and bruised face, down too the top of my toes in the cast. I noticed he had purple circles under his eyes; his eyes were bloodshot.

Raw emotion passed over his face and he turned to bolt.

"Ryder!" I said louder than intended. "Please, don't leave." I begged.

He turned back to look at me; tears were present in his eyes. "How much damage did I do?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Come on." I responded softly turning to go to the living room.

After a few moments, I heard Ryder follow behind me.

I pushed myself into the living room and struggled to get out of my wheel chair and onto the couch.

Ryder laid a hand on my arm stopping my awkward movements. "Let me." he said his face softening.

I nodded. Ryder gently lifted me from the chair and settled me into the couch. He sat down beside me.

I began to relay all of my injuries to Ryder as Kayla had told me. When I got to the part about relearning to walk, Ryder stood up from the couch angrily and paced around the room as I continued. When I told him about the brain damage, Ryder froze and turned his back on me.

"God, Erin. I'm so sorry." he whispered. There was so much sadness in his voice.

"Ryder," he didn't turn around. "Ryder, look at me." He slowly turned around and tears were once again present in his eyes. I looked him in the eyes. "Ryder, I don't blame you for anything that happened to me. It was a freak accident. You didn't cause it. Stop blaming yourself. I know you feel awful because you were behind the wheel but I don't blame you. And you can't keep blaming yourself. I don't care if my dad blames you. I don't. Please stop avoiding me. It's been hell going through all the sh** I had to go through at the hospital alone." Tears stung my eyes. "Without you to help me get through it. I had so many breakdowns without anyone around who really knew how to help me feel better. I need you, Ry."

I saw something change in Ryder's expression. He moved toward me and knelt down in front of the couch. We were the same height.

He looked into my eyes and I knew he believed me. He reached up to cup my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his gentle touch. "I love you, Erin." he murmured then pressed his lips to mine in a mind boggling kiss. And I knew Ryder was willing to stick with me through the hardest times.

I love you, Ryder Daniels.

Finally! A new chapter!

I am so sorry for the wait! I wrote and rewrote this chapter 4 times before I got it just right.

Updates should a little bit more frequent now that I am on summer break!

Enjoy!

Avery