It's Too Late Now ✅

4. "It's Too Late Now"

Ryder quickly wiped his tears when he heard someone knocking at the door. He wore his sunglasses and acted like he wasn't crying as he opened the door revealing Rora who looked happy, like really happy.

"Ryder, you are not gonna believe this news! " She quipped in excitement, holding Ryder's hands in hers. Ryder always felt something whenever they made a physical contact. He never knew what it was.

"Woah, woah, calm down Rora! " Ryder chuckled and Rora grinned. "Now, tell me the news. "

"I found a really good job! " Ryder's smiled dropped at that making Rora wince in annoyance. "What? " She frowned.

"You're sick. "

"Yeah? "

"Idiot, you must not do a job when you're sick. " Ryder roared glaring at Rora. Whenever he was with Rora, he used to forget his real purpose. He used to forget he's her friend just for the money, and used to care for her. He wanted to see her smile, laugh and be happy. Forever.

"I'm not even that sick. " That sure was true. She was just having a little headache because of the flu, nothing more. But Ryder was worried for her.

"What job? " Ryder asked pinching the bridge of his nose; a thing he does when he is annoyed.

"Well, babysitting. " A smile automatically krept on Ryder's face and he looked away to hide it. He knew Rora has always liked children, she loves children. "You won't believe how cute that child is! " She crowed with a huge grin on her face. Ryder  looked back at her with a soft smile and suddenly, his heart started to beat like a drump against his chest.

Rora, she looked... different.

"Ryder? " Rora asked snapping her fingers in front of his face. "What happened-" Rora's smile disappeared and she looked worried all of a sudden. "You- you were crying?! " She asked. The question made Ryder come out of his world.

"What? No! " He defended himself. But it was of no use. She had already taken off his glasses and has seen his swollen eyes.

"What happened? " Her voice was soft and the happiness from her voice was gone. Ryder wanted to kill himself for that.

"Nothing. Don't worry. " He took his glasses back and looked everywhere but her.

"Ryder, you don't trust me? " Rora's voice was broken. Never in his dreams, he'd have imagined that someone's broken voice would hurt him this much.

What is happening to him?

Where is the old rude Ryder?

"I do trust you, Rora. " Ryder looked back at her and held her by her arms softly. He stared deeper in her eyes and the only thing he saw was fear. Of what?, he wondered. "Don't tell Ace about it... " Rora waited for his sentence to continue impatiently. "Mom and Dad... has been divorced. " That recieved a gasp from Rora. She was left speechless and had tears in her eyes.

Ruder and his older brother, Ace, never experienced parents' love. All their parents did was fight, all the time. The day he was born, he had a gun pointed at him by his father and his mother was the one protecting him. He grew up in fights, that's the only reason he picks up a fight with whoever. Of course, what else do you expect from a person who has grew up in fights? He has spent his brithdays crying over his family issues. He has spent his worst times alone. His Father used to leave for his job at 4:00am and used to come back around 11:00pm, drunk. His Mother had been found with another guy many times. While his brother, he spent all his childhood away from Ryder, from his parents. The day Ace truned ten, he left the house and lived with his grandparents; he was never there for Ace either.