Was It Always Us? | COMPLETED ✔

𝙰 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙰 𝙷𝚞𝚐

"I'm heading off to work." I told Atlas, tying my hair into a ponytail and applying a little lip gloss.

"Alright. Stay safe, okay?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, whatever you say."

I gave him a quick peck and hugged him before grabbing my bag and leaving. I'd already left Emmy with my mom. Alyssa was also coming to the flower shop today. I hadn't been able to hang out with her much recently, so I decided I'd take her for a girl's night out today. Lucy and Serena would handle the customers, and I would get some quality time with my best friend.

I got into the car and began speeding off to the shop. On the way, I checked all my text messages and anything I might've missed while I was sleeping. Surprisingly, I had a message from Ryle as well. Frowning, I opened the chat.

Ryle: Uh, hi. I wanted to ask if we could meet up sometime.
I have to discuss something with you.
It's important.

You: Sure? You can come to Lily Bloom's. omw there rn.

Ryle: Nah, I'm on a shift right now. Tomorrow?

You: Okay, I guess :D

I closed my phone and put it aside, feeling a little scared. Most of my conversations with Ryle ended up with me wanting to strangle him. I didn't think this time would be any different. Nevertheless, I'd said yes, and I wasn't going to back away like a coward. It was just a conversation. I was pretty confident I could handle that much.

God, how wrong I turned out to be.

***

"I've missed hanging out with you." Alyssa exclaimed as we sat in my car, munching on our burgers.

"Me too." I said, swallowing down a bite.

"Rylee asks about you, you know. But you hardly come over now."

"I'll visit you tomorrow, hmm?"

"Promise?"

"Yup. Now let's talk about something fun."

"Sure. But...um, well, there is something I wanna tell you, but I don't know if it's your definition of fun."

"Tell me. I won't mind."

She bit her lip, but then slowly, a subtle smile took over her features, and she took my hand. Her eyes glimmered with excitement.

"Alyssa, come on." I finally spoke. 

"He told me yesterday, and I was gonna text you, but then it slipped out of my mind, and-"

"Spit it out, for God's sake!"

She mimicked a drumroll.

"Ryle's...engaged!"

I slipped her hand out of mine and raised my eyebrows.

"W-what?"

"He's engaged! To Amy! It's so- is something wrong?"

I forced a lump down my throat and forced a smile.

"Wrong? No, of course not."

"Did I offend you?" Alyssa asked. She looked worried. "I did, didn't I?"

"Really. You didn't. You're his sister and my best friend. I get that you were a little...overjoyed."

"You're okay with this, aren't you? I mean..."

"Totally. I get that Ryle is still the father of my daughter, but he's also my ex. We're not married. Nor do we have any emotional attachment. He can go be with anybody he wants. And I'm alright with that."