Unleashed (The Gate Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 8: Return

“Are you sure that you have to go, Ry?” Donnovan hugged Ryder tightly as they stood beside West Gate.

Ryder nodded into his embrace. “Sorry, but I have to go back to East Base. Ansgar’s expecting me back soon, remember?”

She and Alyx had decided this. Well, to be fair, Alyx had told her that was what they were doing. If she couldn’t comply with his wishes, he would’ve taken over and told Donnovan that she was leaving anyway. Telling him herself was harder, but better, so she agreed to Alyx’s demand. 

 “I remember.” Donnovan sighed. “You take care of yourself. Don’t overdo it when you get back. The doctors still aren’t sure if there will be any side effects of what the anomaly did to you.”

Ryder squeezed him tighter and rested her cheek against his chest. “I don’t want to leave.” She mumbled.

“Then don’t. I’ll tell Ansgar that you’re reassigned here. He’ll understand.” Donnovan pleaded with her.

“I can’t… And I can’t explain why to you either. I just need to be at East Base for a while longer…” Ryder murmured into his chest.

“Come on, Ry!” Kane waved at them. “I’m waiting. We don’t have all day.”

Donnovan laughed and let her go. “Go on then. See you soon?”

“I’ll try to visit you in a month or so.” Ryder grinned at him and jogged towards the hover car that Kane was piloting. She jumped into the passenger’s side and waved to Donnovan.

He waved back with a smile. She could tell that his heart wasn’t in it, though. And after finding out what he felt towards her, she could understand why it wasn’t. Hers wasn’t satisfied with their parting either. But she had no choice.

***

Kane cleared his throat as they drove on the main highway towards Idaho. “So… You and Donnovan seemed a bit more chummy than usual, huh?”

“Are you trying to ask me a question or implicate me in something?” Ryder squinted at him in the bright sunlight streaming through the front windshield.

“Uh… Neither…” Kane coughed in an attempt to cover up his frustration.

Why is she always so secretive? What is that she sees in Donnovan anyway? I mean, yeah… He’s a nice guy and all, but he already broke her heart once. And I was the one who comforted her when it happened. Why doesn’t she look at me the way she looks Donnovan? Kane suppressed the urge to sigh. Ryder was complicated. He didn’t think he’d ever figure her out. Not completely anyway. They’d been friends since they were kids, and he still couldn’t figure her out.

Ryder had looked away and seemed to be far away in her own mental world. Kane didn’t like the distant look in her eye. It almost looked as though she was arguing with herself. Over what, he wasn’t sure, but she looked like she needed to be distracted from it. The look on her face said that whatever she was thinking about, it wasn’t good.