Wheel You Marry Me?

CHAPTER 26.

I was so worried about my brother. My heart was pounding, and my thoughts raced with worst-case scenarios. Why did I agree to come to the club tonight? If only I had gone straight home after dinner maybe none of this would have happened. My baby brother...what if something happened to him? What if I wasn't there when he needed me most?

A wave of people poured out of the club, the loud bass still pulsing in the background as chatter and laughter filled the humid night air. I tried to make sense of the chaos, but it all felt like a blur. Suddenly, Theodore bolted into the crowd and disappeared. I stared at the spot where he had been seconds ago, my blood running cold. What the hell had I just seen?

My hands trembled. I needed to get home, now. I reached into my clutch—nothing. Damn it. I left my phone with Skylar. Without wasting another second, I pushed my way through the crowd and stormed back into the club, dodging bodies and security, desperate to find her.

It was nearly empty now. The music had slowed, people were leaving in waves, and the VIP section looked abandoned. Where are they? Did they leave without me? No, they wouldn't... would they? Panic rose in my chest. Just then, through the crowd, I spotted her.

"Skylar! Skylar! Skylar!" I shouted, waving frantically.

She turned, eyes wide with relief, and rushed toward me. "Girl! Where the hell have you been? We looked all over for you."

I gasped, breathless. "I was outside. I tried looking for you too. Thank God I found you."

She wrapped her arm around mine as we walked out. "You scared the hell out of me! What happened?"

"Sky, I need to go home. I have to check on Jeffrey right now."

She stopped walking and stared at me. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

I couldn't hold the tears back. "I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling."

A few minutes later, Ryan and Douglas pulled up in Ryan's car. I practically jumped in.

"Baby, where were you?" Ryan asked, reaching over to touch my arm. "You had me freaking out."

"I was outside," I said, trying to catch my breath. "I need to check on Jeffrey. Please, can we go?"

Ryan didn't ask any more questions. He just nodded and sped off. The car ride was painfully quiet. My heart thudded louder with each passing second. Fifteen minutes felt like an hour.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, I bolted from the car and sprinted into the house.

"Jeffrey! Jeffrey! Jeffrey!" I screamed, checking every room in sight.

Suddenly, his bedroom door opened. He stood there, confused and annoyed. "Hey! What's with all the yelling?"

I rushed to him and grabbed his shoulders. "Oh my God, you're okay. Are you okay? Did anything happen? Did anyone come here?"

He blinked, baffled. "Aurora, calm down. I'm fine. No one's been here. What's going on?"

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. I felt my knees weaken. "You just ended my FaceTime with Crystal," he added, rolling his eyes and retreating into his room.

Ryan, Skylar, and Douglas entered, each looking tense.

"Is everything okay?" Skylar asked gently.

I sank onto the couch and kicked off my heels, rubbing my sore feet. "Yeah... he's fine. I'm fine."

"What really happened, babe?" Ryan asked, sitting beside me.

I looked at him, my voice low. "Nothing. It's just... paranoia."

He squeezed my hand. "You've had a long night. You need rest."

Douglas smiled kindly. "We should probably head out. Thanks for tonight. Let's definitely do this again."

"Thank you for coming," I said. Skylar hugged me tightly before they left.

Later, Ryan ran me a bubble bath and massaged my shoulders until I was relaxed. He stayed with me until I fell asleep.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by loud music. I groaned and buried my head under the pillow.

"Jeffrey! Jeffrey! Turn that down!" I yelled. No response. I stumbled out of bed, still groggy, and stormed to his room.

The second he saw me, he hit pause. "Oh... sorry, I didn't know it was that loud."

I glared at him. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Got it, got it," he said, hands raised in mock surrender.

I trudged back to my bed, but sleep refused to return. I stared at the ceiling, thoughts swirling. Theodore. Blood. The look in his eyes. What the hell is going on with him?

My phone chimed. A message from Ryan lit up the screen: "Good morning, beautiful. Just checking in. Hope you're okay."

A smile tugged at my lips. I called him.

"Hey beautiful," he answered, his voice low and warm.

"Morning, babe. How's your day going?"

"Better now that I've heard your voice."

We talked for a few minutes before he asked, "Want to meet for breakfast?"

"Let's do lunch. I've got a quick appointment with Sandy Barton. Shouldn't take long."

"Lunch it is. I'll be waiting."

After my brief meeting with Sandy—who told me my tour was officially greenlit—I met Ryan at Rich Tables, one of our favourite spots. As always, he looked effortlessly handsome in a fitted navy shirt.

We ordered food, and over steak and risotto, he said, "So... I told my parents about you. My dad wants to meet you officially."

I froze mid-bite. "Ryan, you know I can't go to your house. Your mom hates me."

And just like fate had a sense of humour, Eleanor strolled into the restaurant with a tall, elegant woman. Her eyes locked onto ours, and she whispered something to her companion before marching straight toward us.

"Oh, hey baby," she cooed, kissing Ryan on the cheek. His entire body tensed.

"Mum, what are you doing here?"

"Lunch with a client," she said sweetly. "I saw you and decided to say hello."

She looked me over, her gaze sharp. "Hi Aurora. I see you're really enjoying my son's money."

I forced a smile. "Good afternoon to you too, Eleanor."

She raised an eyebrow. "Darling, those shoes don't match your dress. But I suppose you'll figure it out someday. Oh, and I can't wait to see you at dinner tomorrow night."

She turned and walked away.

Ryan groaned. "Don't listen to her. You look stunning. And those shoes are fire."

I exhaled slowly. "I don't know if I can come to your house."

He looked disappointed for a moment, then perked up. "What if you brought Jeffrey with you? It might make things easier."

I thought about it. Jeffrey had never been a fan of Eleanor, but maybe... just maybe...

"I'll ask him," I said. "But I'm not making any promises."

He grinned. "That's all I'm asking."

After lunch, we hugged goodbye, and I headed home, already dreading dinner with the devil in designer heels.

Little did I know, dinner would be the least of my worries.