Taming Ryder by Nicola Haken

Author:Nicola Haken [Haken, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay, Contemporary
ISBN: 9781500873332
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 21902954
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Published: 2014-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

~Mason~

A few hours after Ryder’s heart breaking revelation he fell asleep with his head on my lap. We were on our third movie of the night when he must’ve passed out from exhaustion. Knowing he couldn’t see me, I watched him sleep. His face was beautiful, so peaceful and free from the lines of burden that usually circle his eyes. I traced the outline of the skull inked onto his neck with my thumb, feeling soothed by the steady rhythm of his pulse beneath my touch. Then I bent down slowly, gently kissing the top of his head before trying to dislodge myself from his body without waking him.

I didn’t want to leave him but he’d been lying on me for so long my legs were turning numb. Also, I was restless. Anger forced my muscles to twitch, making me unable to settle. A soft moan left Ryder’s mouth when I carefully raised myself off the couch but he didn’t wake fully. After heading to his bedroom and grabbing the comforter off his bed I returned and loosely covered him with it. Then after using the bathroom and deciding I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, I left the apartment and took off for a run.

All I could see when I set off into a fast sprint was Ryder’s face. His eyes were haunted and dark, swollen with tears threatening to burst their banks at any moment. I’d never seen anyone look so fragile, so broken before in my life and it made me wonder if he had that same look when that disgusting excuse of a man brutally stole his essence from him. I found myself pondering what he looked like, what was going through his sick and twisted mind when he did that to a child. I hated him and I hated that he was dead. Death offered more peace than a sick fuck like that deserved.

I wasn’t wearing my running shoes but still I ran until I could feel blisters beginning to form on the soles of my feet. I ran until the image of Ryder’s face faded, replaced by the need to stop and breathe but I didn’t – not right away. If I stopped his face would reappear and that wasn’t how I wanted to picture him. I wanted to see him with that mischievous glint in his eye he had the first time we met, with the cheeky smile that illuminated his whole face. And I would see that again. I didn’t know how I was going to help him through this, but I knew somehow I would – whatever it took.

My pace slowed as I made my way back to Ryder’s apartment, the burn in my feet rendering me unable to go any faster. If I said I wasn’t nervous about seeing him again when he woke I’d be lying. I was terrified of seeing that look in his troubled eyes again. Not because I couldn’t handle it, but because I couldn’t take it away.

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