Ryder’s chest heaved as he sprinted down the street, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. He barely had ti to catch his breath before he reached Noah’s apartnt door. Without a second thought, he slamd his hands against the door repeatedly, shouting Noah’s na.
"Noah! Noah, open the damn door!" His fists pounded harder. No response.
Ryder growled under his breath, his frustration growing. Why wasn’t Noah opening the door? He slamd his fists one last ti before backing up and running his hand through his hair, tugging at it in desperation. He needed to see Noah. Right now.
Without wasting another second, he dashed back to his car and sped toward Noah’s workplace. He had to be there. When Ryder arrived, he slamd the car door shut and stord toward the entrance—but then he stopped dead in his tracks.
Noah was there.
But Noah wasn’t alone.
There was a man next to him. They were smiling, chatting as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Ryder’s heart dropped, and sothing hot and possessive flared up in his chest. In his thick brain this man was trying to take Noah away.
Without thinking, Ryder stomped across the parking lot, his eyes locked on Noah like a laser. The closer he got, the more irrational his thoughts beca. He grabbed Noah’s wrist, yanking him into a tight embrace, startling both Noah and the man next to him.
"You can’t steal him away from !" Ryder practically growled, glaring at the man over Noah’s shoulder. "I’m warning you—if you try to take Noah away, it’ll be over my dead body."
The man blinked awkwardly, completely taken aback. "Uh...excuse ?"
Noah’s eyes widened in sheer horror, his face flushing with a mixture of shock and embarrassnt. "Ryder, what the hell are you doing?" He shoved Ryder away, his face a perfect picture of bewildernt. "What is wrong with you?"
"What’s wrong with ? That guy is trying to steal you!" Ryder said, pointing an accusing finger at the man, who now looked utterly bewildered. "He’s probably been planning this all along!"
Noah stared at Ryder as if he had just grown two heads. "Are you out of your mind? This is my manager! What nonsense are you spewing?"
The manager raised his hand awkwardly. "Uh...Sir, if there’s a problem, I can just...co back later?"
Noah’s face flushed even redder as he glanced between the two. "No, there’s no problem," he snapped, glaring daggers at Ryder. "Ryder, what the hell are you even doing here? I told you I never wanted to see you again!"
Ryder’s eyes widened, his voice suddenly losing its previous bravado. "But, Noah, you don’t understand! He was smiling at you, and you—"
"Of course he was smiling! He’s my manager! We were discussing work, for God’s sake!" Noah practically shouted, his eyes burning with frustration. "You’ve officially lost your mind. Go ho, Ryder. Just...leave. I don’t want you here."
"Noah, wait—" Ryder tried to protest, but Noah was already walking away with a furious huff. The manager gave Ryder one last awkward glance before scurrying away too.
Ryder stood there, feeling like an absolute idiot, his brain trying to process what had just happened. He looked around, realising how crazy he must’ve looked, storming up like that, making a scene. He let out a shaky breath, rubbing his face in frustration.
Ryder’s mind raced as he watched Noah walking away, his heartbeat drumming in his ears. No, this can’t be it. This can’t be the last ti. Desperation surged inside him, and before he could think twice, he darted forward and grabbed Noah’s hand, pulling him back.
"Noah, wait," Ryder pleaded, his fingers tightening around Noah’s wrist. He had never felt this desperate before—this out of control. But Noah’s eyes, those beautiful eyes that once shined at him, were now dull, filled with nothing but cold hatred. There was no warmth left, no affection. They were dead to him.
Noah yanked his hand away, his face hard as stone. "Let go," His voice was low but dripping with bitterness. "Stop making a scene."
Ryder felt the knot of panic tighten in his chest. "I’m not making a scene—"
"You’re always making a scene," Noah cut him off, his voice like ice. He looked around at the people nearby, who were starting to glance their way, curious and amused by the drama.
Ryder’s eyes darted around as well. He was capable of making a scene; they both knew that. And if Noah wouldn’t talk to him...well, he’d make sure that Noah had no choice. He squared his shoulders, his voice rising a bit in defiance. "If you don’t talk to now, Noah, I will make a scene."
For a second, Noah hesitated, his jaw clenching. He knew Ryder wasn’t bluffing. He could see the storm brewing behind those dark eyes—Ryder was always ready to create chaos if it ant getting what he wanted. But even the threat of Ryder embarrassing him in front of everyone wasn’t enough to crack Noah’s cold deanour today.
"Do whatever the fuck you want," Noah spat, his voice laced with venom as he turned to walk away, his back stiff with anger.
Ryder’s panic bubbled over. He needed to say sothing, anything to make Noah stop. He blurted out the only thing that ca to mind.
"I love you."
Noah froze, his back still turned, but Ryder could see the way his shoulders stiffened. Ryder’s heart was racing so fast he thought it might burst from his chest. He didn’t even know what he was saying. The words were tumbling out of his mouth in a ssy, confusing rush.
"I...I an...I don’t even know if it’s love, okay? I’ve never really been good with these kinds of feelings," Ryder stamred. "I’ve been trying to figure it out, but it’s hard, Noah! You’re the first person who’s ever made feel this way. I don’t know what to call it. Maybe it’s love...or maybe it’s sothing else, but it’s...it’s sothing."
Noah slowly turned around, his face hard with disbelief, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Love? You call this love?" His laughter was sharp, cutting through Ryder’s rambling like a blade.
Ryder stumbled over his words, trying to explain. "I-I’m trying to understand it! I never thought I’d feel this way about soone. It’s confusing, and I’m not good at this. But I don’t want to lose you, Noah. I can’t lose you. I...I just don’t know what to call it yet."
Noah’s laughter died down, but the resentnt in his eyes only grew darker. He stepped closer, his voice dangerously calm. "Ryder, if you’re looking for soone to fuck with no strings attached, soone without a brain or feelings, then you need to find soone else."
Ryder’s heart sank, his chest tightening.
"Because I’m done," Noah continued, his voice full of finality. "I don’t want anything to do with you." His eyes bored into Ryder’s, filled with so much resentnt and disappointnt it made Ryder’s breath hitch.
Ryder stood there, stunned, his mind reeling. How did it co to this? Just a few days ago, Noah had been looking at him with those shy glances, blushing whenever Ryder teased him. His quiet laughter, the softness in his gaze—where had that gone? And now, standing in front of him was a completely different person, soone who seed to despise him.
Noah’s eyes flicked over Ryder’s face one last ti, his voice a low warning. "Stay away from or I’ll report you. Don’t show your face again."
And with that, Noah turned and walked away, leaving Ryder standing there, his world crashing down around him.
For a mont, Ryder was frozen in place, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. He really hates ...
But then, sothing inside him snapped. He couldn’t let it end like this.
Noah wanted to label whatever it was between them? Fine. Ryder didn’t care what it was called anymore. If putting a label on it was the only way to keep Noah, then so be it. He’d call it whatever Noah wanted—love, relationship, anything. As long as Noah stayed with him.
Ryder’s jaw clenched in determination. He had made a mistake—a big one. But he wasn’t about to give up. One thing Ryder Lawson never learned was how to quit. Noah could hate him all he wanted, but Ryder would find a way to make things right.
As Ryder stood there, lost in thought, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was a ssage from Elijah.
"We’re coming back tonight with Ash."
Ryder stared at the text for a mont, his mind still buzzing from everything that had just happened with Noah. But Elijah’s ssage snapped him back to reality. Ash...Noah...Elijah...Everything in his life was tangled up in knots, and for the first ti in a long ti, Ryder felt like he was losing control.
But no, he wouldn’t let this be the end. His mind was already working on a plan, his thoughts racing ahead. Noah might hate him right now, but Ryder knew deep down that Noah still cared. He could see it in the way Noah reacted, the way his voice wavered when he spoke, no matter how angry he was. There was still sothing there, buried under all that hurt.
Ryder took a deep breath, his resolve hardening. He would make things right. He didn’t care how many tis Noah pushed him away. He wasn’t going to stop until Noah was his again.
After all, Ryder had never been one to give up easily.
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