Passionate Addiction (22 page)

Ryan crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. When she didn’t elaborate, he huffed, “What claims?”

“One of the tabloids back home is saying they have proof of Julie cheating on you—”

Ryan’s boyish features transformed to a mix of heated fury and shock. “What?” He stalked forward, his hands fisted at his sides.

Gabi’s stomach hollowed, and she turned to grip the rail, focusing on the darkened beach. She didn’t want to be here. She had no business being privy to something so private.

“It’s a load of rubbish. They won’t validate their claims,” Leah continued. “They’re only digging for a story.”

Ryan let out a self-deprecating laugh. “If they have no proof, then why the fuck am I the last to know?”

Gabi glanced over her shoulder, surprised by the vehemence in Ryan’s tone.

He threw his hands into the air. “Jesus Christ, Leah, how dare you tell Blake before me?”

Leah startled, her mouth gaping for a brief moment before she snapped it closed to swallow. “Nobody else knows.” She lowered her voice, “I didn’t want to hurt you unnec—”

“Oh, OK.” Ryan nodded with sarcasm. “So I should be happy that you only told Blake before me?”

Blake tensed and dropped his hands from Gabi’s body. “Back off, Ryan. I know this must be hard to hear, but it’s not Leah’s fault.”

Ryan turned his scathing glare to Blake, making Gabi shrink under the fury in his eyes. “You think this is fair, do you?” He stepped up to them, getting in Blake’s face. “You’re meant to be my friend. My fucking
brother.
And yet you kept this from me. For how long, Blake?”

“Calm down.”

“
For how long?”
Ryan raised his voice.

“Only early this morning!” Blake spat. “Damn it to hell, Ryan. I know you’re cut up, but Leah’s been going through some pretty heavy shit. She didn’t want to hurt you for no reason. We all know how hard it is for you to be away from Julie.”

Ryan poked Blake in the chest. “You don’t know shit.”

Gabi covered her mouth with a gasp. They were going to fight, and she couldn’t stand to see either of them hurt.

The click of Leah’s heels tapped against the wooden patio floor, followed by the glass door sliding open. “Mason. Sean,” she called. “I need you.”

“Great.” Ryan backed away. “Get everyone else involved.” He shook his head and turned on his heels. “I’m outta here.”

“Where are you going?” Leah cried. “The helicopter will be back in half an hour.”

Ryan ignored her, striding to the top of the stairs before jumping down more than one at a time and going out of view.

“What’s going on?” Mason asked, following their gaze to the end of the balcony.

Blake stepped forward, giving Gabi space to breathe. She felt horrible for Leah and Blake and most of all her heart ached for Ryan. The thought of leaving the person she loved tomorrow had already been tearing her apart, yet Ryan had been doing this for years.

Leah let out a shuddering breath and lowered her head. “Oh, god, what have I done?”

Blake went to his band manager, gathering her in his arms and holding her as she began to weep. As Leah’s tears continued to fall, Gabi inched along the railing, moving silently to the other side of the balcony. She didn’t belong in this moment. Blake was comforting and finding comfort with Leah…not her. She needed to clear her head and put things into perspective. It was a friendly hug, nothing more. Her brain could rationalize it, and still, she felt insignificant.

Bloody alcohol.

At the final step, she tiptoed onto the gravel path and let the inside house lights guide her to the gate at the front of the building. The rush of the ocean called to her, and she was thankful to find a sandy trail running along the outside of the fence. She undid her shoes, carrying them by the straps, and leisurely walked into the darkness.

The path steepened, with wooden planks forming makeshift steps to ease the way. Above, the yellow moon glowed full and bright, making the reed covered dunes visible. When she made it to the beach, she stopped and so did the beat of her heart.

Up ahead, Ryan sat in the sand, his hands wrapped around his indrawn knees, his gaze focused on the water.

“Ryan?” she asked softly. She glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she should turn back and leave him alone with his thoughts.

He didn’t answer.

On silent feet she moved beside him. “Ryan?”

“Shit!” His head jerked up. “You scared the crap outta me.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

He scoffed and turned his attention back to the waves. “I should be the one apologizing.”

“No, not at all. You have good reason to be angry.”

“Yeah?” He shucked his suit jacket and laid it down beside him. “Wanna sit?”

So sweet, so thoughtful, even when he was falling apart. “Thank you.” Straightening her dress over her bottom, she sat on his suit coat and brought her knees to her chest.

They sat in silence, watching the white foam burst to life with every breaking wave.

“You know,” Ryan started, his voice low. “For a brief second, I felt relieved when Leah said Julie had been cheating.”

Gabi turned her gaze to face him, resting the side of her head on her knees.

“I don’t think I’m in love anymore.”

She froze, not sure what to say. Apart from the information Blake had shared over the years, Gabi didn’t know much about this heartbreakingly vulnerable man. Yet, everything inside her screamed to move closer and wrap a warm arm around him. Just like Blake had done to Leah.

“We’re not happy anymore. We’re barely even friends.”

Gabi opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“I feel like a failure.”

“Don’t.” She straightened and shook her head. “Marriage isn’t easy.”

“No, it’s not, but loving someone shouldn’t be so hard.”

Ryan continued to stare at the water in silence. Heartbreak emanated from him. She didn’t know what type of woman would let a wonderful guy like Ryan fall out of love with her. If it was Gabi, she would fight with everything she had to keep him in her life.

“You and Blake have something special going on, don’t you?”

It was Gabi’s turn to stare at the water in contemplation. What she had with Blake went beyond special. However, she wasn’t sure if they could make it through the alone times.

“He’s a great guy,” she replied.

“And?”

She gave an unenthusiastic chuckle. “I love him.” She glanced at Ryan, who waited for her to continue. “He means the world to me. I’m just scared—and insecure.”

She dug her heels into the sand and watched her feet disappear. Her face heated, knowing Ryan still stared at her.

“I get the scared part. Blake freaks me out sometimes, too.” Ryan leaned over and nudged her shoulder with a laugh. “Unfortunately, I think the insecurity will be a battle for anyone who decides to take on one of us guys. I know my wife hates the thought of groupies. But hey, I’ve never cheated on her. Not once, in all the years we’ve been together.”

The burr of a helicopter sounded in the distance, growing louder over the rush of the ocean.

Ryan sighed, “I really don’t want to go back up there.”

She couldn’t blame him. She didn’t want to go back herself. Thankfully her alcohol buzz had lessened. Now she only had to calm her irrational thoughts and she would be fine. “Come on.” Gabi stood and picked up his suit jacket, doing her best to dust off the sand. She held out her hand and he took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet. “Let’s get this over and done with.”

Blake stood behind the glass doors overlooking the balcony, staring into the darkness. Where was she?

He’d fucked up. Again. The fight with Ryan was his fault, and when Leah had stopped crying against his pounding chest, he’d turned in search of the comfort of Gabi’s arms, only to find her gone.

“Where the hell is everyone?” Mason asked the quiet room, the faint whoop of the helicopter getting closer by the second. He sat on the kitchen bench, his feet swinging back and forth.

“Hopefully they’ll come back now that our ride’s here,” Leah spoke from her seat beside Sean on the couch. She was still upset, nestled into Sean’s side, sniffing with every breath.

Footsteps echoed up the hall, followed by a feminine giggle.

“Stop it,” Alana chastised, coming into view beside Mitch in the reflection of the glass.

“Didn’t you guys go for a walk?” Mason asked.

Blake turned to face them, ignoring the way his anxiety increased with every minute that Gabi was away.

Alana glanced at Mitch, then flushed and looked away.

“We took a detour.” Mitch smirked, wrapping his arms around Alana’s waist, making her squeal and squirm.

“Let me guess, to the bedroom?” Mason muttered.

Alana pushed from Mitch’s arms and walked around the couch to Leah. “Where are Ryan and Gabi?” Her gaze narrowed. “Leah? What’s wrong?”

“Everything’s fine,” Blake interrupted, pivoting back to the window. They owed it to Ryan to keep the gossip private. If Ryan wanted everyone to know, he could tell them himself.

“Everything doesn’t look fine.” Alana scooted in beside Leah while Mitch came to stand beside Blake.

“What’s going on?” Mitch murmured.

Blake turned back to his friend and plastered a fake smile on his face. “Nothing for you to worry about, bro.” He stepped forward and yanked Mitch close for a quick man hug. “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet. I’m real happy for you both.”

Mitch clapped him on the back. “I’m happy for you, too, man. It seems like you’ve found the right lady.”

Blake gave a jerky nod. “Yeah, I have.”

“Well, I hope she never realizes how much of a tool you are.”

“Yeah.” Blake laughed but didn’t feel the humor. “Me too.” Karma must have fucked up somewhere along the line because Blake definitely didn’t deserve to have Gabi in his life.

Mitch glanced around the room and frowned. “So where is she?”

I have no fucking clue.

Something moved in his periphery and he stepped forward without thought.
Gabi.
She was outside, walking along the fence surrounding the yard with Ryan beside her, his suit jacket over her shoulders.

He let out a deep breath, releasing the tightness in his chest.
Thank god.

She tilted her head to focus on the house and met his gaze. The soft smile she sent him almost knocked him off his feet.

“Uh, why is she with Ryan?” Mitch asked.

“Long story.” Blake opened the glass sliding door and moved onto the balcony. Gabi and Ryan walked out of view, and moments later the side gate clanged. When footfalls sounded on the steps, his heart ramped up a notch. He’d been worried. He hadn’t realized how much until his body flooded with relief at seeing her again.

Ryan reached the top step first—his eyes filled with remorse—and jerked his head in greeting. “Where’s Leah?”

“Inside.”

“Right. I might keep my distance for a while. I’ll meet you at the chopper.” Ryan moved to walk past him.

Blake placed a hand on his friend’s chest, halting his progression. “Look Rye, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, and Leah didn’t mean to hurt you either. I knew she was worried about something, and I hounded her until she told me.”

Ryan ran a hand through his tangled shoulder-length hair. “I understand.”

Yeah, Ryan was the most understanding guy Blake knew, which made the situation harder to bear. Blake dropped his hand and watched him walk away, leaving down the stairs on the other side of the balcony. Once his footfalls died under the burr of the distant helicopter noise, he turned his focus to Gabi who stood waiting at the top of the stairs.

“You had me worried.”

She padded toward him in bare feet, her high heels hanging from her hand. “I needed to take a walk and clear my head.”

“You were running from me.” He kept his expression impassive, hiding the hurt that gripped him by the balls. He’d hoped she’d gone in search of Ryan, instead of leaving to get away from him.

She came forward, her big blue eyes dark with widened pupils. “No.” She shook her head slightly. “I was overwhelmed. I needed time to think.”

His palms itched to touch her, to swipe Ryan’s jacket from her shoulders and replace it with his own. “Did I do something wrong?”

Gabi stepped into him, running her arms around his waist. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” she whispered, her voice almost drowning under the turning propeller blades in the field beside them. “I think I was in shock at seeing you and Ryan almost come to blows. It scared me, that’s all.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? When I turned to find you gone, I didn’t know what to think.”

She nestled her head under his chin, hugging him tighter. “You were busy…with Leah.”

He stiffened. When Ryan had stormed off earlier, Blake had been consumed with guilt. He’d been the cause of all the anger and had instinctively gone to comfort Leah. It was his fault she was crying.

“Leah’s a part of the family,” he spoke his thoughts aloud.

“I know.” Gabi nodded against his chest.

“She’s like a sister to me.”

“Yeah… I know that, too.”