66. In The Name Of Love

After Sofia left, closely followed by James, Amanda crept to where Ryan still knelt, sitting on his calves. Tears rolled down his face but he wasn’t making any sound and his eyes were closed.

“Ryan?” She called tentatively.

He opened his eyes and got to his feet with the deepest frown she had ever seen on him.

“Get the f*ck out of here now,” he growled.

Amanda backed away, shocked.

“My things are-”

“Remain at the gate if you need them.”

“Someone’s bringing them?” She asked but she didn’t get an answer as he walked towards the house.

***

Ryan was sitting on the steps to his porch with a bottle of root beer in his hands and a six-pack with five bottles left, in an ice bucket next to him when he saw the cab stop at the gate and Rico dropped from it.

He remained there, drowning his sorrows in alcohol until Rico got to him.

Ryan took a long draw as Rico sat next to him and helped himself to a bottle.

“You look a mess,” he said.

“You don’t look too good yourself,” Rico countered and put th