Semua Bab My Twin Alpha Valentines: Bab 361 - Bab 370

(Tyler's POV) Before I had a chance to put together some kind of response, Ryder continued, “You’ve always been better at everything, Tyler. You could always run that much faster. You were always that much stronger. You always scored that much higher. Everything you ever did... Everything you ever do... You just do it better than me. You can even skip a fucking stone further than I can..." he went on, scoffing at the absurdity of it but I could see that it weighed him down.I bit my lip, still not knowing what to say. To some degree it was true, but there was so much more to it."And I don't hate you for it or anything, okay?" he said, as if trying to set the record straight. "It's not like it's your fault that I couldn't measure up. It's just the way things panned out, and that's fine. I guess the pack needs a leader and that's you. You were always the one everyone looked up to and I guess I just figured that the best thing I could do was stay out of your way and not hold you back.

(Ryder's POV)My eyes were focused on the ripples from my failed stone-skipping attempt, but I could feel Tyler's on me, waiting for a response.His question hung in the air and I didn't know how to answer it. I didn't know what to say.With a sigh, I dragged my hand down my face. “I’m just trying to figure shit out.”The answer was a cop-out, but I didn't know what else to tell him. I was torn between letting every word and thought pour out of me so that I could just get it out in the open or shutting down completely and internalizing everything until I finally imploded.“Figure what out?” he pressed, his tone firm but not pushy.Jesus... Did I tell him? Should I just spill the fucking beans and let the chips fall where they may? Or did I keep my mouth shut and deal with it myself?The silence hung over us, heavy and awkward as I struggled to make a decision. Why did this feel so fucking complicated?!He looked like he was going to ask again, to press harder for an actual answer and

(Ryder's POV)"It's not too late," Tyler murmured, his voice soft as he shook his head.But I wasn't convinced and the weight of the conversation hung over me as I stared at the still surface of the pond. It reflected the gray clouds overhead, shifting and churning in the sky above, their movements mirroring the turmoil inside me.I felt like I was staring at some part of myself. Some dark, roiling, chaotic mess that teetered on the edge of release. But I wasn’t sure whether it would end in a furious thunderstorm that would rage until it had nothing left to give, or a gentle drizzle that might wash everything clean and give life to something new.I dragged a hand through my hair and let out a long, shaky breath, figuring I had already passed the point of no return. "I don’t want to let people down, Ty,” I admitted softly. The words felt like they were being scraped out of me and like they were pulling shards of glass along with them.Tyler shifted beside me, but he didn’t say anything

(Ryder's POV)I sat at the desk in my studio, one leg bouncing with restless energy as I stared at the clutter of notebooks, picks, and tangled wires.One of my guitars was propped up against the wall just behind me, a silent reminder of the hours I’d spent in here, chasing riffs and mixing sounds while everything else just faded into the background.But tonight, the space felt different. Heavier.Dinner had been… a lot.We'd been having dinner together a lot more than usual these days, and Mom had insisted on cooking. Her skills in the kitchen were limited, to say the least, but she had given it her best shot and while her meatloaf was nowhere near as good as Shelly's, we all appreciated her efforts and could see that she was trying to anchor the family together.The family dinner also gave me the perfect opportunity to let Mom and Dad know about my little change of heart. As expected, Mom had cried, leaping up in the middle of dinner and insisting on a hug as she wiped tears from he

(Ryder's POV)"These need to go," Kate whispered, her hand still caressing my throbbing member through my pants.I couldn't agree more, they felt like a fucking prison, but I had other plans."No, this needs to go," I replied, reaching down and tugging at the hem of her t-shirt.She sat up slightly as I pulled the shirt up over her head, tossing it aside carelessly as I kissed her.I held her body against mine, her skin soft and warm as she melted into me. My hands traced her curves, committing every inch of her to memory.Her body tensed as my hand wandered up her thigh, her anticipation building before she gasped against my lips as I trailed an eager finger between her folds.She was wet and hot and ready to take anything I had to give her, which only made me want her even more.Her arms were wrapped around my neck and her grip tightened as my fingers returned, this time sliding them into her depths. She moaned softly, her legs parting carelessly as she offered herself to me.I wante