Ice cold secrets, claimed by his rival

Chapter 2

Aria’s POV

“Ryder!”

I refused to believe the sight before me. I pinched myself hard enough to draw our blood. Ryder had someone below him, on a bed. And it wasn’t just that, they were also moaning so loudly that they didn’t notice me, even when I pulled the door open.

He jolted upright and looked back at me. A brown head that was all way too familiar peeked out from underneath him.

No, the person I was seeing had to be a nightmare. It needed to be a nightmare because there was no way in hell that it was Chloe.

Chloe? The one who derives more joy in bullying me than going shopping… No, Ryder wouldn’t do that.

My legs wavered, more than ready to give way anytime soon.

“I told you not to come for me or call me unless I send for you.” He said as he leisurely moved atop Chloe who rolled her eyes at me.

I tried so hard to rein in the tears that lined up in my eyes, but they slid out like a waterfall anyway.

“Why?” Was all I could say.

It was Chloe who responded. And she didn’t just respond, she erupted in laughter and Ryder just continued to stare at me.

I had rushed down here as soon as I read that text message and since the moment I walked in through the door to see that Ryder was throwing a birthday party without my knowledge, I knew something was wrong.

“The ugly duckling thought you were really dating her!” She hollered.

I had never had the extreme urge to put an end to her existence like I did at the moment.

But the person I had scores to settle with was Ryder. So, I faced him. “Tell me all of these are pranks. Maybe you were planning to surprise me on your birthday and—”

Once again, I was cut off by Chloe whose laughter was louder than earlier. She took off the bedspread over her and walked over to me stark naked.

“Now darling, why would he prank you when your entire life is a prank already?” She asked, circling me, “Or what more prank do you want than the one that fate gave you in the name of a family?”

I gasped, my heart skipping a beat.

“You told her?” I asked Ryder who was still very much relaxed on the bed.

My family was a secret that I kept away from everyone and he knew it.

“You know, if we were to go by the number of abortions we had, I’d have had three children for him by now.” Chloe chuckled. “Tell her, baby.”

“Oh, yes,” Ryder said. “You were very convenient, Aria. I needed someone to help me with my assignments, write my notes, and study on my behalf. And you were very fit for everything.” He shrugged.

“You…” I trailed off, sweat dribbling down my forehead, “You asked me to be your girlfriend.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “Get her out already, we need to continue what we were doing.”

“Out,” Ryder commanded.

The sweat turned into goosebumps, “You were the one who told me that Chloe is a slut and you’ll—”

Chloe’s palm connected with my cheeks before I could finish talking and it happened so fast that I could have sworn that I didn’t see her hand move.

“How dare you?!” She yelled.

I held my cheeks, still very shocked. But she moved as if she intended to slap me again and that was the last straw. The hurt that thrummed through me turned completely to anger.

Before I knew it, I was wrapping my hand around her neck and pushing her against the wall. I screamed at a pitch that sounded like a banshee’s and all I could see was red.

“I’m going to kill you!” I spat angrily, grabbing her dainty neck even more.

But before I could do further damage to her, I was yanked from her so roughly that my body smashed into a hard wall on the other side of the room.

A splitting pain wracked through my head and I heard a c***k that was definitely from my bones or a vital part of my body. But the physical pain was still nowhere near the one burning through my heart.

Through my very blurry eyes, I saw Ryder fuss over Chloe and carry her gently to the bed while he marched over to me with anger rolling off of him in waves.

“F*cking b*tch!” He gritted.

“I hate you.” I managed to say, even though the pain in my head only worsened.

His eyes shone with mirth, “You have no idea how much I’m dying to show you that when it comes to hatred, I feel it stronger towards you than you’ll ever do to me.”

“You asked for this.” He said as he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me through the door. I tried to weasel my way out of his hold but he was way stronger than I.

The loud music of the party was still blasting as he got to the living room and that only made my headache worse, weakening my body even more.

Ryder signaled to the DJ and picked up the microphone.

“Attention everyone!” He yelled into the microphone.

“Ryder, don’t do this.” I pleaded with the last willpower in me.

He didn’t respond. He never did.

“This person whom you might all know as Aria and some might mistake for my girlfriend is nothing but a parasite who has been living on my money.” He paused, “Y’all won’t believe that she just asked me to pay for her wretched Aunty’s—” I cut him off right there, ignoring the ringing sound in my ears.

“You don’t have to lie any further.” Then I straightened up, “I’ll leave, let go.” I masked my emotions as much as I could, also ready to bite his hand if he didn’t let go.

“Let me go. Or you could as well just hit me.”

At that, he let me go. Anger crossed his eyes, and he threw me towards the crowd so I could find my way.

“Get out.” He released me and I fell into the crowd. Flashes of cameras went off, almost drowned out by the mocking snickers.

The waterfall laden in my eyes fell the moment the cool night breeze touched my skin. The area was pitch black but security was the least of my problems at the moment. Instead, I walked towards the path that seemed darker.

I walked to the extent that my legs ached and I got to a highway which was a bridge and barely had any cars passing it.

There, I let it all out. The tears, the screams, and everything else I bottled up back there.

Ryder and Chloe. The image of them in that bed replayed in my head so vividly that I didn’t know when I got to the edge of the bridge, holding onto the crusty iron bars protecting it. Just one step, and I’d be free from everything.

My body swayed and I closed my eyes on instinct, breathing in the peace that immersed my body at the moment.

I was ready — ready to rid myself of all the pain. Nothing else mattered at the moment, until… my phone vibrated against my body.

I pulled out the phone with insane speed, stupidly hoping it was Ryder texting to tell me that everything was a prank.

But it was an unknown number — one completely different from the one that ruined my day earlier. This one… I didn’t save it, but I knew who owned it.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”