Chapter 7 Ride or Die
1040 Words
Briar looked out the window, watching as the rain trace patterns across the glass like the tangled mess her life had become. The events of the last week had left her exhausted — emotionally drained, like she’d been running a race she didn’t even know she’d signed up for.
Rhea Maddox’s name echoed in her mind like a broken record. That polished predator who kept finding new ways to stab her in the back.
And Ryder’s family? Cold. Judgemental. Protective of the past, unwilling to see the present.
But then the phone buzzed.
**Tessa Rhodes.**
Briar smiled despite herself. Tessa was the one person who could cut through the noise and make her feel like herself again.
---
Tessa didn’t care about Ryder’s family drama. Didn’t care about Rhea’s lies or manipulation.
Tessa cared about Briar.
Period.
---
She answered the call. “Tess.”
“Hey, sunshine. Heard you’re trapped in Quinn family hell again. Want me to come rescue you with wine and bad movies?”
Briar laughed softly. “You always know what I need.”
“Of course. That’s what best friends are for.”
---
Tessa Rhodes was the kind of woman who walked into a room and made an entrance. At 26, she had the effortless confidence of someone born into wealth but earned her own respect through grit and sharp wit.
With her sleek blonde bob, emerald eyes that missed nothing, and a wardrobe full of tailored jackets and designer boots, Tessa looked every inch the successful socialite. But beneath the polished exterior was a heart that beat fiercely for loyalty.
She didn’t tolerate b*llsh*t. Especially not when it came to Briar.
---
An hour later, Tessa arrived with her usual flair — a huge bouquet of wildflowers, two bottles of expensive red, and a takeout bag full of comfort food.
They collapsed on Briar’s worn couch, kicking off their shoes and settling into a fortress of friendship.
“Tell me everything,” Tessa demanded, eyes sparkling with curiosity and concern.
Briar sighed. “It’s Rhea. She’s back. And Ryder’s family—especially his mother—is siding with her. I feel like I’m fighting a war I didn’t even know I was in.”
Tessa’s jaw tightened. “That woman is poison. And so is anyone who enables her.”
Briar nodded. “I’m tired, Tess. I don’t know if Ryder even sees what’s happening.”
“Then I’ll make d*mn sure he does,” Tessa said fiercely. “You don’t have to face this alone. Not ever.”
---
They spent the evening like this — talking, laughing, planning.
Tessa’s phone buzzed occasionally with messages from her own circle — lawyers, PR people, a cousin who ran a popular gossip blog — all contacts they might need if things escalated.
“I’m not just here to keep you sane,” Tessa said, her voice low but deadly serious. “I’m here to remind you that you’re not the girl who got left behind. You’re Briar Vale. And no one screws with Briar Vale without consequences.”
Briar smiled, feeling a spark of hope she hadn’t felt in weeks.
---
Later, as Tessa headed out into the rainy night, she pulled Briar into a tight hug.
“Whatever comes next,” she whispered, “I’ve got your back. Ride or die.”
And for the first time in a long time, Briar believed it.
Because some battles weren’t meant to be fought alone.
Tessa stood outside the grand Quinn estate, a sleek black car idling behind her. The sprawling mansion gleamed under the setting sun, the kind of place where power lived comfortably behind gilded doors and whispered secrets.
She didn’t care.
What she cared about was Briar — the woman she’d promised to protect no matter what.
And today, that promise meant she was walking straight into a lion’s den.
---
Elaine Quinn greeted her with a polite, measured smile as Tessa was ushered into the lavish sitting room.
“Ms. Rhodes,” Elaine said smoothly, her voice like silk stretched over steel. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Tessa smiled back — but it was all razor edges beneath.
“I’m here about Briar,” she said firmly. “Because if you think for one second that you and your precious Rhea are going to push her out, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Elaine’s eyes narrowed just slightly — imperceptible if you weren’t looking for it.
“My son’s happiness is not a game, Ms. Rhodes,” Elaine replied evenly. “Ryder deserves a wife who fits into our family — not a complicated past that keeps pulling him backward.”
Tessa laughed, sharp and unyielding.
“Complicated past? That ‘complicated past’ is Briar Vale — a woman who’s stood by Ryder through hell and back. Unlike some polished pretenders, she’s real.”
Elaine’s smile tightened.
“You underestimate what a name and reputation can do.”
“I underestimate nothing,” Tessa said. “But I *do* underestimate anyone who thinks they can break Briar’s spirit. Because they can’t.”
---
The air between them crackled.
Two women who wanted the same thing — love and loyalty — but from entirely different places.
One ruled with cold control.
The other with fierce heart.
---
Elaine leaned forward, voice low.
“Rhea Maddox has always had Ryder’s best interests at heart. Perhaps you should reconsider your allegiance.”
Tessa didn’t flinch.
“I stand with Briar because she deserves someone who fights for her. Not someone who plays puppet master with other people’s lives.”
Elaine’s eyes flicked to the window as a gust of wind rattled the glass.
“You may be fierce, Ms. Rhodes. But remember — loyalty can be a dangerous thing.”
Tessa rose, eyes blazing.
“And so can betrayal.”
She turned on her heel and strode toward the door, leaving Elaine to watch her go — a storm gathering behind that perfect, poised mask.
---
Outside, Tessa’s phone buzzed.
A text from Briar.
*“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”*
Tessa smiled to herself.
“I’ve got you, Briar. No matter what.”
- Writer
