Read Online Restless (Relentless Series Book 2) by Alyson Reynolds - Free Book Online Page A

me? Did you just say Rhys?”
    “Yep,” I said, popping the P at the end. “He showed up the other night. Turns out he invests in bars. He bought the one we frequent.”
    “Holy shit.”
    “Yeah. So again I say which one?"
    “Stephen, you know I mean Stephen. Quit being so damn obtuse.”
    I groaned. “I did. Three times. Don’t ask.”
    “So what’s your plan?”
    “I’m going to do what I do best. Act like nothing fucking matters and pretend that it’s not eating me up inside. And never fall in love again. It’s one night stands and fuck buddies from here on out.”
    “Taylor, please don’t do this. You’re going to regret it. Go talk to Stephen again.”
    “Emmy, I watched him shatter a glass vase against a wall and it might as well have been my heart. I can’t ever do this again. We went out on a date and I ended up sleeping with him again. All that is between us is really hot sex. It's not worth hurting myself over and over again.”
    The silence between us was weighted. Emmy understood the pain of being rejected, but she didn’t get that I brought all this on myself. I pushed Stephen away until he didn’t have a choice and when I panicked and changed my mind it was too late. We might have been able to work things out, but now Rhys was here and everything was imploding around me.
    “Oh, honey. Do you want me to get you a flight out here?”
    “No. I’m going to stay. Violet needs me, she’s got classes, and she's talking about starting another movie. I promised I would watch Harper for her.”
    "I'm proud of you."
    I didn't answer. There was nothing more to say.
    “Do you still want to be with him?”
    I sighed. “It doesn’t matter if I do or not, Em.”
    “It does,” she insisted. I knew she believed that, but in my opinion she was wrong.
    “Yes," I sighed. "He’s the love of my life."
    "Hon. Everything's going to be okay. He'll come around."
    We hung up quickly after that. She had a meeting, and I didn't want to talk about my failures anymore. The numbness and emptiness still lurked in the back of my mind, but admitting to Emmy that I loved Stephen hurt. I couldn’t decide if the apathy or the pain was better. All I could do was live minute by minute and hope that something, anything, made me feel again.
     

     
    I walked into the small café to get lunch the afternoon after my fight with Stephen and Rhys stood at the counter waiting for his food. It was hard not to turn around and walk back out, but I sucked it up and went over to him. He always seemed to catch me when I embarrassed the hell out of myself.
    I cleared my throat. “Hey.”
    He looked up and a smile covered his handsome face. Rhys really was devastatingly gorgeous. It's too bad he wasn't the guy I wanted. “Hey yourself. How are you feeling today?”
    “Like shit." I sighed. "Every fight I have with Stephen ends up that way though.”
    He grabbed the bag the cashier handed out to him and turned towards me. “Want to have lunch?”
    “Sure, just let me order and I’ll be right there.”
    I took the time for them to make my sandwich to collect myself. If nothing else, I needed to prove I wasn’t such an idiot to Rhys. The poor guy was probably terrified that I was some crazy person. I'm sure I was crossing the crazy hot scale in bad places.
    “So you probably think I’m some kind of stalker, don’t you?” he asked as I approached the table.
    “No, but do I need to rethink my stance on that?” I asked chuckling.
    “Purely coincidental, but I am happy I get to see you again.”
    He stared at me for a minute and I gave in first and broke eye contact. “Why’s that? So I can cry on your shoulder a third time? I promise I’m not such a weakling normally; I’m just going through some stuff.”
    “I don’t think you’re weak. Believe me, I understand running from the one person you want to be with the most.”
    “You think I’m running?”
    “Darlin', I knew it the first time I laid eyes on you in