Ryder stood outside Noah's door, his chest tight as the last conversation clung to him like an invisible chain. Noah's tear-streaked face wouldn't leave his mind. He could still hear the sharp slap, feel the sting of Noah's words as he was thrown out of his life.
Why does it hurt so much? Ryder's thoughts were in disarray. There was no reason for him to feel this way—no reason for his chest to ache the way it did. He hadn't lied to Noah. He had told the truth, hadn't he? They were just two people who happened to enjoy each other's company without the need for labels, for all the mess that feelings brought. What was wrong with that?
He clenched his jaw. Is it so necessary to label every feeling and moment? What they had was special—more than just sex, more than the empty hookups. But that didn't mean it had to be something defined by words like 'love' or 'relationship.' Why ruin something by giving it a name that would only complicate things?
