Stay (Love In Montana Book 5)

Ryder gaped at Anson, surprised by his announcement. “Why such an abrupt decision to leave?” Asked Ryder eagerly. Anson got up to leave as his work was done at the restaurant. 

“It wasn’t a sudden decision. Aunt Vida is sinking. Sia isn’t able to cope up on her own given her condition,” said Anson, casting a last look around the place. Ryder’s interest was instantly piqued. 

“Condition? What condition?” He asked, looking clueless. 

“It’s not my position to tell you, Ryde. Sia's here to help me pack up. Why don’t you come home with me? You can talk to her yourself,” said Anson, leading him out of the restaurant. 

“Okay, maybe she doesn’t want to meet me,” said Ryder hesitantly. 

“Maybe, she’s really depressed after hearing the news of your wedding. So, when is your wedding?” asked Anson with a sigh, driving towards his house. Ryder gaped at him, feeling shocked to the core. 

“What wedding? I’m not marrying anyone,” said Ryder, his heart sinking at the news of Anastasia’s reaction to the fake news. 

“Granny Daisy told Anastasia that you’re marrying someone called Hailey in a month,” said Anson, giving a brief glance at him. 

“Oh, that was fake news to get Hailey’s boyfriend jealous. It was her idea and it worked. She has already left Fordsville with him,” said Ryder with a sigh. He had no idea that the idea would backfire at him. Anson looked thoughtful as he maneuvered the car through the roads towards home. 

“In that case, you should have informed Sia. She was devastated when she heard the news,” said Anson, looking displeased. 

“I tried to call her but she didn’t accept my calls,” said Ryder, feeling guiltily than ever. 

“Maybe because she was busy at the hospital with aunt Vida as well as her own health. I had no idea till a week ago. I wrapped up everything here as soon as I possibly could,” said Anson. Finally, they reached home and Anson parked the car inside his garage. They both climbed out of the car. Anson had his own set of keys and he unlocked the door, leading Ryder inside. 

“Sia? Are you still there?” asked Anson. He saw the nicely packed up cartons everywhere. 

“Yeah, I’m in my room,” yelled Anastasia from upstairs. Ryder’s heart skipped a beat or two hearing her voice. It had been almost a month since he had seen her. He still carried the ring everywhere he went. If Ryan’s wedding wouldn’t have come up, he would have gone to LA to woo Anastasia. However, he was thankful that he came to Las Vegas instead since he wouldn’t have been able to meet her if he went to LA. 

“Why don’t you go and meet her?” said Anson, pushing him towards Anastasia’s room. Ryder climbed up the stairs, his heart beating like crazy. He went upstairs and stood right outside her door, staring inside through the open door. He saw her sitting on her bed amidst a lot of clothes and accessories, arranging them nearly into a suitcase laid out in front of her. He stared at her longingly. In the last one month, she has changed so much. She had reduced a lot of weight and there were dark circles under her hollow eyes. She didn’t look like the Anastasia he knew. The dark circles under her eyes and her uncombed, excessively pale face made him stop right in his tracks. Was she unwell? 

Ryder felt guilty and couldn’t take a single step towards her. What would he tell her? How would she react after seeing him? Did she hate her now? 

“Sia, look who has come to meet you,” said Anson coming up from behind him, seeing his dilemma. At that point in time, Ryder just wanted to vanish from the scene, unable to face Anastasia. He felt ashamed of the stunt he pulled with Hailey on the spur of the moment. He should have gone to LA long back to support her instead. 

Anastasia looked up at her brother but the moment her eyes met with Ryder’s, she froze. She got up from the bed, as if in a daze. “Ryder? What are you doing here?” she asked, blinking with disbelief. 

“He came to see me at the restaurant. He was asking for you, so I brought him here instead,” said Anson. 

“Oh! You shouldn’t have, Anson. I’m sure he is a busy man,” said Anastasia, turning away from him. Tears stung at her eyes and she just couldn’t face him any more. Ryder stood like a statue, his throat too choked to even utter a single word. Anastasia didn’t look at all normal and he was afraid that he was the cause of it all. Anastasia packed with renewed energy.

“Are you done packing, Sia?” Asked Anson to ease the awkward air around them. 

“Yes, I’ll be leaving tonight. Freya called to say that aunt Vida again had to be admitted to the hospital for renal failure,” said Anastasia without even looking in their direction. 

“Oh, I haven’t even got the time to pack up,” said Anson, looking agitated. Ryder stood like a statue watching Anastasia’s cold attitude towards him. 

“You can come later, Anson. The helicopter will be here in forty minutes. Can you please drive me to the helipad?” asked Anastasia. 

“I’ll drop you,” said Ryder eagerly. Anastasia stiffened and turned around slowly to look him in the eye. 

“I’m sure you have to be somewhere with someone else, Ryder. I’ll take a cab,” said Anastasia stubbornly. Ryder noticed the way she called him by his real name for the second time since he came here. 

“I have nowhere to go and no one to be with, Annie,” said Ryder, looking hurt. 

“I don’t need your help,” said Anastasia stubbornly. Anson handed Ryder his car keys. 

“Just drop her off. You can bring the car over tomorrow morning. I’ll leave by 12 noon,” said Anson. He was waiting for an important legal document related to his restaurant and couldn’t leave without it. Anastasia finished packing up and was about to pick up the suitcase and place it on the floor when Anson rushed forward to stop her. 

“Sia, stop, you shouldn’t be picking up anything that heavy,” he said, picking up the suitcase himself. Ryder too rushed forward feeling too confused by Anson’s words. What was wrong with Anastasia? Why couldn’t she pick up anything heavy? 

“Let’s load it all in the car. Are you coming down now, Sia?” asked Anson. 

“Yeah, in two minutes,” said Anastasia, with her back towards them, dismissing them completely. Ryder felt a little disappointed by her attitude. She didn’t give him any opportunity to speak. If she was hurt,  so was he. He had waited for a long time for her call, but she hadn’t called nor received his call. What else could he do? He was desperate to have her return back to him. 

With Anson around, Ryder couldn’t talk to Anastasia the way he wanted to. He quietly loaded all her luggage with a grim expression on his face. He needed to clear the misunderstanding between them soon. He had to win her back again. She came down in a few minutes and gave Anson a brief hug, she climbed into the car. Ryder drove away, his heart beating rapidly and excitedly. 

“Are you unwell, Annie?” he asked worriedly once they were out of Anson’s sight. 

“I’m okay,” said Anastasia quietly, looking out of the window to avoid any talk with him. 

“Why didn’t you respond to my phone calls? I waited for so long, yet you didn’t call me,” complained Ryder, unable to take in the silence any more. 

Anastasia looked down at her hands. “Aunt Vida's health was deteriorating and I didn’t get the time to call you. I didn’t want you to talk to aunt Vida about us. She will die of heartache if she hears that I’m also breaking my promise and marrying just like mom did,” said Anastasia. “It’s better that you have moved on Ryder. I wish you a happy married life with Hailey,” she said with a sigh.

“Who told you that I’ve moved on? Who told you that I’m getting married?” he asked, steering the car away from the road and parking it at the roadside. Anastasia looked at him with confusion evident in her eyes. 

“Granny Daisy told me. She said that you two are getting married in a month’s time,” said Anastasia, staring into his eyes, searching them earnestly but all she could see was the honest truth. The truth that he still loved her. 

“It’s a rumor to get Hailey’s boyfriend and you, jealous. While it worked for Hailey and her boyfriend came to whisk her away, it obviously didn’t work out for me and you,” said Ryder with a sigh. Anastasia’s eyes widened like saucers and she just gaped at him with shock.

“You two were faking it?” she asked with disbelief. 

“Yeah, what else? Just because you returned the ring doesn’t mean that our relationship is over Annie. You’re still engaged to me. If it wouldn’t have been Rex, Rihanna and now Ryan’s wedding happening,  I would have been in LA by now,” said Ryder. He took out the ring from his pocket and picking up her hand, he pushed the ring back onto her finger.