<b>38 </b>


    Once they were gone, I shot Ryan a quick look. Ryan chuckled awkwardly. “She’s your daughter. I was just teaching her a few things. You’re not mad, right?”


    “No, I appreciate it,” I replied, honestly surprised that Ryan would even bother Yvonne. Maybe he did that for me.


    Ryan let out a sigh. “Why’d you have a kid so young? By the looks of it, you hadn’t even graduated yet, right?”


    “I don’t know. Maybe I just wasn’t thinking straight,” I said with a shrug.


    Ryan looked at me, a little pity in his eyes. “Did Jared trick you into having a baby?”


    It’s hard to say. Jared and I were pretty crazy about each other back then, and having a kid was something we both


    wanted.


    “No, it was my own decision,” I said honestly.


    Ryan looked a bit regretful: “Your daughter doesn’t look like you at all. She’s basically her dad’s mini–me.”


    I hesitated. He was right; Yvonne looked just like Jared, not a single feature from me.


    “That’s what they say about gics. Daughters usually end up looking more like their fathers,” I said with a smile.


    “If she took after you, she’d be even prettier,” Ryan added, a hint of bashfulness in his eyes.


    I joked yfully, “Oh yeah? Maybe I’ll have another kid someday who actually looks like me.”


    “With whom?” Ryan’s eyes froze for a second, a hint of nervousness flickering across his face.


    I was just joking around, but he actually looked a little tense. I shook my head. “Who knows? Whoever I fall for in the future, I’ll have a kid with them.”


    Ryan nodded, looking a bit disappointed. “I’m graduating next year. My grandpa wants me to go into politics. I could apply for a job in Hachester.”


    I was surprised. “You’ve got a bright future ahead of you. You should really think it through.”


    “Going into politics is what my grandpa wants, but honestly, I’m kind of lost,” Ryan said, leaning forward on the desk. “If I had someone to stick with me, maybe I’d actually try to go down that path.”


    I looked into his eyes and saw that determined look shining back at me. “Sorry, but I’m not nning to go through hardships and grow with anyone,” I said, my words hitting him hard,


    Ryan was momentarily stunned. I didn’t want to lie or make empty promises. “Ryan, you need to walk this path alone, or find someone else to walk it with you.”


    Ryan suddenlyughed. “You’re the first person who’s ever been this blunt with me. Everyone else just tells me


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    12:10 Thu, 21 Aug


    what I want to hear.”


    He was basically the golden boy, so everyone wanted to cozy up to him.


    53<b>% </b>


    “Sorry, did I say something you didn’t want to hear?” I figured Ryan might be annoyed, so I apologized right away. I had no point in offending a future political heavyweight.


    Ryan shook his head. “What I really need right now is someone to throw some cold water on me, <i>you </i>know<i>? </i>I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by praise and apuse. I’m starting to lose myself.”


    I said, “What, are you a glutton for punishment or something?”


    Ryan burst outughing. “Yeah, I guess I am. I need someone to give me a reality check and remind me how brutal


    the real world can be.”


    I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. “Sorry, deep down, I’m just too kind–hearted; hurting people isn’t really my thing.”


    Ryan’s mood had clearly lifted, but when he looked at me, there was this air of authority about him that made me feel a weird kind of pressure.


    He might be younger than me. Although his eyes looked pure, there was a whole storm of scheming, and that untouchable vibe one got from people who had tasted real power.


    He could y the innocent act all day, but I knew that kind of man was trouble.


    “I’ll cherish someone who actually tells me the truth,” Ryan said out of the blue, then walked out without another word.


    I let out a wry smile. I didn’t know what Ryan was trying to pull this time.


    That night, Melissa and Zachary invited me out for dinner. Melissa insisted on treating me since I gave her a giftst time.


    Melissa let it slip that Nathan would be joining us, too. The tennis racket I’d been meaning to give him was still in my trunk. So, it was a perfect chance to finally give it to him.


    AD


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