“You got a beer. You can’t go out onto the street with it.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, hoping it might help hone her irritation to a fine point he’d be able to feel. “You’ve made this weird.”

“I made this weird? You’re the one who asked me.”

“Not seriously.”

The look on his face made her feel like she’d swallowed a boulder.

He looked down for a second, then back up, his tone slightly hushed. “I made it weird that you’re out here trying to find the right guy to get you pregnant?”

“Yes,” she said, rounding on him, not caring that they were in the middle of the bar, likely drawing attention to themselves. “First with your talk about orgasms, and then with all of your propositions. Proposals. Oh, my gosh, did you propose to me?” She let her hand holding the beer fall slack at her side.

“If you want to think of it that way.”

“I don’t want to think of it at all.”

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “I’m going to go home. Iris can come pick you up when you’re done, if you don’t find a man to take you home. But you think about what I said. And if you find anyone in here that you think would be better than me, fine. I’ll let it go. But I don’t think you will. Because I think you and I both know, you can protest all you want about me protecting you and taking care of you and making sacrifices for you, but you want it. I’m the one who’s been there for you all this time. Don’t tell me you don’t want me to be here for you now.”

And then Ryder turned on his heel and walked toward the exit. And the son of a bitch actually walked out the door and left her standing there. She couldn’t believe it.

She looked around the bar, taking a swig of her beer and no, she didn’t want any of the men here. Not even a little. Not even at all. She felt like she’d been hollowed out. Like Ryder had reached inside her and taken everything she contained and everything she knew, and just stolen it from her. She had no idea who she was now. No idea how the world kept spinning. When it was so clearly knocked off its axis. And so she did a very stupid thing.

She turned on her heel and ran out onto the street. “Ryder!” she shouted. “Don’t leave me here.”

“I thought you were finished with me for the night.”

“Stop being an idiot. I don’t want to call your sister to come pick me up. And I don’t want to go home with some random guy. Stop acting like you had a personality transplant.”

“You’re the one who changed things,” he said.

“Just take me home,” she said. “I want a do-over. Let’s just pretend that this whole evening didn’t happen.”

He laughed. “Fine. Whatever you want, Sammy.”