Chapter 129 Terminal

Chapter 129 Terminal
Ryder's POV

Uriel had been acting weird since we got back to the city.

This one had nothing to do with being around Benjamin because she hadn't even batted her lashes at him for even a second.

She would randomly raise her head and flash me a smile while I read over my speech, practicing but the other times, her head was buried in her phone, her face squeezing.

So whatever was making her act weird was in her phone.

"Uhh..." I swallowed hard, forgetting the rest of what I was about to say. My head snapped to where Uriel once stood, my heart drumming fast in my chest. I turned my face back to the press, my eyes fluttering.

"I would appreciate it if everyone respects my space from now on. I am not the legitimate son of the Mayor, Benjamin but he's my legal guardian and this an evidence supporting it. You can as well go anywhere to confirm it," I raised the document up, letting them take close shots of it. "Thank you,"

"Questions!" They all yelled at once, their voices driving me insane.

Ignoring them, I ran towards the back. My security immediately shielded me.

"Where's Uriel?" I asked immediately, my eyes scanning the place for her.

"She... I think she went to ease herself," one of the men said, unsure.

"How the fuck did you let her go on her own," I snapped, glaring daggers at him. "Not like I expect you to follow her to go pee cos I'd blow your fucking balls up - but you should've kept an eye on her."

"Sorry. You were the subject matter."

Hissing, I dialed her number, waiting for it to ring but each time it did, it went to voicemail.

"You can't go that way, Sir. Not yet at least,"

I shot the guy a deadly glare, shoving his hands away from my face. "Get the fuck out of my face. I wouldn't be going there if you had done your fucking job."

Surprisingly, the reporters were not at the back. They probably expected me to pass through the front.

"Pick up, please," whispering, I looked around for any trace of her.

Then her scent hit my nostrils. I paused, sniffing the air. My legs softly padded on the ground, soundlessly.

"I don't know how to tell him this," a hushed voice said.

My ears stretched.

"But I'll try to tell him. You know how Ryder can be sometimes," Uriel's voice became clearer now.

"What are you telling me?" I spoke up, my voice hard. My eyes landed on Uriel's half body. There seemed to be someone else who she was talking to because I heard a soft gasp.

"How did...are you done?" Uriel feigned innocence, placing her hand on my chest in an attempt to push me away. She was trying to cover the person.

I didn't budge. I narrowed my eyes at her, my glare demanding.

"Who's there with you, Uriel?"

"Huh? I was on a call!" She chuckled, nervousness evident in it.

"A call huh?" Scoffing, I pulled her aside gently, forcing myself forward.

My face fell at the sight of what Uriel hid from me. A low shaky breath left my lips.

My mouth suddenly went dry, my throat locked up.

"Ryder," the lady called out to me, her hands trembling as they stretched to touch me.

I took a step backward, glaring at her. "What are you doing here, Eve?"

"Is that how you're going to address me? It's me, your mother." She patted her chest, her voice broken.

My eyes slowly dragged down her body, taking her in. She wasn't so tall now that I had grown up. She used to be so tall in my eyes as a kid, I always asked her if she used any secret ingredients I didn't know of. Her answer was always 'drink more milk', knowing how I hated it then.

Her skin was quite pale now. She was also leaner. My eyes moved up, stopping at her eyes - they were empty, soulless. Just like that day when she told my father that she was leaving us.

My heart clenched in my chest, my lungs closing up on me. My breathing became hard, ragged.

"My mother died when I was eleven," I spat scornfully.

"That's not true baby." She shook her head, clutching her loose shirt in a tight grip.

I turned to Uriel, "let's go. It's time to leave."

"Ryder, please. Hear her out," Uriel's voice was small, her eyes glossy. A wet trail stained her cheeks, hinting at me that she had been crying.

"Did she hurt you?" I held her face, brushing my thumb on her cheek.

Uriel shook her head, "no, Ry. She's harmless,"

"Then let's leave. Baby, please. I thought something had happened to you," my hand fell to her arms, holding her gently.

"Ryder please! I'm sorry for abandoning you the way I did but I wasn't mentally sound," Eva cried, running to my side. Uriel nodded.

"How long have you been communicating with her?" I asked Uriel, ignoring Eve completely

"A ... A few days back,"

"She was the reason you always looked nervous while on your phone, isn't it?" I frowned slightly. "She made you uncomfortable."

"I threatened her." Now, my head snapped to Eve, giving her audience.

"You what?" My nose flared, my eyes icy cold.

Eve's lips quivered. "I... I didn't know how to get her to talk to me. I knew she wouldn't want to meet me if she knew I was the one contacting her. She wouldn't want to anger you. So I had to threaten her with you,"

"You scared her, Eve." I stalked forward.

"Ryder. Ryder, look at me," Uriel stepped in front of Eve, placing her soft palm on my chest. "She's just a mother,"

"She doesn't deserve that title, Uriel. Stop defending her," my tone was sharp. "She left me! She couldn't even come for me after hearing what happened to my father. I needed my mother,"

"I was in rehab!"

I halted, staring at Eve without the cold glare. She nodded.

"Shouldn't I have known about that then?"

"You already had to grieve your father. I didn't even know he was dead because I was shutting myself from the outside world. It wasn't until Benjamin traced me to that place telling me that I knew."

"So Benjamin knew huh?" I scoffed.

"I told him not to tell you anything. I... I just wanted you to live well, like every normal kid," she shrugged.

My jaw clenched and unclenched, my eyes point-blank on her.

The words rolled in, cold and heartless. "Then you should've just stayed hidden. I'm living well and do not need you anymore,"

"Ryder!" Uriel scolded.

"Please, I don't want things to end like this with us." Eve clasped her hand together

"Let's go. Please, Uriel," my heart was aching. Seeing Eve cry broke more than I was letting out.

"Ryder, she..."

"I have stage 4 cancer!"

Five words.

That was all it took to strike an emotion.

Slowly, my body twisted to face her. She was on full sobbing now, Uriel rushing to her side. She didn't seem fazed.

"I don't have many years to live, Ryder."

"How many more?" I croaked out

"I don't know, but I want to spend my last years with you," she spoke softly. She stretched her hand out.

My eyes fell to it. Beside me, my fingers twitched. I raised my eyes up to meet hers, clenching my fist hard.

"I hate you, Eve. I hate you so much."