Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2) Read Online Free PDF

it was that very few people stuck around when things got really tough. Scarlett was someone that stuck with me through it all.
    Once the skyline of Cleveland came into view, I sat up straighter in the seat. The feeling of unease sat in a ball at the bottom my stomach. It was a feeling I was accustomed to; it was always there when I was in the city. I pointed out directions off the highway and through the one-way streets to my parking garage. The gate opened automatically for us as we pulled up.  
    I directed him to my designated parking space. Ryder shut off the car and was quickly at my side to help me get out. Snaking my arm around his neck, I let him basically carry me to the elevator. After I hit the button for my floor, the elevator quickly made its ascend. We limped down the hall and I used my key to unlock my door, letting us into my apartment.  
    "You don't have any ice?" Ryder asked with his head in my freezer.
    "I guess not," I mumbled. I never really needed it before, so I never noticed.  
    I got down on my hands and feet and crawled to my couch. I leaned my back against it and put my foot up on the glass coffee table. Ryder came in with a smirk, obviously seeing my pathetic mode of transportation. He knelt in front of me and placed a bag of frozen broccoli on my ankle.
    "You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" he asked with a concerned look.  
    "No," I insisted. "It hasn't even been twenty-four hours. It'll be fine."  
    "You sure?"
    "Yep," I nodded. "Could you do me a favor?" He nodded. "Hand me my laptop."
    Ryder grabbed the MacBook Pro and placed in my hands. "Anything else?"
    "Thanks. Make yourself at home. I shouldn't be too long," I told him, shooting him an apologetic look. I knew he didn't want to wait around for me, but I had to send over the files to Ivan while I still had Internet.  
    Ryder sat next to me on the couch, and I wordlessly handed him the remote. He flicked on the big TV and surfed through some channels. I clicked through my emails, forwarding anything of importance over to Ivan. I setup my account to automatically forward emails over to him and my dad's secretary so I wouldn't need to do this again.
    Ryder sat next to me quietly and watched the TV. I liked his silent company. I was used to doing my work on my couch, but normally I was lonely. Having Ryder next to me, in love with me or not, made me feel a little better.  

C HAPTER F OUR

    Ryder
    Kallie worked on her laptop while I browsed through the billion channels she had. I doubted she had time to even look through all of them, let alone watch them. I tried to stop glancing at her ankle. The swelling went down a little, but it was starting to turn purple and blue. I wished she would get it checked it out, but she wasn't going to do that. I listened to her tap away at the keyboard before finally settling on a Batman movie. She clicked and typed away, while simultaneously texting on her phone and going through piles of papers.  
    Since I've seen this movie a hundred times, I got restless and took the time to swap out Kallie's "ice pack". I put the broccoli back in the freezer and brought out a bag of carrots. She thanked me and I nodded back in response. We didn't have much to say to each other. Most of the long drive up here was in silence. I had so much I wanted to say, but didn't want to at the same time.  
    I walked around the apartment, giving myself a tour. It was modern with lots of black and white, clean lines, and minimal decoration. It had an open and modern style to it. The only photos on the wall were black and white landscapes. She didn't even have any photos of friends or family hanging. Scarlett's room was plastered with candid photos and little souvenirs. Kallie had nothing.
    The sun was starting to set, and I approached the windows that spanned the entire wall facing Lake Erie. The apartment was on the top floor, giving a clear view of the lake and some city lights. I stood, staring at the water as far as