He stared back at me. He narrowed his eyes and I saw a glint of emotion there. Then his expression turned cold again.

"Please don't cry, Miss Jacobson." He said. "It won't work on me."

I blinked back the tears. How could this Ryder be so mean?

"Let's not beat around the bushes. You probably came from a middle class family. You came here, no fancy clothes, no expensive jewelry. I was told you were a wedding planner. I think you are ambitious, you needed somebody to bring you to the world of the rich. Well, maybe it's a good thing that I lost a year of my memory, because I have time to undo what you are about to do to me."

"Ryder, don't say these." I begged him silently, tears rolling down my cheeks, in spite of him asking me not to cry.

He stood there watching me. I know that he's only trying to be mean to me to shake me away. I could see a glimmer of emotion in his eyes, but he was fighting it.

"When was the last time I went to bed with you?" He asked.

I stared at him, confused with his question. "What..."

"Answer the question. When was the last time I had sex with you?" He asked bluntly.

"The day before your accident." I replied weakly.

"That would be over a month ago." He said. "I want you to take a pregnancy test. I just want to make sure that you're not pregnant."

Every queen needs a prince or a princess in her Ever After too. And suddenly, remembering him say those words to me so tenderly made me cry even more. I wiped the tears on my cheeks and nodded.

"What would you do if I am?" I asked back.

He raised a brow at me. "Aren't you on the pill?"

I shook my head slowly.

He shrugged. "I'm sure I always protection. I doubt that you are pregnant. But just in case, I want to be sure. And then we will talk about you staying out of my life so I can start fresh. As you can see, I lost a year of my life. That's a lot to catch up on."

"Why... why would you want to get rid of me?"

"Because I don't trust you." He said. "How the hell you made me fall in love with you, I do not know. How you made me put my money on your business, I am also not sure. You must be really good in bed. I am usually not the type of man who would fall under a woman's spell. And I stay away from girls like you."

"Girls like me? What do you think I am?"

He shrugged. "I don't know you well enough to judge you. But the last thing I want is to end up with a mercenary slut who is only using me to gain access to my bank accounts!"

"Mercenary slut?" I echoed. Is this how Ryder was like before I met him? "You're calling me a mercenary slut?"

He shrugged. "I didn't say that you are. I don't know you well enough to judge you. I'm just saying that I'm trying to stay away from women who only wanted me for what I am worth."

I bit my lip and balled my fists inside my jeans' pockets to keep myself from swinging the metal food tray across his face.

"Maybe it's not a good idea for us to talk today. I'll see you some other time." I said to him.

I turned away from him. When I looked back, I found that his eyes were looking at my behind. He was totally checking me out. Finally, he looked at my face.

"Well, for what it's worth, I understand why I would have been attracted to you." He said. "But I still don't think you could trick me into marriage... or love."

I was so angry, hurt and insulted, I didn't bother to retort back. I turned away from him and bumped into Jake who was just getting inside the room.

He stared down at me and saw the tears I was trying to hold back. His expression softened and he reached out to touch my shoulder.

"Astrid, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, Jake. I'm a rock!" I said to him, mustering all the courage I could find.

Then I turned to leave the room. I heard Jake shout at Ryder, "Not cool, man! Totally not cool!"

I was so upset when I got back to Ryder's apartment. Ryder seems like a total stranger now. I never knew he could be this harsh, this mean. When I met him, he was a dream. He was a sweet guy who I thought only existed in romance novels and fairy tales. The Ryder now also seems unreal... but in a terrible way.

God, he was worse than Kevin Moore! And Kevin and his mother were the reasons why I vowed I would never date a filthy rich guy who was out of my league. I don't want to be judged, to be measured whether or not I meet the minimum acceptable standards. I don't want my boyfriend and his family to question me, to doubt whether I really love him or I was in it for the status and the money.

It took me months to stop fighting what I feel for Ryder. He was so persistent, so sincere, so desperate, he did everything to make me believe him, trust in him. And now... he was an example of the very reason why I didn't want to fall for him in the first place.

Sometimes, I find my stupid situation so hilarious, I would actually roll on the floor laughing if I was not too busy bawling my eyes out.

I slept in one his long-sleeved shirts again that night. And as I lied down on his bed and cried my heart out, I prayed for like the millionth time that this was just a bad dream I would soon wake up from.

"You could keep staying in Ryder's apartment." Paris told me the day that Ryder would be going home from the hospital.

"No, it's okay. I know he's still not ready to see me." I said. "I could stay in a hotel."

"Nonsense." She said. "He will stay at my mother's house for a while. At least there, we have maids and butlers to attend to his needs while he is healing." Paris explained. "He won't come back to his apartment. Stay there."

I should be happy. Ryder's physical wounds are healing. I would have been the happiest woman on earth if only his memories didn't get messed up... if only he could remember even a second of our time together. Or at least, he was even willing to get to know me.

"Do you think I could see him again?" I asked.

Paris nodded. "Yes. He has to deal with you, no matter how hard he tries to run away from it."

"I don't understand that, actually."

"My brother didn't believe he could actually fall in love. You confuse him." Paris replied. "And he doesn't know what to do with you."

Oh, this Ryder Van Woodsen knows what to do with me alright! He wants to get rid of me so fast, he was even willing to pay me. But I didn't tell anybody that. I know Ryder didn't mean it. If he was himself, he would never say those words at all.

I went with Paris to her mother's house. Helen has a ten bedroom mansion. The whole house was swarmed with butlers and maids keeping it well taken care of.

Helen was ecstatic to see me. "Sweetheart." She gave me a hug. "I'm so glad to see you. I told one of the maids to call Ryder."

Helen and I chatted in the tea room, while Paris excused herself.

"That girl." Helen sighed.

Paris?

"You're family now, Astrid. I suppose I could tell you. I worry about her."

"She seems like a girl who could take care of herself." I said.

"Yes. Sometimes a little too much." Helen heaved a frustrated breath.

"I don't understand."

"Paris is sometimes too independent, too tough and too smart for her own good. I worry about the guys she dates. I want her to marry well, you know."

My heart sank. I guess all rich people have this unwritten rule to marry within their circle.

"It's different with Ryder, of course." Helen said, not even looking at me. "He could marry whoever he likes. He's going to be the head of this family. And he's practically made well for himself. His wife's job would be to keep him sane and happy. Paris's future husband, however, must make sure she continues living as comfortably as she is now. I would hate for her to end up with a good-for-nothing man who would not only mess up his life, but also exhaust all of Paris's share of the family's wealth."

She has a point. She's not judging people based on wealth. She just don't want a douche to end up with her daughter. I guess, I could live with that.

"I'm sure Paris would be responsible enough to know that."

She sighed. "Yes. You know, her father always sets her up with a man?"

I raised a brow.

"Yes. She hates it. And she does everything she could do defy him to the point that she would embarrass the guys he sets up for her. I guess he probably tried to fix her up with at least five guys and all of them didn't even want to be the same room as Paris now."

I bit my lip to prevent myself from laughing. I couldn't believe that delicate, sweet and innocent Paris has a naughty, feisty side. It was enlightening to hear, actually.

We were interrupted by their butler. He looked at Helen, but he refused to look at me.

"Mister... Mister Ryder said he... wasn't feeling well." He said, but his voice lack the conviction, so I'm thinking that wasn't the real reason I couldn't see Ryder. And judging the Ryder I last spoke to, I'm sure his butler is finding it so hard to rephrase the words he said as to why he couldn't see me.

I fought back the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. I couldn't show Helen how hurt I am. She would feel guilty, I know.

"That's... that's okay. I think he needs more time." I said quietly.

For the first time the butler looked at me. He gave me an apologetic smile, which confirmed my earlier suspicion that Ryder didn't want to see me on purpose.

I nodded at him slightly.

Helen must have sensed this too. And I know she felt sorry for me. "Well, since my son is unable to see you, I think you have some free time on your hands, right?"

I nodded.

"Come, sweetheart. I wanted to go shopping today. And I needed a better company than Paris. Her taste in clothes are sometimes too different from me. Would you mind spending the afternoon at the mall with me?" Helen asked.

How could I say no? I know Helen would like to do something for me to make me feel better.

"Thank you, Helen." I said. "If you think I would be a good company, then I would be happy to come with you."

Ryder's mother obviously likes shopping. And it's no surprise to me that almost all the sales staff of the luxurious brands know her. I decided to relax and be myself. I did one of the things that I actually do best. I critic the clothes she chose as well as the bags and jewelry. I guess one of the perks of my job is learning what has class and screams elegance, whether in detail or in whole. I think I actually impressed Helen with my skills. She was complimenting me about it.

"Now, I know why you are good at what you do, dear." She said when we were having coffee.

"I guess I always had it in me." I said. "I love what I do. It's effortless for me."

Just then, Helen handed me a paper bag from Cartier.

"This is for you, dear."

I shook my head. "Helen, no." I said. "I couldn't accept this. It's not even my birthday."

She laughed. She took out a box from the bag. "I would like to thank you for your company."

"And you're welcome. I enjoyed myself. But you didn't have to give me something in return." I said.

She opened the box and I saw a beautiful platinum bracelet.

"It's my thank you gift, not just for today, dear." She said. "This is to thank you for loving my son patiently." She took the bracelet and locked it on my wrist. "And to remind you to always find the strength to fight for both of you."

Tears brimmed my eyes as I stared back at Ryder's mother.

"I'm so sorry, Astrid." When she looked at me, her eyes were welling up with tears too. Helen hugged me. "I know that my son chose the right woman. I know how much he loves you! But he's always been like this. Thinking that every woman he finds is just after his money. I know that when he gets better, you will be the first person he will look for. If he only remembers that the reason why you two didn't happen quickly is because you didn't want him to be rich, that you were more thrilled with him when he was a bartender."

I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I don't know how to make him find his way back to me. And I'm so scared that everyday, I lose him more and more."

"Just wait, my dear." His mother said. "He's still the same man. Somewhere in that stubborn mind of his, is the man who lives and dies for you."

She squeezed my hand. I touched the bracelet that she gave me and I smiled back at her.

"Thank you." I said. "And I hope you are right."

"He's my son. I know he will find a way back to you."

And I could only hope that it was still true. That the man I love will wake up from this trance and remember what a good thing we have. The good thing that is waiting for him.

Chapter Twent.