After I left, the twin Alphas went crazy novel Chapter 86

The way he’d stepped In so effortlessly made me wonder. But I didn’t ask. Instead, I simply smiled to myself, grateful for his presence.

The car pulled up In front of a small restaurant, and Lirian helped me out. We walked inside, and as soon as we sat down, my phone buzzed with a new message. Glancing at the screen, I froze. It was from Ryan.

“Sorry.”

Just one word, but it hit me like a wave. Ryan was apologizing? I stared at my phone in disbelief. In my last life, he had never once apologized—not even after everything he’d put me through. Until my death, he had shown nothing but indifference.

My mind swirled as I read that single word over and over. I couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted him to send it. Was he regretting how he treated me now that I was spending time with Lirian? The thought didn’t flatter me—it irritated me.

It wasn’t love that had him acting this way; it was jealousy. Pure and simple. Ryan hated the idea of me moving on, of me being happy without him. But that didn’t mean he loved me. He just couldn’t stand seeing someone else appreciate what he had carelessly tossed aside.

The rest of the dinner passed quietly, though my mind remained distracted by Ryan’s message. Lirian, as always, was attentive and warm, but I couldn’t shake the strange feeling lingering in the back of my mind.

When we stepped out of the restaurant, the sky had darkened, and rain was beginning to fall. Lirian, ever the gentleman, opened an umbrella and walked me to the car. The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella was soothing, but there was a tension growing inside me.

At Moonshadow, Lirian stopped to open the door for me again. “I’ll walk you to your door,” he said, holding the umbrella over both of us.

As we stood on the steps of my home, I turned to him and smiled softly. “It’s pouring now. You should head back before you get soaked.”

He stared at me, his expression dark and conflicted. I could see the tension in his jaw, the frustration in his eyes. “What are you doing with him?” he demanded, his voice low but harsh. “You looked so happy. Laughing with him, smiling. Is it fun? Does he make you feel that much better than I ever could?”

I was momentarily speechless. I had never seen him like this—so vulnerable, so raw. But I wasn’t about to let him guilt me. Not now. Not after everything.

“He treats me well, unlike you,” I said calmly. “And besides, what are you doing here, Ryan? You have a girlfriend. Shouldn’t you be with Linda?”

Ryan hesitated, and for the briefest moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—regret, maybe? “What if I broke up with her?” he asked suddenly, his voice quiet but intense. “Would you still… would you still want me? Like before?