Ryan’s POV

It took a lot to get Ryan well and truly angry. But Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth had a talent for finding Ryan’s pressure points. Thanks to her, he was fuming.

After all that she had done to him in the past. She’d still had the audacity to break into his place and prance about naked.

How dare she! Gwendolyn had ruined the good thing that he’d had going with Vivian Rose.

Had she just harmed him, Ryan was certain he would have been less angry. But that woman had dared to hurt his Vivian with her vile actions. His sweet lady must have been devastated.

Thinking that Ryan was just like Bryce, that he was just using her.

Gwendolyn could count herself lucky he had only kicked her out instead of doing much worse.

Unfortunately for him though, kicking her out of the hospital did not resolve any of his current problems. In fact, by chasing her away, he had created a new one for himself.

Ryan’s grandfather was still weak and yet he wanted to talk.

There was no doubt in Ryan’s mind exactly what the old man wanted to speak about.

When he had been unconscious, Ryan had promised the old man that he would marry Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth.

Now though, after finding out that she was still as treacherous as always, that idea had been tossed aside for good. But no matter what, he could not let his grandfather know that. The old man was far too frail.

He would not receive the news well.

***

"About what we were talking about before this old body of mine decided to malfunction,"

His grandfather said the words lightly, and Ryan wanted to admonish him, that had not been just a mere malfunction. That had been a very scary moment in Ryan’s life, and it was not something that he was eager to repeat.

"What of it grandfather?" He asked instead.

The old man took a deep breath?

"Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth is a good young woman,"

Ryan had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from letting out a disbelieving scoff.

If Gwendolyn was a good woman, then inmates who were guilty of multiple murders were upstanding citizens. His grandfather, unaware of Ryan’s thought on the matter, carried on.

"She is a lovely lady, who would be the perfect wife for you,"

A good wife! Her?! The woman would be better off selling her services on some street corner. Absolutely not! But Ryan did not say that, instead he chose his words more carefully.

"I know how you feel grandfather. There is no need to repeat anything, just rest for now," But the old man would not have it, he shook his head, his tired eyes scanning his hospital room.

"Have you told her of my illness, has she been by to see me,"

***

It was tempting to lie, but he knew that there were probably pictures of her entering the hospital. If he said she had never come, the old man would be able to prove that she had been there.

’Yes grandfather she came by, and I kicked her out like the dog that she is, you would not believe the things that she has done,’

Ryan did not say those words though. Instead he took his grandfather’s hand in his and squeezed lightly.

"She was here a little bit earlier, but she got called away on urgent business,"

"So she truly did come to see me," The happiness in his grandfather’s tone was really heartbreaking, unable to say anything, Ryan simply nodded.

His hope that the old man knowing that Gwendolyn had been by would be enough for him to try and get some rest was dashed when his grandfather tried to get up.

"Now-now grandfather none of that, you need to get some rest," The old man shook his head.

"Have you given my request some thought, are you going to marry her?"

Never in a million years, even if Ryan were some fossil, being studied by scientists of the future. If one of them happened to be named Gwendolyn, then he would instantly turn his remains to dust the moment they tried to touch him. Unfortunately though he could not say that to his grandfather, he had to exercise some tact.

"Marriage is not the sort of thing that can be rushed. Especially not nowadays, but I promise you I am giving the matter all of the attention that it deserves," Which was none at all.

Anyone who looked at Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth after knowing exactly what she was capable of, and thought they saw someone who was wife material was obviously out of their mind.

His words were clearly not the ones that his grandfather wanted to hear. From the look in his eyes it was clear to see that the old man did not like the none answer, but he was too tired to keep arguing.

His eyes slid shut despite it being obvious that the old man was fighting with everything in him to stay awake. The moment that his grandfather’s breathing even out, signaling that he’d finally fallen asleep, Ryan let his shoulders slump. The cheerful mask he’d had on replaced by a look of worry.

What a mess, what a mess...

He had to find a way to tell his grandfather that he was never going to ask Gwendolyn Stuart the fourth to be his wife. But he had no idea how to approach the matter.

If he told the old man about what had caused their break up in the first place there was no way he would keep siding with Gwendolyn. But... in doing so Ryan would not only break the old man’s heart. He would also ruin his memory of his youngest grandson.

He could not do that to him, but he also could not seem to come up with some other excuse that would make the old man stop pushing for the union.