[BL] Dear Hushand, I want divorce-Chapter 143: Carrying him bridal style

When Noah reached his car, he immediately noticed something was wrong. His brow furrowed in confusion as he knelt down to inspect the tire. It was flat—completely punctured.

"What the hell..." he muttered to himself. His car was perfectly fine when he parked it earlier. He looked around, but there wasn’t much to see in the dim parking lot. The night had fallen, and there wasn’t anyone else around.

Frustrated, he pulled out his phone to book a taxi, only to realize he had no network. Of course, it had to be now. Great.

Just as he was about to curse his luck, he heard footsteps approaching. His whole body tensed as Ryder’s familiar voice rang out behind him, dripping with that annoying charm.

"Need a ride, Doll face?"

Noah turned around sharply, eyes narrowing at Ryder. "Of course, it’s you. Why am I not surprised?"

Ryder stood there casually, leaning against the door of his sleek car, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "I couldn’t help but notice you’re having some...car trouble," Ryder said, eyes glinting mischievously as he nodded toward the punctured tire.

Noah straightened, his gaze sharp and suspicious. "This wasn’t an accident, was it?" he asked coldly, folding his arms. "You didn’t have something to do with this, did you?"

Ryder chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Now, why would I go and do something like that? You give me too much credit." He paused, eyes gleaming as he added with a laugh, "Although I’ll admit, it’s the kind of thing I would do."

Noah scoffed. "Exactly my point."

"Hey, I’m serious," Ryder said, shrugging with a more sincere look this time. "I didn’t touch your car. It’s just bad luck. But if you want to keep standing here in the rain, be my guest. Or..." He stepped closer, his smirk softening as he looked at Noah. "You could accept my offer. It’s starting to pour, and I’ve got a nice warm car."

Noah hesitated, glaring at Ryder as the first drops of rain started to fall. He hated how convincing Ryder could be. His options were running out fast, and with the rain now picking up, it was getting ridiculous to stay out here.

"I don’t trust you," Noah muttered, his arms still crossed.

"Fair enough," Ryder said, unaffected, and moved to open the passenger door for him. "But it’s pouring, so maybe save the trust issues for later? I promise, I’ll behave."

Noah looked up at the sky as the rain began to beat harder, pelting his shoulders. "Fine," he muttered, irritated. "But don’t think this means anything."

Ryder chuckled as Noah begrudgingly walked toward his car and slid into the passenger seat. "I wouldn’t dream of it," he said, though the smirk on his face told a different story.

Noah shot him a glare as he settled in, dripping from the sudden downpour.

Ryder got into the driver’s seat with a grin. He started the engine and looked over at Noah, thoroughly enjoying the situation. "You know, you’re even cuter when you’re wet."

Noah’s eyes twitched. "Shut up and drive."

The silence in the car was oddly peaceful, almost too quiet for Noah’s liking. But for once, Ryder wasn’t being his usual annoying self. Noah stared out the window, watching the rain pour down in sheets, wishing he could roll it down to get some fresh air. But given the weather, that was out of the question.

Just as Noah was beginning to settle into the calm, the car tugged slightly. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He glanced over at Ryder, who had an oddly neutral expression on his face. Before Noah could ask, it tugged again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Noah yelled, alarmed.

Ryder looked just as surprised, and then the car gave a third tug before it slowed to a stop. In the middle of the road of nowhere.

"Oh, great," Ryder muttered under his breath. He tried turning the ignition a few times, but nothing happened. His eyes rolled dramatically as he slumped back in his seat. "Car’s dead."

Noah stared at him in disbelief. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Ryder shot him a sideways smirk. "I wish I were, Doll face. But at least we’re not stuck in the middle of nowhere—oh wait, we are."

Noah groaned, running his hand through his hair. "So, what now?"

With a mischievous grin, Ryder replied, "Well, since you’re so good at fixing cars, maybe you should handle this."

Noah glared at him. "Funny."

Ryder sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt, opening the door slightly. "Guess I’ll have to go out and see what’s wrong with it."

As Ryder started to get out, Noah instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. Ryder paused and looked down at Noah’s hand on his arm, eyebrows raised in surprise. Noah quickly withdrew his hand, muttering, "It’s pouring outside. You’ll get drenched."

Ryder gave him that devilish smirk again. "How else am I supposed to figure out what’s wrong with the car? What, you want me to just wish it back to life?"

Noah rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath. "Fine, whatever. Just get it over with."

Ryder shot him a wink before stepping out into the rain. Noah watched through the windshield as Ryder went around the front of the car, inspecting the hood. After a few minutes of watching Ryder struggle, Noah grew impatient. He opened the door slightly, intending to offer some help, but Ryder immediately waved him off.

"Stay inside, it’s raining too much here," Ryder called, raising his voice over the sound of the rain. "I’ve got this. Don’t want you melting out here."

Noah narrowed his eyes but stayed put, crossing his arms over his chest. "Like I’d melt," he muttered, irritated.

Time passed, and Ryder still hadn’t come back. Noah, growing increasingly curious—and cold—was about to get out when there was a soft knock on his window. He turned to see Ryder standing outside, completely drenched, water dripping from his hair and clothes.

Noah rolled down the window a crack. "What now, genius?"

Ryder, dripping and shivering slightly but still grinning like a fool, leaned in closer. "Turns out, it’s dead for real. Might need a tow."

Noah sighed deeply, shaking his head. "What the fuck?!"

Ryder gave a dramatic shrug. "Hey, I tried. You know, if we’re stuck here long enough, we might just have to share body heat."

Noah shot him a deadly glare. "Shut up and get back in the car before you catch pneumonia, you idiot."

Ryder stood up, glancing around the rain-soaked surroundings. "It’s no good staying here. But I see some lights nearby. Might be a hotel or something. We should check it out."

Noah groaned, shivering as he stepped out of the car. The cold rain immediately hit him, soaking through his clothes. "I knew I shouldn’t have come," he muttered under his breath, glaring at Ryder.

Ryder pursed his lips, walking ahead. "Look, I’m sorry, okay?"

"Whatever," Noah snapped, wrapping his arms around himself to try and keep warm as they trudged through the rain.

The ground was slick, and with every step, Noah found it harder to maintain his balance. He barely had time to curse Ryder again before his foot slipped on the muddy ground. In an instant, he lost his footing and fell hard on his leg, a sharp pain shooting up from his ankle. He screamed out in pain.

Ryder immediately stopped and turned around. "Noah!" He rushed back and knelt beside him. "You can’t even walk properly, can you?"

Noah winced, his face contorting with pain. "Shut up," he hissed, holding his leg as the throbbing intensified. "This is your fault."

Ryder ignored the jab and studied Noah’s leg before going down on his knees. He carefully took off Noah’s shoe, frowning at the swollen ankle. "Looks like you’ve twisted or fractured it. Can you walk?"

Noah clenched his teeth, shaking his head. "I’m not going anywhere. Just leave me here, I’ll go back to the car."

Ryder scoffed. "In this rain? You’ll freeze to death." Without waiting for Noah’s response, Ryder stood up and, to Noah’s utter shock, scooped him up in his arms—bridal style.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Noah yelled, squirming in Ryder’s arms. "I’ll fucking kill you! Put me the fuck down! Now! Ryder!"

"Relax, Doll face," Ryder said casually, his grip firm. "The less you complain, the faster we’ll get to that hotel. And maybe then you can stop screaming in my ear."

Noah’s face flushed with embarrassment. "Put me down! You’re not seriously going to carry me like this."

Ryder only smirked, walking through the rain without a care in the world. "Too late. I’ve already started."

Noah’s protests grew quieter, his face heating up in the cold night air. How was Ryder not embarrassed? How was he the one blushing like an idiot, while Ryder was acting like this was normal?

By the time Noah realized Ryder wasn’t going to put him down, he went silent, biting his lip as they trudged along. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, glaring at Ryder’s soaked face. "You’re carrying a grown man."

Ryder chuckled. "Lucky for you, I don’t mind showing off my strength."

Noah closed his eyes in frustration. Thank God it was night and pouring rain, so Ryder couldn’t see how red his face had become.