Thanksgiving passed with Connor and me hiding out in the family room most of the time. Mom had a couple people from work over, but still no sign of the mysterious Logan. I knew he was still in the picture from conversations with her over the past few months. I suspected some plans had been made, however. A furtive phone call I walked in on a few days ago helped that suspicion.
Friday morning dawned bright and clear and with a heavy heart. I’d been half hoping to hear from Teagan the day before. Even a text would have been acceptable. The silence caused an ache in my chest that made me want to crawl into bed for a week again. That wasn’t an option, though.
The sunlight spread throughout the room, lighting up the walls. I lay in bed, nursing my broken heart, when the phone rang. There was no denying that a thrill of excited hope shot through me. I scrambled for the phone, looked at the name, and slumped in defeat. Great. Taking a breath, I slid my finger across the screen to answer it.
“Yep.” My tone was less than enthusiastic.
“Wow. Don’t sound so happy to hear from me.” Ryan’s voice oozed. “You might damage my ego or something.”
I snorted. “Yeah, like anything could damage that.”
“Good point. I’m pretty damn amazing,”
I could picture his smug expression and rolled my eyes. “Why are you calling at me?” I asked abruptly, cutting to the point.
“I missed you too, sugar,” he responded.
I sighed in annoyance. “I’m gonna hang up.”
“Didn’t hear from Aldridge, did you?”
“I’m seriously hanging up now,” I warned him.
“No!” He paused for a second then cleaned his throat. “I’m sorry. I know the holidays will be hard.”
I sat in silence as I debated the sincerity of his apology. He’d actually sounded like he meant it. “It’s okay,” I told him as I pushed myself up to sit against the headboard of the bed. “I shouldn’t be so touchy.”
“Meh, it’s all good. I called for an actual reason, though.” I heard rustling around. “We missed the deadline for one of our projects. I was able to wrangle us an extension.”
“What? Why didn’t you say anything?” I exclaimed. “Oh my God, Ryan!” I slapped a hand to my forehead. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s all good,” he said dismissively. “But here’s the thing. We have until Monday to get it turned in.”
“What?” I shrieked. “How long have you known about this?”
Silence greeted my question. “How long, Ryan?”
“Look,” he said with a sigh. “You weren’t in any shape until a few days ago. Then the holiday snuck up on us. I’m sorry, okay?” He paused and I could hear male voices in the background. “I’m heading back to campus tonight. When will you be back?”
That’s when I remembered where he’d gone for Thanksgiving. “Holy shit! I’m sorry. How’d your game go?”
He chuckled. “It’s fine. I know you’re not into sports and shit. It went great, by the way. We crushed them.”
“Wow! Ryan, that’s great.”
“Yeah. There were some scouts there too, so, who knows?”
“Really? That’d be awesome.” I paused and then added, “Um, what’s a scout?”
This time he full-on laughed. “Doesn’t matter, sweetheart. I’ll explain someday.” He calmed down. “When will you be back at school?”
The original plan had been to go Sunday. I didn’t think Connor would have a problem leaving a day early, however. He was on the verge of a meltdown trying to avoid Mom. “I can probably be back tomorrow sometime. I need to talk to my brother, see if he’s okay with going back early.”
“All right, then, let me know?”
“Sure, I’ll text you.”
With that, we said our goodbyes and hung up. I was wide awake now, so I might as well go talk to Connor. That there would be much pushback on leaving home was doubtful.
***
We pulled up in front of my dorms and Connor turned off the car. I sat there looking out the windshield at the students moving about in silence. Connor turned to me and sighed.
“You gonna be okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.” I shifted in my seat. “I never told you, but thank you for being a good brother.”
He looked at me in surprise. “Uh, no problem. But…where did that come from?”
“Just something I’ve been thinking about,” I said with a shrug. And I had been. The whole way back to campus I’d sat and thought about Connor. It dawned on me that when I needed him the absolute most, he’d always come through for me. He might be an asshat most of the time, but he was an awesome brother when he needed to be.
“All right,” he replied slowly. “You’re a pretty awesome little sister, kiddo.” He reached over and gave me a one-armed hug. “Now get out. I have places to be.”
“Gee, Conn. I love you too,” I said sarcastically. I grabbed my travel bag and swung open the door. Pausing, I looked back at him. “Thanks for not telling Mom.”
He scowled. “You owe me for that pie,” he reminded me. I just laughed and got out.
I paused before I closed the door and debated my next question. It had been on my mind for a while, but I didn’t know how to bring it up. Connor saw my hesitation and quirked an eyebrow. When he didn’t get a response, he huffed an impatient breath. “Hello? Ash?”
“Um…” I paused and swallowed then looked at him through squinted eyes. “I was wondering. How’s Zver? Is he being taken care of? Is he all right?” I’d been worried about the big dog; he’d become as much mine as Teagan’s, it’d seemed. Now that we weren’t together anymore, I was worried he wasn’t being taken care of properly.
“He’s fine, Ash,” Connor reassured me. “Like I said, Teeg comes home every night. Zver’s taken care of.”
I nodded and closed the door. As I turned away, he rolled down the window. “By the way, squirt. There’s nothing wrong with your car.”
I just flipped him off as I made my way up the front walk to the main door of the building. Once I reached it, I turned around and waved back at Connor. He returned it, then backed out and pulled away. For some reason, I suddenly missed him. Shaking my head, I pivoted and went into the building. Time to face life.
***
“I swear to God, if you touch my feet again, I will straight up junk punch you.”
Ryan laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never even seen anyone so ticklish before.” He eased a hand holding a pencil out and got ready to poke my foot.
I snatched my foot away and glared at him from the opposite end of the bed. “I’m not playing, Caldwell.”
“Oh, last name status.” He grinned “Time to be skeered now,” he said with an exaggeration of his southern accent. He continued to sneak the pencil toward me.
I grabbed one of the pillows and threw it at him. “Stop!”
He caught it easily. “You’re cute when you’re worked up.”
“Then you’re about to find me absolutely adorable in just a minute.” I bared my teeth in a snarl when laughter met my announcement. “Ugh! What are you? Two?”
“You’re just too much fun.”
I clenched my jaw and glowered at him. “You’re just too much fun,” I mimicked. “You are such a pain in the ass.”
“Nah, you adore me. I make you laugh,” he said and flashed a grin. “C’mon, sugar, admit it. You know you want to.” He gave me a wink. “You like hanging out with me.”
I stared at him as he sat there with that shit-eating grin and felt myself crack. The smile spread slowly but was soon followed by a laugh. I kicked out at him with a grin of my own. “Yeah, okay. Maybe.” I pushed my hair out of my face and glanced down at the book in my lap. “We’re not going to finish this tonight, are we?”
With a groan, Ryan flopped onto his back. “No.” He checked his watch. “It’s almost midnight. I need food. You haven’t fed me, dammit.”
“Me?” I spluttered. “This was your idea,” I reminded him.
He waved a hand, dismissing my comment. “A technicality.”
“Is there even a place open around here?” I had no clue what there was at this hour. I’d always been at home with Teagan by now.
“There’s a taco place open until three,” he suggested. “I usually hit it after one of the house parties.”
“You must be a regular there, then,” I teased.
“They may know me there,” he admitted. “Wanna go? Best Mexican in town after midnight.”
“Probably the only place after midnight,” I muttered.
He made an obscene gesture. “That’s not the point.”
I laughed as I swung my legs off the side of the bed and pushed my feet into my shoes. “Yeah, let’s go check out this ‘best Mexican place,’” I said with quotes. “But you’re buying.”
“Bossy, aren’t you?”
I shot him a look as he stood up and grabbed his stuff.
“Well, I am a good southern boy, just like—”
“Your mama raised you to be,” I finished with a grin and a roll of my eyes. “Now prove it. Feed me.” I grabbed my jacket and purse and walked over to the door. “Let’s move with a purpose.”
Ryan laughed and made his way over. “Yeah, all right. You’re the boss, sugar.” He opened the door and waited for me to walk through before he followed me out. “You want me to drive too?” he asked with a sarcastic smirk.
I tilted my head up, put my shoulders back, and strolled by. “No, that won’t be necessary,” I said airily. “That can be handled on my own.” I headed to the elevator and pushed the down button.
He moved to stand beside me and shifted his backpack on his shoulder. He pulled out his ball cap and settled it on his head just as the door opened. I eyed him as we got in. I could see Ryan’s appeal to the female masses. Tall, well-built, cocky attitude, good-looking…Yeah, I’d admit, even I thought he was hot.
But he wasn’t Teagan.
Ryan reached past me, hit the button for the lobby, and straightened to look at me. He studied me in silence as we descended and I found myself meeting his eyes. My breath stopped when I saw the look in his eyes, and I stilled. They had darkened, a glint forming in them. The small space seemed to heat up as the seconds and floors ticked by. I sensed rather than saw him shift toward me. The moment seemed filled with unknowns and possibilities.
I jumped when the doors suddenly opened, breaking the moment. Ryan pulled back and blinked, coming out of whatever spell we’d been in. Flustered, I hurried from the elevator and out of the building. I could feel him close behind me and my heart beat wildly.
What the hell was that?
***
I sat at the table and watched Ryan with a fascinated disgust. He was currently attempting to eat a burrito the size of his head. The disturbing part was it looked like he would be able to do it. I looked down at my soft tacos and felt that, for once, I was eating proportionately. However, watching Ryan eat—practically dislocating his jaw—could very well destroy someone’s appetite.
“What’s up?” he asked. At least, I thought that was what he said around his mouthful of food.
I frowned at him. “I’m pretty sure your mother taught you manners,” I said primly.
He swallowed his food and shot me a grin. “She tried. They didn’t stick.”
“That’s obvious.
“I enjoy food.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“Look,” he said as he grabbed his drink. “There’s three things I enjoy. Football, food and…well…” He paused and I watched as he flushed. “Yeah, never mind.” He took a large gulp of his drink, not meeting my eyes.
I frowned at him, confused for a moment, then what he meant dawned on me. “Oh my God! Are you serious?”
“Whatever,” he mumbled and went back to his food. “And for the record, this,” he said as he gestured to the large burrito, “is too big, okay? It barely fits.”
I blinked at him for a minute and then lost it. I started laughing and couldn’t stop. The disgruntled look on his face only made me crack up more. Each time I thought I could get myself under control, I’d look at his face and start all over again.
“What the hell is your problem?” he demanded.
“It’s what you said,” I told him between gasps of air.
He frowned. “Huh? All I said was it was too big.”
I snorted. “That’s what she said!” I exclaimed, laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.
“Wow,” he responded with a bland look. “Really?”
I wiped my eyes and sniffed. “Don’t hate.”
“I just…” He trailed off while shaking his head. “Wow.”
I pointed at him with a grin. “You’re just jealous I caught it before you did.”
He stared at me, silent for a moment. “Okay,” he conceded. “You may be right.”
“That’s what I thought,” I said, smug.
Ryan started to respond when I glanced over his shoulder and froze. He cocked his head to the side, brows knitted in confusion as he watched the smile drop from my face. Twisting in his seat, he looked behind him to see what had my attention. Catching sight of what I focused on, he swore softly. “Do you wanna go?”
I debated my options and came to a decision. “No.” I shook my head. “I won’t run every time. I can’t.”
He nodded but his eyes showed his concern. “All right, Ash. Whatever you wanna do.”
I glanced back up and saw Lauren glaring at me. Swallowing hard, my eyes met Ryan’s and I shrugged. “I don’t want to stay,” I told him quietly. “But I can’t leave every single time I see her. I won’t give her that much power.”
He gave me a considering look as he took a large bite of his food. He swallowed and said, “You’re right. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “What?”
He nodded. “Yeah, sugar. I know it’s not easy, but you’re standing your ground. Most people would just get up and leave.”
I made a noise and picked at my taco. The weight of his gaze on me was heavy and I met it. “Thank you. You know, for saying that.”
Then my worst fear happened. I glanced up and saw Lauren heading toward us. The look on her face, determined and angry, warned me trouble was on its way. “Shit,” I muttered. “Heads up, dude.”
Ryan glanced around and saw what was coming. With a sigh, he sat back in his seat and placed his food on his plate. “I just wanna eat,” he mumbled forlornly.
I shot him a look then turned my attention to Lauren who’d just arrived at our table. I gave her a bland smile and a raised eyebrow. “Lauren.”
She studied me for a moment. “Amber,” she said with a sneer.
Ryan opened his mouth to correct her. I caught his eye and gave him a subtle shake of the head. He frowned, his eyes full of questions, but kept quiet.
“Who’s this?” she asked with a calculating look toward him.
I shot her a look that let her know exactly what I thought then gestured to Ryan. “This is my friend, Ryan.”
She hummed then a grin that made me uneasy spread across her face. “Friend, eh? Well, Ryan, I’m Lauren. Teeg’s close friend.”
Ryan looked at her for a moment, his face unreadable. He pursed his lips then shrugged dismissively. “Can’t be too close,” he countered. “He doesn’t ever talk about you.”
She stiffened and glared before turning toward me. I mentally sighed at the look in her eye. I already had a good idea of what was coming.
“You look well, Amber. I know it can be hard breaking up with someone,” she said with false sympathy. “But it’s probably for the best. Teeg needs someone who’s mature enough to handle the pressures he has right now.” She placed a hand on her hip and flashed a condescending smile. “He doesn’t have time to deal with anyone’s immaturity.”
I stared at her with narrowed eyes. “No, he doesn’t,” I said in agreement. “Especially when he’s busy dealing with yours.”
She pulled back and straightened in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“I’m a lot of things, Lauren,” I told her, “but I’m far from stupid.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you may have Teagan fooled, but I’m not.”
She shot me a furious look and opened her mouth to say something when Ryan abruptly stood. “Much as I’m enjoying the floor show, I have an early practice tomorrow.” He pulled out his wallet and tossed a few bills on the table. “You ready, sweetheart?”
I met Lauren’s glare with one of my own as I rose. I started to turn away then paused as I decided to say what had bothered me from the beginning.
“You know what gets me the most? It’s that you don’t care how all of this will affect your daughter. I don’t know what your end game is here,” I admitted, “but I do know you’re up to something and that Corinne will be the one to pay the price.”
With those final words, I turned and stormed out of the restaurant. I felt no satisfaction at the sound of her spluttering indignantly. Instead, I only felt a bone-deep sadness.