Braylen
Five days had passed since Ryder freaked me out with his sudden and random interrogation. I’d asked him later that night, when he insisted on following me home and then walking me inside, if I was in any real danger. He said no, but I couldn’t help but feel that he was lying to me.
Against my wishes, he’d continued to show up at my house to follow me to work, then at Transform to follow me home, making me promise to call him right away if anyone strange tried to talk to me. I’d wanted to ask him to define “anyone strange,” but I had a gut feeling he wouldn’t be too happy with my lack of concern about the situation, one I was still left fumbling around in the dark about.
Ryder and I weren’t any better off than when I’d rushed out of his house the previous week. He refused to open up and I refused to keep quiet about his lack of sharing. Maybe because there wasn’t anything in my past worth shielding, I didn’t fully understand the ramifications of guarding secrets. And I would’ve been okay with allowing him to open up when he was good and ready, but then he basically attacked me in his sleep. He could’ve killed me. If he ever wanted me to share his bed in the foreseeable future, he’d better start talking.
Then again, maybe I didn’t mean anything more to him than someone to fuck, as he so eloquently put it. The thought alone had my chest tightening, but if that was how he felt, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
So why try and protect me?
And men say women are confusing.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me hangin’ out with you two tonight? It’s been a long day and I could use the company.” Tucking my leg underneath me, I plopped down on the couch, wineglass in one hand and a bowl of popcorn in the other.
“It’s your place,” Jagger said, smiling at me before wrapping his arm around Kena’s shoulder and pulling her closer. “Besides, I need a witness to prove that your little sister does indeed fall asleep during movies.” Jagger laughed, but not before Kena slapped his thigh for making fun of her.
It was in fact true; I couldn’t recall a movie I’d watched with her where she’d made it all the way through to the end. That wasn’t the case for me, however. I was always up for a good flick. If it held my interest, I was in for the long haul—or the typical hour and forty minutes, give or take.
“What did you put in?” I asked, throwing some air-popped goodness in my mouth while watching the opening credits. The lights were dimmed low, and we were all sitting comfortably on the couch, Kena between Jagger and me. No doubt, my sister would be lightly snoring in T minus thirty minutes.
Far from the Madding Crowd, Kena signed, flashing me a smile before resting her head on Jagger’s shoulder. He groaned, earning him another playful tap on the leg. Maybe it’d be more like T minus fifteen minutes before she passed out.
The way Kena and Jagger snuggled on the couch made me think about Ryder. I tried to stop it and focus on the film, but his image kept popping up in my head.
He’d obviously made his decision not to integrate me further into his life, and while it hurt because I’d grown fond of the broody, arrogant man, I took the opportunity to gain some space as well. Though that didn’t stop Ryder from continuing to follow me to and from work or calling me multiple times throughout the day and night.
The man was infuriatingly confusing.
After two hours the movie finally came to an end. Exhaling a breath of satisfaction at seeing what I deemed a wonderful film, I stretched my arms over my head and groaned out a hearty yawn.
“My damn leg’s asleep,” I bellyached, untucking it from underneath my body and straightening the appendage, pins and needles in full force.
“And so is your sister,” Jagger teased.
“How long did she make it this time?” I was so engrossed with the movie right from the beginning, I hadn’t taken notice of exactly when Kena fell asleep.
“She made it forty minutes,” he replied, shifting slightly so as not to wake her. “I’m impressed.”
“Me too.” Rising from the couch, I stretched once more, tugging down the hem of my yellow cami before striding toward the kitchen. “Do you want something else to drink? Another beer?”
“Nah, I’m good. I should be going.”
“Oh. You’re not staying over?” Even though Jagger slept in Kena’s room with her when he stayed the night, I felt safe knowing he was under the same roof.
Scratching the light dusting of hair on his jaw, he cracked his neck from side to side. “Wish I could but I can’t. Have to deal with something at the club.” Gently picking Kena up from the couch, he rose and tucked her back into him before walking out of the room.
A few minutes later he returned, yawning and doing a bit of stretching himself. Jagger’s hair was sticking up in the back and a little bit on the sides, but he somehow still pulled off the tough guy look. I’d come to enjoy his company, even though I hadn’t been his biggest fan in the beginning. Scratch that. I was, then I wasn’t, and then I was once more.
Pulling on his club’s vest, he snagged his keys from the coffee table. “Make sure you lock the door behind me,” he warned. “And use the new deadbolt too.”
Before he opened the door, I seized his arm.
“You’d tell me if we were in some real danger, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t hide something like that from me? From Kena?” Worry bubbled forth on every word. I’d meant to simply ask if he thought whatever threat they were concerned about was viable, not appear shaken and nervous, riddled with stress over the whole situation. If only I knew exactly what was going on; then maybe I could relax. But nothing was simple and upfront with these guys.
Codes.
Underlying messages.
Secrecy.
“We’re just being cautious, Braylen. That’s it.”
“You promise?”
Jagger had the decency to look away for a brief moment, inadvertently telling me everything I didn’t want to know. “Ryder will be here in the morning. He’ll meet you outside as usual.”
“If he’s just being cautious, then I don’t need him to continue to follow me to and from work. I think it’s overkill, don’t you?”
He knew what I was doing, trying to trick him into revealing that they weren’t simply being vigilant. There was some sort of real danger and it could possibly involve Kena and me.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” We were both standing near the door, a battle of wills ensuing the more hush-hush he remained.
“Just let him do this for you. It puts his mind at ease. Mine too, and no doubt your sister’s.”
“Had to play the sister card, didn’t you?”
“I do what I have to.” He winked, a small smile tilting his lips. His phone rang, killing anything else he would have said. “I gotta go. Call us if you need us.”
For a brief moment, I’d thought about texting Ryder and telling him I didn’t need him to babysit me any longer, but I had a feeling he’d either call to argue or show up on my doorstep to convince me otherwise. The energy required for such a confrontation was my sole deterrent.