first if he moves an inch. Kaylee has a magazine open and resting on her chest.
Ryan is sitting, back pressed against the headboard , staring at a black TV screen. I shut the door, and his head turns to me.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Hey,” he says, but he doesn’t look happy and I hate that.
I crawl into the bed and snuggle up to his chest.
“So what were you guys talking about?”
“How he thinks he’s in love with me.”
Ryan bolts upright , and my head flies off his chest landing smack in his lap. I grab his arm and pull him down. “I’m kidding, you dope.” His fist relaxes at his side, and I straddle his waist. “We were just talking. You have nothing to worry about. And I’m a little insulted that you think you do.”
“I ’m not worried. I just don’t trust him.”
I link my arms around his neck. “You have no reason not to. He hasn’t had it easy either, Ry.”
“I don’t care.”
“That’s not the Ryan I know and love.” He exhales loudly but doesn’t say anything. I kiss his forehead. “ The guy who always knows the right thing to say in the crappiest of situations, that’s the Ryan I love.” I kiss his cheek. “The guy who holds me at night to help keep the nightmares away, that’s the Ryan I love. “The guy who always goes out of his way to make people feel welcome.” I kiss his lips. “The guy who moonlights as a superhero with abs of steel and amazing spider killing powers. That’s the Ryan I love. I know this is an adjustment for you. I know Brett said some things to you that can’t be taken back. But we once said things to each other that were wrong and hurtful because we were caught up in the moment and we let our anger take control. You found a way to forgive me. So maybe you can find a way to forgive him too.”
“There’s one difference.” Ryan wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my shoulder.
“And what’s that?”
“You’re a lot hotter than him.” He tosses me on the mattress and lands on top of me.
“Ryan!” I scream and a pillow smacks him in the head.
“Sleeping,” Kaylee mutters, and we burst out laughing. “Nate, make them disappear,” she whines which only makes Ryan and I laugh harder.
Brett walks in the room and stops. “Sorry, I’m obviously interrupting something.”
I go to stop him, but before I do Ryan sits up, laughs still falling from his mouth.
“You’re not interrupting. We were just about to watch some TV. You want to join us?”
Brett stands there mouth agape, eyes wide, but he quickly recovers and flops down on the pull out. “Absolutely.”
I throw my arms around Ryan’s neck and kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper against his ear.
It might not be the big gesture I was hoping for, but it’s a step.
Chapter 13
Ryan
“Spring b reak, baaaay-beeee!” Nate flicks his fedora up, and Kaylee hops on his back as they sprint to the door of the beach house. Nick gets to the porch and pulls his brother into an awkward hug, especially since Kaylee is still on Nate’s back, and he waves at me. I give him a nod. I don’t know Nick that well—there’s a bit of an age gap between him and Nate—but he still is brotherly and shit. So there’s that.
“Oh no,” Lex says, curling under my arm as we lean against the Lincoln. “It’s started already.”
I chuckle, remembering the PDA marathon from Nate and Kaylee on our senior trip.
“Promise me we find a room when we get horny,” she says, squeezing my side.
My eyes flash to hers, and she’s joking, but there’s a bright shade of pink splashed across her cheeks.
“Yeah, I second that.” Brett pops from the backseat, pulling out his earbuds. “Nothing screams fifth wheel more than sharing a spring break with two sex-crazed couples.”
Lex shakes her head and laughs, and her and my brother share a look I’m not real thril led about. I lean through the window and pop the trunk.
“Get your shit,” I say to Brett, then pull Lex to the
Ryan is sitting, back pressed against the headboard , staring at a black TV screen. I shut the door, and his head turns to me.
“Hey,” I whisper.
“Hey,” he says, but he doesn’t look happy and I hate that.
I crawl into the bed and snuggle up to his chest.
“So what were you guys talking about?”
“How he thinks he’s in love with me.”
Ryan bolts upright , and my head flies off his chest landing smack in his lap. I grab his arm and pull him down. “I’m kidding, you dope.” His fist relaxes at his side, and I straddle his waist. “We were just talking. You have nothing to worry about. And I’m a little insulted that you think you do.”
“I ’m not worried. I just don’t trust him.”
I link my arms around his neck. “You have no reason not to. He hasn’t had it easy either, Ry.”
“I don’t care.”
“That’s not the Ryan I know and love.” He exhales loudly but doesn’t say anything. I kiss his forehead. “ The guy who always knows the right thing to say in the crappiest of situations, that’s the Ryan I love.” I kiss his cheek. “The guy who holds me at night to help keep the nightmares away, that’s the Ryan I love. “The guy who always goes out of his way to make people feel welcome.” I kiss his lips. “The guy who moonlights as a superhero with abs of steel and amazing spider killing powers. That’s the Ryan I love. I know this is an adjustment for you. I know Brett said some things to you that can’t be taken back. But we once said things to each other that were wrong and hurtful because we were caught up in the moment and we let our anger take control. You found a way to forgive me. So maybe you can find a way to forgive him too.”
“There’s one difference.” Ryan wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my shoulder.
“And what’s that?”
“You’re a lot hotter than him.” He tosses me on the mattress and lands on top of me.
“Ryan!” I scream and a pillow smacks him in the head.
“Sleeping,” Kaylee mutters, and we burst out laughing. “Nate, make them disappear,” she whines which only makes Ryan and I laugh harder.
Brett walks in the room and stops. “Sorry, I’m obviously interrupting something.”
I go to stop him, but before I do Ryan sits up, laughs still falling from his mouth.
“You’re not interrupting. We were just about to watch some TV. You want to join us?”
Brett stands there mouth agape, eyes wide, but he quickly recovers and flops down on the pull out. “Absolutely.”
I throw my arms around Ryan’s neck and kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper against his ear.
It might not be the big gesture I was hoping for, but it’s a step.
Chapter 13
Ryan
“Spring b reak, baaaay-beeee!” Nate flicks his fedora up, and Kaylee hops on his back as they sprint to the door of the beach house. Nick gets to the porch and pulls his brother into an awkward hug, especially since Kaylee is still on Nate’s back, and he waves at me. I give him a nod. I don’t know Nick that well—there’s a bit of an age gap between him and Nate—but he still is brotherly and shit. So there’s that.
“Oh no,” Lex says, curling under my arm as we lean against the Lincoln. “It’s started already.”
I chuckle, remembering the PDA marathon from Nate and Kaylee on our senior trip.
“Promise me we find a room when we get horny,” she says, squeezing my side.
My eyes flash to hers, and she’s joking, but there’s a bright shade of pink splashed across her cheeks.
“Yeah, I second that.” Brett pops from the backseat, pulling out his earbuds. “Nothing screams fifth wheel more than sharing a spring break with two sex-crazed couples.”
Lex shakes her head and laughs, and her and my brother share a look I’m not real thril led about. I lean through the window and pop the trunk.
“Get your shit,” I say to Brett, then pull Lex to the
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