some of your shirts, Ryanne?” I look up at the TV and see Dr. Sheldon Cooper.
“Yes. I love this show!” He laughs at my excited response and puts the remote down. “You don’t have to watch this if you don’t want to.”
Shaking his head with a smile on his face, David ignores me and continues watching the show. After a couple of minutes, I double over laughing. I can’t breathe; I’m laughing so hard. Colton is laughing at how hard I am laughing.
Larkin is smiling at me, amused at my response, and asks if I’m alright. He watches me for a few seconds after I nod before he looks away.
Everyone is watching me. I can’t help it. “Bazinga.” I start giggling all over again. A few seconds later, I take a deep breath and calm myself down, “I’m good now.”
When I stop laughing, Tom places a plate on my lap. I look down at the sandwich and turn around and look at him. “What’s this for?”
“You missed dinner last night, breakfast this morning, and lunch. You need to eat something, Ryanne.” I nod and thank him.
“No need to thank me. We should thank you.”
That’s an odd statement. I lean toward Colton. “What does he mean by that?” He smiles at me, but shakes his head. Everyone glances at each other, but no one answers my question. “Fine, be like that you bunch of secret keepers.” I take a bite of my sandwich and watch the show. “If I really wanted to know, I could just read your minds.”
“So Ryanne, are you able to train today?” Liam asks me, changing the topic.
I put a finger up and quickly swallow the food in my mouth. “Yeah, just no more giant shields.”
“Ok,” he laughs. “We’ll work more with your magic though.”
“I want to blow something up. I like doing that.” Everyone laughs at me. I put on the most deadpan expression that I can muster. “I’m serious.”
“We know. That’s why it was funny,” David says.
I pick up my plate and walk into the kitchen to clean it and put it away. The sink is full of dirty dishes. For a few moments, I just stare down at the stainless steel in front of me. Claire always had the dishes clean and the sink spotless. Turning the water on, I grab the soap and get to work. Someone has to do it.
I am scrubbing the dishes when someone bumps into me. I look up and see Larkin standing beside me waving a towel. “I’ll dry.” I pass the plate to him and let him dry while I grab another.
“Look Ryanne, I wanted to thank you again for showing up when you did. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”
“I don’t know how I did it either,” I laugh and hand him another plate. “You don’t have to thank me, Larkin. You’ve helped us a lot lately. I should be thanking you. Last time you helped me, I yelled at you.”
“Let’s call it even then.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Nine
Colton
I am training with Logan today, but I can’t get into it. “Dude, what’s gotten into you lately?” I glance over at Ryanne, who is working with Larkin again. It’s been a few weeks since Ryanne rescued him and since then, he’s been hanging around her more often and helping her train with her magic. “He’s just helping her.”
“I know. It’s just….Ugh, I don’t know.” Larkin steps closer to Ryanne and whispers something in her ear. She laughs and shoves him away. “I don’t like him.” They’ve been spending a lot of time together. Larkin watches Ryanne just like Liam does. Emma says that it’s just his way of showing his gratitude for what she did for him, but I don’t like it. She’s always with Larkin or Liam. I trust Liam, but I don’t fully trust Larkin yet. There’s just something about him…
Logan stops trying to punch me. “You’ve got it bad.”
“I keep telling him that!” Emma yells over to us.
I turn to Logan again. “How does she do that? She’s not even near us.” Emma stops sparring with David and walks over to us. “Look, Larkin’s flirty, but he’s harmless.
“Yes. I love this show!” He laughs at my excited response and puts the remote down. “You don’t have to watch this if you don’t want to.”
Shaking his head with a smile on his face, David ignores me and continues watching the show. After a couple of minutes, I double over laughing. I can’t breathe; I’m laughing so hard. Colton is laughing at how hard I am laughing.
Larkin is smiling at me, amused at my response, and asks if I’m alright. He watches me for a few seconds after I nod before he looks away.
Everyone is watching me. I can’t help it. “Bazinga.” I start giggling all over again. A few seconds later, I take a deep breath and calm myself down, “I’m good now.”
When I stop laughing, Tom places a plate on my lap. I look down at the sandwich and turn around and look at him. “What’s this for?”
“You missed dinner last night, breakfast this morning, and lunch. You need to eat something, Ryanne.” I nod and thank him.
“No need to thank me. We should thank you.”
That’s an odd statement. I lean toward Colton. “What does he mean by that?” He smiles at me, but shakes his head. Everyone glances at each other, but no one answers my question. “Fine, be like that you bunch of secret keepers.” I take a bite of my sandwich and watch the show. “If I really wanted to know, I could just read your minds.”
“So Ryanne, are you able to train today?” Liam asks me, changing the topic.
I put a finger up and quickly swallow the food in my mouth. “Yeah, just no more giant shields.”
“Ok,” he laughs. “We’ll work more with your magic though.”
“I want to blow something up. I like doing that.” Everyone laughs at me. I put on the most deadpan expression that I can muster. “I’m serious.”
“We know. That’s why it was funny,” David says.
I pick up my plate and walk into the kitchen to clean it and put it away. The sink is full of dirty dishes. For a few moments, I just stare down at the stainless steel in front of me. Claire always had the dishes clean and the sink spotless. Turning the water on, I grab the soap and get to work. Someone has to do it.
I am scrubbing the dishes when someone bumps into me. I look up and see Larkin standing beside me waving a towel. “I’ll dry.” I pass the plate to him and let him dry while I grab another.
“Look Ryanne, I wanted to thank you again for showing up when you did. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”
“I don’t know how I did it either,” I laugh and hand him another plate. “You don’t have to thank me, Larkin. You’ve helped us a lot lately. I should be thanking you. Last time you helped me, I yelled at you.”
“Let’s call it even then.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Nine
Colton
I am training with Logan today, but I can’t get into it. “Dude, what’s gotten into you lately?” I glance over at Ryanne, who is working with Larkin again. It’s been a few weeks since Ryanne rescued him and since then, he’s been hanging around her more often and helping her train with her magic. “He’s just helping her.”
“I know. It’s just….Ugh, I don’t know.” Larkin steps closer to Ryanne and whispers something in her ear. She laughs and shoves him away. “I don’t like him.” They’ve been spending a lot of time together. Larkin watches Ryanne just like Liam does. Emma says that it’s just his way of showing his gratitude for what she did for him, but I don’t like it. She’s always with Larkin or Liam. I trust Liam, but I don’t fully trust Larkin yet. There’s just something about him…
Logan stops trying to punch me. “You’ve got it bad.”
“I keep telling him that!” Emma yells over to us.
I turn to Logan again. “How does she do that? She’s not even near us.” Emma stops sparring with David and walks over to us. “Look, Larkin’s flirty, but he’s harmless.
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