the edge off my nerves.
“So,
are you ready to get to packing?” I ask.
“I
don’t have much to bring, but I guess I should get whatever I’m taking
together,” Ryan replies without any enthusiasm.
“What’s
wrong? Aren’t you excited?”
“Of
course I am.” He sighs. “It’s just so crazy, and everything is happening so
fast. We barely just moved in here, and now I’m moving out. And I’m going to be
across the country without you, without anybody.” He trails off and averts his
eyes.
“We
definitely know a few people out there,” I assure him. “Plus you’re going to be
so busy filming you won’t have time to think about it.”
“I
guess. It’s just like what they say, ‘be careful what you wish for.’ It’s so
amazing but scary at the same time,” he confesses.
“I’m
sure you will be fine after a few days. You’re going to be in Hollywood. Hollywood Ryan. This is a dream come true.”
“Yeah.
It is,” Ryan agrees. He smiles, but I can see there is some sadness behind it.
“Well, then, let’s do this.”
We go
into Ryan’s room. He has some boxes and two suitcases ready to be packed. He is
going to leave the little bit of furniture here with me. He doesn’t need it
anyway— they are setting him up with a furnished place for one year. Ryan may
or may not be there that long, but it’s part of his contract.
“Where
should we start?” I ask. I don’t mind helping, of course, but I also don’t want
to rifle through his things.
“Why
don’t I empty the drawers and you put things in the boxes or suitcases?” he
suggests.
I nod.
“Sounds like a plan.”
I sit
on his bed with a box and Ryan begins to go through his small closet. We fill
one box with its contents and some of a suitcase. He moves next to his dresser
and do the same. We are in a good rhythm and music is playing, keeping us
upbeat and moving. We’re also enjoying the last of the champagne from dinner.
The dresser is done quickly and we move to the contents on top and around the
room. There are some things that need to be wrapped, which we do and place
those in the next box.
Ryan
goes to his nightstand and pulls open one drawer. He puts most of the items in
a box. He shows me a couple of his keepsakes that he has in there—photo albums
and some trinkets in an old cigar box. He opens the other drawer and does the
same. He smiles and stands up next to me as he pulls out a picture frame.
“Do you
remember this?” he asks, showing me the photo.
A broad
smile crosses my face as I lean in to look. “Of course I do. It’s from the
summer after we met.”
The
photo is of me with Ryan’s arm around my shoulder, sitting at a table on a
rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. We were with several of our friends
and cast mates celebrating a successful run of a small, little known production
we performed in. It was terrible, and not many people came to see it, but we
were so proud.
“I
can’t believe you kept this,” I say, still staring at it.
“I’ve always
kept it in my drawer. I would have left it on top, but I thought you might
think I was a creep if you saw it. It was one of the best nights I ever had,”
Ryan confesses.
“Yeah.
It was a fun time—the whole show was. What made it the best?” I ask.
“It’s
the night I fell in love with you,” Ryan says plainly, his glassy blue eyes
looking into mine.
I laugh
nervously. “Shut up.” Not the best reaction, but what is he talking about?
“I love
you, Eve. I always have.”
“Like a
sister…” I say quietly, trying to finish his sentence.
“No.
Not like that,” he replies, looking me dead in the eye. “I know you never felt
the same. I know there’s the whole stepbrother stepsister thing… But… I can’t
help it.” He jolts off the bed a moment later, running a hand through his hair.
“I
don’t know
“So,
are you ready to get to packing?” I ask.
“I
don’t have much to bring, but I guess I should get whatever I’m taking
together,” Ryan replies without any enthusiasm.
“What’s
wrong? Aren’t you excited?”
“Of
course I am.” He sighs. “It’s just so crazy, and everything is happening so
fast. We barely just moved in here, and now I’m moving out. And I’m going to be
across the country without you, without anybody.” He trails off and averts his
eyes.
“We
definitely know a few people out there,” I assure him. “Plus you’re going to be
so busy filming you won’t have time to think about it.”
“I
guess. It’s just like what they say, ‘be careful what you wish for.’ It’s so
amazing but scary at the same time,” he confesses.
“I’m
sure you will be fine after a few days. You’re going to be in Hollywood. Hollywood Ryan. This is a dream come true.”
“Yeah.
It is,” Ryan agrees. He smiles, but I can see there is some sadness behind it.
“Well, then, let’s do this.”
We go
into Ryan’s room. He has some boxes and two suitcases ready to be packed. He is
going to leave the little bit of furniture here with me. He doesn’t need it
anyway— they are setting him up with a furnished place for one year. Ryan may
or may not be there that long, but it’s part of his contract.
“Where
should we start?” I ask. I don’t mind helping, of course, but I also don’t want
to rifle through his things.
“Why
don’t I empty the drawers and you put things in the boxes or suitcases?” he
suggests.
I nod.
“Sounds like a plan.”
I sit
on his bed with a box and Ryan begins to go through his small closet. We fill
one box with its contents and some of a suitcase. He moves next to his dresser
and do the same. We are in a good rhythm and music is playing, keeping us
upbeat and moving. We’re also enjoying the last of the champagne from dinner.
The dresser is done quickly and we move to the contents on top and around the
room. There are some things that need to be wrapped, which we do and place
those in the next box.
Ryan
goes to his nightstand and pulls open one drawer. He puts most of the items in
a box. He shows me a couple of his keepsakes that he has in there—photo albums
and some trinkets in an old cigar box. He opens the other drawer and does the
same. He smiles and stands up next to me as he pulls out a picture frame.
“Do you
remember this?” he asks, showing me the photo.
A broad
smile crosses my face as I lean in to look. “Of course I do. It’s from the
summer after we met.”
The
photo is of me with Ryan’s arm around my shoulder, sitting at a table on a
rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. We were with several of our friends
and cast mates celebrating a successful run of a small, little known production
we performed in. It was terrible, and not many people came to see it, but we
were so proud.
“I
can’t believe you kept this,” I say, still staring at it.
“I’ve always
kept it in my drawer. I would have left it on top, but I thought you might
think I was a creep if you saw it. It was one of the best nights I ever had,”
Ryan confesses.
“Yeah.
It was a fun time—the whole show was. What made it the best?” I ask.
“It’s
the night I fell in love with you,” Ryan says plainly, his glassy blue eyes
looking into mine.
I laugh
nervously. “Shut up.” Not the best reaction, but what is he talking about?
“I love
you, Eve. I always have.”
“Like a
sister…” I say quietly, trying to finish his sentence.
“No.
Not like that,” he replies, looking me dead in the eye. “I know you never felt
the same. I know there’s the whole stepbrother stepsister thing… But… I can’t
help it.” He jolts off the bed a moment later, running a hand through his hair.
“I
don’t know
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