Page 37 of Caffeine & Chaos

“Ryan, I... I can leave if you want,” Nadia offered tentatively, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. The words felt inadequate, but she couldn’t find the right ones to express her concern. “I mean, I don’t want to leave you like this, but if you need time to process whatever is happening...”

Ryan met her gaze with his piercing blue eyes, and Nadia felt herself once more laid bare beneath his scrutiny. Despite the vulnerability it stirred, she held herself steady, sharing in his pain.

“No, I want you here,” Ryan insisted softly, taking a seat beside her, and gently grasping both of her hands in his. Tenderly, he lifted one hand to his face, brushing his lips against her fingertips in a gesture of comfort and reassurance.

“What’s happening?” Nadia whispered the question, unsure of whether she should be asking it.

“That was my brother. My mom had a stroke.” Ryan exhaled heavily after the words passed through his lips.

Her arms instinctively wrapped around him and pulled him close. “I am so sorry Ryan.” She squeezed him tightly, trying to absorb some of his sorrow. “Is she... gone?”

“No, she’s in surgery,” Ryan replied, his voice thick with emotion as he cleared his throat and withdrew slightly from her embrace. “They aren’t sure what the outcome will be.”

Nadia nodded, her heart aching for him. “Okay. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through right now,” she admitted quietly, her fingers gently tracing patterns on his forearm in a gesture of comfort. “What can I do to help?”

“You can come with me to Montana.”

Nadia blinked a couple of times, thinking she must not have heard him right. Go with him? She could hardly refuse him in this state, but she couldn’t help but pull away from the prospect of meeting his family under these circumstances.

“I will have to get my shifts covered off at work, I don’t want to delay you trying to get that in order,” she answered, reaching for an excuse.

Ryan sneered, “Come on Nadia, you can do better than that. I don’t know how much more of your wishy-washy bullshit I can take.” He pulled his arm away from her and stood up, throwing off his robe.

Even in this tense moment, Nadia couldn’t help but drink in his sculpted body. He walked towards the clothing rack; brazenly showing off his stunning naked form. Two garment bags had appeared there, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Ryan, I’m not making excuses, I just didn’t want to hold you up. I can come. I’ll call in a few favours, and I’ll be there.” Nadia bit her lip, hoping she had recovered the situation.

Ryan eyeballed her as he pulled on a pair of boxer shorts. “I don’t want you there unless you want to be.”

“I want to be,” Nadia asserted, meeting Ryan’s gaze unwaveringly. And she did want to be there, despite the initial impulse to withdraw. In the aftermath of that tense phone call, she had glimpsed a side of Ryan she hadn’t known existed—his pain had been raw, his emotions intense. Yet, her instinct to retreat from such intensity had kicked in automatically.

Clearly, Ryan’s relationship with Justin wasn’t healthy. Perhaps he needed her there as a buffer between him and his family, much like she had often longed for someone to shield her from her own mother’s harsh criticism.

Ryan tossed the second garment bag onto the bed with a thud. “I had Armand bring in some clothes for you.”

Nadia chuckled nervously, attempting to lighten the mood. “You know, it’s kind of terrifying how stealthy that Armand can be.” She glanced at Ryan, hoping for a smile to break through the tension that hung heavy in the air.

“Agreed. I’ve often wondered what exactly he did before he came to work for me. Assassin, maybe?” Ryan managed a strained smile as he returned to the bed.

“I know the situation isn’t ideal,” Ryan began, his voice tinged with vulnerability. “To be honest, I haven’t been home in years. My relationship with my dad and brother is... not good. Having you there with me will make things easier.”

As Ryan’s lips met hers in a deep, tender kiss, Nadia felt herself drawn into his embrace, captivated by him once again. His touch, his gaze, his presence—all of it consumed her. She could handle the situation in Montana if meant being with him.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

The unexpected knock on the door made Nadia jump. It was barely twenty after six. Who could be knocking at this hour?

“Room Service. I have the breakfast you ordered, sir,” came the voice from the other side.

Nadia gave Ryan an amused side-long glance, “care of Armand, I presume?”

“Actually, this was all me. I ordered it while you were outside,” Ryan replied, opening the door to accept the trolley from the bellhop.

“Ooh, what are we having?” Nadia said, keeping the mood light, eager to distract both herself and Ryan. She eyed the silver lids on the dishes, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

“Only the best Eggs Benedict you’ve ever tasted,” Ryan offered with a half-hearted smile, but Nadia recognized the slump of his shoulders, and sensed the weight of grief still lingering in his expression as he turned to lift the lids.

“You know, I’m not even that hungry, Ryan. Let’s just go. I’ll call Mandy and Helena from the car,” Nadia suggested gently, knowing that he was likely eager to get his affairs in order so he could be with his family.

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