Page 55 of Sweet Anarchy

Rylee

I never expected it to happen so quickly. It was only a few days ago I saw Phoebe and Ronnie, so when I woke up this morning from a text from her telling me her Dad had passed, I broke down in tears before I had even left the bed.

Zayn rubs my back as I hunch over in the bed, sobbing with my phone in my lap.

"Oh, babe. I'm so sorry," he says.

I can barely breathe, let alone speak words. Even though Phoebe's text said he passed peacefully, it was still a blow to the chest.

"He's… gone," I finally manage to spit out between cries.

"I know," Zayn mumbles quietly, pulling me against him.

He reaches over and grabs his phone from the bedside table, sending a quick text – presumably to his brothers to let them know.

A few minutes later, his bedroom door swings open and Asher, Blake and Chuck barge in. Well, Chuck hobbles in slowly behind them, but the three of them rush to my side to check on me.

"It's fine," I tell them, waving at them to step back as I feel overwhelmed at them crowding me. I let out a hiccup, brushing my face with my hands to clear the mess on my cheeks.

"Why don't you just rest today?" Asher says, watching me with concern. "We could set up a movie in here."

I shake my head. "There's no point staying in bed. I need to contact Dean Richmond."

Asher gives me a small smile, making me remember our conversation the other day when I showed him the letter. The golden boy got his way as usual, and he was super proud of himself. I gently reminded him that blackmail isn't the best way of sorting things out, but I thanked him nevertheless.

I still don't know what I want to decide, but I figured it was best to discuss my options with the Dean before reaching a decision. I also questioned Asher and it turns out, he had switched most of his courses to online, so he had been doing the coursework in the evenings or early mornings. Apparently, that could be an option for me to consider as well.

"Do you want to go see your friend?" Chuck asks, kneeling against the bed to take the pressure off his leg.

"Phoebe wants to be alone with her family right now," I mumble. "But she's going to let me know the funeral day. It's probably going to be in the next few days. They already started planning it while Ronnie was still alive because he insisted on having a say."

Blake chuckles. "Sounds like my type of man."

"That's because you don't trust anyone and take all the work on yourself," Zayn points out. "There's no 'i' in team, B."

"I couldn't give a rat's ass," Blake snaps back at his brother, before softening his gaze on me again. "Besides, I trust Rylee."

I laugh, my voice still hoarse from crying. "I'm a very trustworthy person."

"So am I," Zayn argues.

Asher and Blake roll their eyes at the same time and I shake my head, throwing back the blanket. They make room for me as I climb out of Zayn's bed, walking over to the window.

"It's a nice day," I say quietly, looking at the cloudless sky. I always hate when things like the weather contradict my feelings. It's so cruel that when you feel like your world is stopping, the rest of it keeps turning.

I feel a hand on my back, and I don't need to turn to know it's Chuck.

"We could always invite Butch and V over for a drink," he suggests.

"Maybe," I say, turning around to find the four of them looking at me. "I'll see how I feel later after I chat to the Dean."

Zayn jumps out of bed, checking the time on his phone. "I'll go make you a good decent breakfast. Lots of carbs and sugar. I'll even wear an apron if it cheers you up."

Images of a naked Zayn in an apron pop into my mind, my eyebrows shooting up. I feel like he can read my mind because he grins at me, giving me a wink before heading out of the bedroom. Unfortunately, I think Blake is also on the same wavelength because he makes a sound of disgust, shaking his head as he exits the room after his twin.

"I was thinking about the wedding," Chuck starts, leaning against the wall. "Maybe we should hit up Jer, Jasmine and Carmen while we are there. Or if they are busy, we could invite them down this way when things settle down. I think you need your friends right now."

I look at Chuck appreciatively. "You're so sweet. You should invite your brother to come visit again too. I could tell how much you guys missed each other."

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