Page 9 of Pulled Away

“And whose fault is that?” Ryan says, his smile mirroring hers. “I told you the last time I flew out that it’s your turn next.”

“I know, I know. And I’ve been meaning to, but life happens, you know? Time goes by in the blink of an eye. But I’m here now.”

“Come, I’ll walk you to the apartment,” Ryan says, offering her his outstretched palm. “I’ll just be a minute.” He smiles, pressing a kiss to my lips.

Getting into bed, I fluff my pillow and lean back against the headboard, waiting for Ryan. Soon enough, he gets back, a happy smile on his face. The minutes tick by while I watch him move around the room, engaging in his nightly bedtime ritual. He’s such a creature of habit. It’s always the same routine. First, it’s his watch, then his shoes and socks, followed by his clothes—always starting with his shirt.

He never deviates.

I have watched him do this countless times, and it never gets old. It’s only one of the things that endears him to me.

“Do you want me to go with you?” I finally say, turning to him when he climbs into bed beside me. “Tomorrow,” I clarify at his questioning look.

“I think it’s better if you don’t.”

“Okay,” I mutter, taking a deep breath to push down the feeling of rejection that’s creeping up my throat. I know I shouldn’t take this personally because this is not about me, it’s about Hadley and the imminent loss she’s facing. I didn’t have anyone close enough I could lean on when Mom passed, and I would have given anything to have a friend like Ryan.

“Hey, come here,” he says, pulling me in and wrapping his arms around me. “It’s not that I don’t want you to. Hadley is…complicated. She’s always been a private person. She hates being emotional in front of people, and tomorrow will be hard for her.” He sighs, running his hand over his jaw. “I’m just trying to keep things easy for her. I don’t want her to have to pretend everything is okay when it’s not.”

Pulling back, I peer up at him. “But she doesn’t mind getting emotional in front of you?”

“I’m one of the few people she’s allowed close enough to do so. We’ve been in each other’s lives since first grade, so she’s more like family than a friend.” He gives me a crooked grin. “If it were up to me, I’d glue you to my side. You know I don’t like being apart from you on weekends. Weekends are our time.”

“I know. At least I’ll get to see you after. You’ll still come?”

“Of course.”

My jaw cracks with how big my yawn is. It took forever for me to fall asleep, and when I eventually did, it wasn’t restful. Leaning back against the counter, I rub my eyes, wishing the slow drip of the coffee machine would speed up. I’m eager to get back to Ryan and the warmth of our bed. Our lives are so busy, so we treat Sunday mornings as sacred. We sleep in, have breakfast in bed, and just laze around, catching up on things that happened in the week.

I’ve just gotten the cups down when I hear the front door opening and footsteps heading towards the kitchen.

“Morning. Ryan gave me a key. I hope you don’t mind?” Hadley says, flicking her eyes down my body. My cheeks heat and I have to clench my fingers in fists to stop them from raking through my hair. All I’m wearing is one of Ryan’s T-shirts and a pair of panties. I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet. And she’s perfectly made up, not a hair out of place.

“No, that’s fine.” I give her a weak smile and hold up the jug. “Coffee?”

“No, thank you,” she says with a little shudder. “You don’t perhaps have chamomile tea?”

“Sorry, no. I can’t say we drink tea.”

“That’s what happens when you’re gone for so long. Things change.” Her voice is soft, her eyes glazed, and I get the feeling she’s talking more to herself than to me. A quick shake of her head, and then she’s smiling at me. “No problem. I’ll ask Ryan to stop at the store on the way back. So, Aspen. Tell me a bit about yourself.” She settles at the table and fixes her eyes on me. I want to squirm with the way she’s looking at me. As if I’m interviewing for a job.

I fill my mug, contemplating whether I should make Ryan one, but then think, fuck it. He gave her a freaking key without warning me.

“What do you want to know?” I join her at the table and smile, trying to keep my voice upbeat and discomfort way down.

“You didn’t grow up here, did you? I’m sure I would have remembered you if you did.”

“Really? I know the town’s small, but it’s not that small. But you’re right. I grew up in Boston.”

“I never forget a face.”

“That must come in handy. I’m not all that good with names or faces.”

I take a sip of my coffee and stare at her over the rim of the mug.

“So, what is it you do?”

“For now, I’m a Vet Tech, but the plan is to run an Animal Rescue once I’m done renovating the building.”

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