Page 20 of Only the Small Bones
“No.”
“Huh,” I feigned confusion. “Maybe I forgot to hit send. I told my mother you’d be here. And Ryan. I told him too.”
Xavier huffed a disbelieving laugh. “You’ve always been a shitty liar.”
If only that were true.
Right then my mother pulled the door open, eyes beaming when she saw Xavier. “Xavier!” she called. “You’re finally here. William said you’d be coming.”
Xavier’s expression turned apologetic. I could’ve picked her up and spun her in my arms at that moment. Instead, I settled for mouthing, “thank you.”
They shared hellos and hugs. “Alright, come on now. Dinner’s getting cold.”
Ryan was setting the bowl of mashed potatoes in the center of the table when we entered the dining room. He looked between Xavier and me, but otherwise showed no sign of curiosity or uneasiness with him being here.
“Ryan, this is Xavier. Remember I told you about him? We work together.”
Ryan said nothing, of course, but his eyes did drop to my shoulder—the one that brushed Xavier’s because of how close he stood next to me. I scooted over a bit. My mother noticed.
“Xavier, this is Ryan.”
“Nice to meet you, Ryan.”
Ryan hadn’t taken his eyes off my shoulder, as if it were somehow tainted now. His dark eyes flicked up to mine, a battle waging behind them before he opted to take a seat, ignoring Xavier’s pleasantries.
“Sit, you two,” my mother said, settling into a chair herself and gesturing for us to take the seats across from her and Ryan. She’d left an unoccupied spot between them. She said grace, and then ordered everyone to dig in.
Things were tense, and I didn’t know why. My instincts said it had to do with Xavier being here, but I couldn’t say for sure.Ryan being angry and withdrawn could’ve just been par for the course. He behaved the same way when we were alone.
The awkward silence worsened as time moved on. Ryan pushed his food around his plate, Xavier kept sneaking glances at him as though he were some science experiment, and the nerves in my stomach had waged an assault on me. The only one who seemed unaffected was my mother. She had years of experience at remaining cool under pressure, though.
I did wonder why she hadn’t stepped in to fill the void of conversation. She must have had her reasons. I noticed her keeping tabs on Ryan. She’d been observing us all. Her watchful eye was more subtle than Xavier’s, though.
“So,” Xavier said, deciding to cut through the tension. “I’m sure William has told you all about Safe Haven. Do you plan on visiting any time soon?”
I cut him a look he ignored.
“It’s a great place,” he said casually, taking a bite of chicken. Ryan looked up at him, his irritation obvious—at least to me. I’d become well versed in the nuances of his blank stares.
“Xavier,” I muttered under my breath. He continued, ignoring the reprimand in my tone.
“I’m sure being around others who have similar stories to yours would be beneficial. Listening to their testimonials could go a long way in helping you.”
“There’s no rush,” I said to Ryan, then turned to Xavier. “He’ll go when and if he’s—”
“Being cooped up in here can’t be good for you,” he spoke over me.
I dropped my utensils to my plate, facing him before biting out, “That’s enough.”
Xavier recoiled at my volatile tone. I’d never used it on him or in defense of him before, yet here I was wielding it for a man I barely knew. My reaction stung. I could see it in the dimmingof his eyes, hear it in his shallow breaths. Our gazes were locked, and I didn’t know where to go from here.
Xavier swallowed hard before addressing Ryan. “I, um… I’m sorry if I upset you. It wasn’t my place to say all that.”
Ryan shoved back from the table, shocking me as he stormed from the room. I stood to follow him, but my mother held up her hand, stopping me.
“Let him sort himself out,” she said. “Sometimes a little time alone to think helps.”
“What if he uses it to consider what Xavier said?”
