Page 110 of Making Home with You
“Can we agree that you’re done luring crazy people into situations where you put your damn life at risk?”
“Absolutely,” I sigh, sagging against him.“That’s actually why I’m here.”I pull back and walk into the kitchen, sitting down at the table.“I’m quitting my job.”I pause waiting for Ryan to say something, to remind me how long it took me to get this job.I wait for him to remember how long I spent living with him in Boston and how this situation could possibly mirror that.
But he says nothing and I continue.“I’m going to try and start my own marketing company.I guess not so much a company because it will just be me.But I’ve picked up a few clients through Kelsey and I’m hoping some more will come from word of mouth.”
I’m talking so fast, just trying to get everything out before Ryan lays into me, but he’s just sitting across from me, waiting.
“I’m going to work at the bar and try to pick up new clients…”
“Why are you telling me all this?”Ryan cuts in, a confused look on his face.
“Because I live here?”I say, questioningly, shrugging my shoulders.
“You do?”Ryan laughs.“You haven’t been here in weeks.Hell, I think it’s been months by now.”
“And I’m moving in with Finn.”It comes out in a rush and Ryan laughs harder.
“Were you afraid to tell me?”
I nod meekly and he’s laughing again, but this time, it’s a deep belly laugh and I’m starting to get pissed at him.
“Stop laughing at me!”
“I’m laughing because you can corner a gun-toting rapist in a stairwell and kick his ass, but you can’t tell me about the adult decisions you’ve made?”
It’s not funny, Ryan!”I say, kicking him under the table.
“You’re Finn’s problem now.I should send him a text thanking him for taking you off my hands.”
“Oh my god, Ryan!I haven’t been that bad!”
“I know, Sarah.I’m just giving you shit.To be honest, I wasn’t really keen on you going back to work there anyway and I’m surprised Finn was.”
At times Ryan’s overprotectiveness can be stifling, but there are times that I’m glad I have him.I know he means well.
“Finn wasn’t.It was his idea that I quit and start my own business.He doesn’t seem to be as concerned about the money as I am.”
“Because he knows you’re talented.We all do.”
“Thanks, Ry.”
I head back to Finn’s house and despite it only being noon, his SUV is in the driveway and after everything we’ve been through, I panic.
There should be no good reason why he’s home.
I blow through the front door and Finn is sitting at the kitchen table, a newspaper and his laptop in front of him.
“Why are you home?”I ask, the fear in my voice cutting though creating a shakiness to my tone.
He turns around smiling at me and I begin to settle down.He wouldn’t be responding to me like this if there were problems.
“Look,” he says, moving the chair out of the way, exposing the newspaper and the story he has up on the screen of his laptop.“You did this.”
On the cover of the newspaper is a picture of Andrew, but that isn’t the biggest thing.Every article contains an interview or words of all the women who have been hurt by him.They’ve come out of the woodwork with their stories.
All of them sharing their stories of harassment, assault and rape that have occurred years ago, but some that are recent.The articles even allude to more women who are bound by legal documents barring them from speaking about what happened publicly.Women like Eliza Anderson.
I didn’t expect this response.I just wanted the workplace of Bolton and Fisher to be safer.I wanted other people to know it’s okay to speak up, and clearly by these articles, I’ve created that.
