Page 35 of Not Another Yesterday
“Hey, Cat, everything alright over here?” Shane asks in his deep voice. I turn to him, noting his thick bomber jacket. He obviously just got back from wherever he was. He turns his attention to Rashana, giving her a polite smile. “My bartender said you were looking for me. Can I help with anything?”
I shake my head without taking my eyes off Rashana. “No, she doesn’t need any assistance, Shay.”
I see him look at me out of my periphery, his eyebrows raised.
“This is Rashana Yates. She’s an investigative journalism student who was trying to get the inside scoop on Ran for a story she’s writing,” I tell him, teeth gritted. “But I already informed her that none of us have anything to say to her.”
Shane directs his gaze at Rashana. “You’re trying to get information about Ronan from me? Like, about the things that happened to him?”
Rashana begins to stammer. “Yeah, well, I tried to speak with Ronan directly, but he’s reluctant. I’m really not trying to rufflefeathers or—”
“Sorry, but I can’t help you,” Shane says, his hand still on my low back. “I really don’t think this is the story you want to write unless you want to do a half-ass job, because if Ronan won’t agree to talk to you, then neither will any of us,” he says with a tip of his head in my direction. I gotta give it to him, he’s a heck of a lot politer than me. But then again, he probably doesn’t want to scare off any customers, either.
“I already told her that,” I say, my focus on Rashana.
Rashana nods and gathers her things, shoving her manilla folder back into her satchel before she stands. Shane and I take a step back, giving her space to exit the booth. “I can appreciate your hesitation. I told Ronan I had some information I’d be happy to share with him if he was willing to talk to me. Hopefully he’ll come around, because you’re right—without his input, it would be a half-baked, one-sided story,” she says. “I really don’t mean any harm.”
She allows her gaze to linger on Shane and me a moment longer before she walks away and out of Murphy’s.
“What the actual fuck?” Shane punctuates each word with a sharp pause and turns his arctic-blue eyes to me.
I prop my hands on my hips. “Your reaction makes me think Ran hasn’t told you about Rashana either.”
“No. Did he tell you?”
I shake my head, dismayed. “No. But apparently she tried to talk to him twice already—once the day before Thanksgiving and again last week. He’s doing it again, Shay. He’s not talking to us.”
Shane exhales so deeply, his chest concaves. “The day before Thanksgiving? The same day his grandmother showed up?”
I didn’t even make that connection. “Yeah.”
“Shit.” The word escapes Shane in a hushed whisper. He rubs his neck. “I’ll talk to him when he’s—”
“No,” I say. “Iwill talk to him.”
Shane’s jaw flexes as his eyes lock on mine. He’s as protective of Ronan as I am, and the way he’s studying me right now, hisfeatures hardening, blue eyes icy, gives me the impression a small part of him feels the need to protect Ronan fromme. I won’t lie, I’m pissed that Ronan hasn’t told me about Rashana, especially after his unwillingness to talk about his grandmother’s visit.
“I’m serious, Shay. This… doesn’t it bother you? Doesn’t it irk you that he doesn’t open up to you? That he doesn’t feel he can share his pain?”
Shane’s forehead creases, his eyebrows dipping. “Yeah, but I also know there’s no forcing Ran to open up. He copes the way he copes, and I’ll be at his six whenever he’s ready to share. Ran’s been my best friend for-fucking-ever. I love him like a brother. We’ve been through some deep fucking shit together; he’s been by my side when I was at my absolute lowest, never wavering, never questioning. That guy… he’s never been anything but patient with me even when I definitely did not deserve his patience. Trust me,” Shane says with a steadfastness only a lifelong best friend can bring, “I owe him the same unwavering, unquestioning patience.”
“Except you know Ran doesn’t share unless he’s forced to. Unless something horrible happens and he’s no longer able to hide it all. That might work for you, but it doesn’t for me. You’re not in an intimate relationship with Ran. You’re not trying to… I don’t know, build a life with him, I guess. I can’t do that—can’t build a future—if Ran never lets me in. You know he still won’t talk about his grandmother’s visit? It’s been a month, Shay. And I’m not stupid. I know it’s eating at him. We can’t build a strong foundation if he…” I shake my head, throat thickening. “If he won’t let meseethe parts that scare him.”
I don’t know why it hurts so much, but it does.
“So, before you give him a heads-up about this, before you tell him about Rashana’s visit, I want the chance to talk to him first.Please, Shay. Just… keep this between us.”
Ronan
“I’m no germaphobe,” I say to Miranda’s suggestion that I take a quick shower before we check out of the motel. “I have no problem getting down and dirty, but this bathroom is a no-go zone for me. No way am I going to get buck naked and stand under that shower. I’ll catch something the moment the air makes contact with my bare skin. No thanks, I’ll wait until we make it to Nashville.”
“Oh my god, Rony, you’re not serious,” she wheezes, her right hand pressed against her abdominals as if she’s trying to hold them in place. “Are you telling me you didn’t even relieve yourself in there this morning?”
I shake my head. “I’mveryserious. I brushed my teeth, then booked it to the next gas station and took a piss there.”
Her laughter turns into a high-pitched squeal. “Youchosea gas station over this bathroom?”
“Like I said, veryserious.”
