Page 16 of Buried Treasure
Amelia walked over with some water and oatmeal cookies. "Stop teasing her, Ryan. She's had a rough time lately."
Ryan's face went slack with shock. "I lost my appendix!"
"You didn't lose it. It's just at the hospital." Ryan just glared at his mother. "Sydney, you look tired. Eat a cookie."
"Thanks," she said with a weak smile.
"Any requests from the kitchen?" The pair on the sofa simply shook their heads. "OK. I'll be in there if you need anything."
Sydney noticed Ryan watching her intently as she walked away. She could tell that even with the jokes and his mother getting the best of him, he was still grateful she was there. And no, she would never tell Amelia that Ryan once drunkenly confessed that he found his mother's teasing endearing, which is why he always gave her softball lines. She also wouldn't tell Ryan that his mother once told her that she knew exactly what he was doing but liked going along with it anyway. They had a relationship that Sydney wished she could have with her mom, but that was never going to happen. Not when Nancy was so very much the opposite of Mrs. McCloud in so many ways when it came to her child.
"Can you grab me a cookie?" Ryan said quietly from his spot on the sofa.
She took a few off the plate and handed one to him. They were still warm and the first bite made her close her eyes, allowing her just a moment of bliss.
"I know, right?" Ryan said.
She turned and smiled. "I needed that."
His hand dropped to his lap and he stared at his cookie without saying anything. When things weren't right with Ryan, he would get this intent look in his eye as he stared off at something. Sometimes it was a hockey glove or a video game cartridge or a random vase in her apartment. Today, it was a cookie.
"I can tell that something is bugging you," Sydney said.
"Someone from the S.E.E. called me this morning before I was discharged from the hospital."
"S.E.C."
"What?" he asked, looking up at her.
"S.E.C., not the S.E.E. It's the Securities and Exchange Commission," she explained. "At least I'm assuming it was the S.E.C. calling you about your investments."
"Yeah," he said somberly. "I just… I don't know how to ask this, Sydney, because you and I are friends."
"You can ask."
His eyes locked right on her. "Is the money I gave you OK?"
Sydney put her hand over his. "Your money is fine," she said reassuringly. "I didn't do anything illegal. I wasn't doing what John was doing with his clients. Our clients were separate so you have nothing to worry about."
"I mean, I know I hadn't given you that much money, and I really do trust you, but I was just —"
"It's fine, Ryan." She squeezed his hand. "It's fine. Did the S.E.C. tell you they were going to freeze your assets?"
He nodded. "They said a week."
She gave him a reassuring smile. "A week isn't bad. A week is actually really good in these cases. So don't worry, OK?"
"These cases?" he said surprisingly. "How often do these cases happen?"
"Not that often, and not with any of my clients, I promise."
Sydney let go of his hand, reaching forward to grab another cookie, hoping he wouldn't ask any questions about what was going on, at least not any questions that didn't pertain to his portfolio.
"So how are you doing?"
Sydney closed her eyes and sighed. How was she supposed to tell a guy who just lost his appendix that she was doing pretty bad? She couldn't sleep, she spent the past 36 hours in the same clothes, and she wasn't sure if she could ever trust someone again. Hell, she was staring at the oatmeal cookie in her hand wondering if Ryan's mom was worried Sydney had taken his money, which is why she poisoned the cookies.
Sydney looked over at Ryan and the cookie in his hand, realizing she was being irrational. Of course Amelia didn't poison the cookies since Ryan had eaten one already. Because that's the logical way to react when you think everyone is out to get you now.
