Page 32 of You Before Me

Gabe returns and mentions something about a skeet thrower, and that gets the guys excited. He looks at me, his smile quickly fading as he sees me attempting a fake smile. He lays the gun down, and all the guys over by Larry's truck now.

“Everything okay, Ryan?”

I shake my head. “I don't feel well. Could you take me home?” My voice shakes a little, and I hate myself for it. Maybe it's just older adults that hate me. Not just my parents, but all of them. Teachers didn't care for me, but couldn't deny that I was smart. My friends' parents always thought I was a bad influence. Maybe it's not my parents. Maybe it's me.

Gabe sits next to me. “What's wrong?” he asks, full of concern, but I don't look at him. I can't.

“Nothing,” I sigh. “I want to go home. Please, Gabe?” My eyes were focused on the grooves of the wood making up the top of the picnic table, but Gabe hooks a finger underneath my chin to make me look at him.

“W

hat happened?” When I shake my head, he repeats his question with a harder edge to his voice.

Quietly, I say, “I told you this wasn't a good idea.” A shot goes off, momentarily distracting me as I see something orange fall apart in the sky. To keep Gabe from asking his question again, I explain. “You told me that my age scares you, and you didn't tell them. I don't see why it's a big deal, but that's just me. They care. You care. I don't want to cause any problems, Gabe.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your father asked how old I was, and I didn't lie. Then he asked if I thought you were too old for me, and I may have given him a smart ass answer. I told him if I did, I wouldn't be here. Pretty sure I pissed him off. Just take me home, please.”

“Ignore my father, Ryan.”

“But-”

“Hey, darlin',” Gabe's grandfather calls out. “You want to try a moving target?”

“We'll be there in a second,” Gabe yells back without looking. He cups my cheeks in his hands, and I notice his father watching us. “Ryan,” he says, waiting until I look at him again. “The girl you were the day I pulled you over, be her today. My father's respect has to be earned, and he's expecting that. Don't let him intimidate you because that's what he's trying to do.”

“Well, he's a jerk for that.” I try to laugh, but it sounds mangled.

“That's how he operates. C'mon. Let's go show 'em what you got.”

Chapter Seven

Gabe

I'm angry that my father upset Ryan, but it reminds me of what I was worried about. What I think about when I'm not around her. The guys seem to like her, though. Except Dad, of course. He's being reserved today. But Ryan quickly shows the guys that she's a force to be reckoned with. It takes her a bit to get the hang of it, but as the orange clay targets are flung into the air, she starts hitting them. She giggles after each round with excitement. She's hooked on the thrill, the weight of the power, and the accomplishment she feels when she hits the marks each time. I love watching her and her confidence grow.

“I feel like a badass,” she laughs, coming to stand next to me. “Well, just with the shooting part. Not the extra handling stuff.”

“You should be proud of yourself. This is your first day, and you're doing better than everyone else.”

“Except me,” Gramps inserts, making Ryan giggle. I can already tell that he likes her.

“Yeah, except you.”

Gramps walks over and puts an arm around her shoulders. “Darlin', you sure have surprised me. Lookin' sweet and innocent with your age, but you're a firecracker. Keepin' us all on our toes. I hope Gabriel keeps you around.”

Ryan blushes, the second time I've ever seen her do that. “I hope so too, Mr. O'Connor.”

“Might as well call me Gramps, darlin'.”

“Gabe, you're up,” Owen tells me, as my father prepares the skeet thrower.

In the background, I hear them talking. Owen, in particular.

“You know, it's totally possible that we could be dating too.”

Ryan laughs. “You might be close to me in age, but you're still too young. You're cute though.”

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