Ryan:Sleep well.
Taking in a deep breath, I roll over as Piper stands and walks up the bed to me. She nuzzles into me, her chocolate fur tickling my arm, and I cuddle into her.
This is a turnaround.
Let’s hope he doesn’t freak out again.
RYAN
A light knock on my door startles me, and I sit up on my bed.
“Come in.”
The door opens, and part of me hopes it’s Tillie, but the rest of me hopes I will never have to see her again.
Bright pink and yellow hair falls through the door, and Lunar’s bright blue eyes look up at me. “Hey.”
I pat my bed and smile. “Hey.”
She comes in, closes the door behind her, and walks over to sit down next to me. “So, the fun-loving guy I know seems to be taking a bit of a back seat to this broody, snappy guy. Where’s Ryan gone?”
I shake my head. “Fucked if I know. This health scare and Tillie showing up have really messed with my damn head.” Not to mention the feelings her presence has stirred.
She leans into my side, cuddling into me like the sister I never had. “Ry, I know you’re working on your health, and we’re all here for you with that. You’re doing well and already losing weight. The doctor said your diagnosis of pre-diabetes is looking less likely now, and your blood pressure is slowly coming down. Give it a little more time. It’ll be okay. I promise.”
I swallow hard and shrug. “But what about Tillie?”
She looks up at me. “You like her?”
Scrubbing my face with my hands, I groan. “No. She’s my nemesis.”
“Right, so what happened up here to make her bolt faster thanFlash Gordon?”
I sigh and clasp my eyes shut, remembering her beautiful lips puckered up, waiting for me to kiss them. “We nearly kissed, but I dodged it and kissed her cheek instead.” My eyes flick open, and I look at Lunar, who is watching me closely.
“You like her!”
“You said that already.”
“Last time, it was a question. This time, it’s a statement.”
“Fuck! I don’t know, Lunar. I can’t do anything with her.”
“What? Why not?”
“Well, because I’m supposed to dislike her for one.”
“Pfft… plenty of enemies become lovers.”
“Like who?”
“Romeo and Juliet.”
I snort. “We all know how well that fucking ended!”
She laughs. “True. Bad example. But still, it’s okay to like her, Ry.”
“It’s really not.”
