“Ah yeah, I’ve accepted the offer. I sign tomorrow.”
I sigh – I’m not sure whether in relief or anxiety. I’ll find out soon enough.
“And what’s the deal with you, what’s happened?” Nick asks.
“Her. She happened to me.”
“She? She who?” he asks with fake innocence.
I slowly lift my head and look at him sideways.
“You aren’t here because you need a place to stay, are you?”
Ryan pretends he doesn’t understand and Nick lets go of a little grin that crosses his face.
“At least we’re together.”
Small consolation.
“Don’t get too excited, we’re just here for you.”
“Well, it’s something.”
“What can we do?”
“I’ve ruined everything. There’s nothing I can do to fix it.”
“Even if we go and beat somebody up?” Nick says, rubbing his hands together.
“Who do you want to massacre? I’m curious.”
“I could start with Ryan.”
“What the hell do I have to do with it?”
“You’re close by. Maybe it would help Ian relieve some tension.”
“Fuck you, Nick!”
Nick laughs. He really is an idiot. He still hasn’t understood that every moment he spends with Ryan could be his last one.
“Let’s get back to more serious things,” Ryan says, shooting a glare at Nick before looking at me. “There must be something you can do. Something you haven’t tried yet.”
“I think anything I do will just make it worse.”
“So, you’re ready to give up by the sounds of it.”
“I don’t know.”
“We never give up,” Nick adds.
“I don’t know if I have another choice.”
“If you want, you can hit me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You need to get it out, you need to let all this, whatever it is, out. I’m the less important of the brothers, the one to be sacrificed.” He continues, shrugging.
Nick tries to cheer me up in his own way. Despite the fact that he’s a total arsehole, when I need him, he’s there.
I look at him gratefully.
“You know, anything for family.”
