24
Denise - He’s Back with Breakfast
The light coming through the window is bright even through the lids of my closed eyes. I wake up slowly, memories of last night coming back to me in flashes. Yawning, I stretch my body out, taking up the whole bed starfish style. That’s my first clue that Ryder left.
I sigh to myself. I knew this was coming, so I guess it shouldn’t surprise me he’s already run screaming from me. I am the one who doesn’t want to burden him, after all. He stayed for a while last night to comfort me, just like he said. Whatever was happening between us isn’t happening anymore.
No, this is good, Ryder being gone. I’ll be able to focus on getting ready for this baby and figuring out what my life is going to look like after this. I’m kidding myself if I think I can continue to manage the band with a baby, at least not in the hands on way I have been until now.
Reluctantly, I get up out of bed, pull on some yoga pants, and head downstairs in search of coffee. A loud snore coming from the direction of the couch makes me jump. What? Ryder stayed but slept on the couch? Why bother laying down with me if he was just going to get up and sleep down here?
I come around the front of the couch to wake him up, and I’m surprised to see Devon stretched out there, not Ryder. What the hell? When did Devon come in? And why is he sleeping on my couch? I guess it’s a damn good thing I bought the extra big couch, though. Devon barely fits on it as it is. He’d have been sleeping on the floor last night if I had anything smaller.
I let him keep sleeping and turn back toward the kitchen. I’m sure he’s here for a good reason, and if he’s still asleep, then he probably needs it. He’ll appreciate the coffee when he wakes up.
My coffee maker sits in a prime location on its own coffee bar. It’s just a regular drip coffee maker, but I bought a fancy one that grinds the beans for me and brews it all in one shot. I’m particular about my coffee, insisting on buying it from a local shop called Bump & Grind that roasts its own beans. My reason for going there isn’t just that they have the best beans, though. My best high school friend, Xena Cross, owns it.
Xena and I go way back, even though we hardly have time to see each other anymore. I should really call her and tell her about this whole baby business one of these days. She’s one of the funniest people I know, so I’m sure she’ll be able to help me see the light side of this whole situation. Though she may be fun most of the time, don’t call her Warrior Princess. She’s gotten so much shit over her name her entire life that she’s more than a little touchy about it. It suits her though, because she’s definitely tough like a warrior and spoiled like a princess.
I’m chuckling to myself as I go through the motions of getting the coffee going when I hear the front door open. Shit, I really hope that’s not Andrew coming in. Thank god Devon is still here. Fucking Ryder. He should have locked that up when he left. After what Andrew did here last night, I don’t trust it to be unlocked for any length of time, ever again.
Before I can yell out to get Devon up, Ryder comes around the corner with a tray of drinks and several bags of food. With a sigh of relief, I finish getting the coffee ready.
“Hey, babe,” he says, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. He puts my keys on the counter beside me. I guess he didn’t leave the door unlocked after all. “Sorry. I borrowed your keys so I could lock the door behind me. I went and got coffee from Bump & Grind. Xena says hi, by the way.”
I’ve bought all the guys coffee from Bump & Grind before so they know I love it. I’ve even brought Ryder there for coffee many times in the last few years. Usually when he needed sobering up after being rescued from whatever stupid situation he’d gotten himself into. He’s quite familiar with my obsession with their coffee, and he knows Xena knows me.
“I was just thinking of her as I was getting the coffee going,” I say. “Did she tell you how long she was going to be there? I really should call her. It’s been way too long. And I could use another girlfriend, especially now.”
“She didn’t say, but I’m sure if you called her soon she’d still be there. The place was packed when I left though, so maybe give her a bit.” He stops in the middle of taking food out of the bag to look at me. “Did you know she has a sword behind the counter? She threatened a customer with it when he called her Warrior Princess. Dude looked like he was about to piss himself as he apologized.”
“Yeah,” I tell Ryder, laughing. “I bought it for her a few years ago when she complained to me that people still call her ‘warrior princess’. It’s a replica of the one the character used in the show. So now when someone calls her ‘warrior princess’ she pulls out her sword and goes warrior princess on their ass.”
“What?! How does she not get arrested for that?”
“It’s just realistic looking foam rubber, there’s no way it could cause any damage. Plus her brother, Kaden, is on the police force. He keeps his ears open for calls coming in about her. From what I hear, the Westborough police are very familiar with Xena and her fake sword.”
“You have some strange friends.” Ryder says as he continues to pull the food from the bag. “I didn’t know what you’d want, or how your stomach would be feeling, so I bought some of every breakfast item on the menu. I’ve got eggs, I’ve got pancakes, I’ve got bacon, and a bunch of other stuff too. You choose what you want first and Devon and I will take care of what’s left.”
“Hey! I’ll have you know you are one of my strange friends. Probably one of the strangest if we’re being honest.” I slap him in the arm, making him drop a breakfast sandwich. “Besides, I like my friends.” I open a container and grab a piece of bacon, smiling as I bite off a piece.
“I like your friends too, babe.” He smiles at me and squeezes my ass. “And I like you.”
Before I can react to that, Ryder is striding into the living room to wake up Devon.
“Time to wake up, sweetheart,” I hear him say.
“What the fuck, man! Get off of me.”
I come around the corner just in time to see Devon throwing Ryder off of him and onto the floor.
“Oooof,” Ryder exhales sharply when he hits the floor. “I was just trying to make it a good morning for you.” He laughs without getting up.
Devon gets off the couch and walks over to where I’m standing.
“It would have been a much better morning if I didn’t wake up to you humping my leg like a dog.” He chuckles a little.
“Hey.” I look around, finally realizing that the mess from last night isn’t there anymore. “Where did all the stuff go? The stuff that Andrew broke?”
