“Which makes it yours by default,”she signed, then hugged me tightly. I hugged her back and she pulled away and signed,“You better text me every day.”
“I will.”
Marlee pushed her feet into her Uggs and headed to Rylee to say her goodbyes before she left. While she ate, I cleaned up the living room, taking the empty snack bowl to the kitchen and snagging a few wings while I washed what little dishes were left and dumped the disposable ones we’d used for our gametime food.
After I was done, I sat with Rylee. She hadn’t mentioned us leaving. Not even when I packed up all of our things and moved three suitcases for her and two for myself near the door. I felt it was only right to check in.
“Ryland’s coming tonight and we’re leaving in the morning. Are you nervous about the plane ride?”
She shook her head and lifted barbecue coated fingers to sign,“Are you sitting next to me?”
“I think so.”
“Then I won’t be scared,”she signed and lifted another boneless wing, dipping it in ranch dressing before eating.
“If you are scared, it’s okay. I’m a little scared too.”I wrinkled my nose as I moved my hands.“This will be my first time on an airplane.”
“But you’re big.”
“I am. Still never been on a plane, so we get to experience this together.”
Sticky fingers were moving again.“And Ryland.”
“Yes, Ryland will be with us.”I kept a smile on my face because if she sensed I was happy with her brother, she would be too. After she finished eating, I cleaned up what was left and dumped the food since we would be leaving in the morning. No need for leftovers.
Rylee picked the clothes she wanted to travel in tomorrow, jeans and a purple sweater with purple sneakers. After she took her bath and was in bed, I turned on the TV so she could watch her favorite showBear With Meuntil she drifted asleep. I had last minute things to pack before we left.
I wasn’t sure if Ryland would even show but assumed he would. I hadn’t heard from him since early yesterday when he texted to confirm his flight time. According to Ryland, he was leaving at nine tonight, scheduled to land at eleven. Since we were leaving first thing in the morning, I offered my sofa for thenight so he wouldn’t have to waste money on a hotel. Not sure why because the guy had plenty of money.
Regardless, I gathered a blanket and pillows, which I placed on the table next to the sofa just in case he showed, then shut everything down, heading to my room to finish packing the few things I’d left until the last minute.
By ten I was done and decided to take a bath to relax. I was anxious about flying and also feeling edgy about leaving the comfort of my life to be thrown into a world I knew nothing about. After I had the tub filled with water and my favorite coconut-mango oils and bubble bath, I wrapped my hair in a microfiber towel, poured some wine, and grabbed my tablet.
Once I was submerged in the steamy, hot, fragrant water, I pulled up my favorite sports recap site to see what they were saying about today’s game and watch highlights. I’d missed several plays having to engage with Marlee and Rylee.
The first thing I noticed, however, wasn’t a recap but a headline about Ryland. They were dragging him for being disrespectful to the reporter after the game and discussing rumors of his recent activities and social media presence. All of which could mean a trade according to ‘sources close to the franchise’.
What the hell?
If Ryland was potentially being traded that meant Rylee having her life uprooted yet again. I swiped out of Baller Alert and moved to Sports Center Live. They always had the most accurate information about teams and trades.
I clicked the video and tapped the closed caption option, reading their discussion of how Ryland’s performance off the field was affecting his play on the field. I wasn’t a Sharks fan but watched enough football to know Ryland was indeed not playing at his best. Based on his past seasons and stats, there had been a decline in his performance. Although he’d played great today,all the broadcasters wanted to talk about was his comment after the game.
An entire game was defined by one moment and it sucked. His point was valid. It was a bullshit call that cost them the game but the delivery of his reaction didn’t work in Ryland’s favor. His image was already suffering.
I felt bad because there was a lot of pressure that came with being a pro athlete. Or at least I assumed there was. Not that I knew personally but those guys had brutal schedules, were subjected to scrutiny, and expected to brush it off because their salaries said they shouldn’t be allowed to complain.
What I was most concerned about was if Ryland was traded, he wouldn’t be the only one affected. I locked the tablet, carefully placing it on the floor beside the tub. I lifted my wine, taking a healthy gulp before also placing it on the floor. I dropped my head back and sighed because how the hell did I end up here?
I shouldn’t be feeling bad about the guy trying to take my sunshine from me because Rylee was indeed my sunshine. She made my life so much brighter. But I couldn’t help it. I cared, and no matter how much I pretended I didn’t, Ryland was an important part of my life because he was now an important part of Rylee’s.
I soaked for another twenty minutes before I washed clean and got out. After I dried off and slipped into a robe, I drained the tub and cleaned it. I dressed in a T-shirt and shorts and climbed into bed after making sure the alarm was set and all the lights were off.
With my phone in hand, I navigated to my thread with Ryland. There hadn’t been any new messages, so I plugged the device in and snuggled up in bed, only to be awakened an hour later with a steady vibration under my pillow along with my phone on my nightstand.
I lifted my head and grabbed the device, noting the vibration was from the doorbell. It was just after midnight, so I pulled up the camera to find Ryland standing on my porch. He had a hat pulled low on his head and wore dark clothing but the Sharks logo centered on the hat along with the broadness of his shoulders and his height gave it away.
I threw the covers back, grabbed my robe from the chair next to my dresser, and shoved my arms through the sleeves as I hurried toward the door. I disarmed the security system and opened the door, frowning when he lifted his head.
