Page 50 of Find Me

“Well that explains what all the fuss is about,” he says quietly, before kicking off his shoes and walking over to my couch. He sits down, making himself comfortable as he spreads out, taking up more space than the average person.

“Sure, make yourself at home,” I say, the sarcasm obvious in my tone.

Ryan just smiles, not at all phased. “Well, if I’m going to be here all day, I may as well be comfortable.”

I nod absentmindedly as I approach Ryan slowly, coming to a stop a few feet away from him, unsure of what to make of him.

“What did you mean when you said that explains what all the fuss is about?” I ask quizzically, crossing my arms in front of me.

“You two,” he says with a shrug, his smile relaxed.

“Please tell me you aren’t going to make me dig for information like Jax does, or it’s going to be a long day together,” I respond, shifting my weight.

He gives a hearty laugh.

“Yeah, Jax can be a little cagey when it comes to divulging the finer details, especially if he doesn’t know someone or wants to keep them out of trouble.” He raises an eyebrow at me.

“And what I meant before… how you two interact… it explains why he’s going to so much trouble for you.”

“You can’t possibly tell that by seeing us together for a couple seconds.” I chirp back. The tension in my body slowly begins to unravel as I realize he’s not as intimidating as he looks.

“I’ve known Jax for a long time, and I’ve seen him with a lot of women—people,” he corrects quickly, “and I have never seen him look at anyone like he looks at you, or kiss anyone like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like he genuinely cares.”

“Oh,” I say, lost for words.

“Plus, this place reeks of sex, so I know you’ve got it bad for each other.” He laughs as my face goes red from embarrassment.

“Well, I’m just going to go sink into the floor over here,” I say, mortified, walking away from him and into the kitchen.

I open the fridge to see what we have for food, surprised to see it filled with fresh produce.

Jax must have ordered groceries for me while I was sleeping. My heart swells at the idea of being so taken care of.

Despite the full fridge, nothing grabs my interest. So instead, I grab a bag of popcorn from a cupboard, raising it in my hand as I look at Ryan across the room.

“I don’t love cooking,” I admit shyly. “Are you cool with popcorn and coffee?”

“Yeah, I’m easy,” Ryan says wholeheartedly, and I get the impression he isn’t fazed by much. He looks at home already, turning on the TV and assessing the room around him.

A few moments later the smell of coffee fills the apartment as popcorn cooks noisily in the microwave. I carefully hand Ryan his coffee, the hot liquid filled dangerously close to the brim, before going back to the kitchen to grab the popcorn, emptying the bag into a bright red bowl.

When I get back to the couch Ryan has some indie movie playing on the TV.

“You surprise me,” I say, assessing him.

“How so?”

“Well, Jax said you’re kind but a little unhinged.”

Ryan almost spits out his coffee, choking back a laugh that rattles his whole body.

“Did he now? I’d love to know what else he’s said about me.” He raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing behind his eyes.

“He said you’re basically a dog. Specifically like a Labrador,” I say.

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