2
Ryan
“Where the hell were you? I tried calling you at least five times.”
I go into Ian’s house and head straight for the kitchen. “I need something.”
I open the fridge, but inside I can only find vegetables, meat and energy drinks. “What the fuck have you done to this place?” I ask, agitated, slamming the fridge door shut.
“You want something to calm those nerves?”
I lean against the counter while Ian opens one of the lower fridge drawers. He produces a bottle, grabbing a glass.
“Here you go,” he says, pouring me some.
I down the whole thing in one swig, and push the glass towards him for another. Ian shakes his head disapprovingly, but obliges me anyway.
“You shouldn’t drink that stuff, you know. We have training tomorrow…”
“Don’t start.”
“Ryan…”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say, ending the conversation.
“Mmm…”
“I’ve just had a really bad day, okay?”
The front door opens, and Riley’s voice startles us from behind.
“Oh, there you are!” she goes up to Ian, who hugs her tenderly.
My stomach tightens.
“I was working late.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he says. “Dinner’s nearly ready.”
“I’m starving.”
“Thought you might be,” Ian smiles, caressing Riley’s stomach. It takes everything for me not to cry out in exasperation.
“Do you have to do that?”
“Oh, you’re here,” Riley turns to me, pretending to have only just noticed my presence.
I smirk at her and she returns the gesture, coming towards me and giving me a kiss on the cheek that I can’t seem to shake.
“I’m happy to see you,” she says.
“Yeah, yeah, alright,” I detach myself from her, pretending to be annoyed, but the truth is that Riley is the only woman whose presence I can tolerate – apart from my mother, obviously.
“I’m going to get rid of this dress, then I’ll be back down.”
She leaves us alone, heading upstairs, as Ian follows her with his gaze.
“Is that really necessary?”