Page 30 of Loathing Ryan
Ryan tossed his head back and laughed. A real one this time. I’d be lying if the action didn’t make butterflies erupt in my stomach. I’d seen Ryan laugh before, but most of the time, it had been at my expense after one of his pranks landed successfully. But this was different, more genuine. I had never seen this side of Ryan, the fun, carefree version of him. I found myself wondering what things could’ve been like if they hadn’t been the way they were for so long.
He looked over at me and shot me a wide smile before looking back out at the pond.I wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them to my chest as I watched him. Quietly to myself, I wondered if getting stuck out here with Ryan might not be the worst thing after all.
14
RYAN
The restof the day passed slowly. There really wasn’t much to do in this cabin other than lay around and hope someone would come find us. We had no TV, no internet—not like we even had a phone or a tablet to use the internet with.
Most of the remaining hours of the day were spent roaming the cabin, searching every nook and cranny to see if I could find anything interesting. After we had fished for a few hours, we came back inside to rest. Right above the kitchen, I had found a loft of sorts that had more random shit strewn everywhere. Izabel waited patiently while I explored.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of anything that could help us get found—really, all I found were trunks of clothes, a few old, tattered books, and a worn-out guitar. I supposed it wasn’t a completely empty-handed exploration.
Izabel looked overjoyed when I held out a blue t-shirt and a pair of black athletic shorts. I was sure they would be way too big for her, but she was still wearing her one-piece swimsuit from the kayak trip, so anything would be more comfortable than that. She was also more than pleased that there was plenty more reading material to keep her mind busy while we sat here in solitude.
Soon the sun started to set, and Izabel took one of the books and retreated to the bed, curling up against the old pillows and getting lost in the pages. She was so immersed in the book that she didn’t notice me watching her from my position at the small table near the kitchen.Her face was tilted down toward the book, and every once in a while, her eyes would narrow, or her eyebrows would furrow as she read something that sent her mind into overdrive. Occasionally, her full lips would twitch into a quick smile that had my stomach tightening. Izabel was stunning when she smiled. I only wished she would do it more around me.
I thought about our conversation out at the lake earlier today. I hadn’t meant to divulge that much information to her, but it just happened, and there was no going back now. I didn’t love the look of pity I noticed in her expression when I told her about my father, but by now, I was used to that reaction.
Thankfully, once the conversation had ended, she had dropped it completely, not pushing for more details.
Before too long, the both of us started to get weary. Since the cabin only had one small full-size bed, I had let Izabel take it. Which meant I was stuck on the dingy couch. It was just a little too small for me, so I spent most of the night curled up into a ball so I would fit on the cushions. It wasn’t the best night’s sleep, but I’d get over it. It was better than sleeping on the hard ground in a cave, that was for sure.
I woke up before Izabel did the minute the sun rose over the horizon. Careful not to wake her, I shuffled out of the house and spent a while roaming around and doing some exploring. The cabin was surrounded by tall oak and fir trees. Their branches rustled in the wind, creating a soothing sound amidst the orchestra of birds. If this were any other situation, I might enjoy being out here. But as I walked around looking for anything, the endless trees were a vast reminder that we were a long way from camp.
When I got tired of ambling around in circles, I went back down to the pond and caught two catfish to cook up for something to eat. They weren’t huge, but they’d be enough to hold us over for the afternoon.
As I made it back to the cabin, I saw she was perched up on the porch, her nose still stuck in the book. She looked up when she heard me walking closer and gave me a tight smile.
“Where have you been all day?”
I held up the fish as an answer. “Catching lunch.”
Izabel stared at the fish and slowly, her tight smile morphed into one of those real smiles I craved so much. My chest ached as my heart swelled with pride and a sense of possessiveness toward her.Damn, my girl was beautiful.
A sharp jolt of surprise at the train of thought crashed through me, but I blinked it away before I could look too much into it.
“Well, color me impressed,” she teased, pushing up from her position and opening the front door for me. Still a little stunned by the beaming smile I had received, it took me a minute to gather my wits, but finally, I bounded up the stairs and into the cabin.
Izabel helped a lot in preparing the fish, not even complaining about them smelling too fishy or being too slimy. Getting her hands dirty right next to me, she skinned and pulled the bones out. She was quiet the whole time, only speaking up when she had a question or if she needed to make sure she was doing things correctly. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, just noticeable.
When the fish were cooked up, we sat together at the small kitchen table. After taking a few bites, I wiped my mouth and then broke the silence.
“So you’ve heard my sad origin story with my dad? What about you? What’s your family like?” I asked her.
I saw the moment she went on guard. It was as if steel walls came down over her heart and her mind, and there was no way she was going to let me in. I stayed silent as she worked through the decision on whether or not she could trust me. Finally, her blue eyes shot to mine, and she wrapped her arms around her torso.
“My parents are both still alive. My dad owns a car dealership, and my mom is the director of a daycare.”
I nodded, relieved she decided I was worth sharing with. “They sound surprisingly normal.”
A small smile played on her lips. “I have one sister named Sage. She graduated college last year with a business degree and is now working for a big company in Chicago. I don’t get to see her very much anymore.”
“Sage Sanders.” I tried out her sister’s name as I drew designs with my finger on the worn-out wood of the table. “It’s got a ring to it. Is she a lot like you?”
Izabel laughed and shook her head. “No. Sage is very enigmatic, and I can be reserved sometimes. She’s fearless, not afraid of anything.”
I looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. “You’re fearless too, Bells. Give yourself some credit.”
