Page 10 of Liberating Bells
Now that I’m alone, I can’t help but wonder about the timing of the proposal too. Last night after leaving Ashton’s birthday party, Mark had been in a foul mood. He didn’t seem to believe me when I told him that I had no idea Ryan Miller was back in town. He had yelled at me as soon as we were on our way home, and I tried to convince him that I wasn’t lying.
Because I wasn’t.
I was still reeling a little bit from seeing him standing there as if it were the most normal thing ever. A little warning would have been nice…not that I expected it from him, but Juliet must have known he was back, and she didn’t give me any type of heads up.
Curiosity is getting the better of me, and I’m dying to knowwhyhe’s back.
And I want to know what’s going to happen. Where do we go from here? Is he going to join in our friend group again, just like old days? Of course he will. After all, it was basicallyhisfriend group to start with. I was just an add on with my friendship with Juliet.
Speaking of Juliet, I suppose I have to share the exciting news of my new engagement with my best friend. But knowing she’ll be less than ecstatic puts a damper on the whole thing.
So, I don’t.
Instead, I clean up the kitchen and grab my things to go back to my apartment. On my way home, I stop at the park and decide to go for a brief walk, hopefully to clear my head and get my thoughts straight.
With every step, rather than thinking about wedding related things like invitations or wedding dates or dresses, my mind returns to Ryan.
I try not to think about how backwards that fact is, but it’s no use.
Is he as twisted up about seeing me again as I am about him?
It’s so strange feeling so unmoored when it comes to Ryan. For so long, we were perfectly in sync, the second half to each other in every possible way.
But then that ended, and ever since then, I just haven’t felt that grounded feeling that I became so used to whenever he was around.
By the time I decide to go home, my head is throbbing, exhausted from spinning around in circles, all having to do with Ryan Miller.
I decide that I’m going to have to get to the bottom of his return, one way or another. If not for anything other than closure. I feel like that’s not too much to ask with his returning to our small town.
Doubt blooms in my chest as I catch sight of the glittering ring. I wonder how he’ll react to the new piece of bling sitting on my finger.
Maybe I should get him a present? A welcome home gift? That might help ease some of the inevitable tension.
The thought surprises me, but once it settles in, I don’t think it’s a terrible idea. I start brainstorming about what he might like, and for some reason that brings me more excitement than what I’ve felt all morning.
Once I’m back home, I settle in on the couch and pull out my phone. I bring up Juliet’s contact information and then press the call button.
She answers on the second ring with an airy, “Hey.”
I take a deep breath. “I need you to tell me everything you know about why Ryan Miller is back in Cedar Ridge.”
5
RYAN
I’m having a bad morning.
As I walk into my new office, I scowl as Lori, my secretary, raises amused eyebrows at my appearance. “What the hell happened to you?” she questions.
I frown as I remember the car that swerved directly in front of me right as I was taking a sip of coffee. I slammed on my brakes and my coffee went all over my shirt. Now my white button-up has a lovely coffee stain all down the front. I didn’t have time to go home and change before my first meeting this morning, so here I am.
Instead of filling Lori in on this tale, I grumble, “I’m having a Monday,” and stride into my office, shutting the door behind me.
Lori and I have only been working closely together for a few weeks at this point, so this is the first time she’s really gotten to see me in a morning slump. Typically, I try to leave everything out of the office, but today seems to be an exception.
It definitely is the Monday-est of Mondays, but if I’m honest, it has been a rough few days in general.
I had not been prepared for the effect that seeing Izabel Sanders again would have on me. Being that close to her againwrecked me from the inside out. I’m not sure if it was worse holding her in my arms, knowing that I might never get to again, or having to watch her be all cuddly with her boyfriend for the entire afternoon.
