Page 19 of Forever Fallen

“You know it’s okay if you aren’t…”

“I said that I am fine,” she bit out, looking away from him as she got out of the car and began marching up the steps of the porch to the door quickly without waiting for him.

Digging out her keys, she put them in the lock and froze.

She couldn’t do it.

Letting herself in and knowing that her grandmother was gone? She couldn’t face those ghostly memories again. They’d been there after her mother died… and now her grandmother was gone? It was all too much, and she was scared to embrace the newest changes.

Standing there, frozen, she felt Ryan move her slightly to the side as he took the keys from her hand and unlocked the door. Nudging it open, he turned and hugged her awkwardly.

That’s when she realized that she was crying.

“Come on…” he breathed, rubbing her back. “Where’s the woman that chugged back her drink like a pro and told me off –repeatedly– I might add?”

“You deserved it…” she sobbed painfully, her voice escaping her in a shaky sigh.

“I might have,” he mumbled, smoothing his hand down her hair to comfort her. “But I need that strong girl to take a deep breath so she can pound my ego down again for fun. We had a few good laughs at it, didn’t we?”

Wiping her eyes, she looked up at him painfully.

“The house, the aura of it, is so different… it’s justempty,” she uttered, her voice cracking with emotion, and it sounded hollow to her. She felt terrible about all this mess and felt like she’d dragged him into her nightmare. “… And I’m really sorry you are stuck with me. We didn’t bargain for any of this, and I feel bad.”

“We are both exhausted and need to withdraw to different corners of the boxing ring before we come out swinging again,” Ryan hedged, his eyes meeting hers. “Be strong for just a little bit longer and then you can collapse in bed, take a hot bath, get drunk, or whatever you need to do to get through the next few days.”

“I really don’t ever drink,” she smiled tearfully.

“Neither do I,” he admitted. “Unless I’m sitting next to a very pretty woman who makes me nervous.”

“You don’t have to be nice to me, Ryan.”

“Fine. I take it all back,” he replied easily, taking her hand. “You aren’t pretty nor are you going to face this alone.”

“Thanks for nothing,” Sophie muttered under her breath.

“Hey – that’s what husbands are for, right?”

CHAPTER8

REAPER

Ryan wasstunned and slightly alarmed at the sight of Sophie’s tears and the way it made him feel. He’d been enchanted by the spunky, sarcastic, quick-witted woman who’d sat next to him on the airplane… realizing he’d enjoyed this banter a lot between them.

If he had to be married, he might as well play along with someone he could respect or would keep him entertained.

… And Sophie did that – until now.

Now, her tears were eviscerating a dark part of him that he didn’t even know existed. When she had frozen at the front door, unable to turn the key in the lock because of her emotions, and her steely expression collapsed… it felt so normal to want to comfort her.

Heneededto.

Drawing her into his arms, rubbing her back, and talking to her gently had felt like he was consoling someone he cared about – not a perfect stranger.

Walking her into the house, he spotted a kitchen in the distance just down the main hallway, remembering that his mother used to make him a hot chocolate when he was little just to make him feel better. Maybe he could do the same – or make her some hot tea… orsomething!

“C’mon Sophie…” he urged, setting their bags just inside the front door and pulling her towards the kitchen. “Come with me.”

“Ryan…”

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