Page 25 of Forever Fallen

“Can you hang that up for me when you are done?” he hollered – and Sophie froze, realizing he’d thrown his towel at the door. His laughter echoed throughout the house again, causing her to smile at his outrageousness.

Ryan was not playing fair either… and she was enjoying it a little too much.

* * *

That wasthe quickest shower she had ever taken in her life for fear that he would flush the toilet and do the same thing to her.

CHAPTER10

SOPHIE

The next morning,Sophie felt physically sick as she was walking out to the car with Ryan, knowing how hard it was going to be to discuss the arrangements at the funeral home. Her grandmother had asked her to do this repeatedly over the years, and she always told her there was plenty of time…

That time was now.

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked quietly as they got in the car.

“Just peachy…” she muttered, pulling onto the road, and heading towards Flyboys.

The sun was already rising in the sky, and it was going to be a clear, bright day… but she felt like there was a miasma hanging over her.

She hated dealing with death and funerals.

Her mother’s death had put her in bed for three days with a horrific migraine that had her vomiting and the room spinning due to anxiety and stress. Since then, she’d learned to tuck it all deep down in a tiny box, hidden in her soul.

Was it healthy?

No.

Did it work?

… Sorta?

Maybe?

No.

“I can come with you,” Ryan offered immediately. “You don’t have to do this alone or we can go this afternoon to the funeral home together.”

“Look,” Sophie replied bluntly, glancing at him while driving. “Before you, I did everything on my own, and while this is convenient for both of us? Let’s face the fact that this isn’t a real marriage, and we are doing well to tolerate each other’s company.”

“Sometimes it’s a huge struggle,” he said easily, nodding, causing Sophie to glance at him again. “It’s only been a day, too.”

His words caught her by surprise.

She’d been putting up walls mentally ever since she saw Ryan in that towel. Just thinking of his abs and broad shoulders made her weak at the knees – and she knew that he did it deliberately.

That’s the part that galled her. The cad knew he looked good and did it to get at her… and it worked.

But he thought this was a huge struggle between them?

Really?

Now that admission was surprising and hurt a little, because she honestly thought that they were warming up to each other and might end up friends after all.

No, she couldn’t let him know that his words bothered her. She was tougher than that.

Sophie nodded, pulling into the lot at Flyboys.

---