6. Chapter 6
Chapter six
Aspen
“ S o, how is it going with the visitor?”
“Fine,” I say with a half shrug.
I don’t know if it’s because of jet lag, but Hadley kept herself scarce after they got back, and I can’t say I’m too unhappy about it. Ryan was being extra attentive the rest of the night, bringing me a glass of wine while I was in the bath and fussing over the gash in my arm. His face dropped with guilt when I explained how I got it, which I guess explains the omelet with all my favorite trimmings waiting for me by the time I got out of the bath.
“Do you know Hadley?” I ask, leaning against the reception desk where Piper’s typing away at her computer. We have a rare lull between appointments, so I know I won’t get raised eyebrows from Julia for taking a few minutes to talk to Piper.
“Not really. With the two-year age gap, we weren’t friends when we were in school, and she moved after college. Rose knows her well, though.”
And she was quite open about her dislike for her. My phone chimes and I pull it out.
Ryan:Taking Hadley to see her dad. Will be back by the time you get home
I almost want to roll my eyes. Yeah, like he said he’d meet me at Frosty’s and at the rescue. And since when does he have time to go all over the show? Even in my mind, I sound snarky, so instead of saying anything, I send him a thumbs up.
Pocketing my phone, I look up, finding Piper’s eyes on me, her eyebrows raised.
“Trouble in paradise?”
I bite my lip, debating if I should say something. On the one hand, talking about it feels like I’m being disloyal to Ryan, but on the other hand, maybe I need a reality check. Maybe I just need someone else to tell me I’m being a selfish asshole.
“No…maybe.” I sigh. “He blew me off twice this weekend because of Hadley.”
“I know he skipped out at Frosty’s. What was the second time?”
“He was supposed to help me with something at the rescue but took Hadley to see her dad instead. And then took her to lunch after to help her calm down.”
“Yeah, I mean, I can sort of understand that.”
“I know. I get that she needs his support. It’s not that, not really. Both times he didn’t bother to let me know.” Like I don’t even cross his mind when he’s with her. “He just left me hanging.” Dropping my head into my hands, I groan. “I’m being a selfish, insecure bitch, aren’t I? One who suffers from only child syndrome. I blame my parents. They never taught me how to share my toys.” I’m trying for a joke, but even to my ears, it sounds flat.
“No, don’t do that. I would also be upset at being left hanging. Did you talk to him about it?”
“Not really. But he apologized. I could tell he felt bad.”
“Then maybe cut him some slack. You know how guys are. They suck at multitasking. I’m sure this is difficult for him. Just see how it goes. And if it happens again, talk to him.”
My shoulders deflate and I give Piper a thankful smile. Piper’s not the type to take crap from anyone, and if she thinks I’m being overly sensitive, then maybe I am.
Immediately, guilt replaces my relief. I’m not being fair to Ryan. Everything doesn’t revolve around me, and instead of making this about me, I should be a supportive partner and support him while he’s supporting a friend through her trauma.
“Thanks, Piper.”
There’s a bit of a spring to my step when I head to the back. I’m going to make tonight all about Ryan, and instead of him pampering me, I’ll be the one doing the pampering.
“Hmm…That smells amazing,” Ryan murmurs against my neck, his arms winding around my waist.
“Bloody hell, Harry,” I mutter, my heart pounding. “Make some noise next time.”
I feel his chuckle against my back at my Harry Potter reference, but what can I say? I’m a firm fan of Ron, the quirky sidekick that got his happy ever after. Even if I think it was with the wrong girl.
Putting my knife down, I turn in his arms, taking a deep breath. While I love the smell of fresh cilantro, it has nothing on Ryan. Those first few dates it wasn’t just his cute smile, good looks, and goofy personality that drew me to him. It was his scent. And I’m not talking about his shaving cream, deodorant, or the product he puts in his hair. It’s the scent underneath all of that. The scent of his skin, his breath, even his perspiration on a hot day. Breathing him in is like a love drug for me.
“I was. I can’t help it if you’re lost in your daydreams. Clam Chowder?”
I nod, pressing a quick kiss to his lips and turning back to the chopping board. Wanting to treat Ryan, I stopped at the store on my way home to pick up the ingredients for his favorite meal. He was on a conference call when I got home, so I blew him a quick kiss and immediately started dinner.
“Good timing. It’s almost done.”
“Is that a maple syrup pie?”
I hum my affirmation, and he presses a kiss against my neck, his lips lingering against my skin while he breathes me in. I can’t contain my shiver and his lips pull up into a smile. He knows the effect he has on me.
“Why am I being spoiled?”
I once read somewhere that the path to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I disagree. I think it’s a side road to his heart at most. The true path to his heart lies a lot lower, and that’s why after dinner, I’m planning on traveling that road—more than once.
“Do I need a reason to spoil you?”
“Covering all my bases, babe. Did I forget something important?”
I laugh at his carefully worded question. While I’m notoriously bad with names, he’s just as bad with dates. “No, you’re good. This time.”
With a squeeze, he lets me go and pours himself a cup of coffee. Propping himself against the counter, he watches me stir the chowder.
“Have you made enough for three?”
I pause in the stirring, my body stiffening. “Hadley’s joining us?”
“Yeah. I kind of gave her an open invitation to join us for meals.” Of course, he did . “I don’t want to add to the stress of shopping and cooking on top of what she’s going through. Besides, Hadley’s never been the domestic type. If left alone, she’d survive on takeout. I’m sure that hasn’t changed.” He chuckles, smoothing back a few pieces of hair that’s fallen onto his forehead. “I hope you don’t mind.”
I shrug, my fingers clenching the wooden spoon, trying to keep my face neutral. “It’s fine.”
“Shit. I know what ‘fine’ means. I should have asked you.”
“Ryan, it’s your house. You don’t need to run everything by me.”
He puts down his cup and reaches for my hand, interlocking our fingers. “Hey, don’t do that. This is your house, too. Our house.”
But it isn’t. Not really. If for some or other reason things didn’t work out between us, I would be the one moving out. The thought sends a shiver of unease through me. I have absolutely no savings. No backup plan if that had to happen. All my extra money goes into the rescue. I need to do better.
“It’s fine. Really. I just thought we’d have a nice meal and binge Vikings.”
“We can still do that.”
The sound of the front door opening saves me from having to reply, and I pull my hand from his. Moving to the cupboard, I’m about to take out the bowls when Ryan pushes me away, kissing the top of my head.
“I’ve got this.”
I take a deep breath and fix a smile on my face, turning when Hadley comes strolling into the kitchen. Giving me a nod and a half smile, she walks up to Ryan and kisses him on the cheek.
“Hey, stranger.”
“Hardly,” he chuckles. “We saw each other this morning.”
When Ryan mentioned that he’d be taking Hadley to see her dad, I was not only irritated but surprised as well. Ryan might work from home, only occasionally having to go into the office, but he’s extremely busy. And he’s extremely protective of his working hours. It was on the tip of my tongue to suggest she organize a ride share for the duration of her stay, but I swallowed the suggestion instead, scared that it would come across as a bitchy thing to say.
“That was hours ago,” she teases, taking the bowls from his hands and setting them down on our table. For the next minute, I watch them seamlessly work together, setting the table and carrying out the food I prepared.
When we’re finally settled at the table, I decide that this is a good time to get to know Hadley a bit better. My interactions with her have been too short to get to know her, and maybe if I do, I’ll be able to get rid of this dislike I’m feeling.
Well, that’s the hope.
“It must have been hard moving to a new country.” I smile at her while mopping up some chowder with a chunk of bread. It wasn’t easy for me to leave everything I knew behind in Boston and move here. I lucked out when meeting Piper. She hooked me up with Rose, who was looking for a roommate, and it didn’t take long before she pulled me into their group.
“At first. But Ryan was there for me every step of the way.” She shoots him a smile. “Remember all those video calls?” At his nod, she turns her attention back to me. “We’d talk for hours every night. Honestly, without his support and encouragement, I would have been lost. He spent quite a few nights talking me from the ledge.”
“Yeah, Ryan’s good that way.” It’s damn hard to keep the smile on my face, but I somehow manage. Why is it impossible to have a conversation with her without it turning to their shared past? “But you eventually managed, right? I mean, you’ve been there for a few years.”
I only get a nod in confirmation as she spoons some chowder into her mouth, effectively ending the conversation. But I’m determined, and okay, I’ll concede to Mom, a lot stubborn.
“So, is there anyone special waiting for you in London?”
“No. I’ve actually been thinking it might be time for me to come back home.”
“Really?” Ryan says, sitting up straight, a note of excitement in his voice. “Why haven’t you said anything?”
She shrugs, putting her spoon down, and wiping her mouth. “It’s just an idea I’ve been playing with. I didn’t want to get your hopes up until I’ve made my final decision.”
“Wow, Hadley, that’s huge. It’s your decision, of course, but it’d be great to have you back.”
He shoots me a beaming smile and I just know that he’s picturing Hadley and I becoming the best of friends. But judging by her grimace, that will never happen. Hadley doesn’t like me. At all.
Half an hour later, I’m seated in our armchair, gritting my teeth while watching Hadley snuggle up to Ryan on our couch.
I’m trying to be a good supportive partner, but Hadley’s making it frigging hard.
When Ryan complimented me on the food, she just had to remind him of that little place on the beach they discovered that served the most divine, out-of-this-world clam chowder. His offhand comment that he still prefers his mom’s recipe—the one I made—shut her up pretty quickly. She couldn’t hide her surprise that his mom gave me one of her recipes. She’s renowned for guarding them like they’re a national treasure.
My triumph of that little win died a fiery death after dinner. Ryan insisted I get changed out of my work clothes while he did the cleaning up since I cooked, and she graciously offered to help him.
“It’s the least I can do after all your effort with dinner,” she said with a sweet smile, and if it was anyone else, I would be thankful.
On a typical night, I would shower and change into my comfy PJs but because we have a guest who looks like a runway model—who I strongly suspect is trying to lay some kind of claim on my boyfriend, you know, like a dog peeing on his territory—I opt for my favorite jeans and a shirt. By the time I get back to the lounge, the kitchen is done, Ryan’s queued up Vikings, and Hadley’s sitting in my spot next to Ryan on the couch. She’s sipping on a cup of chamomile tea.
“I finally got the chamomile tea. I was going to take it to the apartment, but I made us lunch and Ryan suggested I keep it here. He knows I always want a cup of tea after a meal, so running back and forth will be a waste of time.”
“You made lunch?”
“Just some sandwiches. Ryan was starving.”
“I bet,” I mutter, taking the cup Ryan’s holding out to me.
“Here, try it.”
He nudges his cup towards me, and I lift a brow.
“You’re drinking chamomile tea?”
“I don’t know why I forgot how much I loved it.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something about the seating arrangement, but he shoots me a helpless look which has me biting my tongue and settling down in the one-seater. He starts the show, and I try my best to pay attention.
I cycle through a whole range of emotions while I sit on the couch. This was not how I pictured our evening going. Instead of cuddling up to Ryan, I’m watching Hadley inch her way closer to Ryan until she’s nestled into his side, both of them sipping on freaking chamomile tea. The only thing that’s allowing me to cling to sanity is that he’s not touching her. And the apologetic looks he keeps shooting me.
If she comes back, is this what my life will be like? A female friend in my boyfriend’s life who thinks it’s okay to behave that way? That has no boundaries? Or is this behavior just because they haven’t seen each other in so long, coupled with the fact that she’s going through a hard time?