Chapter 25
Ryan
Going back home for dinner tonight was really the last thing I wanted to do, but Mum made a huge fuss, as usual, about family unity, and how important it is that we’re all together at least once a week. I can never say no – especially not when the others do it so often.
I step inside and head straight to the kitchen in search of something to drink.
“Ryan!” Mum greets me. “We were just sitting at the table.”
“Sorry, I’m a bit late. I popped home first then lost track of time.”
“It’s okay, your brothers are through in the living room with Dad.”
I grab a beer from the fridge and open it, before giving Mum a kiss on the cheek and going off in search of the others.
“Hey, family,” I say, greeting everyone without actually looking at any of them.
“About time, I’m starving,” Ian whines at me.
“You could’ve started without me,” I snap back.
“You know that Mum always waits until we’re all here.”
Of course. It’s good manners.
Nick gets up from the sofa and comes over to us.
“Little Ryan,” he says, immediately making my blood boil.
“Dickhead,” I retort.
“It’s so nice to have the family all together,” Ian comments sarcastically, shaking his head, before heading off into the kitchen.
“Hey, Ryan.” Riley appears from upstairs.
“Riley,” I say, nodding.
“Everything… okay?” she asks, cautiously.
“Sure. Why?”
“Oh… you know,” she shrugs, going over to join Ian and Mum.
I start to feel a strange atmosphere settling around us. I have the feeling I’m about to be interrogated, then torn apart, right here in front of everyone.
“Come on, food’s ready!” Ian calls from the kitchen, as I head for the dining room.
I sit down next to my father. Nick sits opposite me, Ian on the other side of me, and Riley between Nick and my mother.
“So, guys… any news?” Mum asks.
“The usual,” Nick jumps in.
“Any new projects coming up?” Riley says, weaving her way into the conversation.
“They’ve asked me to do a photo shoot in Los Angeles – important stuff.”
“Wow, Nick, that’s amazing!” Riley comments, as I start to cough.
Ian immediately rolls his eyes, as Mum watches me, concern etched across her face. Nick’s glare pierces through me. Dad keeps eating, as if nothing’s going on.
“What’s wrong with you, Ryan?”
At least this time it took five minutes before one of our pleasant discussions. We’re making progress.
“Nothing,” I say flatly. “I’ve just got a bit of a cough.”
“Maybe you’re getting a cold,” Mum says, trying to ease the tension.
“Maybe you caught it last night, outside,” Nick adds.
He’s shooting. But he’s not going to fucking score.
“I don’t think so.”
“But you were outside, all alone, in the cold.”
“Why? Didn’t you want to join in with the party?” Mum asks.
“Sure,” I say, defensively.
“He even danced with a woman,” Nick continues.
“Really?” Mum’s face lights up. “Who was she? Do we know her?”
“It was Chris, from the Red Cherry.”
I swear I’ll jump across the table and stuff a napkin right down his fucking throat.
“Oh, that’s wonderful! She’s such a sweet girl, and so pretty.”
“You danced with her, too,” I shoot back, glaring at him.
My mother turns suddenly towards him.
“Nick O’Connor!”
“At least I didn’t follow her into the women’s toilets.”
Shit.
“You did what?” Mum asks, horrified.
“It wasn’t what it looked like…”
“Oh, I’m sure it was.”
“Mind your own fucking business.”
“Why should I? Your business is definitely more interesting than my own.”
“Guys…” Ian tries to intervene.
“Did you really follow Chris into the toilets, Ryan?” Riley asks, as discreetly as she can.
“We had a bit of a… disagreement,” I hiss through my teeth.
I don’t owe anyone an explanation.
“How come?” she presses.
“Does it matter? Can we just eat now, please?”
“You’re the one giving us so much interesting stuff to talk about,” Nick says, trying to take me down; but I’m going to take him down with my bare hands, with his head in the upstairs toilet.
“What happened?” Mum won’t let it go.
Jesus, Nick. I’ll kill you one day.
“Nothing happened, okay?”
“That must be why she seemed so off with me this morning.”
I snap my head towards Riley.
“She wasn’t as chatty or cheerful as usual. She seemed really down, thoughtful.”
“Maybe she has other problems,” Ian comments, trying to calm everyone down, but his other half is already too invested.
“I didn’t do anything,” I say, feeling the need to clear it up. “We had an argument, end of story.”
“I can imagine,” Nick comments, his eyebrow raised.
“She got pissed off at me for nothing, okay? So she ran off to the toilets, and I followed her to clear things up. But it’s impossible to talk to that woman!” I say, laying my life out on the table for everyone to see.
“Well,” my father suddenly speaks up. “That just means you’ll have to go and apologise to her tomorrow.”
“What?” I look at him through narrowed eyes.
He turns to face me and speaks calmly. “I don’t know what you did, but, knowing you, I’m sure it wasn’t nice.”
“Wow, thanks,” I say, throwing my hands up.
“Don’t test us, Ryan. We all know you too well.”
I have a family full of traitors.
“Tomorrow you’ll go over to her, apologise, take her some flowers and ask her out.”
I spray my mouthful of beer right into Nick’s face.
“Hey, what the fuck?!”
Serves him right.
“That’s not going to happen,” I tell my dad, falling back against my chair.
“You’ll damn well do it.”
“I’m not thirteen, you can’t tell me what to do. I’m a grown man, for fuck’s sake!”
“I’ll stop telling you what to do when you start acting like a man. I just hope that happens before I’m six feet under.”
“Did you hear that, little Ryan?” Nick challenges me, raising his wine glass.
“Nick,” Dad turns to him. “You’re grounded.”
Silence falls over the table.
“Wh-what?” he stammers.
“Did you really dance with her? After what you did?”
“I didn’t…”
“You’re grounded all weekend.”
“So what, should I stay locked in my room with no PlayStation?”
“The gutters need cleaning. And the upstairs windows.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I’ll expect you here on Friday, no later than two p.m.”
I struggle to keep a laugh stifled, one hand over my mouth.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing, mister. You’ll be helping out too.”
“Me?”
“Don’t try and make excuses. You’re grounded, too.”
“Are you serious, Dad?” Ian asks.
“Do you want to be grounded, too?”
Ian raises his hands.
“Good. Can we eat now please? I have a book waiting – I’m on chapter twenty and I’d like to get back to it before I forget what’s going on.”