Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
“ H ello?” Shoot. Brielle paused as she walked across the parking lot toward the trailhead. She should have looked at the caller id before answering. She had absolutely nothing to say to her sister right now. Brielle still couldn’t quite comprehend the idea that Aurora had lied to her about the whole high school thing. It didn’t answer the questions about why they were together the day after the kiss, but the questions Ryan brought up made sense.
Despite Aurora’s claim, Brielle had never truly seen them together, except for that one day after the kiss. How had she not noticed this?
Ryan had been right though…whatever had happened back in high school was high school. It was time to move on from that. Maybe their time was now. Maybe when they were teenagers they simply weren’t ready for each other. It really didn’t matter. What did matter, was that they were going to give this a try and when this run ended, Brielle was absolutely going to get the kiss that Ryan had been asking for earlier.
Sparky’s death was still sitting heavy in her chest and the best cures were going to be a run to clear her head and time with Ryan to help her heart. Nowhere in that equation was there room for a lying interfering sister.
“Brielle! After our little tiff last night, I wasn’t sure if I would catch you.” Her sister Aurora’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “I know how you like to become one with nature on Saturdays.”
“Yeah…” Brielle eyed the trailhead where most of the group were standing and stretching. “I’m actually on my way to meet with my ragnar group, so?—”
“I’ll keep this short then.”
Brielle closed her eyes for patience. Her sister didn’t like to make short calls. She claimed that being given a time limit impeded her freedom, which was ridiculous considering everything in the pageant world had a time limit, including how old a woman could be to compete.
Her sister was close to aging out, and Aurora was starting to get desperate. She’d won a few local and state competitions, making it the national level a couple of times, but had yet to take home the coveted crown. It made her question, once again, why her sister was home when she was supposed to be busy with another pageant.
“What do you need, Rory?” Brielle asked on a sigh. She knew it was better to try and get to the heart of the matter right off the bat. Then maybe she’d have a chance of ending this phone call before her sister spent thirty minutes reminding Brielle of how much better off she’d be if she’d just put a little work into herself.
Eventually, Brielle knew she’d need to address the situation between her and her sister. Someday, she’d have to ask Aurora about the lying, but that was going to have to happen in person, when Brielle could watch her sister’s face and look for signs of deceit. It also probably needed to wait until Brielle was in full control of her emotions, and this definitely wasn’t that moment.
“As I’m sure you know, right now I’m in the middle of preparing for?— ”
“Aurora,” Brielle snapped. “I really do need to go in a minute. Can you just tell me what you need?”
She huffed, obviously upset no one was going to listen to her drawn out tale of pageant preparations. “I’m looking for sponsors.”
Brielle frowned. “Didn’t I just donate to that last month? Is that why you’re home? You’re raising money?”
“It wasn’t enough,” Aurora snapped. “There are more slots and Sophia is…” Aurora very delicately cleared her throat. “I’m simply looking to do more.”
Brielle pinched her lips together. In other words, her sister was trying to be top dog. She had to beat this Sophia lady in sponsors in order to look good. “I don’t really have any more to offer,” Brielle said carefully, knowing her sister wouldn’t be happy. “I wish you luck, but I won’t be able to help this time.” Brielle was comfortable in her life, but she wasn’t swimming in wealth, and the cost of cremating and burying Sparky was going to take a chunk out of her bank account as it was.
A sharp dart landed directly on Brielle’s sternum, and she had to pause and rub at it. Thinking of Sparky in terms of being gone was going to take some getting used to. Ryan had gone above and beyond last night, but Brielle knew Sparky had been too big a part of her life for this to be over quickly.
“Brielle..”
Brielle bit her lip in frustration. She knew this tone.
“Do you remember when we were in high school?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact I do.” Pull it back, her inner voice chided. All this was going to do was cause a fight, and that was the last thing Brielle needed. Every visitor at the park was going to be able to hear her sister’s screeching. “But seriously, Aurora. I really need to go.”
“Do you remember when you had that ridiculous crush on Ryan Thatcher?”
Brielle froze, her eyes going to the very man they were talking about. “Why are you calling, Aurora?” she ground out .
Aurora’s laugh was smooth and feminine. “I knew you liked him,” she continued. “It was so easy, I’m sure most of my grade knew it too. I’ve always tried to warn you that you aren’t the right…type…to keep a man’s attention, but even back then you didn’t listen to me.”
Brielle could hear the unspoken words in her sister’s voice. If you want attention, you need to be like me. A very familiar sense of impending doom had Brielle folding in on herself, her shoulders hunching and her stomach churning. It was exactly like yesterday, when Aurora had been at the house.
Aurora’s voice dropped. “What you probably don’t know is that I tried to help you. I arranged for Ryan to meet you in the hallway after school that afternoon. I’m sure you remember.”
Brielle was going to be sick. She frantically looked around for a bush or garbage can to lose her breakfast in. No, no, no…this can’t be happening. There’s no way Aurora set up that kiss. Please no. Her eyes sought out Ryan, who was watching her curiously, his brows furrowed together. Could he really have done that and not told her? Would the younger, cockier Ryan have messed with her that way? Could she trust that his actions now were honest in regard to her?
“Can I help it if that moment wasn’t enough?” Aurora continued, oblivious to Brielle’s distress. “I tried to help you, but I can’t control someone like Ryan any more than the moon can.” She sucked in a long, beleaguered breath. “He came to me the next day and as you know that was when we began our short fling, but I tried to send him your way, Brielle, I truly did.”
Her vision was growing dark. Brielle’s knees buckled, and she landed hard on the asphalt, not caring that the skin of her knees had just taken a beating. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that was gonna sting.
“For old time’s sake,” Aurora cooed. “I don’t ask much. I just need a few more sponsors to put me at the front of the pack to help my dreams become a reality, just like I tried to help with your dreams back then. You can do that, right? A little help for your sister? ”
“That can’t be true,” Brielle said breathlessly. “Ryan said you never dated.”
Aurora sighed long and loud. “Brielle, haven’t you learned anything about men yet? Ryan and I were only together for a couple of months, but men will say anything to get what they want. You know he was a flirt in high school. You experienced it yourself, I mean, how many other guys flirted with you at all?” Aurora didn’t wait for Brielle to respond. “None. But Ryan did, at least a little. Why? Because that’s what he did. He flirts, he teases, he makes you feel like a million bucks, and then he moves on. He wasn’t interested in doing anything more with you after that kiss because the chase was over.”
Brielle’s hand was clammy, and she couldn’t suck enough air into her lungs. Aurora had said a lot of things to her over the years, and Brielle had gotten really good at letting it wash off her back, but this? This revelation felt like too much to take on, especially when she was already struggling with the loss of her dog.
It stung in a way that Brielle had no words for. Sharp and focused, the pain in lungs expanded, enveloping her entire ribcage and Brielle felt her world collapse. That moment, that kiss, had been the solid foundation that Brielle had clung to for so long. She’s used it as the springboard for hope that someday she’d find someone who liked her. Someone who could make her light up like the Fourth of July and yet keep her grounded at the same time. That one day…she’d be enough. It was a hope that had started to rekindle last night and that Ryan had assured her was real.
And in a five minute conversation, her sister had taken it all away.
Years of hope, gone like they’d never existed in the first place.
“Hey, Brielle…are you alright?”
She looked up, confused as to who would be speaking to her, only to gasp at Ryan’s concerned face. Sucking in air, Brielle scrambled to her feet and backed away before he could touch her. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she croaked, brushing herself off.
“Brielle?” Aurora snapped. “What’s going on? ”
Crud. “Nothing,” Brielle hurried to assure her sister. She glanced at Ryan who was still watching her with worry. “I, just…yeah…I’ll give a little more,” she said, desperate to end the conversation. “I’ll send the money this afternoon, alright?”
Before her sister could respond, Brielle ended the call and stuffed the phone in the slim pocket of her shorts. “Sorry,” she hurried to say, walking around Ryan. “I got stuck on the phone.”
“Are your knees okay?”
Brielle paused when he took hold of her arm. She kept her face forward, but she knew that couldn’t last. But what did she say? “They’re fine,” she said, her voice softer than intended.
“Bri…” Ryan pulled her around. “What just happened? You’re pale, and your knee’s bleeding.” He brushed hair from her forehead and the gentleness that he was offering her nearly broke Brielle in two.
Finally, she looked up, his hazel eyes favored the green today. “Really,” she said again. “I’m fine.”
Ryan sighed. “Was it your mom on the phone?”
Brielle shook her head quickly. “No, it was…
Ryan felt his frown deepen as Brielle walked away from him. What the heck just happened? He rubbed the back of his head, replaying the scene in his head, but he couldn’t figure it out.
He’d been chatting with other team members, taking a good ribbing for his sore muscles and eagerly waiting for Brielle, but when he’d found her, she was kneeling on the asphalt with her face so pale, he was surprised she was still conscious. Now she was walking away from him as if nothing had happened between them, and she was refusing to meet his eyes.
“Why does she keep doing this?” he muttered before pushing himself into gear and jogging back to the trailhead .
“Get lost?” Matthew asked, grinning and chuckling at his own joke.
Ryan tried to smile back, but his eyes kept straying to Brielle, who was brushing at her knees. They were skinned up and looked sore. “Hey, are sure you’re okay?” he asked, using the injury as an excuse to walk to her side. “I’ve got a kit in my car. We should get those cleaned up.”
“In case you didn’t know,” Levi said with a laugh. “Animals and humans aren’t quite the same.”
Ryan shot his friend an unimpressed look, but Levi’s laughter just grew.
“I’m fine,” Brielle said, brushing him off. She stood, her eyes still going anywhere but him. “It’s just a little skin, no biggie. Who’s ready to run?”
The group paused for a moment. “Are you sure?” Elyse asked, taking charge. “Maybe you should get cleaned up.”
Brielle shook her head stubbornly. “Nah. It’s just surface scrapes. I was just clumsy. But it’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
Ryan stammered, but wasn’t able to respond before he watched her take off, not waiting for anyone else. Where was the Brielle that had left his house only an hour ago?
There was a short scramble as everyone else got going and then the team was jogging along, Ryan near the rear, of course.
“What happened?” Levi whispered. Like the good friend he was, he’d elected to jog slower and stay by Ryan’s side.
Ryan shook his head. “I’m not sure. I found her on the ground, phone to her ear. When I approached, she jumped up like a scared rabbit, hung up with whoever was on the other line and ran away from me like I was the big bad wolf.”
Levi snickered. “So you broke up before you ever got together?”
Ryan had to physically bite his tongue to keep from defending himself. He couldn’t exactly tell Levi that Brielle had spent the night in his arms last night because she’d lost her dog, had agreed to date Ryan, and now she was running away. Even Ryan didn’t understand it, and he was living it.
“Dude, if it means that much to you, just go talk to her,” Levi encouraged.
Ryan gave him a look. “I’m pretty sure that crazy pace she’s keeping is to stop me from doing exactly that.” He waved a hand toward her retreating back. Brielle wasn’t even trying to stay with the group, but nobody was fighting her on it.
“Then do something about it,” Levi argued. “What? You can face down angry cats and parrots, but you’re too scared to talk to a woman?”
She’s not just any woman. Ryan sighed and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. “Alright, I’ll try.”
Levi pumped a fist in the air and steered to the right to let Ryan through.
Ryan picked up his pace, weaving through the group until he got toward the front, but he knew he’d never catch Brielle if she didn’t want to be caught. He was definitely too out of shape. “Bri!” he shouted, though it was more of a loud pant.
He could barely see her stutter in her movements, looking back over her shoulder.
“Group run,” he called out. “Remember those?”
“He’s right!” Elyse’s shout was much more controlled. “You need to stay with us.”
It weas clear Brielle wasn’t happy as she waited for them, but wait she did. “Hey,” he said with a smile, hoping her little sprint had helped break some of the tension from earlier.
Brielle kept her eyes straight ahead. “Hey.”
His breathing was coming too fast for decent conversation, but he should at least try. They really did have a chemistry that could light up Tokyo if given a chance. Only an hour ago, she had agreed to give them a chance. So what was going on now?
“Are you okay?” he panted as softly as he could, not even caring that he sounded like a bozo. His mission was more important than that.
Finally, her eyes darted in his direction, but not for long. “Fine.”
Ryan nodded. “Then why are you running away from me again?”
Brielle’s gait stuttered, and Ryan reflexively lunged to keep her from falling.
“I’m fine,” she practically shouted, backing away from him with her hands up. “I’m fine.” This time her voice wasn’t as loud, but it was still angry, and it was clear he needed to back off. “I seem to be a little clumsy today,” Brielle began. “I think I’m gonna?—”
The dread in his stomach knew what was coming next. “No,” he interrupted. “I’m the slowest. I’ll run in the back. See ya later.” He slowed just enough to let the others work their way around him.
“Burned,” Stu chuckled as he went past a,nd Ryan clenched his teeth.
“That was painful to watch,” Levi said with a grimace as Ryan settled back by his side.
“It was painful to experience.” The group wasn’t super close together, but Ryan could still see her red ponytail swinging with each step she took. “I’m not sure what happened,” he admitted quietly. “I thought we’d broken the ice between us.” It was possible this was all because of Sparky’s death, but she’d leaned toward him this morning, not away. He thought he’d made it clear they would handle the passing together.
Ryan could feel Levi watching him, before Levi shrugged. “Not sure, man, but Bri’s always been the queen of untouchable. Maybe there’s a story we don’t know?”
Ryan nodded thoughtfully and let the subject drop. A physical ache that had nothing to do with the run was sitting in his chest. They had something. He knew they did and he knew she knew it as well. They’d been over it all this morning, and she’d agreed to give them a try.
He huffed, tired of trying to figure it out, yet there were still some puzzle pieces that weren’t making sense. Brielle was a fighter and had rejected him when they were younger. Her sister, Aurora, was rude and obviously treated Brielle unkindly. Brielle seemed to reciprocate Ryan’s feelings, but was easily frightened away, and when he added in Sparky’s death, the picture in front of him was more like a Picasso than a Rembrandt.
Enough. He was done with this for now. It was clear that Brielle was going to keep putting space between them, and Ryan was getting tired of chasing her. Maybe it was time to just back off. He’d finish everything he needed to with Sparky, and he’d run the race like he’d committed to, but anything else as going to have to be in Brielle’s hands.
Ryan had made himself clear and had chased her down multiple times. If Brielle wanted to explore this, she was going to have to make the first move from here on out.
Ryan was done.