Ryan beams at him, and it hits me all over again—that warmth, that softness, that easy affection Ryan gives away so freely to people he cares about. It reminds me uncomfortably of when he first started giving me nicknames. Counselor. Spencester. Perfect. Like he'd decided I belonged to him in some small way before I even realized he'd made space for me in his life.
Ryan points his spoon at Tyler as he reaches him. “I'll stop calling you that when you stop calling him old.”
Tyler rolls his eyes, but his whole expression softens as he wraps Ryan in a quick hug. And there's that damn feeling in my chest again. The two of them have become close frighteningly fast. Tyler comes over more than ever now. Sometimes they game for hours. Sometimes they sit at the island whispering like tiny criminal masterminds while periodically looking at me and laughing suspiciously. I still don't know what that's about. I can't even be annoyed by it. The more people Tyler has in his corner, the better.
“Where's the wine?” Tyler asks after pulling away from Ryan.
“Ha. Nice try,” Ryan says immediately. “Soda's in the fridge.”
Tyler groans. “Aw, come on. Twenty is basically twenty-one and I'm not driving.”
Ryan shakes his head without even looking up from the pan he’s sautéing something in. “Not happening, T-Bone.”
Tyler sighs theatrically. “You're oppressive.”
“You'll survive.”
It's almost too much watching them together because I know Ryan isn't protective of Tyler to impress me. There's no performance in it. No angle. It's genuine. And somehow that makes it worse. How different would I be if I'd had someone like Ryan when I was younger? Someone steady. Someone safe. Someone who showed up without wanting something in return. My chest constricts. There's nothing to be done about my past. But I will give Tyler every opportunity I can. And I know Ryan will too.
I wish I could go back. I wish I could go back and have a talk with that younger, more innocent version of myself. I’d tell him to be open to people like Ryan. But watching Tyler get that opportunity comes really fucking close to fulfilling that wish.
My head is starting to swim, and I haven't even had any wine yet. This is all too much at once. As if the universe hears the thought and decides to make it worse, another knock sounds at the door.
I slowly turn my head toward Ryan, accusingly. He gives me a sheepish grin that very clearly says,I mayyy have invited more than just my sisters to dinner.In fact, I can practically hear his voice saying it in my head.
Unbelievable.
Resigning myself to whatever this night has apparently become, I turn on my heel and stalk back toward the front door.
I pull the door open and immediately get hit with a bottle of wine. Well. Not hit. But it's thrust into my chest with enoughenthusiasm that it feels like an assault. Jen breezes past me before I've even fully opened the door.
“Oh, for fuck's sake.”
She smiles brightly as she peels off her trench coat and deposits it into my arms on top of the wine bottle. She must have come straight from the office because she's still wearing the navy pantsuit she had on earlier, her blonde hair perfectly in place despite the fact it's nearly evening. “Nice to see you too, Spence.”
I stare at her. She looks around the condo. “Ooh.” Her eyes widen. “Am I overdressed?”
I frown. “Jen—”
“Or do the cameras need to be rolling before we take off our clothes?”
I groan immediately. “Very funny.”
She grins and leans forward, kissing my cheek. “You know I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I jerk my head toward the living room. “Come in and meet—”
“Oh my, my, my.” She doesn't even let me finish. Jen practically sprints into the living room. I sigh and follow after her. She's already pointing at Cricket. “You're gorgeous.”
Cricket laughs. Then Jen pivots toward Harper. “And you.” She slowly looks her up and down. “You're just plain hot.”
Harper gasps, then flips her hair dramatically. “I know, right?”
The two of them just stand there grinning at each other for a long moment. Ryan comes flying out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. “No.” He points at Jen. “Nope.” Then he points at both sisters. “Nope.” He shakes his head aggressively. “Not happening.”
His sisters burst out laughing. Jen folds her arms. “Everyone's always ruining my fun.”
Ryan wraps her in a hug and kisses the top of her head. Then he gestures toward the women. “Jen, these are my sisters, Cricket and Harper.” He pauses. “They're nuns.”
