Page 84 of Secrets in the Deep

Something passed over his face. It came and went too quickly for her to place. “I’m just worried about you.”

She played his words over in her head. Was he lying? Or was that really all this was? “The doctor said as long as I rest and keep up with the pain meds, I’ll be okay.”

He nodded.

She watched him for another few minutes. Therewassomething else. He was too still, too quiet.

She reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. “You can talk to me, Ryan.”

The muscles beneath her fingers fluttered.

Again, he just nodded.

What the hell was going on?

When they reached his house, she noticed a small red Fiat out front.

So did Ryan. He cursed.

“Is that Nora?” she asked.

“Yeah. I told her she didn’t need to come. Clearly, she didn’t listen.” He took off his seat belt. “Wait for me to come around.”

She opened her door and by the time she’d started climbing out, he was by her side.

“I told you to wait,” he growled.

“You keep doing that growl thing and I might need to call animal control.”

No laugh. Not even a twitch of his lips.

Inside, Nora turned from the kitchen counter. “You’re home! Oh, Emily…are you okay?”

“I think that divine smell is helping.” Emily breathed it in. Food. Familiar food. “Is that mac and cheese?”

“Your favorite, right? I probably don’t make it the way my brother does, but I wanted to make sure you guys didn’t need to worry about cooking tonight.”

“I could kiss your feet.” Well, maybe not actually. Bending to the floor might hurt right now. But figuratively, absolutely.

Ryan helped her to the couch. “Sit. Rest.”

Again, his voice was too…hard? Maybe even strained.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Ryan said, as he crossed the distance to his sister. The strain wasn’t there when he talked to Nora.

It was just Emily.

“Of course I did.” Nora smiled up at him. “How else am I going to keep the title of best sister?”

“You’re my only sister.”

“Semantics.”

As the two talked, Emily pulled out her phone to see a message from her mother.

Mom: I tried to see you today. Did you tell him to send me away or did he do that all on his own?

Ryan had sent her mother away? When? And why hadn’t he mentioned it?