Page 87 of Fake It For Love (Faux Love)
“Hey, man,” Tony said to Ryan. “Glad you’re in one piece.”
“Me too,” Ryan said.
“What happened to your face?” Norah gasped.
Ryan touched the cut that was healing nicely. “A branch.”
“In the storm?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Oh my goodness,” Norah said. “How awful. I’m so glad you are okay. You could have been killed.”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Ryan said. “Just a branch.”
“Dude, I can’t believe you were out there,” Tony said. “That was some wild shit out there.”
“It was pretty hairy,” Ryan said. It was clear he was uncomfortable with the attention. “Thanks for keeping Claire company. I was trying to get back here. I’m glad she had you guys.”
“Hey, anytime,” Tony said.
I was beaming on the inside. I loved that he cared that I was taken care of when he wasn’t around. It was so simple and yet so comforting. It was like getting a warm hug. Norah was smiling at me. “I’ll see you in a couple hours?” she asked.
“Yes. I’ll be there.”
“We’ll let you eat,” she said. “Come on, Tony. Give them space.”
“They’ve been holed up for two days,” Tony said. “I think they’ve had plenty of space.”
“Tony,” Norah said in a warning tone.
“You’re coming tonight,” Tony said. “Don’t leave us hanging.”
“I’ll be there,” Ryan said.
“Good, because you have to tell us all about the flight,” Tony said. “That had to have been wild.”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Ryan muttered.
“Let’s go,” Norah said and pulled away her fiancé. “I’ll see you soon!”
“You okay?” I asked Ryan.
“Fine. Tony is just a lot to handle sometimes.”
“You’re kind of a hero,” I said with a smile.
“Not a hero,” he said with a shake of his head. “I hope like hell he doesn’t get drunk and get rowdy.”
“I think it’s pretty much a given he’s going to get drunk,” I told him. “You’re his hero. Did you ever think that would happen?”
“No,” he said. “He’s the big badass jock. I’m the dorky nerd.”
“Hot dorky nerd,” I corrected.
We finished our breakfasts and walked outside for the first time in days. The cleanup was almost complete. “Are you sure we can’t call in sick for tonight?” he asked. “We could escape on one of those boats.”
“You’re very tempting,” I said. “But I have to do this.”
