Falling With You

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  She just rolled her eyes and then glared at me. “Really? You’re here as my patient. That means there is no flirting or fuddy-duddy stuff. That is strictly against the rules.”

  “It is not. You’re doing this as a favor to me.”

  “A favor, maybe. But you’re still in the books. And that means it’s wrong.”

  “I don’t want to be right,” I said, laughing as she glared at me again.

  “What is wrong with you? You’re acting all weird.”

  I shrugged and then followed the exercises she gave me, rotating my wrists, gripping the ball, doing everything that I could so I wouldn’t end up losing the strength that I had in my hand.

  I didn’t know why I felt weird. Why I was acting strangely. Probably because every time I was around Sienna now, I couldn’t help but want to be near her more. I liked making her laugh. I liked when she yelled at me. I liked when she lost her temper and got all red in the cheeks and bit her lip when she didn’t know what to say because she was too angry to put words together.

  I loved all of that. And I had missed it recently. Yeah, it had been because of the attack in some ways, but we had been acting weirdly ever since we slept together. And we hadn’t talked about it. We needed to.

  I didn’t like that things had changed. And not for the better. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, and I didn’t know if I would know that until I had it. But I did know that I missed having Sienna make me laugh. I missed having Sienna anger me like no other. I just missed her.

  That was why I was in physical therapy with her. Even though I probably should’ve gone somewhere else.

  “Okay, then,” I said after a moment. She looked up at me and groaned. “Today will be our one day together. I’ll do the exercises you tell me to, and then I’ll find someone else. That way, it doesn’t get weird. Because you’re feeling weird. You look it.”

  “You’re an asshole. Did you just say I look weird?”

  “Do you always tell your patients they’re assholes?” I asked, my voice very prim and proper.

  “No, I don’t. I just mean this is a mistake. I was just trying to help you, because…” She trailed off, and I cursed.

  “Don’t you dare tell me that you were trying to help me because you feel guilty about me breaking my hand. Because it wasn’t your fucking fault, Sienna. Get that through your head.”

  “Shut up. You can’t tell me what I’m allowed to feel.”

  She let out her breath, rolled her shoulders back, and looked like she was calming herself. “I’m not going to raise my voice in my place of business. There are other people outside of this office, and I cannot act like a crazy, insane person. You’re just making me feel that way. So, why don’t you find that other physical therapist? This will be our one time, and I’ll make sure you get the help you need, but this is the one time we’ll be in this office together. Is that understood?”

  I looked at her and then nodded. “That’s understood. I won’t bother you again. But, Sienna? I’m here because I miss you.”

  I hadn’t meant to say that, and it didn’t even sound like me. By the look of shock on her face, she agreed.

  I shook my head quickly. “You know what, forget I said that.”

  She swallowed hard and looked at me. “I don’t know that I can. I miss you, too, Aiden. But things are different. I guess they’re always different. I don’t know what to say, Aiden. But I don’t think I can be your physical therapist.”

  I winced and nodded. “Yeah, I can see this was a stupid plan. I guess I just thought of you at the time I knew that I needed someone to help me. You know?”

  She nodded and smiled. “Well, I am pretty good at my job.”

  “You’re the best at your job, according to my doctor.”

  She smiled then, and it actually went to her eyes this time. “I’ve always loved Tracy.”

  “Tracy, is it?”

  “Yes, Tracy, a happily married woman with four kids.”

  I blinked. “Four kids. How in the hell can she be a doctor and have four kids?”

  “Because her wife carried all of them, and she actually spends time at home instead of only at the hospital. I really don’t know how she does it. She’s a goddess. All of us strive for that status.”

  “Four kids,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s scary. Know what’s scarier?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “I have a feeling there will be more Connolly kids coming around soon.”

  “Oh, yeah. Violet and Harmony are total breeders.”

  “Oh, yeah. The way that Brendon and Cameron look at them? I have a feeling that engagements are on the way if they haven’t already been secretly done.”

  “Oh, Violet and Harmony would tell me. Even if your brothers don’t tell you.”

  “That’s probably true. But you’d tell me, right?”

  “If I was engaged?”

  My heart stuttered for a bit, and I wondered what the hell that was about. “No, if someone got engaged and they told you. You’d tell me?”

  She bit her lip and then shrugged. “Probably. Because the guys probably didn’t tell you or because they thought they already had. Or you just weren’t listening. So, yeah, if one of our friends get engaged, and you don’t know, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

  “Good.”

  We stared at each other for a minute, and then I cleared my throat.

  “Anyway, I’ll find a new physical therapist. But, Sienna? I don’t want to go back to the way things have been. I want to talk to you. I like hanging out with you. I like yelling with you. It’s fun.”

  “You know, we’re very weird. Because I missed the yelling, too. I’m just not very good at anything these days without yelling at you.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Maybe. But, sure, let’s hang out more.”

  “And we need to talk.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “We’re not talking about that.”

  “The storage room? Or your house?”

  “Neither.”

  “You know, I think we should. Because I think it wasn’t what happened in the alley that pushed us apart. So we need to talk.”

  “You hate talking about your feelings.”

  “I know.” I threw my arms up into the air, careful not to actually injure my hand. She glared at me. “See, what’s wrong with me? I’m worried about my feelings and your feelings. That means, we need to talk it out so I can get over it. Can’t you see that this is stressing me the fuck out?”

  Laughter danced in her eyes, but her face was very stern otherwise.

  “Aiden.”

  “Don’t Aiden me. Tell me.”

  “I think we need to finish this up, and then I’m done for the day.”

  I held back my sigh, knowing that I needed to get things back to the way they were, but there was something more. Because we needed to talk, and she wasn’t going to do that in her office. Which I knew.

  “I’ll walk you to your car when we’re done then.”

  “Thank you.” The fact that she didn’t stop me, didn’t say that she would be fine, worried me. She had to still be scared after the attack. If me walking her to her car like I should’ve done that night would help at all, then I would do it. Because Sienna was my friend. And I refused to see her hurt again.

  As soon as we were done, we headed out to the parking lot, and I walked her towards her car. We didn’t say much, mostly just talked about our families. And I didn’t touch her, I kept a safe distance. Mostly because I felt like if I were to touch her right then, she’d jump out of her skin. She was still so damn afraid, even of walking out into her own parking lot. And that worried me. We’d already talked about enough that day though. I’d bring it up again later. Or I’d talk to Violet. Hell, for a guy who hated talking, I was sure doing a lot of it.

  We were just to her door when she froze.

  I froze with her and looked around.

  “What?” I whispered.

  “Do
you hear that?”

  “What is it?”

  “It sounds like a little kitten. A meowing sound.”

  She was off then, and I was chasing after her. We ended up near one of the bushes right by the front of her car, and then she went to her knees, squealing. “Oh my God, Aiden. It’s a little kitten. Doesn’t even look to be a couple of months old.” She reached out, and the mewling stopped before I could stop her.

  “Stop. You don’t know if it could hurt you.”

  “It’s a kitten, Aiden,” she snapped over her shoulder before she went back to look at the cat. “It’s okay, baby. Here, let Auntie Sienna help you.”

  Before I could help her, she was straightening with a little ball of white and gray fluff in her hands. “Oh, look at her,” she whispered.

  “Her?”

  “Or him. I’m giving it some privacy. I don’t think there’re any other kittens around. We would hear them or see them. But let’s take a look. I cannot believe someone just left him or her out here.”

  “Or the mama cat left it out here. Could be feral.”

  “No, I don’t think so. Look at her. She’s been well taken care of, at least until now.”

  I let out a sigh and then helped Sienna to her feet as she curled the kitten into her chest.

  It looked at me with big, wide eyes, and I couldn’t help but want to reach out and pet its head.

  So, I didn’t.

  I wasn’t against cats per se, but pets and I didn’t usually mix. Mostly because I’d never had one.

  Couldn’t have pets when you were in foster care, and Rose had been allergic to cats and dogs. So, we hadn’t had them.

  Sienna and I searched for more cats, calling out for them, and all the while, she curled the little kitten against her chest.

  “I think it’s just this one. Just the little baby in my hands.”

  “Okay, what are you going to do about it?”

  “What are we going to do about it? The answer is we’re going to the vet, and then if this little baby needs a home, she’s going home with you.”

  I froze, blinking at her.

  “Excuse me? You’re the one holding it. You’re the one who found her. I’m not taking that baby home with me.”

  “Oh, yes you are. I have four cats at home already. Four very stable cats that would not be happy to have a little baby kitten that they would either be scared of or territorial about. Plus, I’m already the cat lady at the store. I cannot be a fifth cat, cat lady. However, you have all that space, and I will totally help you. I just can’t disrupt my house right now with a kitten. We’ll just go to the vet and make sure that he or she is fine, and then we’ll get you everything that you need. I have a feeling you’re going home with a cat, Aiden.”

  “I am not going home with that cat.”

  “Bet you.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Bet me what?”

  “I don’t know. But if this little kitten needs a home, I can’t take it, so that means you have to.”

  I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth. “Fine,” I said and then smiled. She took a step back, probably a little wary of my smile. She should be. “We’ll take the cat to the vet. If it needs a home, I’ll take it home.”

  Her eyes widened, and she smiled.

  “But,” I said quickly before she interrupted, “only if you go on a date with me.”

  Chapter Nine

  There’s nothing a glitter cannon can’t fix.

  -Sienna, age 26.

  * * *

  Sienna

  “I’m going on a date with Aiden tonight,” I whispered, looking down at Runway on my chest. “I cannot believe I agreed to go on a date with Aiden!”

  Runway glared at me for daring to wake her up, and then settled more firmly on my chest as the three other cats on the couch either played with each other or purred.

  I was the cat lady with a date, and I had no idea how it had happened.

  We had gone to the vet, and the vet had said the kitten was okay, it just needed a home. And Aiden had offered to take him home. But only because he had somehow gotten the agreement out of me that I would go on a date with him. How had that happened? I still didn’t know. It shouldn’t have. I was not going on a date with Aiden Connolly.

  I sighed.

  I was totally going on a date with Aiden Connolly. And I was probably going to hell on top of it.

  And I was losing my damn mind at the same time. All of that had happened the day before. And that was why I was currently sitting on my couch, surrounded by my cats, watching another episode of My Little Pony. Because there was nothing a glitter cannon couldn’t fix. And Pinky Pie, the little, pink pony with the bright pink hair and a case of ADHD most likely, made me smile. Because I was seriously losing my mind, and I needed something that didn’t make me think, that just made me smile.

  Because I wasn’t supposed to go on a date with Aiden Connolly.

  Aiden had been Allison’s. And, yes, I had slept with him, but that had been a mistake. We had both agreed that.

  Okay, we hadn’t actually talked about it to make a firm agreement, but it had to be the case. Because he had loved Allison. He didn’t love me. We were just friends.

  We’d just slipped and fallen into each other. Over and over and over again.

  Yes, that was totally what I could say.

  I really needed a drink. Or another episode of My Little Pony. That would make me feel better.

  I still couldn’t believe I was going on a date tonight. With Aiden.

  This was such a mistake, but I couldn’t back out now. He knew where I lived. And he had taken little Diego with him.

  Aiden had named the kitten Diego. Instead of Little Fucker, like he had wanted to.

  I didn’t know how it had happened, but somehow, I was doing the one thing I’d always wanted to do, even though I knew it was the one thing I never should, and Aiden now had a little kitten at home.

  A sexy man with a beard and a growl while holding a kitten?

  There was no way I could say no to that.

  There was something seriously wrong with me.

  I had no idea what I was doing tonight.

  Because this wasn’t just a normal date.

  This was a date with my best friend. Or, at least one of my best friends. The guy who used to date my best friend who was now gone. And the guy I’d already slept with once, though we hadn’t actually talked about it.

  To say this was complicated would be a freaking understatement.

  I looked down at Danger and Moxie, who were currently cuddling to the point it was almost indecent.

  But I would let the relationship go because they loved each other, and just the fact that they ignored me while they were cuddling didn’t mean they didn’t love me.

  I looked on my other side as Baby played with her tail, then looked at me quickly before looking back at her tail as she tried to nibble on it.

  This was my life. I worked in the morning, I worked in the afternoon. I worked out afterwards, I ate dinner, and then I hung out with my cats. Occasionally, I would hang out with my sister and Harmony and even Meadow. But I didn’t go on dates.

  I used to, but then I just got busy and tired.

  And if I were honest with myself, no one was Aiden.

  And that was on me. Nobody else.

  “Do I need to call the girls?” I asked Runway, who finally just shook her head and shrugged off me. That sent the other cats into a tizzy, and soon, all four were running around the house before eventually finding different places to lay down.

  That left me alone in my living room with My Little Pony on the screen.

  I shook my head, sighed, and turned off the TV.

  I needed to shower and get ready for my date. And figure out exactly what I was going to wear.

  And decide if I was going to tell the girls.

  Did I tell Violet and Harmony and Meadow that I was going on a date with Aiden? What would they think? What would they say?

 
; I didn’t think any of them knew that I’d ever had a crush on him, not even when we were younger, and it had been more of a thing.

  I wasn’t great at hiding my feelings, but I thought I was decently good at this.

  Mostly because I’d had to be. Because it was just sad to long for your friend’s boyfriend. So, I hadn’t.

  I pushed those feelings from my mind and had found other boys to date and other people to be in relationships with. And I had never told Violet or Harmony or Allison what I felt for Aiden. I was afraid that I would have to tell Aiden at some point. But I couldn’t. Because if I did, then it would be a thing. And I couldn’t let it be a thing. We were just going on a date. Like friends.

  Friends who’d had sex.

  Really good sex.

  So, I couldn’t call the girls.

  I let out a laugh, telling myself I was making the right decision when the doorbell rang.

  “It’s not that late,” I said quickly, looking down at my phone. No, I still had a couple of hours until my date with Aiden. So, who would be at my door right then? I didn’t really know anybody that just showed up. People usually texted ahead of time.

  Maybe it was the UPS man. I did order enough packages from Amazon that I should probably own some stock or something.

  I went to the door and opened it, and then froze.

  “You really didn’t think you’d go on your first date with Aiden without us, did you?” Violet said as she pushed past me. Harmony leaned forward and kissed my cheek as she did the same, and then Meadow just gave a little wave and skipped past me.

  “What? What?”

  Every time I said the word what, it got louder, a little sharper, a little more shrill.

  “Well, we got here exactly at the right time,” Violet said, tapping her chin as she studied me. “Because there’s no way you can go on a date with Aiden looking like that,” she said as she gestured towards me.

  “I mean, she’s not even wearing a bra,” Harmony said, clucking her tongue.

  “Unless that’s what she wants because a no-bra thing could totally work,” Meadow said, and the three of them laughed.

  I barely resisted the urge to cover myself, knowing that I was wearing a very thin t-shirt over no bra because it was right after work and I felt like being lazy.