by Keya Jay
***
The next morning Skylar ran down stairs after her shower and saw the dog lying against her mother’s door.
“Hey Angelo,” she said as she walked into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee.
Skylar managed a sip of her coffee before she heard a car door slam; it was 10:00 in the morning who in the world decided to stop by this early? Angelo seemed to be asking her the same question as his ears spiked up on full alert.
“Come on Angelo I can’t let anyone see you,” she said as she unlocked her mother’s door and led him inside.
“Watch my mother for me,” she instructed.
Skylar almost cried at the sight of the dog jumping onto her mother’s bed and curling up near her mothers’ toes. She was reluctant to close the door.
Skylar walked back over toward her coffee and picked it back up, there were a few taps at her door and she knew it couldn’t have been Ryder.
“Come in,” she called.
“Hey sorry to show up unannounced kiddo,” Hank said as he entered her house.
Hank rarely visited her so this had to be good.
“Oh it’s ok, have a seat. Would you like some coffee?” she offered.
“Uh no, thank you,” he said as he took seat on her couch.
“So what is it Hank?” she asked as she made her way toward the armrest of the couch.
“It’s about the case,” he announced.
“What about it?” Skylar asked as she sat more alert.
“I think I might have found the connection you were looking for. You know Aaron Field’s don’t you?”
Skylar rolled the name around a few times in her head but came up empty.
“No I don’t,” she answered hesitantly.
“Well Aaron’s the connection I don’t know if you’ve heard but he has a daughter her name is Sidney Fields.”
Skylar shook her head slightly, that name didn’t ring any bells either.
“Ok well maybe you’ve heard of his other daughter?” he asked.
Skylar shook her head again.
“I’m not following how’s this Aaron man the connection?” she asked confused.
“Well he has another daughter and I think you may know her, her name is—”
Before Hank could finish his sentence Skylar’s front door swung open and Ryder stood in the door frame looking from Hank to her and back again.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
Skylar was actually shocked that he had asked, he already done threw the damn door open he mines well come in.
“Uh yea come in,” she stammered.
Something tells her she should have said no though, but it was too late. He slowly closed the door behind him as he ventured farther into the room. He stood directly behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. Skylar wanted to look up at him and ask him if he were sick or what? This was un-Ryder like behavior.
“Uh Hank this is Ryder,” Skylar said touching the hand that seemed to have encased her shoulder in a tighter grip.
“And Ryder,” she said against the pain he was causing in her shoulder.
“That is Hank,” she said looking up at him with pleading eyes as she pointed toward Hank with a shaky hand before quickly dropping it to her side after realizing that it visibly shook.
“Am I hurting you Bēlua?” Ryder said in a hushed voice so that only she could hear.
“Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. How dare he do this in front of her guest?
“Well now you know exactly how I felt,” he said slowly and menacing as he slowly removed the pressure from her shoulder.
Was he talking about last night? Did my words actually hurt him?
“I’m sorry,” she said a little louder than she meant to.
“For what kid?” Hank asked.
“She’s sorry but you have to leave,” Ryder said.
“Can we finish this another time Hank? You’ve given me a lot to consider,” she said.
Hank looked as if he wanted to say something but he thought better of it and got up to leave. “I’ll call you,” he promised. “And I’m sorry again for showing up unannounced.”
“Unannounced?” Ryder questioned the moment Hank left.
“Well yea,” she said as she got off of her couch and finished her coffee.
“Who the hell shows up unannounced at 10 o’clock?”
“Well you showed up at 10:15 that’s no better,” she said on her way to the kitchen.
“Yea but I told you last night that I was coming so you were expecting me.”
“Not after what happened last night,” she admitted as she turned around slowly to face him.
“I’m so—”
“You already apologized,” he said cutting her off.
“Just make sure that you never push me like that again,” he warned.
My comments must have really bothered him, she thought as she sat her coffee cup in the sink.
“Sit down,” he said motioning toward the couch.
Skylar walked over to the armrest of the couch and he pushed her before she could even take a seat.
“Not there,” he said as her face met the seat of the couch cushion.
Skylar got up and she wanted to be so angry that he had just done that but the stupid satisfied grin on his face made her smile against her will.
“I’m sorry I’ve just always wanted to do that. I hate having to look up at you like that,” he admitted.
“You’re starting to get better with this sorry thing,” she mumbled catching on to the fact that he said it this time without flinching or feeling uncomfortable, he seemed to have noticed it to if his stone cold emotionless face was anything to go by.
“Well now that you have gotten it out of your system don’t let it happen again,” she warned as she righted herself.
“Yes ma’am,” he said playfully.
“I like the sound of that,” she said smiling.
“Don’t get used to it,” he warned.
“Of course not,” she said not being able to withhold the stupid grin on her face.
“So what are we going to do today?” he asked.
“I thought we could just stay here but I have a few errands to run. My mother’s birthday is tomorrow and I want to throw her a party.”
“Ok,” he said simply as he got off of the couch.
“Ok?” she asked confused.
“Yes as in ok let’s go,” he said slowly.
“G-go?” she stuttered. Skylar hadn’t realized that that was some kind of invitation.
“The errands aren’t going to run themselves darling,” he teased.
“Uh-ok,” she said as she slipped off of the couch.
