Page 23 of The Heir

“I am just tired. I am sorry I yelled. I've been up late, doing some research.”

“Research, for what?”

“Never mind, I—I better go. I need some sleep.” He rubbed his face, and it broke my heart to see him so different, so lost.

“You really are okay, Ryker?” I wrapped my arms around him, my face on his chest, and his hands wrapped tight around me. He drew circles up my back as he held me. I did not know how long we stood there, but I would have stood there for a hundred years if it could make Ryker feel better. I ached for his warmth, but it was absent. That hug was for Ryker, not for me, though. I was comforting him, and I would do whatever I could to help him.

“I love ya, Ry,” I whispered as I pulled away. He took my face in his hands and traced my features with his index finger. I smiled as he reached my nose. He had done that since we were little kids, as if checking to make sure I was real.

He smiled and blew in my face. I laughed as he said: “And I, you, Em.” He pulled away from me, then, and quickly walked from my yard to his.

Chapter Nine

“You seriously have the coolest aunt,” Ash said as she walked into my backyard the next day afterschool. Mary had, indeed, outdone herself. I honestly didn't expect anything less because Mary loved to throw a good party. While she was going to be home, she promised that she would stay inside and notembarrassme. I laughed because she was not embarrassing at all. She honestly seemed like an older sister to me most of the time.

“Did I hear someone say that I was the coolest?” Mary stood behind a table of drinks as she organized them. She wore a pretty, pink dress, and her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She was always effortlessly beautiful, the way my mom had always been.

“Mary, this is Ash,” I said, motioning for Ash to come over to the drink table.

“Nice to meet you, Ash. You are new to town?” Mary asked with a friendly smile that seemed forced. She was looking oddly at Ash, just as Ryker had at school.

I continued to watch as they shook hands over the table. Mary watched Ash closely as if waiting for Ash to burst into flames any second.

“Yes, I moved over the summer. I metRyker, too.” Ash said, dropping Mary’s hand.

“Oh, how wonderful. Glad to hear that. How nice—well, I hope you two have fun,” Mary said, clapping her hands in front of her. I noticed as she spoke, her tone changed back to her normal cheerful self. Odd;Am I imagining things now, reading way too much into everything? Does she not like Ash?

Ash smiled.

“Well, we need to get our suits on; people may be showing up any minute. I have no idea how many because this kind of got away from me,” I admitted.

“Seriously, who knew I would be besties with the most popular girl at school?” Ash giggled as we walked to the sliding glass door.

“I amsonot popular, Ash.”

“I mean, you’re not a cheerleader, and thank heaven because they are always too stuck up. But, you are the kind of popular where people respect you, don’t fear you or want to outdo you.”

I turned to her. “What?” I was completely confused.

“Everyone knows you, and everyone has good things to say,” she shrugged.

“Except Karen Manning—she hates me.”

Ash laughed. “I stay away from the cheerleaders of the world—so what’s up with Ryker? You like him?”

I tried to stop my insides from squirming and was surprised to find that I didn’t need to. Instead, I found myself saying: “He is my best friend, more like a brother, really. I've known him forever. He's annoyingly protective of me.”

“I totally get it. I have this guy, he is a family friend, and he keeps pretending to be like an all protective brother, too, and itgets so annoying,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I know Ryker was a little bent out of shape about Shad, but if I talk to Ryker and hang with him tonight, you can get to know Shad.”

“Wow, that would be nice, actually.”

“I want you to know that Ryker is not my type, but I will help you,” Ash assured me.

“I appreciate it. I haven’t really ever seen him date before,” I shrugged, realizing that truth for the first time in my life.Why? Why has he never dated?Over the years, he was asked plenty of times, and I always remember him saying “no” or telling me about someone asking him and him refusing. Maybe that would be the year it would change. Maybe if I got him a girlfriend, he would be less hostile. Ash was out of the question, obviously. But maybe I could find someone else.

“Well, that’s strange. He is pretty fire, even if I wouldn’t ever date him,” she fanned herself.

I laughed, “Do people really say that?”