FADING (A novel)(107)

When I get into bed, Donna knocks on the door and sets the tea down on the nightstand along with a couple of aspirin.

“Ryan said you had a headache.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry to come and just crash.”

“Sweetie, please. Don’t worry about me.” As she closes the blinds she tells me that Ryan is eating a quick dinner and will come up when he’s done. I take the aspirin along with my sleeping pill, and after a few sips of the hot tea, I doze off.

Waking in a haze in the middle of the night, Ryan is wrapped around me. I roll over to face him, and when I do, he begins to stir.

“Everything, okay?” he whispers as he tucks me closer to him.

“Mmm hmm.” I weave my legs with his and close my eyes again, drifting easily back to sleep.

?????

“How are you feeling?” Donna asks as she sits down with me on the couch and hands me a cup of coffee.

“Much better, thanks.”

“Hey,” Ryan says as he comes down the stairs, already dressed for the day.

“Good morning,” his mom says when he walks over and sits on the couch with us.

“So, you two are going to have the day to yourselves. Marci called me this morning and I have to drive into Portland to go over and sign off on some tax documents. While I’m there I’m going to meet with a friend of mine for a late lunch, so I won’t be home till around six or so. But I have no plans for the rest of week. This just popped up yesterday.”

“Don’t worry about it, Mom. I was going to see if I could convince Candace to hop on a surfboard with me.”

“What?!” I say as I jerk my head to look at him.

“I just checked the weather and the waves should be pretty good at the beach we went to the last time you were here.”

“That water’s going to be freezing, Ryan.”

He laughs at me and says, “That’s why you wear a wetsuit, babe.”

His mother interjects and says, “Well, have fun with that, Candace,” dripping in playful sarcasm. “I need to go get ready. I’ll see you guys later tonight.”

Ryan and I head up to his room, and when I get out of the shower, I wrap a towel around myself to go grab some clothes.

“Fuck, babe,” Ryan says as I walk into the bedroom.

“Don’t start,” I say as I lay my hand on his chest, keeping him from coming any closer. “Your mother is downstairs.”

“I don’t care who the f*ck is downstairs when the only thing covering your wet body is that towel.”

“That’s why I’m getting my clothes.”

I quickly grab my clothes and run back into the bathroom before Ryan can strip the towel off of me. Once I’m dressed and walk back out, he says, “Tori has an extra wetsuit in my closet that should fit you okay.”

“What?”

“Surfing. You and me.”

“I’m fine with trying anything new, but that water is freezing.”

“I promise, when you’re in that wetsuit, you’ll be fine. Tori loves to surf, so she has her wetsuit here and some swimsuits in my closet.”

?????

When we get to Indian Beach, the wind is just as strong as the last time we were here. The mist is thick, and the skies are dark and heavy with clouds today. I grab one of the blankets that Ryan put in the car before we left the house and wrap it around me when I get out. Ryan unhooks the boards from the top of the jeep, and we head down the wooden stairs to the wet and rocky beach. I stop and watch the rough waves as they crash along the shore. If ever there was a time I worried about breaking a leg, it’s now.

Holding out his hand for me, he says, “Come on.”

I shrug off my blanket, toss it on the stairs, and follow him out.

“Ryan, I’m going to hurt myself.”

He chuckles and says, “No, you won’t.”

“That water looks rough. There’s no way I’m getting up on that board.”

“You’re getting up, babe.”

When we get to the water, he drops the boards on the ground and starts telling me everything I hope I need to know to not kill myself. He shows me how to pop up on the board, and I have no problems showing him I am fully capable.

I take the hairband from my wrist and tie my hair up on top of my head, as Ryan straps the cord around my ankle.

When he stands up, he gives me a quick kiss and says with a big smile, “I f*ckin’ love that you’re doing this.”

“You know I’m willing to try almost anything, but don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think I’ll be able to get up.”

Grabbing me and pulling me up against him, he leans down to my neck and says, “If you get up, I’ll get up for you later,” and then starts sucking on my neck.

I smack his arm and push him away as he’s laughing.

“You’re so gross!”

“Pick up your board. Let’s go,” is his only response.

?????

I ended up having a pretty great time with Ryan in the water. When he wasn’t trying to get frisky with me, I managed to get up on the board a few times. After several hours, we decide to head back to the house. I’ve been wrapped up in blankets since we got in the car to try and get warm again.

When we get back to the house, I run upstairs to take a shower while Ryan makes us sandwiches.