FADING (A novel)(62)

All the noise and touching is beginning to overpower me, and when I look to see where Ryan is, he is engulfed in a conversation with two of his cousins while he is still holding one of the little girls.

Needing some space to regroup, I turn to his mother and quietly ask, “Excuse me, Donna. Where is the restroom?”

She directs me to one that is on the other side of the house, and I quickly make my way through the chaos. When I shut the door behind me, I walk over, sit down on the lid of the toilet, and embrace the calm. I take a few minutes to compose myself when someone knocks on the door.

I stand up to go open the door, and when I do, Ryan is standing there.

“Everything okay? When I looked up you were gone.”

“Yeah, just needed a moment to myself.”

“Sorry about that,” he says.

“It’s okay. I’m just not used to . . .”

Ryan runs his hands down my arms and says, “I know. Do you need a few more minutes?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Holding my hand, he begins to walk me back to the kitchen where all the commotion has died down a bit. Most of the little kids are now watching a movie in the other room as a few of the guys sit on the couches, drinking and laughing about whatever they are talking about.

I turn my attention to Ryan when he hands me a glass of red wine, and I give him a smile. I appreciate that he does things like that for me without needing to ask, that he pays attention. I used to feel uneasy around him, but over the past month or so, that feeling has waned, and I have become more relaxed when we’re together.

“Come with me,” he says in my ear, and he leads me out of the room. We wander through the house as he shows me around. The house backs up to the beach, and the view is absolutely breathtaking. When we walk past the formal dining room, two of his cousins are sitting at the table chatting. One of the girls looks up at me and invites me to join them. I look to Ryan, and he says, “I’ll just be in the other room helping my mom out.”

I nod my head and walk over to sit down as he leaves the room.

Not remembering their names, I say, “I’m sorry, but with all the introductions, I can’t remember your names.”

“I’m Tori, and this is Jenna.”

“So, you live in Seattle too?” Jenna asks.

“Yeah, I grew up there. What about you, where do you guys live?”

“We both live in Astoria, but my sister, Katie, lives in Portland,” Tori says.

The three of us begin to talk and get to know each other. The two of them, along with Katie, are the daughters of Ryan’s two aunts. They are all married with kids and live in Oregon. They told me that Ryan is the only one in the family that lives in Washington, that he moved there after high school to go to college and just never came back. They seem genuinely interested in me and ask a lot of questions about college and my dancing.

“Tori, Madison’s sick,” her sister says as she comes into the room.

Tori asks, “What’s wrong with her?”

“She was upstairs throwing up. I know there has been a stomach bug going around at her preschool, so I’m hoping that’s all it is. I laid her down in Ryan’s room, and she’s sleeping now.”

“Well, just let her rest. As long as she isn’t running a fever, I wouldn’t worry too much. I think Aunt Donna actually has some leftover Pedialite from when Connor got sick.”

Turning to me, she says, “I’m sorry, it’s been so crazy today, and I didn’t meet you earlier. I’m Katie, Tori’s sister.”

“I’m Candace.”

“So, Ryan finally brings a girl home. I can’t believe it,” she says.

I see Tori give Katie a wide-eyed, annoyed look, and Katie dramatically says, “What?!”

Jenna and Tori both shake their heads at her, and I’m beginning to feel awkward, so I just ask, “What do you mean?”

Surely he’s brought girls home before. From what Mark has told me about what he’s heard from Ryan’s friends, he has been through a slew of women.

Jenna tells me that all the women in the family are constantly giving him a hard time for never bringing a girl home, that I’m the first one.

“Well, we’re just friends. Honestly, I think he only invited me because he felt bad that I was going to spend Christmas by myself.”

The three of them give each other curious looks when I say this, which doesn’t do much for my comfort level. I feel like they know something I don’t, so I just come right out and ask, “Am I missing something here?”

Tori shakes her head at Jenna as Jenna leans in and quietly says, “I don’t think that’s why he invited you.”

“What do you mean?”

Before anyone has a chance to say anything, Ryan’s mom walks in and jokingly says, “You girls look like you’re up to some gossip.” Looking over at me, she says, “I’ve been so busy all day, I haven’t had a chance to visit with you. Let’s go chat.”

Donna’s personality reminds me a lot of Ryan’s. She’s not intimidating and seems fairly laidback and casual. She has a cute short bob of light blonde hair, and is tall and slender. She’s dressed casually for the day in black pants and a red cable-knit sweater.

I stand up and grab my glass of wine as I follow her through the living room where I see Ryan helping one of his nephews put together a puzzle. When he looks up at me as I pass through, he gives me an endearing grin as I smile back. His mother and I walk out of the room into a quiet study.