I made it back to Ryer’s around one a.m and he was sitting on the couch when I came in. He said nothing when he saw me walk in. He just looked at me before looking back at the tv.

“Sorry Ryer, I didn’t mean to take off, I needed to go for a quick walk, I called my parents too. I didn’t consider the time, but yeah. So I made plans to go to see them this weekend and you are coming too. Sorry.”

He turned back around and just blinked at me, and then nodded, but then stopped.

“Wait, Did you say I’m coming with you to your parents’ place?”

“Yes.”

“I have work and—-”

“Look. I’ll be honest, I might need you for emotional support or whatever they call it.”

“I understand that, but I honestly have work to do.”

“Then I'll ask Maddox to give you a few days off. Hell, name your price and I'll pay it. I have money---”

“Sasha, stop. You don't have to pay me. Seriously.”

“Ryer you don’t understand, I just don’t want to go there alone. Not like this. I haven’t seen them in three years.”

“Sasha, you don’t need to explain it to me. If you need me to go with you, I’ll go but only if Maddox is ok with that. I can't just up and take off though, I have a job to do.”

“I understand, I appreciate you will try to come with me at least.”

Ryer just nodded, and I walked to sit on the end of the couch. He was watching hockey on the Tv, and he seemed really into it. I wasn’t a big sports fan, but I didn’t want to go sit in the bedroom by myself. I yawned, But relaxed back into the couch. Ryer never even seemed to notice me relax into the couch.

He cheered when the one team got a goal and his bouncing on the couch was the only thing keeping me awake at the moment. I would have gone to bed but even after sitting there for as long as I did. But even now, I still didn’t want to be alone. Softly, without Ryer noticing, I relaxed more and more into the couch until I was crunched up into the corner and my head was resting on the arm.

I closed my eyes, just to rest them for a few moments. When I opened them the next time the living room was dark and Ryer was attempting to remove me from the couch. I grunted at him, but he just shushed me and continued to pick me up until he had me completely off the couch.

“Put me down I can walk.”

He ignored me; he took a bunch of steps and clearly headed towards his room with me. I debated freaking out about the fact he was taking me to his room, but I didn’t. I was too tired to act up about being in bed beside him.

He laid me on the bed, and it was like the best feeling I felt in a while. His bed was like a marshmallow and it swallowed me but didn’t hurt my spine. I never even felt Ryer get in the bed. I only stayed awake in the bed for a few minutes before I passed out.

I cracked open an eye and looked around; It was pretty dark in the room but the clock on the nightstand said it was nine am. Ryer was still in the bed, not by choice though clearly. I was wrapped around him and he was awake.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked softly, reaching out to flick on the lamp on the nightstand.

“Yeah, actually.”

My right arm was slung over his chest and my right leg was in between his, there was really no space between us right now. I wasn’t ready to move away from him either. I was comfortable right against him, and he wasn’t complaining about it. The warmth from his skin was pleasing even through the t-shirt he was wearing. I wondered what the heat of his bare skin might be like right now.

“Want to get breakfast now?”

“Hmm, give me a few more minutes. I'm honestly enjoying the warmth under the blankets.”

“Sasha you wouldn’t happen to be enjoying my body heat would you?” Ryer chuckled.

“Part of me is also scared to move in case it hurts, my pain pills are long worn off.”

“There are pain pills and a bottle of water on the nightstand on the other side of the bed if you need them, I put them there last night before getting into bed.”

“I appreciate that.”

I moved my arm first before moving my legs. I rolled onto my back and just laid there; the pain was there, but it was minimal and not super debilitating. The pain pills were still a good idea, but it was one of the first times I woke up and didn’t feel like I was being ripped in half. Ryer slipped out of the bed and took off somewhere.

“There’s a fresh pot of coffee on the counter and such. Help yourself.”

“Alright.”

I took a pain pill before stretching out and walking to the kitchen. I got way better sleep in Ryer’s bed than I had in the spare room, and that was with him even in it. Pouring a cup of coffee, I brought it to my lips and groaned. Setting down the coffee cup, I stomped all the way back to Ryer’s bedroom to use the toilet. I never even noticed Ryer was in the shower till I flushed and he let out a hiss and looked sideways to his very naked body through the glass doors.

My eyes wandered down his figure, this time not obstructed with clothing. He cleared his throat, and I finally met his eyes again. I wasn’t really sure what to say at this point, more so because I had been the one to check him out. I just nodded before turning and leaving the bathroom. Back in the kitchen, I washed my hands. Ryer came out sometime later his hair still wet and his sweat pants hanging dangerously low on his hips. I had to look away or risk getting caught looking him over again.

The thought of sleeping with him was there, but I didn’t want to be part of his list of people he had slept with. While I wasn’t all the much different when it came down to the truth, I still wasn’t the same as him. Yes, I didn’t have attachments and stuff, but I only had two or three people I slept with when the need called and I rarely differed from them.

Sipping my coffee, I watched him walk around the kitchen doing whatever he was, the smell of his pine soap lingering in the air. He paused all his actions to get himself a cup of coffee, before going back to tinkering around with what looks like breakfast.

I watched from the kitchen, offering to help but getting turned away. Ryer didn’t like to let me help him in the kitchen, that was pretty clear. I heard my phone ringing from the other room. I would have let it go to voice mail, but I was up and not doing anything so I could answer it. I quickly made my way down the hall to pick my phone up before it went to voice mail.

“Hello?”

“Hello Sasha, Your father said you called last night?”

“Mother, yes, I called. I'm coming on the weekend, I hope that’s alright.”

“You know it’s alright. But why suddenly are you deciding to see us?”

“There are some things we should talk about, but beyond that, I haven’t been to visit in three years.”

“I suppose that would be true.”

“Fair warning before I come, I’m bringing someone with me, If you would like me to grab a hotel instead of staying there, please let me know.”

“You don’t have to get a hotel, you are staying here at home, You still have your room and I’ll have a room made up for your plus one if you would like.”

“I'm sure either way would be fine. You don’t need to spruce up, Ryer is not the queen.”

“Alright, I’ll let you go, I’m sure your busy. See you when you get here.”

She hung up, and I wondered if she thought I was finally bringing home a partner. I had tried to explain to her before that I wasn’t interested in anyone that way and the chances of that actually happening were slim. Male or female it didn’t matter, I just wasn’t interested in that. Heading back to the kitchen, Ryer was pulling on a shirt and I watched his back muscles ripple.

Shaking off the need to watch him, I headed back to the kitchen to finish drinking my coffee. Ryer set two plates on the table when he was done getting his shirt on. We ate in silence, just enjoying the food that he made. I only spoke once I was done washing my plate and drying my hands off.

“I’ve told my mother you are coming with me.”

“Did you?”

“Yes, She seems ok with that.”

“That’s good, Maddox gave me the clearance to go with you.”

“Oh, Shit that’s good news. I’m glad to hear that.”

“I was going to tell you when you woke up, but you seemed a little preoccupied with my body heat.”

“Listen here! Shush!” I yelled feeling slightly more than just embarrassed.

“Why are you turning red Sasha you a little embarrassed?”

“No!”

He stepped closer to me, so much so that the scent of his body wash was heavily present in my nose. I looked at him and his face held a smirk on it, that for once I didn’t want to smack off him.

“Sasha I don’t believe you,” Ryer said his voice low and smooth, his accent, the cherry on top of the whole sentence. I had to give my head a solid shake before backing up far enough away that I could breathe pine free air.

“I’m going to shower.”

“Do you need a hand?” Ryer said raising an eyebrow at me.

“Definitely not in the way you are thinking. I can handle it alone.”

I didn’t wait to hear another word from him, I just hurried to his bedroom, and into the bathroom closing the door tightly. There was a lock, but I didn’t flick it. Just in case I fell and needed his help.