REBECCA

Thankfully, Kirk's car isn't in the driveway when I get home. I can't begin to imagine what would have happened if he saw anybody dropping me off, especially a guy.

I rush inside and start making snicker doodle cookies as I contemplate how much of an idiot I am for agreeing to see Ryan tomorrow. I'll really have to get in Kirk's good graces for him to let me out on a Saturday, so I start the simplest way I know: baking his favorite cookies.

After making three dozen of the cinnamon-covered treats, I clean up the kitchen and throw in a load of Kirk's laundry. I haven't vacuumed since move in day last week, so I decided to do that as well, even though it proves to be quite difficult with my recently injured ribs. Then, I begin dinner while my phone blares cliche princess songs on Pandora.

Kirk strides through the door just as I'm pulling dinner out of the oven.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" he asks with venom in his voice.

"I didn't have much homework so I figured I would get some cleaning done."

I'm impressed as that was the fastest I have ever come up with a somewhat believable lie.

Kirk takes a seat at the table and pours himself some milk as I put a plate down in front of him. We eat in absolute silence until he's full and I begin clearing the table.

"I made you some cookies," I mention politely before bringing the tray over.

He grabs some on the way to the living room and as soon as I hear the television flip on, I hurriedly load the dishwasher and sneak upstairs to my room. I'm incredibly thankful for how smooth dinner went.

I toss my hair into a bun and work on the homework from the few days I've missed school. When Kirk came home on Tuesday, he was a little more stressed out than usual and took it out on me. My mind flashes back to the moment when he wrestled me to the ground while his foot collided with my ribs repeatedly. I couldn't walk right all day on Wednesday and Thursday was still kind of awkward so I chose to stay home to avoid the suspicion that would have stemmed from my 'hobble.'

I'm interrupted from my horrible trip down memory lane when my phone buzzes.

|Becca Hanson > Landon - 7:13pm|
Received: Hey Becca, I just wanted to check how you're doing.

Landon is such a sweetheart, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. I thought he was good looking when I first saw him but in a bad boy way. His short, black hair matched his black eyes. His jaw-line was unbelievably chiseled and his knuckles were always bruised or cut up. It was obvious that he was built judging by the way his black shirts pulled tight across his back, not to mention how his legs looked so muscular that they could barely fit in his dark jeans.

|Becca Hanson > Landon - 7:24pm|
Sent: I'm good now. Ryan brought me home.
Received: I'm sure you already know this, but he's a really great guy. He would never hurt you purposefully - he's a mess just thinking about today.
Sent: I know he wouldn't and I already told him it wasn't his fault :( I will talk to him.
Sent: And thanks for looking out for me today Landon.
Received: I always will. If you need anything let me know. Have a nice night Becca.

I didn't answer him, assuming that was the end of the conversation.

I'm immediately disheartened by the thought of Ryan being upset over something he didn't even cause, so I text him right away.

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 7:25pm|
Sent: Hey Ryan, can we talk about today?

He answers almost immediately.

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 7:25pm|
Received: Yeah, I'll call you.

I start to panic. I can't talk on the phone with Kirk downstairs! What if he hears me and realizes I've met new people already? He'll make me transfer again!

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 7:27pm|
Sent: That's okay... we can just text.
Received: Why?
Sent: Just because.
Received: I'm going to call you.

Two seconds later, my phone started vibrating.

"Hello?" I whisper into the phone and turn on my radio to muffle the noise in my bedroom.

"Becs? Why are you whispering?" Ryan asks, speaking at a normal decibel.

"Why do people whisper Ryan? I'm trying to be quiet."

"I can literally feel your eye roll from here," he adds with a low chuckle. "Becs, I'm really sorry about today..."

I cut him off. "No Ryan, stop it," I whisper yell. "You're being ridiculous. Thank you so much for helping me and taking care of me today. Nobody has ever done something like that for me."

"What do you mean nobody has ever done that for you?"

"That's what I mean. I moved a lot and never really got to know people." I take a deep breath. "Granted, I did just meet you a week ago, but I've honestly never trusted somebody so much."

I felt like a fool for sharing that bit of information and putting myself out there, but for some reason Ryan really made me feel comfortable and the worry about him ever being judgmental left almost as quickly as it came on.

"Good Becca, I was hoping today didn't change your mind about me."

"Of course it didn't," I add in a small laugh and can feel him relax.

"Whew, alright, next question."

I start laughing louder at his abrupt change in demeanor and a sharp pain shoots across my abdomen which I try to ignore.

"Go ahead."

"How did you hurt your ribs? I play a lot of sports and I know that they last for a while but the major pain goes away in a few days. You said it was an old injury." He didn't sound critical but caring.

"Well..." I start but get cut off by a loud banging on my door.

"Rebecca, why is your door locked? What are you doing in there?" Kirk's voice got louder the longer he talked.

"Becs, what is that?" asked a concerned Ryan through the phone.

"I have to go," I quickly replied while walking to my door.

"Hey! Becs wait..." I cut him off when I ended the call and twisted the lock on my handle.

"Sorry, I was changing before and must have forgotten to unlock it."

Kirk looks pointedly at my radio and then the homework that's sprawled across my bed. Thank God the radio is on because the iPhone in my hand hasn't stopped vibrating since I hung up on Ryan.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading to Olympia for a few days, so I won't be around. I have a big case coming up on Tuesday and have to prep."

"Alright," I say while looking at the floor in an attempt to hide my excitement. "Is there anything you need me to do while you're gone?"

"Yes. There's a list downstairs of things that should be done." He started walking towards the front door before adding: "I will be checking up on you Rebecca. Don't do anything you're going to regret."

When he left and slammed the door behind him, I looked down at my phone and see two missed calls and a few texts from Ryan.

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 7:42pm|
Received: Becs what's going on?
Received: Please answer me.
Received: I'm getting worried.
Sent: Ryan, deep breaths... I'm fine.

He answered so quickly I didn't even have time to look away from the screen.

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 7:42pm|
Received: Christ Becca.

I decide the best way around this, for the time being, is to change the topic. Walking to the counter, where Kirk placed my note that I quickly grab, I text Ryan back.

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 7:53pm|
Sent: So what are the plans for tomorrow?
Received: Idk. What do you want to do? You're the one who's new in town.
Sent: That makes no sense. If I'm new then how would I know what there is to do?
Received: Touché. Well I'm assuming you don't want to do anything athletic because of your ribcage - which I haven't forgotten about so that conversation will still happen.
Sent: Yeah, probably nothing too tiring.
Received: There's a zoo! Otherwise we could go to the museum... there's a new exhibit that Pollens told us about in class.
Sent: What is it?
Received: Something about showing the layers of the human body.
Sent: The one where they have like real people!?!
Received: I think so lol.
Sent: Can we please do that?
Received: Sure :)

We chat about television shows as I snuggle into my bed and glance at Kirk's note. I have to pick up dry-cleaning on Sunday and there will be a contractor here to fix a leak in the roof but he probably won't come inside. There aren't any additional chores so it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

|Becca Hanson > Ryan - 11:02pm|
Sent: Ryan I seriously need to go to sleep.
Received: Okay. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 9, sound good?
Sent: Yes :) goodnight!
Received: Goodnight Becs :)

(Final - 8/22/19)