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I shook my head, shrugging. Only in New York could people take the screening of a fifty-year-old movie so seriously. I blocked out most of it, thinking about Owen again. I wanted to find solutions for everyone I cared about, but it wouldn’t be tonight. Right now, all I could do was entertain my sisters.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryker
I arrived at home after midnight but couldn’t fall asleep. I’d always been able to push work-related worries to the back of my mind, or if they were too pressing, a session at Northern Lights was everything I needed to unwind.
But there was no unwinding when my family or Heather was involved. My brain just worked tirelessly to come up with a solution, and when I couldn’t find one, like now, frustration with myself just ate me up from inside. I didn’t want Heather to run into any issues. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to protect my sisters too: from this madness, generally from ups and downs... from everything I could. We had a pact, a promise. Sure, we’d been kids back then, but I liked to make good on it as often as I could.
I only slept a few hours, so I was exhausted the next morning. I tried to push everything out of my mind when Heather and Avery arrived, but I couldn’t do it.
“Earth to Ryker?” Heather asked, smiling.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“We brought breakfast.” She held up two paper bags. “If today is going to go the way I think, we’ll need sustenance.”
“Good idea.”
“I already ate. Can I go to my room?” Avery asked, almost breathlessly. I’d shown her the guest room last time they were here, and when I said it was hers, she’d been so beside herself that she kept working my room in every sentence.
“Sure.”
Heather and I went to the kitchen. I took out plates, but she didn’t open the bags.
“What’s up with you?” Heather asked.
“Just tired. I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“We can go shopping another time. Or... we don’t have to go at all.” Her eyes were loving and concerned, and I needed that.
I almost took her up on her offer, but I knew I’d be letting Avery down if we canceled everything.
“It’s fine,” I said.
Heather frowned. “Ryker, is something wrong?”
“No. Just tired,” I repeated. I didn’t want to bring my crap into our relationship; she didn’t need to deal with it.
“Okay.” She began opening the paper bag, then stopped. “You’re sure it’s not something else? Look, if you don’t want to go shopping, it’s no big deal. I understand if you got a little overwhelmed last time.”
“What are you talking about?”
She twiddled her thumbs, averting her gaze.
“I don’t know. Did you change your mind? If you don’t want us here—”
I closed the distance between us before she could even finish the sentence, cradling her head with both hands.
“Of course I want you here. Don’t even think that.”
“You’re sure? Because you’re... distant since I arrived.”
“Yesterday was....” I hadn’t wanted to ruin her day first thing in the morning, but maybe it was better if she knew right away. “Owen said he was the one who contacted that Dawson guy, asked him to write about the company too.”
Heather gasped. “Shit! Why? I thought it was clear that we were expecting this to be an exclusive story.”
“I know, babe. I’m sorry.”
