Breathe Out Slow by AD Lawless

Author:AD Lawless [Lawless, AD]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-05T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It would’ve been a massive understatement to say that Ryan’s mom was excited for him to be home. Josh’d dropped him off at his place just after noon and Ryan already missed Liam. Already felt a little trapped in the house he’d grown up in. He was still better off than he had been the last time he’d visited though and when his mom had squeezed the life out of him with a hug someone her size shouldn’t possibly have the strength to give, it’d felt nice instead of like overkill.

“Mom, need to breathe.” Ryan gasped.

His dad clapped him on the shoulder and smiled his welcome, “Let the boy have some space, Lynn. Good to have you home.”

On the bottom stair in the entryway was his little sister Emma, a cautious look on her face and a smile that looked painted on wrong. Taller than he remembered her being, but at sixteen he’d had a pretty big growth spurt too, so maybe it ran in the family. She hugged him awkwardly when he leaned up and Ryan wondered what was wrong with her.

They sat down for a late lunch and made stilted conversation about what Ryan was up to at school. Ryan tried to redirect the topic to Emma, ask about her life but her answers were brief, vague. It was like she didn’t know how to talk to him, was walking on eggshells. Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. He’d been kind of a dick to her when he’d been home, mostly ignored her. Too wrapped up in himself to have taken much interest and it bothered him how little he actually knew about his own sister.

Her green eyes, exactly the same as his, were a testament to the fact they were siblings, but he hadn’t been a real part of her life in too long. Maybe it was time to fix that. Make more of an effort with her.

“Hey, Em?” Ryan asked. “I was thinking about hitting the mall. Wanna come shopping with me? I’ve been a total slacker and I haven’t bought, like, anything yet. We could even pop by Cinnabon while we’re there.”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up, and Ryan felt like a good big brother for the first time in way too long.

He pretended not to notice the way his mom’s eyes were a little glossy when he answered, “Yeah. Could use some advice on what to get.”

“Okay! Just- If we’re going to the mall I have to change and put on some makeup. Gimme like twenty minutes.”

“Sure.” Ryan said with a smile, though honestly, she looked totally fine and she was already wearing makeup, so what the hell? “You don’t mind if we take the car, do you?”

“Of course, not.” His mom said, then cleared her throat. “You know you can use it whenever.”

“Thanks.”

At the mall, the lot was packed and all of the people who were wandering around made Ryan a bit anxious but he managed to get through his Christmas shopping without much fuss.

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