“I feel great. Thank you so much for everything you did.” For the first time, I notice how young he actually is. He looks to be in his early twenties, with short dark brown, almost black, hair and bright blue eyes. He looks like the perfect boy next door. He is equally as muscular as all the other guys in the family.
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart.” I smile at him. This whole family is very casual about using endearments on others.
“Good morning everyone.” The girl who got shot walks into the kitchen, joining the rest of us, looking chipper.
Everyone turns around and says “Morning Emma.”
She walks over to me and says, “Hi, I’m Emma.”
“Ryanne.” I reply.
“Yeah, I know who you are.”
I look towards her, confused, and suddenly remember my vision. She was tortured by Dravin, who is trying to find out information about me. “I’m so sorry about what that happened to you. I can’t help but feel like I’m responsible.”
She starts violently shaking her head. “No, no! Don’t feel like that. You are in no way responsible for anything that man is doing.”
“He’s torturing people to try and find me.”
“You can’t think about what he is doing. You know what he did to me; I can’t imagine what he would do to you if he got his hands on you.” We all shiver thinking about it. “Oh, and I’m sorry you got shot because of me.”
I smile at her, “That’s fine. It didn’t hurt that much.”
She laughs at my comment. I hope that she is going to stay here for a while. It would be nice to have a girl around. I get up and put my plate in the dishwasher. Tom walks back into the room, rubbing a towel through his hair.
“So, Ryanne, you up for training today?”
Three heads whip towards Tom. Logan, Colton, and David all start complaining.
“She still needs to rest.”
“She just woke up, man.”
“Let her relax a little.”
I turn towards him, ignoring the chorus of voices, “I would love to. I’ve slept for too long. I need to exercise, get the blood flowing, you know?” All three turn towards me. I can tell that they don’t want me to do anything, but I need to do something. I’m tired of sitting around. Danger won’t wait. It’s coming for me whether I want it to or not and I need to be prepared. I brush past everyone, “I’ll meet you up there in five.” Leaving them shocked at my departure, I walk back into my room and change.
I get up to the training room before anyone else, so I start stretching. I forgot a hair tie in my room and don’t want to go back to find one, so I hope that I will be fine without pulling my hair back today.
I feel someone walk up behind me. I turn around and smack straight into Logan’s chest. Laughing, he grabs my arms to steady me, “Watch where you’re going there, shorty.”
“Is there anyone in your family shorter than six feet tall? My neck is starting to hurt from looking up so often.”
He thinks about it for a minute, and replies, “Nope.”
I hit him on the chest, playfully, “Are you serious?” I honestly can’t tell.
He pokes me in the stomach, causing me to jump back. I am extremely ticklish. His eyes widen and he looks at me with the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. I know the look in his eyes.
“Oh no, you don’t.” I start backing up. He starts stalking towards me. I turn around and run. I make it a few steps before he jumps behind me and starts tickling my stomach. I double over laughing and try squirming away, but he has a strong grip on me, following me everywhere I go.
“Say it.” He continues tickling. I fall to the ground, laughing.
“Never.” I manage to get out through the giggles. He follows me to the ground. After my stomach starts hurting from laughing so much, I finally say, “Mercy. Mercy!”
He stops tickling me. With his body perched over mine, he smiles down at me. We stare at each other for a little bit, while I attempt to catch my breath.
“Thank you. I needed that.” I haven’t laughed like that in so long.
“What’s going on here?” I arch my head back on the mat and see David, Colton, Tom, and Emma strolling into the room. I know what this looks like: me lying with my back to the mat, smiling like an idiot, and breathing heavily