Safe Distance - Megan Green Page 0,3
the two of us and then back at Justin. He smiles at me. “I couldn’t stand there and watch that for another second. I had no illusions that you couldn’t take care of yourself. Guys like that just piss me off. You shouldn’t have to defend yourself against creeps like him. I could see you weren’t interested from a mile away. He just needed a little help getting the memo.”
I smile back. I’m certain he saw the distress on my face in there. And I’m sure he can hear the embarrassment in my voice right now. He’s just too kind to mention it. Instead, he tries to reassure me that this was all his doing. That I wasn’t sitting there terrified and on the verge of tears. That he just did me a favor by getting rid of the asshole for me.
I close the distance between us and offer him my hand. “I’m Haylee. And I really do appreciate you delivering that message for me.”
He takes my hand and gives it a light shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Haylee. I’m Ryan. And believe me, the pleasure was all mine.” He winks.
This time my laugh is real, coming from deep within my belly. His knuckles are red and his hand must hurt from smashing into Bruce’s face, but he’s managed to make me feel a thousand times better in just a few short moments.
I gesture to his hand. “You better get some ice on that. You might need it again tomorrow night when the next damsel is in distress.”
He grins at me. “I think my damsel-saving days are over. At least for a little while. Already gonna hear it tomorrow when Chris over there runs his mouth. Sarge is gonna kill me.”
As if sensing we’re talking about him, Chris lays on the horn. “C’mon, man. We gotta go. I told Roberts we’d pick his ass up.”
Ryan holds up a finger, letting him know he’ll be just another minute. He turns back to me. “Glad I could help tonight, Haylee. You stay out of trouble. Be safe, okay?” He winks at me again, turning to jog toward the truck. When he’s halfway there, he glances over his shoulder. Seeing me still watching him, he turns around and jogs backwards. The cheeky grin spreading across his face is apparent, even from halfway across the parking lot. He waves at me one more time before turning back around.
He doesn’t see the bottle on the ground until it’s too late. One moment he’s upright, moving with an easy stride, and the next he’s flat on his back.
Hysterical laughter bursts from the cab of the truck. Ryan is lying on the ground, not moving a muscle. I start toward him to make sure he’s okay, but I don’t make it more than three steps before he jumps to his feet. Chris starts laughing even harder. Ryan gives me a sheepish look and shrugs. He holds up his hand in another small wave then slowly jogs the rest of the way to the truck. As he climbs into the cab, I see him slug Chris in the arm before gesturing to the road in front of them. Chris collapses against the steering wheel, laughter still pouring from the open window. Ryan is clearly berating him, but it just seems to make Chris laugh even harder. With a smile and a shake of my head, I turn and walk back to Amanda and Justin. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.
“Rise and shine, asshole.”
Chris throws open my bedroom door and steps into my room. His rumpled shirt and messy hair indicate he’s just barely rolled out of bed. Obviously expecting to find me in a similar state, he looks dumbfounded when he sees me fully dressed and sprawled out on my bed. The TV is playing softly in the background. I hit the pause button and turn my attention to him.
“Rose and shone hours ago, asshole. Already got my run in, showered, and had breakfast.” I smirk at him, turning back to the show I’m watching on Netflix.
“God, are you even human? We’re on leave, dude. Take a break. Sleep in past six. Be lazy. Be normal. You know, like me.” He smirks at me with that last comment, his usual idiotic expression crossing his face. I’ve known Chris forever. He’s my best friend. He’s also the biggest smart-ass I’ve ever met.
“You. Normal. Same sentence. Does not compute, does not compute,” I say in my best robotic