Protecting You

Ember

It stung to hear him say it out loud, but it wasn’t like it came as much of a surprise that he felt that way about me. Ryan’s eyes dropped to the soda when the server delivered it. He stuck a straw into it and sucked some of the fizzy orange liquid down before continuing.

He looked so much like the boy I once knew that it made my heart ache with longing to change our past so I could’ve grown up close to that boy. But since we couldn’t, I hoped the conversation we were having would pave the way for a better relationship in the future.

Ryan lifted his gaze back to mine, carrying on once he swallowed down the pop. “Kaden and I were older. We were always getting up to stuff I knew you wouldn’t approve of. Nothing major, but I was afraid you would tattle to Mom and Dad, and I’d get in trouble.”

I considered what he said. Before I started becoming who I was now, there was every chance I would have done exactly what he said. “Fair enough.”

“Maybe, but it’s not an excuse. Anyway, I was