Read Online Before Ryan Was Mine (The Remembrance Trilogy - Prequel) by Kahlen Aymes - Free Book Online Page B

hint and exit my room.
    “Okay, we’ll figure it out. After I’m done putting a roast in the crock pot, I’ll have a few hours, and we can go out.”
    “Sure.” My computer dinged again and still I waited until my mother left.
    Ryan? You there?
    Yes. Bored as hell. You?
    Same. My dad is working on some big murder case, and he’s never here. This house feels like a tomb when it’s empty. I wish I’d stayed at Stanford.
    Funny, I had the same idea.
    How’s the weather, there? :-/
    It was obvious she knew it was like an iceberg. California might be cool, but Chicago was colder than hell.
    Frigid , I typed back.
    I don’t want to hear about your last one-nighter. LOL
    I laughed out loud at her teasing remark.
    Ha ha. Shut up. It’s nice here. Wanna come over? :)
    I wish I could! I typed furiously on the remote keyboard, wishing I could hop an early plane back to California. My mom would kill me, though. She has this big shindig planned for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
    My dad’s living at his office. I’ve seen him for 2 hours in the 2 days I’ve been here, so it looks like it’s turkey burger-ville and rented movies for Christmas.
    You know there are all kinds of bird parts in that nasty shit! Beaks, skin…. Gross! Can you get on Skype? I hated the thought of her all alone on Christmas and I wanted to see her face.
    Yeah. Give me a minute.
    I sat, impatiently tapping my foot, my knee bouncing obnoxiously, as I waited for Julia to log on. I knew I looked like hell, but she wouldn’t care. I ran my hand through my hair and shoved my Cubs hat on my head, pushing the hair around the edge beneath it.
    It wasn’t long before her call came in, and I opened the window. She wore a dark pink hoodie with a Nike swoosh in navy blue across the front, and her hair was down and flow-y. She didn’t have on make-up, but she still looked beautiful in a natural, unpretentious sort of way.
    “Hey,” she said. “I thought I was gonna get a break from your unbearable presence for a couple of weeks, Matthews.”
    I grinned and leaned back in my chair. “You know you miss me, but I won’t make you say it.” Julia looked at me through the computer, her brows furrowed and mouth pursed. I could tell she was doing her best not to smile.
    “Whatever. As if you could. I can see your ego hasn’t taken a hiatus,” she deadpanned.
    I burst out laughing at her joke. It was just like her to goad me. “It’s gonna snow tomorrow so the lake effect will probably have me stranded in the house. Yay.”
    “It’s pretty cool here, but I don’t think we’ll get snow.”
    “So, will your dad be around at all on Christmas?”
    “One of his partners has this big to-do on Christmas Eve and he wants me to go with him. It’s a bunch of stuffed shirts, so I don’t think I’m going.”
    I shifted in my chair, not loving how uncomfortable I felt at the thought of her canoodling at a party without me. I knew only too well what happened in situations like that.
    “Why? Is there some hot law student he wants you to meet?”
    “I’m not interested in law students. They’re almost as unbearable as doctor wannabes.” She smiled big at me through the screen.
    I laughed at her teasing. “That’s what I hear. You could always come here,” I suggested sheepishly, deep down hoping to hell she’d agree and hop on the first flight out. I never got nervous with girls, and this was my closest friend, so it was annoying that I felt nervous asking.
    “To Chicago?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Yeah,” I said again. “But you gotta get here before the storm hits, so we can be snowed in together.”
    Julia inhaled and shook her head slightly. “You’re serious.”
    “Yes!” I quickly opened Expedia.com and began looking for flights. “The best deal will probably be out of San Francisco International.”
    “Ryan, slow down. I have to speak to my dad, and don’t you have to ask your parents if it’s okay?”
    “Nah. Aaron’s room