Adult Education

26. Another dashing Hollander son

Ryan had even dared a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head just to prove his point as he had screamed his lungs out to the heavens above. You are losing it, Prez! You are."

OH YES! He was losing it alright! Damn it. He was losing more than just his sanity; he was losing the love of his life!

Rubbing his hands anxiously together, his eyes were still fixed on the bedcovers.

A low thumping noise could be heard in the distant and it took him a while to realize that someone was knocking on the door.

Noo, he did not want to see anybody as he felt right now. But he stood up anyway and made his way to the door and opened it slowly.

Leaning against the doorframe outside stood Ryan, his brows quirked up in a questioning manner.

"Are you done with the moping already?" he huffed out and pushed past Billy on his way into the apartment.

Taken aback, Billy glared at him with dark and brooding eyes, and as he turned around, he dared him to speak again.

With a small chuckle, Ryan saw the anger that radiated from Billy as he tried his best to tame the raging beast he had inside.

"Maybe you want to go back and finish him off NOW," Ryan snickered and sat down on a nearby chair, "Imagine how good that would feel for you . . . "

Billy snorted as he too took a seat next to Ryan.

"There are not enough people in that family to beat the shit out of, to make me feel good!" Billy rumbled with discontent, and then he added with an acid tone, "Maybe beating the living daylights out of others is not the solution to the problem. "

He motioned with his thumb and his finger to his head.

"Give me two, fast and painless in the back of the head, or maybe a noose for a necklace, huh?"

Ryan chuckled silently.

"It's not easy being . . . "

Before he had a chance to finish, Billy was in his face, pointing a finger of warning up his nose.

"Be careful now . . . "

The chuckle died on Ryan's lips and he swallowed hard. He knew the potential of his president and he did not, for the love of god, want to be in his disgrace.

" . . .in love. . . " he hissed out between clenched teeth just waiting for the blow to come.

It didn't.

He looked surprised at Billy.

Billy looked equally as surprised back at him, shaking his head in wonder.

The only words he managed to press through his lips were:

"Damn it! It isn't. You are right!"

~ ~ ~

Cassie gazed at her wristwatch through tearstained eyes, then she looked out the airplane window once again. The harsh words from Billy's lips still etched in her memory.

Thinking back, she could not remember crying this much over anybody.

The pain she felt right now was making it hard for her to breathe, it was cutting off her air.

With a small pained sigh, she pondered what hurt the most. Losing what she had with Billy, or his harsh words to her, words that made her feel like a bloody trollop?

She chased away an errand strand of hair from her eyes and heaved yet another sigh. Both of them things hurt equally as much, she thought.

The captain's words before landing and the actual touchdown became just a blur to her, as her thoughts were elsewhere, and as she stood there at the baggage claim looking for her bag, she had no idea how she even got there.