Alone With Ross

•92•

"Oh, uh yeah." He cleared his throat. "I'll go get cleaned up." He lifted himself from the water abruptly not even looking back at me as he left.

I sat for a second, my eyes shifting towards Danielle as she was still looking at me, her gaze turned scrutinizing. "Can I help you?" I felt more like the old Caspian in this moment.

She fiddled with her engagement ring. "Nope, just wondering what it was like." She shrugged.

"What, what was like?" I got up, squeezing the excess water out of my shirt.

"Your guy's relationship." She said nonchalantly. And I looked at her skeptically as she just walked away.

•••

"Caspian, I'd like to introduce you to my fiancé Richard." Vi's eyes softened as I held my hand out towards him but he brought me in for a hug.

"Hi!" I laughed and he did in return.

"Sorry, Vi has told me a lot about you... and I've read your book." He admitted making my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. But he put his hands up in defense. "Me and my colleagues read it together actually, I'm a phycologist."

"Were you a fan of it?" I asked amused at the fact he had now idea that the love interest of my story was going to be here any moment, and he nodded eagerly. "Vi, he's a keeper." Vi smiled brightly at me before looking off in the distance.

"I sure hope Ross thinks that." She said under her breath. And it hadn't dawned on me until now, but Ross' opinion was one she had been dreading. I wonder why?

Ross came into the room with Danielle on his arm, and he let go of her hand as soon as he saw Richard.

Richard held his hand out to Ross, "Ross this is Richard, my fiancé." Vi spoke up and Ross grinned, it seemed off, as he shook Richard's had.

"Ah Dick! What an honor to meet the man of the hour!" Ross clapped him on the back and my eyes widened as he stumbled a bit. My eyes darted to Danielle as she looked nervously towards Ross, her hand reaching out to grab him. "Mommy dearest tell you all about me? Congratulations on becoming a father to a 34 year old man!" Ross put his arm around him and Vi hugging them close, Vi's eyes were burning with anger and Richard was just awkwardly strung along for the ride. "Now we can be one big happy family."

"Alright that's enough." My brain finally found its way to my mouth as I went forward to get Ross and he willingly came with me. "We'll be down for dinner, sober." I looked towards Ross pointedly but he merely just winked at me making me roll my eyes.

Danielle trailed behind us before pausing outside of their room they were sharing. "He's not usually like this I promise." Danielle came in as I sat him on the bed, pulling up a chair to sit across from him and he was hanging his head down ignoring both of us.

"I'm not judging him." I shrugged. "He's a grown man he can do whatever he wants." I looked towards Danielle. "But all my years of knowing him he's never gotten drunk, buzzed sure, but never this." I gestured to him just as he slumped over laying on his back on the bed, his eyes shut.

"This trip has just been a lot for him, that's all." She said quietly, not looking up at me.

I threw my hands up in surrender. "I get it, none of my business." I stood to leave not even glancing back.

Piper was right. I needed to move on, and that man is no longer my problem.

Just as I hit the bottom of the stairs Danny was on his way to the dining room and I hurried to be by his side. "Mind if I sat by you at dinner?" I asked hopeful and he smiled making my breath get caught in my throat.

"I would mind if you didn't sit by me." His arm went over my shoulders and I let myself enjoy it, not letting my eyes wonder to the stairs not even once.

•••••••

Thanks for all the birthday wishes ☺️

Again I'm seeing R5 August 19th in OKC so if you're going please get in contact bc I want to meet some of my readers and have a good time.

Thanks for voting, reading and commenting

Love, Aliah.