The next morning was not better than the night before. Ryan figured a night's sleep would help him think a bit clearer, but he was mistaken.
He couldn't stop thinking over the shocked look on Karter's face-he too was most likely wearing a matching look. If Ryan had known Karter was the friend Ember made, he probably wouldn't have-he cut off his thoughts. He could deal with it later.
Grabbing a cup of coffee Ryan was out the door and to the parking garage. Before he left he texted Ember wishing her a happy birthday. He knew she hated her birthdays and he wanted to do everything he could to make it a good day for her.
Ember's roommate, Holland, said she was taking Ember to breakfast. Ryan picked up on the two, taking notice of how Ember seemed to like the girl. Ryan just hoped she didn't let such a nice person slip through her fingers.
It was nearly like clockwork when Ryan was in one of his moods, as Carmon liked to put it. She always seemed to know the days he was pissed and the days like today where he was just angry.
There was nothing to be angry at if Ryan took the time to think logically, but his mind didn't do that all that often. He was just mad at himself for not having control as he should have.
"What's up your ass this morning? Clearly nothing good," Carmon questioned.
"It's nothing."
She followed him to his office and sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She was persistent. He'd give her that much.
"Tell Carmon your worries, it isn't good to bottle things up. And your grumpy ass scared the last therapist you had away so," she got comfortable.
Knowing she wouldn't leave, Ryan told her the events of last night and how of all people it had to be one of Ember's friends. He didn't want to mess that up, as much as he liked Karter. If he was being realistic it probably wouldn't have lasted so now he had an excuse to call it quits?
Ryan was never meant for relationships.
"Oh, fucking Hell. You can really pick 'em," she laughed. Carmon was a lot of things, but a good therapist was not one of them.
"Oh shit sorry, but like dinner, tonight is going to be awkward I mean you-I mean-right, you need to make a decision. You can either be an adult and tell her, have a secret relationship that could possibly hurt everyone at some point, or break things off."
She looked at her nails and then fixed her burgundy hair. "I know you really liked the kid, but I mean if it isn't an honest relationship someone is going to get hurt. Trust me I once had an open relationship with these two chicks and they didn't seem all that happy when I started seeing someone else. I mean it isn't cheating if we were never a real thing but they still got pissed."
After Carmon's helpful story, Ryan did his best to focus on the tasks he had to do for the day. In fact, he welcomed them as any distraction. It got his mind off his life and that's where he wanted it to be.
The calls, meetings, and the shipments were all helpful when it came to making him forget about his own problems and look at the work of others.
By the time the day ended Ryan rushed back to his apartment and got dressed into something a bit nicer.
He didn't have much more time then to change and leave again.
Much to Ember's protests, she agreed to dinner as long as she got to pick the restaurant.
As agreed Ryan picked Ember up and they drove to the restaurant of her choosing. The place was one of her favorite sushi and buffets all in one. They had it all and most of it was made in front of the customers, as long as they chose a seat by the bar area.
The hostess showed them to their seats and gave them time to look over the menus. Ryan did his best to separate himself from his own feelings. Tonight was about Ember and her twenty-first birthday.
Out of all the things he had asked her about doing or places she could have gone she decided to have a simple dinner in town with him.
It was kinda comical when Carmon offered to take her somewhere nice. "Let's go to a titie bar!" She knew Ember would say no but she still offered. It was what she did when she turned twenty-one, that and woke up naked in a Wendy's.
"You never really mentioned anything, are you liking school?" Ryan questioned, curiously.
'It's not what I thought it was going to be, but I'm in the middle. I don't love it but it's not so bad,' she signed.
When the waitress came back around they ordered their main dish and their drinks before heading over to the buffet.
"I think we have to try one of everything, you know just to be sure," Ryan chuckled to her.
'I think it would only be the right thing to do,' she signed in agreement.
They both split up and grabbed the foods that interested them the most. It was like a tradition to get and try nearly all the food they had to offer at a buffet. In total they each got three plates full of different Japanese styled foods.
Ember started off with the sweets as usual. Even as a kid it was nearly impossible to stop her from eating the dessert first.
'Try this,' she signed before pointing to the strawberry mochi on her plate. "You know I don't like sweets as you do," Ryan stated.
'Don't be a pussy, try it.'
Sighing in defeat Ryan took a bite of the mochi. It wasn't as sweet as he expected, in fact, it was kinda nice. "Okay fine, it's good," he muttered.
As they ate they would create conversations for the people around them. Ryan would also sign if the people were a little close hoping they didn't understand ASL or maybe just thought he was talking about someone else that matched their own description.
'He's secretly really into people walking on his back with high heels, but his wife refuses so he goes to a place like Sugarland and has someone like Riley Parks do it,' Ember grinned.
'Plot twist his wife knows about what really happens in Sugarland and plans to get the client list,' Ryan signed to her. He hoped the couple beside them didn't pick up that they were talking about them.
She smiled at the thought. Ember loved Client List from episode one and was pissed off for a while that it only got two seasons.
'I kinda want to tell you something, but don't make it up to be something that it's not,' she signed hesitantly.
"Promise," he spoke sincerely
She took a drink of her soda before continuing. She seemed a bit nervous and in turn, made him question just what it was.
'I think I might ask Holland to be my girlfriend, but she hasn't really ever dated anyone let alone another girl. So I don't know-I just really like her.'
Ryan watched her sign about what all happened with Holland, how she made a pass at her before she knew the girl was going to be her roommate. It was kinda funny and a bit concerning just how much Ember was like Ryan, just maybe a more mature and responsible version of him.
It was nice to see her happy again. However, the rules were the same as they would have been if she was seeing a guy. If Holland ever did something to hurt Ember she would have to deal with him.
Ember didn't find that statement as funny as Ryan did.
On their way back to school Ember signed to him while they were at a traffic light.
'You seem off?' she stated with a questioning look.
"It's nothing," he quickly answered.
It was never "nothing" with him. Ember rolled her eyes. She knew he was moodier than a twelve-year-old girl going through puberty, but he was always one to shut down around people.
'Fuck off.' Ember glared as she signed. 'Just tell me.'
"You know you're acting like Carmon, right?" Ryan answered.
'Don't change the subject.' Ember pushed.
He turned his gaze back to the road as they started to move again.
"Just a relationship problem, nothing to get worked up over. And no I don't want to talk about more than that."
Ember rolled her eyes even if he couldn't see her. Ryan never dated so the person must have been somewhat special if he was calling it a relationship.
At the next stop, Ember signed to him quickly. 'You better not be giving up over something stupid. If you like the person then get over whatever the fuck the issue is.'
He forced a half-smile. "I think it might be more difficult than that. He deserves better, plus he's young and should live his life not run around with an old man like me."
'Oh, shut up and stop being so damn depressing. You're acting as if the guy died or something. If you like him, don't you dare lose him.'
He was silent for the rest of the ride. Ember knew he was never in many relationships; the last serious one left him broken, abandoned, in a new country, with two kids; all at the age of seventeen.
He deserved a break, so what if the last whore was a psycho bitch not all of them were like her.
When they came to a stop in front of the dormitory Ryan gave Ember the gifts he had gotten her for her birthday. It wasn't anything over the top, but they were both things that he knew she would appreciate. She was never really into all the material shit which he was proud of.
Inside the horribly wrapped box, there were two things. The first was her favorite candies from Sweden, Ryan never understood why she liked them because they tasted like pure Hell in his opinion, however, it earned him a smile.
The next thing was a bit more personal. She picked up the small book and stared at it a minute before smiling sadly. The book was one of her and Caterina's favorites growing up. When nothing was going right he would read them that book before bed every night. They never seemed to get tired of it.
When they moved they lost it for years.
'Thank you,' she leaned over and hugged him before she got out of the car.
Once he dropped Ember off Ryan headed back home when he noticed the notification on his phone. He let his phone play the message since he was driving.
"I need to talk, meet me at the mountain top. Fuck that wasn't meant to sound like a poem, shit-just say I want to talk-idiot-" Karter was cut off.
Ryan sighed not wanting to turn around and face his problems, but knowing all too well he needed to. He needed to get this over with, they needed to talk.
He changed the direction he was going in and headed to the trails. It was an odd place to meet, especially when it was dark out. It was out of character for Karter, but he pushed past it.