~Completed~ Ransom Dryesdale had been best friends with Bentley Reynolds's older twin brother Archer since they were babies. Their moms have been friends since childhood and their dads since college. They were always close, all three of them. Ransom...
I was still sitting in the waiting room when I heard him harassing the nurses at the station down the hall. "Reynolds, Baker," he tells them slowly this time, trying to keep his anger under control. When they still don't seem to be getting it he snaps. "Do they just hand out nursing degrees at whatever school you both went to?" I could see tears forming in one of the girls' eyes from here and figured now was the time to intervene.
"Ransom." I call out and he rushes over to me, wrapping his arms around me. I collapse into his chest, finally allowing myself to cry.
"You're ok. I've got you." he whispers as he holds me. It shouldn't have surprised me, but it did, just how safe I still felt in his arms. He stood a good half a foot taller than me and there was something in his towering presence that brought me comfort, even now.
"I don't know what I'm going to do when he's gone."
"Don't think about that now." He guides me over to a couch and sits with me, never moving me from his embrace.
I sniffle, trying to get myself back under control. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course. I'll always come when you call."
"That wasn't always true." I said, thinking back to that first year after he left me. He hadn't answered any of the times I had called him then.
"True but that's in the past." This caused me to pause, my dad's words from a few months ago ringing in my ears. "Life's too short to not be with the one that makes you happy." he said. And here I was, sitting in the hospital while he's on his deathbed, thinking about how true that is. Despite everything we've been through, both that we caused ourselves and what was done to us, he still was the one I needed when things went sideways. He was the one that I wanted to put a smile on my face. Dad was right, I had been miserable for years. And it was because I didn't have him. Don't get me wrong, I still found joy in my work and I loved my family, but being with him made me shine in a way that all other aspects of my life didn't.
Life was cruel in a way. I was having this amazing breakthrough and the universe was going to repay my forward thinking by taking my rock. "It is," I respond and he looks over at me, kind of shocked. "Just like a lot of things." I smiled slightly.
"What does that mean?"
"I'm tired of being angry. I'm tired of being angry at you and Laurel and Archer. Hell, I'm even tired of being angry at your dad."
"In your defense, Laurel and I kind of deserve it. My father definitely deserves it."
"I could be a dick and include my idiot brother in that as well. But it's just too much. Life is too short and love is too fragile to hold onto as much anger as I have." Our conversation comes to a pause as Archer walks into the waiting room, having just arrived. His eyes are red and I can tell he's been crying. I nod my head towards the door to dad's room. He nods, takes one more look at Ransom holding me, and goes to see Mom and Dad.
"Why were you so angry at Archer?" Ransom asks.
"Because he didn't warn me about your extracurriculars with certain devil whores. Bro code doesn't overrule family. More importantly, bro code doesn't come before the twin code."
He looked down at the floor. "What is it?" I ask.
"I'm so sorry for what I did. I know nothing can take it back but I just hope one day you'll be able to forgive me." Man my dad must be some kind of wizard, or I just never gave him enough credit for all the wisdom he imparted on us. I thought back to that same conversation we had and how he was adamant that people come back into our lives for a reason, and that there must be a reason that Ransom was back in mine. He was someone I could never seem to shake, like we were attached by invisible string. Even during our years apart he was always there, in the back of my mind. In that moment I realized that my anger towards him was gone. My petty need for revenge was gone. All I wanted was whatever the future was promising for the two of us.
"Ransom, I do forgive you."
"What?"
"I forgive you." I say, pulling him in and kissing him. He pulls away, searching my eyes for something.
"What about Jon?"
"What about Jon?" I asked, confused.
"Aren't you with him?"
I laugh. "You really are clueless, aren't you?" He gives me a look. I shrug before continuing, "I was only with him to make you jealous. He was only with me because he knew it would piss you off. His revenge, so to speak, for your hand in his marriage falling apart."
"You're pure evil."
"Want to hear the best part?" He nods. "It wasn't even my idea. It was my dad's. When Jonathan invited me out for drinks that first night, I said no. My dad accepted the invitation and set this whole thing in motion."
"Huh. I never would've pegged your dad for that."
"Me either if I wasn't in the car while he was explaining it to me."
"You're definitely your father's daughter."
"Thank you." I say smiling.
"But wait," he's suddenly come to a realization. "Why were you always popping up where Archer and I were?"
"Never underestimate sibling blackmail." I say cryptically.
"Archer was in on it. Of course he was."
"Can you forgive me for my actions the last few weeks?"
"No because it was warranted."
"But..." I go to argue.
"No."
"Ok." I relent. Mom and Archer have joined us now. Mom's eyes are also red from crying now.
"Baker wants to talk to you." My mom tells Ransom before pushing him towards the door. I make to follow. "Just Ransom dear. Let's go get you some food."
"But what does Dad want Ransom for?"
"I'm not sure. Let's not worry about that. It's late and you haven't eaten anything in the last couple of hours."
"Ok." I say, allowing them to lead me away after one final look at the now closed door.
Ransom's POV
I slowly enter the room, trying not to make too much sound. Mr. Reynolds is sitting up in his bed, an amused expression on his face as he watches me attempt to sneak in. "You wanted to see me sir?"
"I've known you your whole life and you only just started calling me sir now. Stop! It makes me feel weird." He says, laughing gently. "I'm glad that you're still the one she calls when her world is turning upside down."
"Me too."
"Now onto the reason I asked you to come in. I have something for you. I had Eliza bring it from home. It's on the table." He says, pointing.
I grab it and open the lid. It's an engagement ring. My sarcastic defence mechanism kicks in as I panic on the inside. "I'm flattered Baker but you're not really my type."
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He laughs. "That is Eliza's mother's ring. She's been saving it for Bentley and you and I both know that you'll be the one she ends up with. Even if you two are being stubborn right now. I want you to take it and when you feel the time is right, you have my blessing to marry my daughter."
