The Quarry: Ryan x Reader

Chapter 4 - Part 3

1110 words

Ryan walks back to us holding a wheelbarrow.

Ooh - smart.

"Where'd you find the wheelbarrow?" I ask him, pointing to it.

"Oh, I walked past it when I was playing hide and seek with some of the kids" he smiles at me.

Ryan stops the wheel barrow infront of Nick.

We carefully pick him up and put him down into it.

"Easy..." Abi mutters as Nick shifts. She leans down to his level, "Are you in pain?"

"Nah.. Nah, sorry, I'm just... I'm really hungry" he tells her.

She touches his shoulder reassuringly, "We'll get you some food inside, okay?"

"Yeah, okay" we go quiet for a few seconds, "Oh man... I could eat a horse" he jokes.

"I don't know if we'll be able to find you a horse, but there might be some granola..." Abi suggests.

Nick groans, "Ugh... Yuck, I hate granola."

After 10 minutes we make it to the lodge. Gently, we carry him out of the wheelbarrow.

Abi instinctively goes to his side, wrapping one of her arms around his waist. He puts his arm around her shoulder.

They walk ahead, Kaitlyn going infront of them.

Me and Ryan turn to each other. Instantly he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. I wrap my arms around him, burying my face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm so glad you didn't get injured" I whisper to him. He strokes my back then holds me tighter.

"I can't let myself get hurt knowing you're waiting for me".

"Maybe next time you bring me with you then?"

"Yeah, I will" he nods.

We pull apart slightly, just enough so that we can look at each other. His eyes stare into mine. He places his hand onto my cheek, I lean into it.

We stay like this for a few seconds.

"I-" Ryan stops himself.

"You?" I ask, curious at what he was going to say.

"I love you"

I freeze. My heart is pounding. I can hear every beat. Those three words. I never thought they would be so... meaningful? My mom always said them to me, but, my boyfriend saying it? It feels completely different. Does he really love me? We've only been together for a few hours. But we've been really close throughout the whole of the summer. It feels like we've known each other for years... And he's not one to lie about how he feels.

Ryan coughs, "Sorry... I take it, that by your response, it was the wrong time to tell you that. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything. It's just that... If-if anything happened to either of us I wanted-"

I cut him off, kissing him. My hands go to his hair and neck. I comb my fingers through his hair.

His hand grips my waist. The other hand staying on my cheek.

We pull away, reluctantly.

"I Iove you too"

He smiles and hugs me tightly.

"Guys! Are you coming in or not?" Kaitlyn yells.

We sigh, and start walking towards the doors.

We slowly walk through, Abi grins at me, wiggling her eyebrows. I blush and look away.

Ryan pulls a key out of his pocket, "This'll open the nurses station. Should be plenty of stuff in there" he hands it to Kaitlyn.

Is he going somewhere?

"Well hopefully we can just get him cleaned up for now" Kaitlyn walks to Nick.

Abi goes to walk to the kitchen, "I'll get you something to eat"

Kaitlyn carries Nick to the nurses office.

That leaves me, Ryan and Dylan.

"You and me are gonna find a land-line" Ryan points to Dylan.

"What about me? Am I not coming with you..." i look to him.

"... No. Its safer if you stay here, you won't get hurt then"

"We just spoke about this Ryan" I sigh.

"I know we did, but I'm putting you first" he places both of his hands on my shoulders, "stay here, y/n"

I look to Dylan.

"No- no. Do not get me involved" he shakes his head.

I turn back to Ryan. My shoulders drop. Theres no way he'd let me go with him.

"Fine. But next time I am definitely coming with you. I'll sneak after you if I have to."

"Okay, that's acceptable" he pulls me into a hug and kisses the top of my head. I pull away and give Dylan a high five.

"Be safe DJ-Dylan" he raises his eyebrows and widens his eyes. Ryan laughs, "and you Ryan" he smiles at me.

"how- how do you know about that nickname" Dylan asks me as I walk away to Kaitlyn.

"Need any help?" I ask her.

"Yeah, could you put these in the bin please" she hands me bloodied-tissues.

I throw them away into a bin in the kitchen and walk back to the others.

"Copy that!" Kaitlyn yells to Ryan and Dylan.

"They're leaving?"

"Yeah I think they're trying to find other people- like broadcast to them that were here" Kaitlyn tells me.

I reply with an 'ah'.

"Anyhoo," she says in a sing-song voice, "you and Ryan are finally a thing" she smiles.

Nick laughs then winces, "I was dead set on the thought that I would get a girl before Ryan does.... And now here we are" he smiles lightly.

"Wait- you and Abi aren't together?" Kaitlyn questions him, shocked. Nick looks to the ground, blushing

The lights suddenly flicker then turn off completely.

"I'll check what happened, the boys probably messed with something" Kaitlyn turns around, but stops before she leaves and looks at Nick, "And you're not escaping from my questions Nicholas" she shakes her finger at him.

She leaves.

"Have you two kissed yet?" I ask him. He looks at me quickly, cheeks turning bright red, then looks away. "Oh my god you have!"

"Maybe..." he speaks quietly.

"I bet Abi's heart is, like, exploding" I exaggerate.

"Exploding?!" he laughs, "Why?"

"She's liked you for soo long... Literally the first day we got here. Love at first sight" I tease.

"Oh, yeah, she mentioned that before we got attacked..." he goes quiet again. I should try to take his mind off of what happened. Maybe it will help?

"Are you gonna ask her out?"

His face brightens up. "Yeah, if we get away from the camp"

If?

"We will get out, don't worry" I reassure, "It's not like there's some monster out there caging us in"

"Yeah...."

He looks away.

I shouldn't have brought that up.

What could he have seen?

There's no way they were attacked by a 'monster'...

Right?