Where The Wild Things Are // Ryan Blaney

Chapter Three

Willow

Sunday morning was a whirlwind. I listened to Ryan speak at a Body Armor event. Everyone seemed to hang onto every word he said like it was the first time they heard it, but I knew that I would hear the same words again at the next event he had, just with a new sponsor name. Claps erupted around me once Ryan bid them farewell.

I joined in, thankful that this one was done and for the next hours Ryan would be in the drivers meeting. Meaning I would have time to call my brother and talk to him. The text message I received wouldn't tide me over for the amount of time I still had here. 

Waiting until everyone had cleared out, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and immediately hit the call for a video chat.

"Aunt Wills! Happy birfday." Piper screamed at me when she answered the phone. I could see the side of her face, immediately knowing she was playing a game on her dad's phone when I called.

"Thank you, Pip. How's one of my favorite girls?" I asked.

She didn't hear me as she was running down the hallway, calling for Poppy. I heard the second patter of feet before Poppy's face was on my screen. With a scream much like her sisters, I listened as they were telling me in their toddler babble about my birfday, as Poppy pronounced it.

"Hey! Don't be telling the birthday girl what we got her!"

My brother's voice spoke from behind the camera before the screen jumbled to him sitting in the middle of Piper and Poppy.

"Aw come on, the birthday girl wants to know what she got." I gave a pout, knowing that would do the trick for my nieces to spill the beans.

"Chocolate cake? Cupcakes? Oh, you got me an ice cream cake." I went on. Robbie placed his hands over the girl's mouths, knowing they were going to spill the beans. "You, my dear sister, are evil."

"Daddy, cake?" Piper looked up at her dad. Robbie gave me a playful glare, knowing what I just started. The simple prompt caused Poppy to ask if they could show me the cake and sing Happy Birthday to me.

"We love you, Wills. Happy Birthday." Robbie told me before ending the call. 

By the time I was done on the phone, Ryan was walking out of his driver's meeting with a friend by his side. I stayed behind them, knowing I'd catch a fit if I walked anywhere close to him. The friend kept turning his head to give me looks, and I couldn't tell if it was in a bad way or not.

When Ryan was pulled to the side by Jonathon, the dark-haired friend hung back with me to wait.

"Hopefully he hasn't been too much of an ass to you." The accent hit me first. He had to be from Georgia. 

"Nothing I can't handle. Willow." I held my hand out, introducing myself.

"Chase." His hand was soft as he grasped mine, gently squeezing it as he talked. "I know he's been in a funk and can be a major asshole. It was hard for him to be too cranky with Drew since he told him to suck it up a lot, so if he gets too bad with a woman as pretty as you are, just knock him upside the head like I do."

The blush betrayed me, creeping up my cheeks. I hadn't been hit on in years, and I didn't think anyone around here would care for me like that.

"I'll keep that in mind." 

Fumbling over my words, I smiled at him before trying to walk away as quickly as I could without looking embarrassed.

It wasn't that I was embarrassed by it, I'm just sure that he was being nice, but I wasn't here for any of that relationship stuff. I'd hoped he'd get the hint if I just steered clear of him for a while.