Ryder the Love Expert | Protector 2.1

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

       "Ryder."

       "What?" I asked as I dug through my shirt drawer. 

       "Put on a shirt."

       "Why do you think I'm looking for one?" I asked, grabbing a shirt out of the drawer and closing it. "If you really wanted me to have a shirt on,you could have waited until after I put clothes on from my shower."

       "Yes, because I totally know whenever you're going to shower."

       I put on my shirt over my head. "How's....Lachine, right?"

       "Right," Mae said. "It's....okay."

       I looked at my laptop screen with furrowed eyebrows. "Are you sure? I thought you loved it there."

       "I did, I mean I do," she said, then sighed. "It's complicated. It doesn't really feel the same from when I lived here. I wasn't even gone for that long because I lived in Miami for six months, but it kind of feels like everybody changed and forgot me. My friends here aren't even my friends anymore. They weren't excited that I was back, even though they were extremely sad when I left. It's like they erased all memories from me."

       "I'm sorry," I said.

       "Don't be," she said. "Besides, I'll be back in Miami in a few months and I'm already counting down the days. I really miss you, Ryder."

       "I miss you too," I said. "And Tulip missed you a whole lot. I lost count about how many times I caught her crying because she misses you."

       "Aww," Mae said. "I miss her too."

       "Should I get her?" I asked.

       "Yeah, I'd love to talk to her," Mae said.

       "Okay, be right back," I said before heading to Tulip's room. She was playing with her favorite doll, sitting it up before knocking it over. Then she would sit it up again and knocked it back over, all while looking quite sad. "Tulip, what's wrong?"

       "I miss Mae," she said. "When is she coming back?"

       "In the summer," I said.

       "That's too far away," Tulip said.

       "I know," I said. "I'm talking to her on my laptop. You want to talk to her?"

       The sad look on my little sister's dace immediately turned into a smile. "Yeah!" she said, hopping up from her spot on the floor. She followed my to the bedroom and I took the laptop off of my dresser and set it on the floor. "Hi, Mae!" Tulip said once we were both sitting on the floor.

       "Hi, Tulip," Mae said with a smile. "I miss you."

       "I miss you too!" Tulip said, though this time it was spoken in a happy tone. "Guess what? Ryder took me out for ice cream yesterday! And the day before! And he said he'll do it again tomorrow!"

       "Wow, he's a nice brother," Mae said.

       "I can't help it, she's been so sad," I said. "You moving actually affects her more than it affects me, oddly enough."

       "Because I love her," Tulip said.

       "I love her too," I said. "A lot. And I miss her. A lot. Like I've told her every single time we talk."

       "Yeah," Mae said. "I miss both of you. I can't wait to move back. I may have been raised here, but I feel like Miami has always been my home. Maybe because it was where I was born."