Ryder the Love Expert | Protector 2.1

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

       Spring break was going amazing with Mae here. Well, somewhat amazing. There have been a few minor hiccups, but none that had to do with me and Mae. It was more of my brother being really quiet lately.

       It was weird seeing Nolan really quiet. He was always so happy and outgoing, but few the past few days, he barely uttered a word. I would ask him about it, but he kept telling me that he was just tired. I didn't believe him, but I didn't want to push him into telling me when it was clear that he didn't want to talk about it.

       I would get it out of him eventually though. Not now, but eventually.

       "So," I said, closing my laptop and setting it on my nightstand. "What do you want to do today? Anything, name it."

       "Shopping in Paris?" Mae suggested. "Go to the Eiffel Tower? Ooh, how about the Leaning Tower of Pisa?"

       I snorted. "I mean something we can do in Miami, not Europe."

       "I know," Mae said, giving me a smile. "I haven't been to the beach in a while."

       "The beach it is," I said, hopping off of my bed and going to my dresser to get my swim trunks on. Mae went to her suitcase, pulling her bikini out and a sundress.

       "Don't look," she said. 

       "I'm totally going to look."

       Mae gave me a flat look and grabbed a pillow off of my bed before throwing it at me. "I hate you."

       "I love you too," I said before turning away to get changed. 

       Once we were both changed, I got two beach towels from the closet in the hallway while Mae looked for a beach bag. Once she found one, we put the towels in there as well as a blanket to sit on.

       "Dad, Mae and I are going to the beach," I said once we were downstairs. "We won't be here for dinner."

       "Okay," Dad said. "You should take Stitch with you."

       "Oh my gosh, I'm taking Stitch with me," I said before calling Stitch's name.

       Nolan walked downstairs, carrying Stitch. "Here," he said in a quiet voice.

       "Thanks," I said, taking Stitch from Nolan. "And you and I are going to talk when I get back from the beach."

       "Talk about what?" he asked. "There's nothing to talk about."

       "You and I both know there is," I said before walking to the front door where Mae was waiting. I grabbed Stitch's leash off of the hook by the door before Mae and I left. 

       Before heading to the beach, we stopped off at the grocery store to get some food. Mae stayed in the car with Stitch while I went in the store to get the food. I paid for everything and went back to the car before driving to the beach.

       When we got there, I carried Stitch and the grocery bags while Mae carried the beach bag. We found a spot, which took a while because the beach was crowded due to the fact that it was spring break. Mae set up the blanket and we sat down.

       I set Stitch on the ground, but he hopped up onto my lap instead. "He loves you a lot," Mae said with a smile.

       "Yeah, I'm his favorite," I said. "When I went to visit you, he was excited when I came back. My dad is jealous because he loved otters way before I did. But they're so cute." Stitch started climbing all over me until he was sitting on top of my head.