Supposed To Be Mine

Chapter 8

UNEDITED

While Landen and River take a joy ride around the track, Ryan returns to Anastasia's side. She was tapping the tip of one of her heels and had her arms crossed. "What's gotten into you? What are you picking on them?"

"I'm not." He shoves his hands in his pockets. "She didn't want to go with him, and I don't want him to traumatize her."

"They'll be fine." She moves close to him and grips his biceps. "Let them have fun."

He looks back at the speeding car. "He shouldn't be going so fast with her in there."

"I understand that you're worried, but it's their lives." She reassures him.

He nods in agreement, turns his whole body around; and follows the car with his glare.

Ana was used to Ryan's quiet nature but, what she wasn't accustomed to, was him having a sister or the now concern he has for her. She should have known though. It's in him to worry and avoid as many risks as possible with what, and who he cares for. He was responsible, considerate, reserved, and unrelenting. His brother, on the other hand, the exact opposite. Landen was reckless, careless, shameless, and impulsive. She could see that River coming back, may cause some issues between them. "Let's go back to the skybox; daddy is probably here by now." She grasps his forearm and tugs a bit.

He nods again, but his eyes were still on the moving car. "Maybe we could show River the view from up there."

"I guess if she'd like that." She agrees.

A few minutes later, River jumped out of the car and noticed Ryan stalking towards her. Thinking maybe he was going to argue with Landen again, she rushes over near him. Now, this wouldn't be River, if she didn't stumble onto his chest. "Oh; I'm so sorry." She apologizes in a small panicky voice, then wipes hair that had fallen onto her face. She ends up gazing into his hooded eyes distractingly. Was it normal that she felt surges of a tingly sensation where he grabbed her upper arms?

"Be careful." He states sternly.

She sighs. "I'm sorry."

He releases her and "Would you like to see the view from the skybox?" He points subtlety towards it. "Anastasia's father is the owner." He explains.

Covering her eyes from the beaming sun, she glances at Landen zooming around the track, and then at the glass box in the corner right of the arena. "It's kind of high."

"It's safer than the fiberglass car you were just thrusting around in." He drawls.

Her brows lift. "Point taken." He's grumpy today. "Which way?" She asks.

She followed close behind Anastasia, while Ryan followed close behind her. It was awkward going into the building, and then into the small elevator with no one saying a word. Being around the two of them has her stomach tied up in knots. Especially when Anastasia had her fingers delicately wrapped around his bicep. Let it go River, he's not yours, never was, never will be.

Once they arrived, Ana excused herself immediately and entered a door within the skybox. Ryan takes off his jacket and lays it on a sofa. "Would you like something to drink?" He makes a gesture with a hand to the huge rectangular glass, insisting that she take a look.

"No." Hesitantly, she takes a few steps closer, but not to close. She could see everything so clearly. The track was an unidentifiable shape that she kept trying to find a picture for and the people were little people. It was definitely the best seats in the house, with comfortable sofas, a little bar, a small fridge, and more.

"Why don't you take a closer look." Ryan's warm breath touches the back of her left shoulder.

Unknowingly to her, he was looming inches behind her. Soft, and slow, she inhales, and involuntarily, her eyelids fall from the weakness. "I'm afraid." She whispers. She could feel, and hear him stepping in front of her. She forces her eyes open and connects with his instantly.

"Why?" He puts a water bottle to his mouth and takes a few gulps before capping it. "That's glass." He glances towards it and back at her. "Go take a look. It's safe."

Why was his every move, and every word; why did it all feel so captivating? Like an unbreakable magnetic pull. She nods, swallows, and finds herself distractingly gazing again.

Suddenly, his eyes draw to a moving someone coming their way; and who else would it be."

"Ryan, daddy needs you." Ana comes back and comes near them.

Ryan nods subtly, tosses his bottle on a sofa, and glances back at River. "Go, get a better view; it's why I brought you here"

Then, he had the nerve to leave her alone with his fiancé who, she has only had a few awkward words within the elevator on the day of the anniversary party. The word, 'Hi' was supposed to come rolling off her tongue, instead, her knees bent and her legs took her closer to her fear of heights. Her logic knew that she was being overly dramatic, but the fear was still there. She made it about a foot from the glass window and wanted to turn around. She felt like she was going to fall out. Instead of turning around, she stretches her hand out to touch the glass; just to clarify in her clouded brain that it was real.

"River, right?" Ana stood beside her now.

"Ahh!" She screams in horror and covers her chest. She was concentrating too much on the glass.

Perplexed, Ana eyed her as she belonged in the insane asylum. She didn't just look at her like she was a crazy person, she looked at her like she was a flesh-eating diseased crazy person.

River takes long breaths. "Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I wasn't... I didn't-"

"It's okay." Ana smiles tightly. "I see why Ryan worries about you." She adjusts her clothes and hair as if River's Scream blew her into disarray.

"What do you mean?"

"I just see that you're a little; I wanna say, clumsy."

"Oh." River tried not to look so confused. Does Ryan worry about her? His fiancé is okay with that?

"I don't mean anything by that." Ana clarifies. "I hope I didn't offend you, I'm trying to understand sibling love."

"Sibling love?" River questions.

"Yeah, I don't have any. I was just trying to understand why Ryan is so protective of you."

Does Ryan think of her as a sister? She's been having these, moist, oozy-goozy feelings for him and he's been seeing her as a sibling. Shock winded her. She thought she was going to marry him, she thought he had feelings for her at one point. Damn, she felt like a nut. What else would he think of you as River? She scolds herself. Brotherly love and protectiveness are what it's been all along. She's been wanting it to be more. She wished so badly at this moment that she had more time to get over him.

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