THE THIRD P3RSON

•Chapter 29•

Ryan was being impossible. 

I hid my face using him as a human shield. He's cracking up but I couldn't handle it. I'm trying not to show him my face as I smack his arm.  As much as I wanted to be as invisible as possible around his family, Ryan was trying his hardest to make sure my presence was known. I both hated and loved it. What is wrong with him?

"Julianna, c'mon. Why aren't you watching?" Ryan teased.

My failure of a combo move was replayed on the TV.

"Are you kidding me? It's embarrassing!" 

Ryan laughs some more and I smack the back of his head. He gives me a kiss on the forehead but I push him towards the other side of the couch while smiling. "You cheated. I want a rematch."

Dean slides in next to me. "You heard her. You cheated, Ryan."

I give Dean a look. "Please move."

Ryan's amusement fades away and he motions to his cell phone on my lap. "Watch it, Dean. You move any closer and she'll call Jadalyn."

I'm not really sure I wanna know who this "Jadalyn" is. From what I've been hearing, she goes on "missions" and I'm okay with just knowing that. I'm not so sure I'm even allowed to ask what the work field Dean and his family work in. I'd rather not bring it up. 

Dean puts his hands up in surrender and even goes as far as moving onto the floor. "No. Ryan, no need to. I don't need her to threaten me again. Our missions are impossible as it is. Pun intended."

While Dean is cracking up at his own joke, I'm watching him while resisting the urge to join him. Ryan gets up, takes my controller out of my hands, and goes to shut off the game console. I get up and hand him his phone. He takes it and then he takes my hand while pulling me towards the kitchen. I hear Dean gasp and I look at him in worry. He nods to signal that he meant to get Ryan's attention instead of mine. 

"I feel really neglected right now, Ryan!" Dean yells from his spot on the floor. I watch Dean turn the Play Station back on while winking at me.

Ryan looks at me while he says, "He'll be fine when his girlfriend gets here. "

"Dean seems like a good reason to ditch the barbeques," I whisper to him, whole-heartedly joking.

Ryan looks back to where Dean would be. I step into the kitchen and hear Ashley's laugh.

"Grey Hairs, you haven't changed a bit!" 

I turn to see Ashley wrapped in Alexander's arms, laughing with Grey. Seeing the three of them, I could see how they were when they were younger. Grey would be the 'sarcastic but secretly the mom friend' one. Ashley would be the secretly badass one and Alexander would be the one to be the spontaneous one but would probably beat someone up if he felt like it. 

Grey takes a sip from his cup and laughs with them. "I'm not that old, Ashley."

Alexander reaches up to squeeze both of Ashley's cheeks together. "This woman aged twenty years when she almost choked on a potato chip. Let her make her jokes."

I had to keep my laugh hidden. Ryan was behind me, always keeping me close and safe. I felt him laugh under his breath. The grown-ups still haven't realized we had stepped into the kitchen and it looks like Ryan wanted it to stay that way for a while longer. I was fine with that. I liked seeing Grey this way. Ashley tugged on Alexander's hands that were around her waist. Grey and Alexander laughed while she struggled until she squeezed one of Alexander's hands in hers. He let out a yelp and pulled his hands back.

"That's what you get for underestimating me." She gave a triumphant laugh.

"Al, she's not the head of her department for nothing." Grey teases his friend while tilting his beer back.

"Yeah, but a-an officer?" Alexander tells him.

I pull Ryan's hand forward and motion for him to duck so I could ask him, "Ryan, what exactly do they do?"

He whispers back an answer. His chin moves up and down on my shoulder, "Secret stuff for the government. Dean likes to joke about magic and potions but I've never seen anything like that."

I nod. I'm smiling because we both know I'm ticklish and I know he knows because he lets out an airy laugh from behind me and almost starts full on laughing before I elbowed his stomach. 

"Then, we have them who can't keep their hands off each other," Grey says in our direction.

I jump out from Ryan's semi-hug and head towards the fridge while feeling like I was caught for doing something I shouldn't. Ashley blocks my way. I jump back. Why do I feel cornered?

"I told you we should've gone somewhere else when we had the chance." Ryan teases me from his spot on the doorway.

If he were any closer I would push him. "Shut up, Ryan."

"Sure thing, Miss. Pretty." He responds.

From next to Grey, Alexander rubs a hand to his head. "Elders, they sound just like them."

"Like who?" I ask.

Ashley gives me a side hug and even though I feel a little awkward, I know she wouldn't cause me any harm. She smiles at me saying, "My best friend and her husband. They are just like you two."

Grey shakes his head and all eyes turn to him. He gestures from Ryan to me. "Please. They are nothing like Reginald and Stephanie."

Ashley moves over to Grey. "Really? Think of everything that makes them, well, them! They don't remind you of them even a little?"

I narrow my eyes at Grey, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Exactly how much did you tell them about us?"

Alexander answers instead, smiling,"Us? Well, we've known Ryan since he was born. Ryan's been only telling us about you since-"

"OKAY! That is enough embarrassing Ryan." A new voice says from the hallway.

Ryan looks up at the kitchen ceiling. "I love you so much for showing up right now, Jadalyn. You keep me sane." Ryan smiles my way and I feel our smiles grow bigger the longer I look at him.

Dork. He looks like he's on drugs and I probably look the same. 

I smile back feeling a little dizzy. The footsteps grow closer and a hand shows itself through the doorway. Thank goodness for her. I thought I'd die. Jadalyn steps into the kitchen holding cookies on a platter and I blink in surprise. I didn't know what to expect when Dean and Ryan talked about her. A girl my age stepped into the kitchen, going around kissing everyone on the cheek while saying hello.

She put the cookies on the counter next to me and I helped her, not sure what else to do. I stayed quiet, looking at the cookies to make sure they didn't fall when I looked away. I glanced up at her.

Jadalyn wiped her hands on her rose-colored sundress and held a hand out to me. "I'm Jadalyn West. I've heard a lot about you. I apologize on behalf of my adopted family for causing you such stress." Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced towards the ceiling with a tired sigh. " I heard Dean was misbehaving, but, rest assured, he will receive punishment as well."

We hear the controller fall on the floor and Dean yelling from the living room."Damn it!" 

"Nice to meet you. I'm Julianna Jones." I laugh and reach for her hand. It was warm. "I've also heard a lot about you, too. Thank you for coming when you did."

"Always the one to calm everyone, Jade." Ryan laughs while shaking his head.

Grey butts in too,"That's Jadalyn for you."

"If I may ask without intruding," Jadalyn eyes Ryan who was still blocking the doorway,"Ryan, is she your significant other?"

Ryan's eyes snap in my direction and I freeze.

Hahaha. Ha. Crap.