Can't Help Falling in Love {Ryan Blaney}✔️

| twenty-eight |

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"Where are you going?" Rick asked as Lara pulled on a pair of running shoes. "There is no way you're going running. The doctor said at least two weeks, Lara."

    Lara rolled her eyes, "I know. You don't have to remind me every time I move. I'm going to Hank's, I need to at least catch up on the books." She had been home for a few days and at her grandfather's insistence, she had been staying at his house. But she was starting to go stir crazy and Hank's was the easiest place for her to go.

    "Will Ryan be there?" Rick questioned, leaning against the doorframe. "Have you talked to him at all?"

    Lara shrugged, "I haven't. I don't know what to say to him." That was the truth. She had been avoiding Ryan despite his phone calls and text messages. She knew he'd want an explanation as to what had happened and Lara was still terrified that the explanation would change everything and not in a good way.

    Rick sighed, "Lara, he called me this morning. He thinks it's his fault and that you're upset with him. You need to talk to him today."

    Lara nodded as she grabbed her keys. "I know, I know. If I see him today, I will."

    "Lara..." Her grandfather's tone warned her that she had not given him the answer he wanted. "Find him, talk to him. Today."

    "Aye, aye." Lara mock saluated as she opened the door. "I'll see you later."

    "Be smart!" Rick called from behind her.

    "Will do!" Lara called, shutting the door behind him. She got into her car to make the short drive, thinking of what he had told her. Part of her felt good that Ryan had called her grandfather, that he cared enough to be worried about her but the nagging voice in her head reminded her that he wouldn't care after he found out that she had been pregnant.

    She pulled into the parking lot of Hank's, her heart dropping a little that Ryan was there.

    The door dinged as she opened it. Ryan was at the desk, his brow furrowed in concentration. "We're closed." He said, not even bothering to look up.

    Lara took a couple of steps towards him, trying to think of a good comeback, "Good thing I own half of this place."

    Ryan's eyes snapped up to hers, wide in surprise before narrowing, "You've been avoiding me."

    Lara nodded slowly, not even bothering to deny it. "I'm sorry, Ry." She knew that she should talk to him, to lay it all out there but now that he was here, she couldn't. "I'm going to work on the books." She told him, turning towards the office.

    "So you're still going to avoid me?" Ryan scoffed. "Why Lara? Is it because I wrecked you? Could you be any more childish? I thought it was Chase that brought that out in you but it looks like I'm wrong."

    Lara turned, glaring at Ryan. How dare he. "I was pregnant, Ryan. Pregnant. With Chase's baby." She watched Ryan's eyes widen. "But it wasn't viable. I was avoiding you because I didn't want to talk about it. But I guess I don't have a choice anymore, now do I?" She didn't give him a chance to respond, she turned again practically running to the office.

    Lara fell into the desk chair, her emotions flooding out, the dam had been broken. She buried her face in her hands as the sobs wracked her body. She wasn't completely sure what she was crying about, maybe she was crying about everything that had happened. Crying about the way things had gone up in flames with Chase, crying because she had been pregnant and it could've killed her, crying because not only does Ryan know she was pregnant, he thinks she's childish.

    Lara heard the door start to open. She quickly wiped her tears, not wanting Ryan to see her cry. She watched as Ryan stepped into the room, his hair messier, eyes redder than they had been moments before.

    "Was it..." His voice shook as he tried to complete the sentence. "Was it my fault?"

    Lara shook her head, "No. It started out this way."

    "I'm sorry," Ryan's voice wavered as he whispered his apology, his voice, the look on his face melting any anger Lara had away.

    Lara wrapped her arms around herself. "It's okay. I shouldn't have just avoided you. Classic Lara with shit coping mechanisms."

    Ryan chuckled softly, running his fingers through his hair, "I should've just waited until you were ready to talk. I just felt so damn guilty that I had hurt you, I couldn't handle that."

    She shook her head, "You didn't hurt me, okay? Honestly, it was probably a good thing that you ran into me because I probably would've dismissed the pain otherwise."

    Ryan nodded slowly, "Does Chase know?"

    "He does," Lara admitted. "I need to get the books done, Ryan."

Ryan didn't say anything, running his hand through his hair again before turning and leaving. 

Lara sighed, pulling out the laptop that she kept in the office, powering it on. She started sifting through the receipts, kicking herself for putting this on the back burner. She pushed everything that had happened out of her mind, keeping her focus on getting the books done.

"I was so scared that I had lost you." Ryan's voice startled her. She had been so focused that she hadn't heard him walk back into the room. "I was so scared that you were never going to talk to me again and I had missed my chance to tell you how I feel about you."

Lara's heart pounded, "How you feel about me?" She squeaked.

Ryan shook his head, "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" Lara nodded slowly, his heart still pounding. Ryan let out a sigh. "Lara Riddick Hendrick, I am in love with you."

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