Love So Sweet

Ryan was silent on the drive home when they left the bar after midnight. Danni drummed her fingers on the door, humming along softly to the radio as he drove. When he parked in their space, she looked over and smiled at him.

"Did you have fun tonight?"

"Mmhmm," he answered tightly before stepping out of his truck. Danni followed from her side and hurried to catch up with him at the elevators, slipping her hand into his.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Ry, something is bugging you; I can tell. Do you want to talk about it? Is it the team? I know the season hasn't gone exactly like you guys wanted but it's still okay."

"It's not the team, Danni. At least not all of them."

She looked at him in confusion as he tugged his hand free of hers when the elevators opened and stepped on, jabbing at the button for their floor. She stepped on after him and they stood against opposite walls.

"Did I do something?" She asked just before the doors slid open on their floor.

Ryan stepped off the elevator without a word and Danni followed a step behind. He opened their door and walked inside, leaving Danni to close and lock the door behind them. She watched as he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it before making his way down the hall to the bedroom without answering.

Not sure if she should follow, Danni stared down the dark hall as she debated her choices. She had never seen Ryan angry, not even after the worst loss, and he had never not talked to her if something was bothering him.

His silence hurt her, especially since she had no idea why. When she saw the light under the door of their bedroom turn off, she felt the first of her tears slip down her cheeks. She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone and texted Roni.

Can I come over?

I'm at Taylor's. What's wrong?

Nothing. It's nothing. Sorry to bug you.

Taylor says he's leaving right now to pick you up. He'll be there in five minutes.

No, don't let him do that. I'm fine.

It's almost one in the morning and you want to come over. It's not fine and Taylor already left.

I'll go wait for him downstairs.

I'll have wine ready when you get here.

Danni hadn't taken off her coat or shoes and her purse still hung from her shoulder. She made sure she had her keys before opening and closing the door behind her. She made her way to the elevator and down to their buildings lobby. She watched for Taylor, still clutching her phone in her hand, hoping Ryan would step off the elevator and take her back to their apartment, or even just call to ask where she had gone.

But he didn't.

When Taylor pulled up at the curb, she swiped at her eyes again and hurried out the door, climbing into the car with him.

"Sorry for interrupting your night," she said quietly.

"It's okay," Taylor smiled, reaching across to squeeze her hand before pulling away. "I'm sure Roni will have wine but I've got fireball at home if you need something stronger."

Danni laughed. "Yeah, that might be a good idea."

Taylor changed the subject by asking Danni about her students and what was going on in her class. Danni was grateful for the topic and rambled on about the kids in her class for the rest of the drive and until the elevator in his building came to a stop on his floor. He led the way down the short hall and let Danni inside first where Roni waited.

Roni pulled her friend into a hug and dragged her to the couch just as a fresh round of tears burst from Danni's eyes.

"What happened? What's wrong? Everything seemed fine when you left the club."

"I don't know! He wouldn't talk to me on the ride home or in the elevator."

"What about once you were inside your place?"

"Nothing! He went to bed. Turned out the light and just nothing."

"Danni, I'm so sorry. He didn't say anything?"

"No! And that's not Ryan. That wasn't my Ryan."

Roni looked across the room to Taylor who was leaning against the wall, listening. "He's jealous," he spoke up. Danni pulled back from Roni and looked up at him.

"Of what?"

"Benny."

"What?!"

"We all saw the way he looked at you the night he met you; Ryan might look dumb but he isn't that dumb. That kiss tonight, before you danced with him? That was not the kind of kiss Nuge gives you in public. That was the kind of kiss to mark you."

"So you're saying that he's mad at me, because I danced with Benoit, after he told me to dance with him?"

"I didn't say it made sense but yes, that's why he's being an ass right now. He loves you, but he's worried he's going to lose you to the frenchie. He probably thinks he's protecting himself."

"That is the most asinine thing I've ever heard," Roni blurted out. "Danni leave Ryan? Did he miss the fact that she's madly in love with him?"

"I told you it didn't make any sense," he called out over his shoulder. He was back in a few moments with the bottle of fireball and three glasses. "I can get you a Pouliot jersey before tomorrow's game, really stick it to him if you want."

Danni giggled. "You would think that's a good plan."

"It's a great plan. I can get you mine or Ebs if you prefer."

"I'd rather have Ryan's," she said softly.

Roni hugged her as Taylor poured shots. "So can I kick Ryan's ass or am I leaving those honors to you?"



Danni and Roni were giggling in Taylor's bed the next morning when he walked in after practice. "I got breakfast," he said, holding up a box of doughnuts. "And there's coffee in the kitchen." He leaned against the door frame with a smirk. "Damn. Two hot girls in my clothes and I didn't even get to sleep with either of them."

The two girls laughed again. Since she hadn't had any other clothes, Taylor had loaned Danni a shirt and sweatpants to wear to bed and had taken the couch while the two girls slept in the bed. Roni got out of bed first and kissed Taylor before taking the doughnuts and skipping to the kitchen.

Danni followed a beat later and kissed Taylor's cheek. "Thanks, Hallsy."

"No problem. I didn't tell him you were here."

She studied him for a second. "He didn't ask either, did he?"

"No. He was uncharacteristically quiet. He didn't talk to anyone he didn't have to all practice. He even stomped around a little. You're still coming tonight though, right?"

"Of course," she smiled.

"Good. Look really hot so Nuge knows he screwed up," he added, throwing an arm around her shoulders and leading her to the kitchen.

Several hours later, Roni parked at Danni's apartment so Danni could get dressed for the game. They waited until they knew Ryan would have left for the game and they both went up together.

"It looks like your boyfriend is helpless without you," Roni observed as they made their way towards the bedroom. There were dirty dishes strewn across the kitchen counters and clothes scattered across the bedroom floor.

"Ryan is messy. The night I met him, when I convinced him to take me home with him, his bedroom was a disaster. But while I was changing into clothes he gave me, he stuffed things into his closet to try and clean up for me."

"You slept with Ryan the night you met him?"

"No," she laughed. "We watched a movie and I stayed the night but we didn't. We didn't until like three months after we met."

"Really? Wow. You have better willpower than I do. I gave into Taylor that night after he showed up at the school with all those art supplies."

They shared a laugh and Danni found herself picking up after Ryan as she made her way into their closet. When she came out, Roni whistled. "You look hot!"

"Is it too much?" Danni asked self consciously.

"Hell no! It's perfect."

Dark wash jeans, artfully ripped, tapering down her leg and rolled just above her ankle were paired with blue and black strappy, caged peep toe heels. A black knit sweater on top finished the look. She added a draped, 20 strand beaded orange necklace to complete the look.

"Ready?" Danni asked.

"Ready. Wanna grab dinner first?"

"Yeah, sure."