Two Pieces

Rylee scanned the address Ryan said to meet at. She arrived at what looked to be a Pizza place and searched for him. She finally spotted him sitting alone at an umbrella-covered table beside the restaurant. She sifted through the crowd of people and made her way over to him.

“Hi, Rylee. Glad you could make it,” he said, pulling out a chair so she could sit.

Rylee smiled and thanked him quietly before speaking, “Yep, I’m here. So, where is your friend?”

She was curious now. Did he intend to get her alone? Maybe she was just being paranoid.

“He couldn’t make it. He’s hung-over,” said Ryan, laughing.

Rylee nodded. She’s heard that excuse before.

“I’ll get the food. Just sit and relax.”

“Okay. . .” said Rylee.

Paranoid thoughts re-entered her mind as she waited for him to return. What if he was trying to win her over, somehow? He knows I’m married, she told herself. What if he’s trying to get laid? No. I’m like the size of a whale, she reassured herself. She sighed and pushed those thoughts from her mind. She needed to accept the fact that she made a friend on her own and he just so happens to be of the opposite sex. She just wasn’t used to hanging out with people that was not affiliated with Matt.

“Here ya go,” said Ryan, setting a huge slice of pizza in front of her.

Rylee’s mouth watered at the sight. “Mmm. This looks delish!”

Ryan chuckled and nodded in agreement. They made small talk while eating their pizza. Topics like the weather and tour were passed back and forth, nothing serious.

“I’m so stuffed,” said Rylee, rubbing her stomach.

“Me too,” he agreed, belching.

Rylee scrunched up her face in disgust.

“Hey, at least it came out my mouth and not my ass,” he laughed.

Rylee shrugged her shoulders, “You have a point there.”

He smiled at her and reached for his backpack, pulling out a drawing pad and pencil. Rylee gazed at all of his artwork as he flipped to a new page.

“Wow, you are really good.”

Ryan made a so-so motion with his hand, “Thanks. I can use some more practice though.”

Rylee smacked her lips, “C’mon, dude, give yourself more credit.”

Ryan didn’t acknowledge her comment as he was already immersed in his work, quickly sketching something on the page. Rylee gasped when she saw what he was sketching. It was her. And it was really good. Minutes were flying by and she began to recognize herself more, bit by bit. From her facial structure, all the way down to her rounded stomach. Rylee found his steady breathing and the sounds of sketching calming; her hand absentmindedly rubbed soft circles into her stomach. An hour later, he was finished. He brushed off the eraser shreds before holding the drawing up for her to see.

“I hope it does you justice. Be honest if it’s shitty,” he said, second-guessing his work.

“Dude, it’s beautiful. I love it. Don’t be so hard on yourself, okay?”

Ryan’s face broke out into a huge grin.

“Thanks.”

Rylee nodded.

“If you want, I can add some color to this and give it to you tomorrow?”

“That would be awesome,” Rylee responded, grinning.

“Okay, cool.”

It was silent for few seconds before Rylee checked the time.

“It’s nearing 6 o’clock. I should head back to the bus."

“I’ll walk you back,” he said while packing away his stuff.

___________________

“Everything okay on the bus?” Ryan asked as they neared her bus.

Rylee stopped walking.

“Why do you ask?”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Just asking. .”

Rylee gave him a confused look. “But why? Does it seem like things aren’t okay?”

He looked perplexed before finally spilling, “There’s word going around about you and your husband’s issues.”

Rylee froze. The more she thought about her personal life being not so personal, the more pissed she got.

“Are you fucking serious?” she asked, voice rising.

Ryan flinched at her growing anger.

“Sadly, yes. Don’t worry, none of the Avenged guys’ spread the word. It was one of the Avenged Sevenfold dancers.”

Rylee put two and two together. It was that blonde chick Matt was caught kissing. She was almost certain it was her.

“So, you’re telling me that the skank my husband was caught with, works for him?”

Ryan nodded, fearful of what he might have possibly started.

Rylee let out a stale laugh. “Thanks, Ryan. I sure as hell didn’t know that. My husband obviously didn’t inform me.”

She started walking toward the bus.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay. . . ” he responded.

Rylee could feel her blood boil as she neared the bus. When she entered, she found Matt standing by the entrance.

“Who the fuck was that?” he asked, pissed off.

“None of your damn business,” she said, trying to get past him.

“Rylee. Don’t fucking play games with me. I wanna know who you were with for 3 hours.”

His face reddened with each passing second.

Rylee stopped and whipped around, glaring daggers into him, “I was with a friend, Matthew. Okay?”

Matt moved closer and glowered down at her.

“Are you sleeping with him?”

Rylee stepped back. She looked at him in utter disbelief. Cheating? Seriously? The fact that he could think she would do that to him felt like slap in the face. After all the bullshit he put her through, he had the audacity to ask if she was cheating. She was pregnant for Christ sake! And for the sake of their child, she had to walk away from this argument before it got worse.

“No. And the fact that you think I would do that is really fucking low.”

Angry tears pooled into her eyes at the accusatory look on his face.

“You know what, Matt? Fuck you!” she said, before stumping to the back of the bus and slamming the door behind her.