Boys and Girls, Part III: Can't Stay Away

Chapter 1 – Moving Day

“Almost there,” Jason directed. Ryan and he neared the top step before moving the large television through the doorway of Delaney’s apartment. Ryan swore loudly the entire way – since when had a plasma television weighed so much?

To make matters worse, Joe and Lani’s boyfriend, Hunter, breezed past, carrying a much larger, much heavier-looking bureau. Those two were like solid granite lumps. How was it possible to compete with them?

Jason and Ryan set the television on the ground in Delaney’s apartment living room, when a whining voice called from the bottom of the steps. “Hey Richie Rich! How’s about hiring a moving service.” It was Jacy.

“Don’t like them,” Jason answered from Delaney’s apartment. “Besides, I’ve got more than enough help right here.”

As Jason and Ryan walked back out into the hallway, Jacy slowly trudged up the steps, carrying a large box. She was huffing and a scowl was painted across her visage. “How come Red and Blondie get to guard the moving truck?”

Jason took the box from Jacy and flashed her his most charming grin. “Because they’re weaklings compared to you, Jacy. I need a girl who can walk up four flights, carrying a box of books without breaking a sweat.”

Jacy’s eyes widened. “I was carrying books? What do you need books for, do you even know how to read?”

“Ha ha,” Jason deadpanned before walking into the apartment with his books.

Jacy regarded Ryan desperately. “Why couldn’t they move into his apartment? You guys have got an elevator in the apartment, right?”

Ryan shook his head. “We walk stairs too.”

“But he’s rich!” Jacy protested.

“But I’m not,” Ryan answered. “I couldn’t possibly split the rent on a place with elevators.”

Jacy looked uncomfortable for a second. “Are you going to be by yourself, then?”

“Actually, no,” he answered. “Joe is moving in with me.”

“Really?” Jacy asked, surprised. “I mean, I thought he might want to move in with Steph.”

“He doesn’t want to do that,” Ryan answered, heading downstairs. “Steph’s place is way beyond his price range, and he doesn’t want to be a squatter either. Plus, I’ll get someone to help me split the rent.”

Jacy nodded in understanding. As they got to the first floor entrance, they saw Delaney and Stephanie chatting away about God knows what in front of the moving truck. Jacy shot them a scowl and cleared her throat.

“Excuse me!”

Delaney and Stephanie barely acknowledged her. As Ryan crept into the truck, he saw Lani test-lifting the boxes for weight. God, she was gorgeous even when she performed manual labor.

“Why don’t you grab the lamp?” Ryan suggested.

Lani turned around, surprised. “I just don’t want to get stuck with a box of books. What kind of idiot would carry books four flights up?”

Even though Ryan had found it difficult to show any signs of happiness around Lani right now, he still had to suppress a smile. “I have no idea.”

Lani finally located a box that she was comfortable lifting. She stood to her full height, holding the box. As she walked toward the entrance of the truck’s loading/unloading area, Ryan studied the woman who had consumed his thoughts the entire summer. She was clad in tan Capri pants and an onyx-colored halter-top. Her skin appeared even tanner than when he had last seen her in early June – that’s the Hawaiian sun for you – and her jet black hair was very long now, flowing way past her shoulders.

Ryan picked up a box of Jason’s things and walked over to Jacy, who was waiting at the entrance. “It feels like clothes.”

Jacy looked slightly relieved. However, as she accepted the box, she slightly stumbled backwards. “Does he wear chain mail and metal armor or something?” she asked sarcastically.

Ryan laughed. “Only on weekends.”

****

Lani might have had the best summer of her life if she hadn’t constantly been thinking about Ryan Mackey and his devilish good-looking ways. Hunter had a few weeks leave, and Lani smelled a proposal in the near future. Unfortunately, she wasn’t so sure that a proposal was really what she wanted at the moment.

Hunter was a physical god. He was taller and more muscular than even Joe, and he was just as good-looking – if not more – than either Jason or Ryan. At 6’6”, Hunter actually made Lani feel short, and she loved that feeling that a guy could tower over her; it was akin to him being able to protect her. He was also almost 260 lbs, so Lani never felt self-conscious that she might overpower him.

But the most important thing about Hunter was that he was everything that her father approved of. Captain Quentin Bennett loved his late wife and daughter more than anything else in the world, and he only wanted the best for Lani. In his opinion, Hunter was the best. Recently promoted to the ranks of lieutenant of the U.S. Navy, Hunter was on the fast track of becoming a young success. He was twenty-six years old, but that didn’t matter much to Lani’s father, who had married Lani’s mother when she had been twenty-two and he had been thirty-three. Lani knew the importance of appeasing her father – a father who she had spent the past twenty-one years of her life, trying to please.

“Hey babe,” Hunter cooed as Lani reached the top step. He kissed her on the lips before taking the box from her.

“Thanks for doing this,” she whispered.

“Your friends are my friends,” Hunter replied, giving her another kiss for good measure.

“Get a room!” a whiny voiced called out from the bottom of the fourth floor steps. Jacy slowly ascended the steps carrying another of Jason’s boxes. Ryan was right beside her, also carrying a box; his expression was also one of displeasure.

Lani had thought back to the day she had arrived at LAX with Hunter. Everyone had given both of them a rather warm reception, save Ryan. He smiled at her but didn’t even really acknowledge Hunter. Lani wasn’t stupid; she knew how Ryan felt about her, and she knew that Hunter was getting caught in the middle.

Jacy squeezed herself past the pair, while Ryan maneuvered his way around them. He didn’t even make eye contact with Lani. Ryan’s inconsistent behavior toward her shouldn’t have been so bothersome, but it did bug Lani. She considered Ryan a friend; he’d helped to bring Jason and Delaney together, after all. She knew what a good guy Ryan was, despite his cockiness and stubborn nature, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to let go of his friendship.

“How many boxes are left?” Jason asked, wiping his hands on his jeans.

“After I took one and Ryan and Jacy took one…” Lani began, doing a quick calculation in her head, “…six more?”

Jason nodded. “Okay, so the guys take one box each, and if you and Jacy could each grab one more –
“What?” an angry voice shouted from inside the apartment. Jacy stomped out, her long, dark brown hair clinging to her face. “Moneybags, you better be feeding me after this!”

Jason promised to before urging Jacy downstairs. He briefly turned at the foot of the steps to Lani just as the others, except Ryan followed. “Ailani, could you go get Ryan? I think he’s still setting the stuff down in the bedroom.”

“Sure,” she answered. She turned around and headed into the apartment – her old apartment. She lingered in the living room, and took in the new furnishings. Jason had brought his big TV and some other pricey electronics. Ailani’s photographs with Delaney still remained on the sill in front of the big living room window. Hunter, Jason, and Joe had helped her move her things just a few days before into the same complex as Jacy. That was part of the reason why Jacy had been convinced to help out…well that plus the promise of a sushi dinner. Ryan remained noticeably MIA.

Lani was happy for Jason and Delaney. They were happy. She was happy for Joe and Stephanie, as well. They were happily married now (she still had a hard time believing that one though). Lani was a little regretful that she had obviously missed out on so much over the summer. Her friends were so important to her, and she felt like she had missed out on the biggest changes in their lives.

She had missed Ryan too – her newest friend. Thoughts of him kept coming back at the most inconvenient moments…like when she and Hunter were alone together. Lani remembered things like punching Ryan and yelling at Ryan and…other not-so-pleasant things, but she also remembered how every moment they were within ten feet of each other, an electrical surge punctuated the air around them. Ryan had always regarded her so intensely with his powerfully emotive gray eyes – like he would pounce on Lani if she wasn’t on her guard.

The object of her thoughts suddenly appeared out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to face him, she caught Ryan staring at her like he always seemed to do. He didn’t look ashamed – just didn’t want to be caught doing it.

“Jason wants us to grab one more box,” she informed him. “I guess we’re done then.”

Ryan nodded and walked right past Lani. She didn’t expect him to smile or anything, but his stoic indifference was really beginning to bug the crap out of her, and if somebody didn’t acknowledge the 500-lb gorilla in the room sooner or later, she was going to explode.

“Jason, are you mad at me?”

Ryan turned around and regarded her with a dumbfounded expression. “What?”

“You’ve been kind of…cold to me.”

Ryan just rolled his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lani.”

Lani glared at him. “You’re mad about Hunter, right?”

Ryan laughed, but it was one of those mean laughs that didn’t make you feel warm inside. “What’s to be mad about? He seems like a stand-up guy.”

“He is,” Lani responded.

“Well good for you,” Ryan added nastily. “Hope you guys have a great life together.”

“I told you that I had a boyfriend!” Lani added desperately. “Why are you being such a prick about this?”

“You neglected to mention that you were bringing Rambo back to school with you!” Ryan shot back. “I don’t need to see you with him, that’s all!”

Lani’s eyes narrowed. “Just because you don’t see us together doesn’t change the fact that we are, Ryan.” When Ryan didn’t answer, Lani continued. “I really want us to still be friends.”

A slow grin spread across Ryan’s features, but something about the grin wasn’t comforting. He laughed at Lani’s sincerity and just shook his head. “I don’t want to be your friend, Lani.”

Lani’s stomach sank. “Why the hell not?”

“I don’t have to explain myself,” Ryan answered immaturely.

“What,” Lani began, “are you just pissed that I was already in a relationship when you asked me out?”

“You led me on,” he said in a low voice. “I hate when females do that!”

“I sooo did not lead you on!” she spat out. “I didn’t even know you felt that way about me.”

“A guy would have to be lacking a pulse not to feel something when he sees you, Ailani,” Ryan answered back.

It was pretty much a compliment. Still, Lani didn’t like the fact that he was accusing her of wrongdoing.

“Look,” she began again, “I’m sorry that you think I led you on…”

He frowned.

“But,” she continued, “I think we’re both mature enough to work past this. We’ve got two sets of friends who are going to be with each other for life, so we’re going to be in the same room together on more than one occasion. I think it would behoove us to make this friendship work.”

Ryan snorted. “I think it would behoove you not to talk to me like that.”

Lani scowled. “Why do you have to be such a goddamn child about this?”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Look, Lani. If you want to ask me to take you out on a date, I’d do it in a heartbeat. You ask me to kiss you, it’d be my pleasure.” He slowly walked over in front of her and lowered his voice. “You ask me for some sex…just tell me where and when.”

Lani scoffed and attempted to push Ryan away, but he grabbed her wrists and looked her dead in the eye.

“But do not ask me to be your friend…not after knowing what you now know,” he ordered.

Footsteps echoed along the hallway. Lani pulled her wrists from Ryan’s strong grasp, and he reluctantly let go. Jacy’s voice drifted upwards first. She walked into the living room before the others, and when she saw Ryan and Lani standing alone together, a look of suspicion crossed her features. She said nothing to incriminate the two, even though they had a good idea that she knew something was up.

Instead, Jacy went on with her complainer’s routine. “You two better haul your asses down to that truck because Red and Blondie aren’t lifting a finger, and I sure as hell am not walking up those steps again.” God bless her. Ryan and Lani darted past her and passed Jason, Joe, and Hunter along the way. They acted as if nothing was wrong.

But that really wasn’t the case, was it?

****

A/N: God! Are these two hot or what? Please R & R!