15-05-2021-052358It-Ends-with-Us

seated on top of it, leaning against the wall with my leg stretched out
in front of me.
“Well, the good news is that it isn’t broken.”
“What’s the bad news?” I ask him.
He opens the first aid kit and says, “You’ll need to stay off of it for a
few days. Maybe even a week or more, depending on how it heals.”
I close my eyes and lean my head against the wall behind me. “But
I have so much to do,” I whine.
He carefully begins to wrap my ankle. Allysa is standing behind
him, watching him wrap it.
“I’m thirsty,” Marshall says. “Anybody want something to drink?
There’s a CVS across the street.”
“I’m good,” Ryle says.
“I’ll take a water,” I say.
“Sprite,” Allysa says.
Marshall grabs her hand. “You’re coming with.”
Allysa pulls her hand from his and crosses her arms over her chest.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she says. “My brother can’t be trusted.”
“Allysa, it’s fine,” I tell her. “He was making a joke.”
She stares at me silently for a moment, and then says, “Okay. But
you can’t fire me if he pulls more stupid shit.”
“I promise I won’t fire you.”
With that, she grabs Marshall’s hand again and leaves the room.
Ryle is still wrapping my foot when he says, “My sister works for you?”
“Yep. Hired her a couple of hours ago.”
He reaches into the first aid kit and pulls out tape. “You do realize
she’s never had a job in her entire life?”
“She already warned me,” I say. His jaw is tight and he doesn’t look
as relaxed as he did earlier. Then it hits me that he might think I
hired her as a way to get closer to him. “I had no idea she was your
sister until you walked in. I swear.”
He glances at me, and then back down at my foot. “I wasn’t
suggesting you knew.” He begins to tape over the ACE bandage.
“I know you weren’t. I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to
trap you somehow. We want two different things from life,
remember?”