Page 3 of Devon (Krsnik Clan #5)
RYAN HAD MADE HIS DECISION.
It had taken him a few days, but in the end, what had happened between Kendrick and Devon didn’t matter. Ryan was slightly weirded out by the fact that Devon had wanted to date his big brother, but it was clear there had been nothing between them, and what Kendrick had told Ryan of Devon’s life explained why Devon had latched onto him.
Devon had lived on the streets with his family.
He probably hadn’t felt safe, so of course, when someone had defended him, he’d latched onto them. It could have been any of the hunters who’d been there that day, but it had been Kendrick. Maybe it was because Devon was attracted to Kendrick, or maybe because most of the other hunters already had mates or partners. The reason didn’t matter.
Ryan wouldn’t go as far as thinking that Devon’s feelings for Kendrick had been fake or hadn’t existed at all, but he hoped that whatever had been there was gone or would be soon.
Kendrick had a mate. He’d rejected Devon. He’d been honest with him and hadn’t strung him along. Devon might not be over Kendrick yet, but he would be eventually.
When he was, Ryan would be waiting for him.
Someone on the TV screamed, making Ryan jump.
He glared at it and lowered the volume. It wasn’t like he was actually watching. He’d just had enough of being alone in his room, so he’d decided to come downstairs to the living room. Unfortunately, the house was empty except for him, so it hadn’t changed much. He’d hoped for a distraction, but instead, he’d been obsessing over Devon since he’d flopped down on the couch.
Ryan had never expected to meet his mate so young.
Both he and Devon were eighteen, which meant that even if Ryan gave Devon a few years to get over Kendrick, they’d have all the time in the world to get to know each other and fall in love.
It was hard to believe that was about to happen to him.
He wanted what Kendrick and Jonas had, though. He wanted someone who would love him unconditionally and who wouldn’t turn on him when he most needed them. His parents were supposed to have been that, but they’d kicked him out as soon as they’d been able to.
Kendrick wouldn’t.
Ryan was sure of that, just like he was sure that his brother loved him, but he needed something different. It was great to have Kendrick back in his life, but Kendrick had his own life now. He had a job that was important and where he saved people. He had Jonas. He had a home and friends.
Ryan would have all of those things, too.
He still felt unsettled, but then, he’d only been here a few days. He was sure that once the dust settled and he found a job and maybe even his own apartment, he’d feel better.
He had to.
Ryan wanted to get to know Devon, but he wasn’t sure where to start.
He didn’t know where Devon lived, even though it had to be in the village. Maybe he should ask Kendrick. He wasn’t sure his brother would tell him, but Jonas definitely wouldn’t. He was still angry at Devon in a way Kendrick didn’t seem to ever have been. Ryan didn’t blame him. From what Jonas and Kendrick had explained the other day, Devon hadn’t taken no for an answer even after both Kendrick and Jonas told him that they were mates. Technically, Jonas could have demanded that Devon be arrested for trying to interfere in a mate bond.
He was glad his brother-in-law hadn’t.
Ryan really hoped that eventually, Jonas would get over it.
If he couldn’t, family dinners would be awkward. Ryan didn’t want to keep these two parts of his life separate. He wanted to be happy with Devon and have Kendrick and Jonas.
But he was getting ahead of himself.
Right now, he didn’t have Devon. He didn’t even know where Devon was or what he’d want from their bond. Maybe he was still in love with Kendrick and would want nothing to do with Ryan. If that was the case, Ryan would give him space and time. He wanted to get to know his mate, but if he couldn’t start right away, he’d find something else to focus on. He needed to build a life so that he’d be settled once Devon was ready to talk to him.
The front door opened.
Ryan tilted his head back and watched as Kendrick appeared in the entrance. He toed off his shoes and left them there, sure to make Jonas stumble when he came home. Jonas would bitch, and Kendrick would apologize and kiss it better. Ryan had seen it happen several times.
“Hey,”
Kendrick said with an easy smile.
They’d been separated for ten years, but sometimes, it was like they’d never been.
They might not know each other anymore, but they were still brothers, and the love they shared was still very much present.
“Hey,”
Ryan answered, patting the couch.
“Want to sit with me?”
“Yeah.
I wanted to talk to you, actually.”
That was never good.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing.”
Nothing in Kendrick’s voice made Ryan think he was lying, but he was still wary.
After being betrayed by his own father, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was about to be betrayed by his brother.
Ryan settled deeper against the couch as Kendrick sat next to him.
Kendrick was silent for a moment, which made Ryan’s nervousness even worse. This really couldn’t be good.
“I guess I just wanted to know what’s going on with Devon,”
Kendrick eventually said.
Ryan frowned.
“How would I know? I haven’t seen him since the day we bumped into each other.”
“I thought you’d have gone out there and found him by now.”
“I guess I could, but is that the best thing to do?”
“What are you talking about? He’s your mate.
Don’t you want to talk to him?”
Ryan glared at his brother.
“Of course I do.
I just don’t know where to start. If he’s still in love with you, he’s not going to want to listen to me.”
“I don’t think he was ever in love with me,”
Kendrick said softly.
“He made himself believe he was, but it wasn’t love.
It was gratefulness. I was one of the hunters who helped him get off the streets and saved him and his family from Cornelius.”
“Even if that’s the case, he made it clear that he doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“I think he was freaking out.
He hasn’t been around a lot after what happened. I talked to Melissa to check in on him, and she said he was isolating himself and mostly stayed in his room. I was happy to see him when he bumped into you because I thought it meant he was finally getting over what happened.”
Ryan couldn’t imagine it would be easy to get over that kind of humiliation.
“Why do you think he was out?”
“I don’t know.
Melissa said he’s been leaving the house every day recently. She doesn’t know where he’s going, though.”
Devon was an adult, which meant he didn’t have to tell anyone what he was up to, even if he left the house every day.
It was clear that both Kendrick and Melissa were worried about him, which made Ryan wonder if they were right to feel that way. They knew Devon. Something that might look like normal behavior to Ryan might not be to them.
“It sounds like he has a job,”
Ryan offered.
Kendrick blinked.
“You think so?”
“I don’t know, but he’s eighteen.
I doubt he wants to go to his mother figure for every little thing he needs. I’m planning to get a job. I’m sure that’s what he did, too.”
“I hadn’t thought of that, but maybe you’re right.”
“I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
Or at least, Ryan hoped there wasn’t anything to worry about.
He didn’t know what he’d do if there was. He’d only talked to Devon once, and it hadn’t gone great. He doubted that Devon would want to talk to him a second time, at least not so soon after the mess with Kendrick.
“You should try talking to him,”
Kendrick said.
“You’re going to have to eventually, right? He’s your mate.”
He was, but he hadn’t seemed particularly happy about that when he’d found out, and Ryan wasn’t sure where that left them.
DEVON KEPT TELLING himself that he could do this.
Nic had shown him the ropes. Devon had even served a few people already. He was actually doing this, no matter how scared he was.
He kept expecting to mess up at any moment.
He knew he would eventually. Everyone messed up, especially him. Nic was there, though, checking in on him every so often and smiling when Devon did something right. It helped Devon feel better about the work he was doing. It wasn’t perfect, but he’d only been doing it for a few days. He’d get better, and Nic would stop hovering.
Not that Devon minded it.
He was pretty sure that Nic kept flirting with him, but he dismissed it every time. He wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. He wasn’t even looking for a friend. He’d been looking for a job, and now that he had it, that was what he’d focus on.
A lady stepped up to Devon, and he welcomed her with a smile.
“Hi, how can I help you?”
“I’ll take a caramel latte with skimmed milk, three pumps of caramel, two pumps of vanilla, cinnamon, no, actually, make that three pumps of vanilla, and maybe a little chocolate shavings on top.”
Devon blinked at the order.
He supposed that so far, he’d been lucky. All the orders he’d had to take had been fairly easy with almost no modifications. He knew what went into a caramel latte, and while it was the same ingredients the lady had asked for, she’d changed all the proportions.
Nic suddenly appeared by Devon’s side.
“Hey, Kelly,”
he said with an easy smile.
“Your usual?”
The lady smiled back, seemingly charmed by Nic.
“You know it.
You’re not at the till this morning.”
Nic squeezed Devon’s shoulder.
“Devon’s new, but he’s great.”
Kelly didn’t appear to believe that, but Devon was relieved because Nic took over.
He got her to pay for her order, and then he moved on to prepare it. He and Kelly continued talking, and since there were no other customers, Devon took a few seconds to lean against the counter. He remembered how Nic had calculated Kelly’s order, and he’d be able to do it by himself next time.
Or at least, it hoped he would be.
“Have a nice day,”
Nic called out as Kelly left the shop.
As soon as a door closed behind her, Nic turned to Devon.
“Kelly’s a regular.
She comes here every day, and she always gets the same drink.”
“Skimmed milk with three pumps of caramel and three pumps of vanilla.”
Nic nodded.
“And cinnamon and chocolate shavings.
Now that you know her order, it’ll be easier.”
“Thank you.”
Nic winked and leaned closer.
“I’ll help you anytime you need me to.”
Devon couldn’t deny that Nic was handsome.
He was just a little older than Devon, and with his dark hair and dark eyes, he was extremely attractive. Devon didn’t have anyone, so technically, it wouldn’t be cheating if he leaned in and flirted back.
He didn’t.
He didn’t know how to flirt and wasn’t willing to make a fool of himself, but he also felt like he’d be betraying Ryan, even though the two of them hadn’t seen each other since the day they’d met.
He wondered if Ryan had looked for him.
It would make sense, but Devon had been going from the coffee shop to his home without stopping anywhere else. Even at home, he spent as much time as possible in his bedroom, coming out only when Melissa and Haley got too worried.
He hadn’t told Melissa that he had a job.
He wanted to because it was something they’d talked about when they lived on the streets, but he was afraid that she’d understand what was happening. He didn’t want to tell her that he was planning on leaving just yet. She’d worry about him even more, and she’d try to change his mind. He didn’t want anyone to do that.
It would be too easy for him to decide to stay.
He didn’t have anyone or anything out there in the world. The only people he cared about were in the village, and if things had been different, he wouldn’t even have thought about leaving.
But he couldn’t stay.
He couldn’t face Kendrick and Jonas after what had happened and what he’d done. He wouldn’t survive it, and it wouldn’t be fair to them. They deserved to be happy without having to deal with him.
A gentle touch on his cheek made him look up.
Nic was frowning and kept his fingers where they were on Devon’s cheek even after he got Devon to look at him.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
Devon forced himself to smile.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“I’m just tired, you know? All of this is new, and I’m scared I’m going to mess up and that Alex will fire me.”
Nic finally dropped his hand.
Devon was both dismayed and relieved. He didn’t want Nic that way, and not only because of Ryan. At the same time, it had felt nice.
“Alex won’t fire you,”
Nic said.
“You should’ve seen how many times I messed up orders in the beginning.
I’m still here, aren’t I?”
“I’m pretty sure you’re only here because Alex would’ve had to do all the work himself otherwise,”
Devon teased.
He was shocked by the words that came out of his mouth, but it felt good.
He’d never really had friends.
He’d been in the foster system since he was a child, but none of the people he’d met there had become friends. He’d been a loner at school, too, and after he’d run away, well, it had been impossible to make friends on the streets. Devon hadn’t trusted anyone until he’d met Melissa and Haley, and the only reason he’d trusted them was that Melissa had saved his life and hadn’t demanded anything in return.
Devon didn’t know how to have friends.
Maybe Nic wasn’t flirting with him. Maybe this was a normal way to make friends, and Devon needed to relax. Even if Nic was flirting, it wasn’t like anything had to happen between them, anyway.
Nic’s smile widened.
“You’re not wrong.
Alex does not like to work the counter.”
Devon couldn’t say that it was his favorite thing, either.
He always felt awkward when he had to deal with people, probably due to the way he’d grown up. It wouldn’t stop him from doing what he had to do. This was his job, and he took it seriously. He understood why Alex had been looking for someone to do it for him, though.
“Why are you talking about me instead of working?”
Alex said as he emerged from the back room.
Nic bumped his shoulder against Devon’s.
“Devon and I were just talking about how good you are at your job.”
Alex didn’t look impressed.
“I heard what you said.”
“Was it a lie?”
“You know damn well that it wasn’t.
Go clean those tables, Nicholas.”
“I told you to call me Nic,”
Nic complained.
“I told you to clean those tables.”
Nic huffed, but both he and Alex were trying not to smile.
They weren’t quite successful, and Devon had to look away so he wouldn’t laugh.
Nic and Alex were one of the reasons he liked working there.
He had no idea what he was doing, but those two were always willing to help. He didn’t spend a lot of time with Alex, but Alex was a good boss and person. He might be grumpy, but deep inside, he was nice.
Nic moved to obey Alex’s order.
Devon expected Alex to vanish back into his office, but instead, he hovered there for a few moments. He watched Nic, and Devon looked around, needing to do something with his hands. He didn’t think that Alex cared when he and Nic took small breaks during the day, but Devon wanted to show him that he was doing his job.
“How are things going?”
Alex eventually asked.
“Great.”
“You’re working the counter.
Things can’t be great.”
This time, Devon did chuckle.
“They’re fine, really.
Most people are nice and don’t mind that I’m still in training. Nic’s there to help me whenever I need him to. I’m doing okay.”
Alex nodded.
“Good.
Remember that you can talk to me if you need anything.”
He’d told Devon that the day Devon had come in to sign his contract.
Devon had thought he was saying it just to say something, but now, he didn’t think that was the case. Alex seemed to really care about Nic and even Devon, even though they’d just met.
Leaving everyone behind would break Devon’s heart, wouldn’t it?
“WE’RE OUT OF EGGS AND milk,”
Ryan called out as he stared into the fridge.
He wasn’t sure where Kendrick was, but he heard him because he appeared a few moments later.
“Jonas strikes again,”
he said with a groan.
Ryan bit his lower lip.
After their chat on the couch, he’d needed some space, so he’d decided he would go to the kitchen and poke around to find something to cook for dinner. Jonas was still in bed, but he’d be awake soon. It looked like he’d have to answer for his crime of finishing the milk when he did.
“I’ll go to the store,”
Kendrick said, already turning.
“Would it be okay if I went instead?”
Ryan asked.
Kendrick turned to look at him.
“Of course.
Do you know where the grocery store is?”
“I don’t, but you’re about to tell me.”
“I’ll do you one better.
Give me your phone.”
Ryan obeyed, glad he’d been the one to pay for the phone.
His father hadn’t tried to take it back like he had everything he’d paid for while Ryan was a minor. Ryan had to leave his car behind, which he felt sorry about, even though the car had been a disaster. He didn’t have another one yet, though, and he felt awkward asking Kendrick to borrow his more often than necessary.
Kendrick didn’t seem to feel the same way.
After he entered the address of the grocery store into Jonas’s phone, he handed it back, along with his car keys. He didn’t ask Ryan if he was sure or told him to be careful. He just turned back to the fridge and stuck his head in.
Ryan suspected he’d get a few texts with more things he needed to buy, but that was fine.
He was smiling as he left the house and bounded toward Kendrick’s car. He glanced around, attempting to find his mate as always, but he hadn’t seen Devon since the day they’d bumped into each other. Part of him, including his tiger, wanted to look for Devon, but another part thought that Devon knew where to find Ryan, and if he wanted to talk to him, he could.
To be fair, the same could be said for Ryan.
It would be easy to find out where Devon lived and go there, but Ryan hadn’t. He was giving Devon space. Maybe Devon was doing the same. It was hard to be sure without knowing him, and Ryan wouldn’t get to know him until they talked. Eventually, one of them would have to take that step, and Ryan suspected it would be him.
That was fine with him.
He was the shifter, so he could take the lead. As long as Devon gave him a chance, Ryan thought things would be fine.
He followed the directions his phone gave him to leave the village and head to the closest town.
It was small and cute and exactly the kind of place Ryan had imagined he’d find in this area. He’d never thought he’d end up living in a small town, let alone a village, but he couldn’t say he hated it. It was weird, but that was because he’d just arrived. He was sure that once he started to find his footing, everything would be fine.
He parked the car in the grocery store’s parking lot and got out.
He started walking toward the store, but he noticed a coffee shop a few shops down the street. It had been a while since he’d had a coffee from a shop because he’d been trying to put as much money away as he could, but now that he lived with Kendrick, he was safe. He wouldn’t need every penny to survive, and he could spoil himself a little.
There was a smile on his lips as he walked into the coffee shop and was greeted by the smell of coffee and sugar.
He’d missed this. He knew that coffee in these places was expensive, but sometimes, he wanted to indulge.
He glanced up to read what his options were as he neared the counter.
There were a few people sitting at tables around the shop, but it was mostly quiet.
“Can I get a cappuccino, please?”
he said, looking down now that he’d chosen what he wanted to drink.
Devon was staring at him from behind the counter.
His eyes were wide, and he looked like he might bolt at any second. Did he think that Ryan had come here on purpose to corner him? At the very least, he was shocked, and Ryan wasn’t far behind. The last thing he’d expected was to find his mate here.
Ryan didn’t want Devon to freak out, so he quickly took a step back.
“I didn’t know you worked here,”
he said softly.
“I’ll go.”
He desperately wanted to talk to Devon, but only when Devon was ready.
He clearly wasn’t.
Ryan didn’t know when he would be, but it wouldn’t be today, and that was fine.
Devon didn’t try to stop him when Ryan left the shop.
When Ryan looked back after stepping out onto the sidewalk, he found Devon still staring at him. A man moved closer and pressed their shoulders together. He leaned over Devon to talk to him, and a flare of jealousy almost pushed Ryan back into the coffee shop. His tiger wanted to pull the man away from their mate, but Ryan wouldn’t allow it to go nuts. It wasn’t like Devon was making out with the guy on the counter, but even if he was, it was none of Ryan’s business. Devon might be his mate, but they weren’t together.
He swallowed and forced himself to look away.
He had to go to the grocery store, and the sooner he did that, the better it would be. He wanted to go home and spend a little time in his bedroom. Kendrick would probably be worried, but Ryan needed time alone. Hell, if he could, he’d disconnect from his tiger because the damn thing was annoying. Did his tiger not think that Ryan wanted Devon? Of course he did. It hurt him just as much that Devon was rejecting them. There was no other way to deal with this situation, though.
He quickly walked away.
He did his best to focus on the grocery store and his shopping, and he felt a bit calmer by the time he was done. The store wasn’t massive, but it had everything Kendrick had asked him to buy. Ryan had gotten seven different texts, and he’d make sure to tease his brother once he was home.
Ryan’s shopping was done, and he needed to go, but he was almost afraid to leave the store.
He doubted that Devon was still staring his way since he couldn’t see him, but what if he was? Ryan supposed he’d deal with it. It wasn’t like he had a choice.
He paid a lot less than he would have if he’d still lived back at home, then rushed to his car—Kendrick’s car—and dumped all of the bags into the trunk.
He returned the cart and turned to go back to his car, but he noticed movement at the back of the parking lot.
Devon was standing next to a car and staring down at one of its tires.
His hands were on his hips, and he was glaring, but even from where Ryan was, he could see that his mate looked like he was about to start crying.
Ryan winced when Devon kicked the tire.
Something definitely was up, and Ryan wanted to help, but he also wanted to respect Devon’s decision not to talk to him. The smart thing to do would be to get into his car and drive away, but he couldn’t when it was obvious that his mate was distraught.
He waited for a moment, hoping that Devon would call someone to help.
Instead, Devon turned and leaned against the car, sliding down until he was sitting on the asphalt. He looked like he’d given up, and that wouldn’t do.
Devon hadn’t asked for Ryan’s help, but Ryan would give it to him anyway.
He’d keep his distance so he wouldn’t make Devon uncomfortable, and he wouldn’t push for Devon to talk to him, but he wouldn’t just stand there or, even worse, leave.
He couldn’t.
WHEN DEVON HAD FOUND Ryan standing in front of him at the coffee shop, he’d freaked out.
He’d clamped onto his feelings and had made sure to school his expression, but inside, he’d been screaming.
What had Ryan been doing there? Devon’s first instinct was to think that Ryan had followed him, but that couldn’t be right.
Devon had been at work for hours, while Ryan had just gotten there. Besides, Ryan had seemed as surprised as Devon. He hadn’t been freaking out, but then, there was nothing for him to freak out about. He was just a shifter whose mate was a human and who’d been avoiding him since they’d met.
Devon had much more baggage than Ryan knew, and he still hadn’t dealt with it.
He hadn’t been able to say anything to Ryan, but even if he had been, Ryan wouldn’t have given him enough time. He’d told Devon that he didn’t know Devon worked there and had left.
It was sweet.
It was clear that Ryan had noticed how distraught Devon was, and while others would’ve stayed and asked what was happening, Ryan hadn’t. He’d taken a step back to make Devon more comfortable.
Maybe Ryan was the perfect man for Devon.
Devon couldn’t allow himself to think that.
He couldn’t allow himself to think of anything about Ryan, so he’d been grateful when Nic had shuffled closer. Unfortunately for Devon, Nic had wanted to ask about the hot guy who’d just run out of the coffee shop. Devon hadn’t known what to say, which was when Nic had realized something serious had happened. He’d called Alex, and after the two of them had checked in on Devon and he’d reassured them that he was okay, Alex had sent him home.
Devon had tried to argue because he needed the money, but Alex had promised he’d be paid for the entire day and that it was almost time for him to go home, anyway.
Alex was the boss, and he wasn’t wrong. There’d only been one hour left of Devon’s shift.
So Devon had left the coffee shop to go home.
The problem was that he wouldn’t be going anywhere because one of his tires was flat.
He almost got up to kick the damn thing again, but he’d hurt his foot the first time he’d done it, and he didn’t want to go through that again.
Instead, he closed his eyes and pressed the back of his head against the car.
What was he supposed to do now?
He knew how to change a tire.
He was just drained and wanted to cry. It was only a flat tire, but right now, it felt like the sky was falling on his head. It was too much, all at once. It was ridiculous. He didn’t want to cry over a flat tire, but his eyes burned, so he squeezed them shut.
Someone cleared their throat.
Devon blinked his eyes open to find Ryan standing a few feet away, looking awkward. Devon scrambled to his feet, and Ryan moved back and raised his hands, maybe to show Devon that he wasn’t dangerous.
“I was just wondering if you needed help,”
Ryan said softly.
“I can change the tire for you.”
“I know how to change a tire,”
Devon snapped.
Well, he knew how to do it in theory.
He’d never had to change a tire. He’d barely just gotten his license, and he’d only driven by himself a few times. He was lucky that the clan leaders had provided cars to anyone who needed it. He didn’t know where they’d gotten the money, but it wasn’t like he’d be taking the car with him when he left, so he supposed it was fine.
“I didn’t say you didn’t know how to do it,”
Ryan said as softly as he’d spoken before.
He didn’t seem to be offended by Devon’s tone of voice.
“But I can do it for you.
Why do it when you don’t have to, right?”
Devon found himself smiling.
“You mean I can avoid getting my hands dirty?”
“You can if you let me do it for you.”
Devon had decided to stay away from Ryan, but he was tired of fighting everything—his new life, the clan, the village, his mate.
For once, he wanted to go with the flow, and Ryan made it sound easy. “Okay.”
Ryan moved toward the car, but before he could start on the tire, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps.
Devon turned to find Nic walking toward them. For once, he wasn’t smiling. He looked from Devon to Ryan, then stopped next to Devon.
“Is this guy bothering you?”
he asked, leaning close.
Ryan cleared his throat and took a step back again.
He was trying to look everywhere but in Devon, but he was failing. It was like he couldn’t look away.
“He’s not,”
Devon said.
“He offered to change my tire.”
Nic wrinkled his nose.
“I can do it for you.”
Even though they were just talking about changing a tire, it felt like there was more to it.
It was a choice between Devon’s friend and his mate. He wouldn’t end up with whoever actually changed the tire, but he couldn’t choose Nic over Ryan. It wouldn’t feel right.
“It’s okay.
Ryan already said that he’d do it,”
Devon said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.
He didn’t want Nic to worry.
Nic stared at Devon for a moment as if trying to read him.
“You’re sure?”
“I am.
Get back to work before Alex comes looking for you.”
Nic quickly squeezed Devon’s shoulder.
“Fine, but call me if you need anything.”
Ryan was still watching them, so as soon as Nic left, Devon turned his attention back to him.
“I’m sorry about that.
He’s a friend, and he’s protective of me.”
“I noticed that.
You’re still okay with me changing your tire?”
“Please.
I’d like to go home.”
Ryan went to work with a nod.
Devon stood next to the car, watching him. He kept expecting Ryan to bring up their bond or maybe even Kendrick. Devon didn’t know if Kendrick and Jonas had told Ryan what he’d done, and he was torn over whether or not he wanted them to have. On the one hand, he didn’t want Ryan to know what had happened, but on the other, if Kendrick had told Ryan, it meant that Devon wouldn’t have to. There was no way Ryan would be here if he knew, though, right? He’d have run away as soon as he’d seen Devon.
Devon wanted to ask, but Ryan was talking about a TV show he was watching, and Devon was glad not to have to focus too hard on the conversation.
He was also glad that his mate was giving him hints of who he was by talking about things he enjoyed.
Devon was curious.
He hadn’t outright rejected Ryan, and as long as Ryan didn’t ask him if he wanted them to be together, he wouldn’t. It was probably cruel, but he didn’t want to do anything drastic until he left.
Ryan didn’t seem like he was expecting Devon to give him any answers.
He didn’t ask Devon personal questions. He didn’t even ask him if he’d seen the TV show he was talking about. He seemed content to talk as he changed the tire, which helped Devon relax, so much so that he was surprised when Ryan got to his feet and rubbed his hands on his jeans-clad thighs.
“There you go,”
Ryan said with a smile.
He appeared more relaxed now, probably because Devon was.
It was clear that Ryan was afraid of spooking Devon because he was treating him like a scared animal—keeping his distance, raising his hands to show that he wasn’t a threat, and retreating when it was clear that Devon was scared.
Devon wasn’t offended. He felt like a skittish animal, maybe a cat. He wanted Ryan to cuddle and hug him, but at the same time, he didn’t know if he could trust his mate. Even if he could, allowing Ryan any closer would be a bad idea since Devon would leave town soon.
It would hurt both of them.
Devon hadn’t thought it would because they didn’t really know each other, but even spending fifteen minutes with Ryan had shown him the truth. Even though this was the first time they had a real conversation, he could tell how much he liked Ryan. If he allowed him close, it would be like tearing his heart out when he left, and that was without even considering the fact that he was Ryan’s mate. Ryan didn’t deserve to be hurt for something he had no say in.
Neither of them did, but they would be.