They had three weeks to fix everything… or at least enough that going to the Reunion wouldn’t break them. It was a tight deadline, but he wasn’t intimidated.
He and Brynleigh would repair their relationship, even if it was the last thing they did.
CHAPTER 20
Irrational Fears and Night-Blooming Roses
Brynleigh
Tell me, Captain, what’s your most irrational fear?
Stretched out on his hotel bed, Ryker smiled at his phone. He held it above his head, his fingers flying over the screen as he typed out his reply. He was tired, but it was a good kind of exhaustion. It had taken them far too fucking long, but finally, with the dragons’ help, they’d uncovered some actionable intelligence.
Ryker had spent most of the day tracking leads with his team. It was after midnight, but he couldn’t sleep. He’d texted Brynleigh an hour ago, and she’d replied immediately.
Ryker
Who says I have an irrational fear?
Three dots instantly appeared.
Everyone is afraid ofsomething.
True.
The problem was that Ryker knew fear on an intimate level. He was afraid of many things, and none of his fears were irrational. At least, not to him.
There were so many, sometimes he was worried he would drown in them.
He was afraid that even with daily training, River’s power would grow too strong, and she’d lose control again. He was afraid he and Brynleigh wouldn’t be able to fix what was broken between them. He was afraid his father would die and leave them alone, with Tertia as their only parent.
But more than all those combined, Ryker was afraid that even if he followed all the rules and regulations, he would fail his family.
Those fears weren’t irrational or ridiculous. They were real, and they kept him awake at night. When he did finally sleep, they fueled his nightmares.
That was too much to put into a single text, though. Too raw.
Why don’t you go first?
He wasn’t sure she’d answer. Gnawing on his bottom lip, a habit he’d picked up from River, he stared at the dim screen. Several minutes passed before those three dots appeared.
*snake emoji*
I fucking hate snakes. Big ones, small ones, they’re all horrible, slippery little devils.
Ryker snorted and rolled onto his side. He was wearing loose gray sweatpants, and his chest was bare. The southern heat made all clothes nearly unbearable. Stretching out his arm above his head, he typed with one hand.
I never would’ve pegged you for having a fear of serpents, sweetheart. Is that your biggest fear?
He pressed send before he even realized what he’d done. He’d justbeen so caught up in the moment, so relaxed, that the nickname had slipped from his fingers.
And now…
Now, it was gone. Two blue checkmarks showed the message as read, but she didn’t respond.
Ryker’s heart pounded, and he stared at the phone. Dread pooled in his stomach. What was she thinking? Had he just ruined everything?
Minutes ticked on, each longer than the last.