They finally got inside. “Wait here,” Liv said, and she helped Gram up the short set of stairs, Mocha by their side.
The absolute last thing Ryan wanted to do was sit and wait, so she found the kitchen and rifled through the cupboards. She wasn’t being nosy, she told herself. Instead, she found a coffee maker. Pleased, she pulled it down and plugged it in, hearing it sputter to life.
Next was finding some coffee. Thankfully it was near the front of their pantry, and it was the brand Ryan remembered that Liv used to drink in their senior year.
She poured a couple tablespoons into the coffee maker, and got it started. By the time Liv got down, there’d be coffee for the both of them.
Ryan exhaled slowly, working out the kinks in her spine and body. Her pants were wet, the shoes leaving soft marks on the hardwood floor of Liv’s house. She checked her phone out of habit.
Dane’s reply to Ryan’s text that she was meeting Liv had been simple - Good. She couldn’t quite disagree with that, no matter what she wanted to say.
“I’m so sorry.” Liv came down the stairs, her voice apologetic.
Ryan also noted she had changed into clean clothes.
“Do you have a place I could dry these?” Ryan pointed down to her pants and shoes.
“Here, give them to me and I’ll put them in the dryer.” Liv didn’t hesitate.
Ryan didn’t either. The house was warm, more than warm enough to tolerate disrobing. She kicked her shoes and socks off, then shimmied out of her slacks. It was weird, though, being in just a blouse and her underwear.
Liv had seen her in much less.
Taking the clothes, Liv disappeared into the depths of the house. She came back with a robe. It felt luxurious, all fancy and stuff. Whatever it was made of, Ryan wasn’t particularly certain she wanted to know. Still, she took it from Liv and placed it on the couch. She wasn’t going to wear it over her blouse.
“If this bothers you, let me know.” Ryan’s voice was muffled by the thin shirt as she took it off. It wasn’t wet, thankfully, so she laid it out flat so it hopefully wouldn’t wrinkle too badly.
Liv didn’t say anything, so Ryan took it as okay. She pulled the bathrobe around her, tying the thin belt around her middle. It was warm, as if she had just pulled it out of the dryer. It was nice, especially now that the chill was starting to hit her slightly damp skin.
“So much for being warm,” Ryan muttered.
Liv half-smiled.
Ryan looked at her now, uncertainty there. “I made us coffee.”
Liv looked surprised.
“Sorry, I snooped.” Ryan wasn’t entirely sorry as she led the way to the kitchen, where the coffeemaker and mugs were sitting. It wasn’t long before they were both sat on the couch with a steaming mug in their hands. Ryan drank both milk and sugar (the only way she could tolerate the department coffee), whereas Liv took hers black.
They sat there in silence for a while, just sipping their coffees. It was oddly soothing, just being with her. No pressure, no desire to explain, or argue, or worry. Just existing together, in the same space.
“I don’t know what to do.” Liv didn’t look up from her coffee.
“We’ll figure it out.” Ryan smiled at her, a warmth bubbling up in her chest. Liv leaned into her, her head on Ryan’s shoulder, her coffee still in her hands.
“You could stay the night if you want,” Liv said, the words almost stilted.
Ryan looked at her, surprised. Then regret surged through her. “I should get back to work.”
Liv nodded. “Okay.”
“I’d stay if I could.” The words sounded almost hollow, but she meant them.
“Thank you.” Liv met her eyes, and then leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “For helping.”
“Any time,” Ryan said, and she meant it. She closed her eyes, letting herself bask in the warmth between them. Maybe things would turn out okay. Maybe Liv trusted her, after all.
Maybe they would get through this.
Wednesday 19th October; 8am
Liv stifled yawn after yawn as she tried to prep the coffee shop for the day.
“Long night?” River asked from her spot near the counter, a smirk on her face.
Liv thought about throwing a coffee filter at her, then paused. “Something like that.”
“Did Ryan come by?” River raised her eyebrows. She was smart, she had to know there was a reason Liv was tired.
Liv hesitated about what to explain and what not to. River knew more than others did. She knew what had happened with her mother, and what had driven Liv and Ryan apart in the first place. But Liv had kept her Gram’s condition a secret from everyone.
“Nothing happened,” she said instead. “We just talked.”
River raised her eyebrows.
Liv tried to ignore her. Last night had scrambled a lot of things up in her head. When Gram had been missing, Ryan had been the first person she had thought to call. She was the only person Liv had thought to call.
Maybe it was because she was a police officer.
No, Liv knew it was more than that. Deep down, Ryan was the only person she trusted to handle the situation.
“How did you know?” Liv pursed her lips at River.
“I saw the way you looked at each other last night.” River shrugged. “I’m not stupid, you know.”
Liv stuck her tongue out at her. “Didn’t say you were.”
“She really likes you, Liv.” River sounded gentle.
Liv stared down at the counter, at the bread she was slicing for some sandwiches. She knew that. She knew from the way Ryan looked at her, from the way they touched each other. The fire that had burned so long ago was still there.
She sat the knife aside, not certain she wanted to be holding it in her current state of mind. Besides, she had some time before anyone would be
