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82. The Short One

Author: Paris Hills
last update Last Updated: 2024-06-03 22:04:24

“Hmm, there’s something different about you, Rico. But I can’t place my finger on it,” Ryan said, stroking his chin.

“You mean the lack of makeup?” Pete asked, serving himself another plate of chicken wings.

The three of them were at a barbecue at Ryan’s home.

“Exactly,” Ryan said, clicking his finger at Pete.

“Besides, you’ve been strange ever since France. So what’s up? One brother to another.”

“Does something have to be up for someone to make a change around here?” Rico drawled, setting up himself on the beach chair with his own plate, and booze.

“Even the voice!” Ryan exclaimed.

“What is wrong bro?”

Then he turned to Pete who was approaching them.

“I think it’s too late for a mid-life crisis, Pete. Help me out here.”

Pete laughed as he sat down on the recliner, and faced the other two.

“But seriously Rico, what’s up? You know you can trust us.”

“Exactly. James isn’t here.”

Rico sighed, and glanced around. Then pulled off his shades.

“I had a fight with Jessi,” Rico said, matter of
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    “You haven't said anything, Sof,” Jessi noted.Sofia took a deep breath.“I'm just trying to process everything, she said, leaning into the sofa.“On the one hand, you have you, my friend, whom Rico definitely, and horribly wronged by the way he handled the situation. But then, there's Rico who has been suffering from PTSD all these years. And I'm not saying that that validates what he did to you but I try to imagine how deep his fear has been for so long, that he couldn't confess his love for you. Believe me I know how the heart reacts to holding in such feelings. It's all just a lot. And I don't want to say you should do this or that, because honestly if I were you, I have no idea what I'd do in this case,” Sofia exhaled deeply.“But if I know one thing, it's that Rico has a good heart; damaged, but good nonetheless.”“I guess that saying is true,” Tanya replied, nodding slightly.“Which?” Sofia asked.“Damaged people, when they don't heal, end up damaging people,” she said.“Exactly

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  • Sparks Fly   85. Work

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  • Sparks Fly   86. The Beginning of The End

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  • Sparks Fly   Finally..

    If you're reading this, then, thank you for sticking with us through this journey. I can only hope it was worth your while, and that you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.I'm surely gonna miss writing to about Ryan's shenanigans, Sofia's love, Tyleer's curiosity, Jessi's presence, Rico, and Pete's worries, Tanya's madness, Alicia's gentleness, Ted's chubbiness, Fred's helpfulness, and Paco's wisdom.Not that there's nothing more to say, you know there's much more lol, but I feel that this is the best point to stop.They're all mostly happy, minusing the mishaps here, and there, and death too. But, let's save those parts for another story..All things eventually come to an end, and so must we..And so I bid you farewell, reader.Thank you for picking this one up, xoxo!

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    "And cut!" echoed in a room ablaze with lights, casting a vibrant glow on the green screen behind the acting duo. "That's a wrap," he declared, effortlessly leaping from his director's chair with a grin that hinted at a secret skill rumored to be the result of ballet classes. "Ryan, genius move. Amanda, goddess alert!" His arms moved in animated praise; the multicolored spiky hair and ringed ears, an open secret that he batted for the other team. "Phew," he sighed dramatically as if the emotional rollercoaster had threatened his mascara. "Jessi! Makeup, STAT." He briskly walked away, leaving an air of theatricality in his wake. Footsteps behind made everyone turn to his secretary running with the makeup artist. The director’s hands hung out, he was in his moment. Ryan Barnes moved from the set to sit comfortably in his actor chair, wearing a smug smirk, and drinking up his director's praises. Unaccustomed to anything but compliments, he licked his pink lips in pride, checking his

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Latest chapter

  • Sparks Fly   Finally..

    If you're reading this, then, thank you for sticking with us through this journey. I can only hope it was worth your while, and that you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.I'm surely gonna miss writing to about Ryan's shenanigans, Sofia's love, Tyleer's curiosity, Jessi's presence, Rico, and Pete's worries, Tanya's madness, Alicia's gentleness, Ted's chubbiness, Fred's helpfulness, and Paco's wisdom.Not that there's nothing more to say, you know there's much more lol, but I feel that this is the best point to stop.They're all mostly happy, minusing the mishaps here, and there, and death too. But, let's save those parts for another story..All things eventually come to an end, and so must we..And so I bid you farewell, reader.Thank you for picking this one up, xoxo!

  • Sparks Fly   87. The Last, But Definitely Not The Least

    The ringing of his phone roused him from sleep.“Hello?” His voice was groggy.“I know what you did.” The voice was distorted.The sleep fled from James' eyes.“Who are you?”“So you can kill me like you killed Richards? Fat chance.”“What do you want?” James asked.The line suddenly went dead.“Oh boy,” James muttered.***Amanda was home alone, by the pool, when James arrived.“It was you, wasn't it?”“I'm sorry what?” She asked, taking off her shades.“Oh, now you wanna play dumb?”“James, if you think I have time for your shenanigans, I do not. Never. Especially now that your accomplice, Richards has gone missing. Or are you gonna tell me you have nothing to do with that?”***“How could we have kept ourselves from this?” Rico muttered, in bed, kissing the back of Jessi's neck.“You, kept us from this,” she corrected, turning to face him.“Touche,” he conceded, planting a kiss on her lips; one to which she willfully obliged.“We have a lot to catch up on,” Rico whispered against h

  • Sparks Fly   86. The Beginning of The End

    On a normal day, Sofia would playfully chastise Ryan for such an idea, especially in front of the boy, but maybe it was Tanya’s influence, or the look in Steph’s eyes at Ryan’s words, whatever it is, it had Sofia smiling, and leading Ryan into the elevator.“Tyler, go wait for me in the car, okay?” She kissed the top of his head.“I forgot something in my room,” she added, a bit more forceful, with her eyes on the elevator.“Okay,” Tye replied innocently, and left for the waiting Mercedes Benz SUV.Steph obviously had other plans…*** “Slow down, Ryan,” Sofia chuckled, as he broke off their playful kisses to move down her neck, while his hands went lower..“We're outside,” Sofia added, kissing him back.“Someone might see us.”“Well, let's make it worth their while,” Ryan replied, leaning against the balcony of the terrace.“You must be joking,” Sofia frowned, moving away from him.Immediately, a potted plant dropped where she had been standing!Sofia gasped, her hand flying to her c

  • Sparks Fly   85. Work

    Tanya yawned, as she stepped into the sitting room in her black skimpy nightwear.“Hey, isn't that the Richards guy from the other studio,” Tanya said, nodding at the TV.“Yeah, it's him,” Alicia replied.“It says he's missing,” she added, and looked at Tanya.“What?” She asked.“You won't find him on me,” she said, stretching.“Oh, Tanya,” Alicia shook her head, returning her attention to her system.“What?” Tanya asked.“Oh, you didn't tell me that you, and Mendes made up,” Tanya said, leaning in on Alicia's left from behind the sofa.“Who told you that?” Alicia asked, leaning to her right, and losing a battle to hide her smile.“I heard he came in late, the night I spent at T.D.'s place, and didn't leave that night.”“Oh, I see you're gossiping with your girls again, huh,” Alicia said, nodding.“Tea is meant to be drunkk!” Tanya exclaimed, laughing.Alicia just shook her head.“Oh, hey. You said you spent that night at T.D.'s place?”“Oh I didn't tell you?” Tanya laughed.“Great st

  • Sparks Fly   84. A Bittersweet End; A Beautiful Beginning

    “I'm telling you, we need to-”“Mom, can I go to the Taco Place to see Kim?” Tyler asked, stepping into the sitting room.He glanced between Steph, and Myles—her shrink, sensing that he'd come at the wrong time.“Am I interrupting something?” He asked innocently.“Oh, no, my love,” Steph cooed, coming to stoop next to him.“Uncle Myles was just telling me something about our business back in Mexico, but it can wait, can’t it, Myles?” She smiled at the guy; he just sighed, and left.“He didn’t seem too happy to me,” Tye remarked.“I know, I know,” Steph smiled, ruffling his hair.“So tell me, who’s this Kim?” Steph asked, taking Tye to sit with her.“A girl?”“Yeah,” Tye replied, his eyes lighting up.“She’s my girlfriend,” he announced cheerily.“Oh, big steps already?” Steph asked, poking his ribs, while he squirmed, laughing.“Stop, mom!”“Ok, ok,” she smiled.“But I’ll come with. Go, put on something nice while I do too, and then we can go see Kim.”“Alright,” Tye said, running off,

  • Sparks Fly   83. The Long One

    “You haven't said anything, Sof,” Jessi noted.Sofia took a deep breath.“I'm just trying to process everything, she said, leaning into the sofa.“On the one hand, you have you, my friend, whom Rico definitely, and horribly wronged by the way he handled the situation. But then, there's Rico who has been suffering from PTSD all these years. And I'm not saying that that validates what he did to you but I try to imagine how deep his fear has been for so long, that he couldn't confess his love for you. Believe me I know how the heart reacts to holding in such feelings. It's all just a lot. And I don't want to say you should do this or that, because honestly if I were you, I have no idea what I'd do in this case,” Sofia exhaled deeply.“But if I know one thing, it's that Rico has a good heart; damaged, but good nonetheless.”“I guess that saying is true,” Tanya replied, nodding slightly.“Which?” Sofia asked.“Damaged people, when they don't heal, end up damaging people,” she said.“Exactly

  • Sparks Fly   82. The Short One

    “Hmm, there’s something different about you, Rico. But I can’t place my finger on it,” Ryan said, stroking his chin.“You mean the lack of makeup?” Pete asked, serving himself another plate of chicken wings.The three of them were at a barbecue at Ryan’s home.“Exactly,” Ryan said, clicking his finger at Pete.“Besides, you’ve been strange ever since France. So what’s up? One brother to another.”“Does something have to be up for someone to make a change around here?” Rico drawled, setting up himself on the beach chair with his own plate, and booze.“Even the voice!” Ryan exclaimed.“What is wrong bro?”Then he turned to Pete who was approaching them.“I think it’s too late for a mid-life crisis, Pete. Help me out here.”Pete laughed as he sat down on the recliner, and faced the other two.“But seriously Rico, what’s up? You know you can trust us.”“Exactly. James isn’t here.”Rico sighed, and glanced around. Then pulled off his shades.“I had a fight with Jessi,” Rico said, matter of

  • Sparks Fly   81. WakeUp Call

    Someone knocked at the door.Alicia groaned, unwilling to abandon her solo movie night.She stayed put, but the person didn’t leave, piquing her curiosity.Tanya was sleeping over at Ted’s tonight so it couldn’t be her, plus if it was Tanya, she’d know by now.“Who’s there?” She asked, peeping through the tiny hole.“Josh,” he replied.And she could see that he wasn’t lying.Alicia hesitated, and grabbed a coat from the rack next to the door to put over her flimsy nightwear, before opening the door up for him.“Hey, Alicia.”“How did you find me?” She asked, crossing her arms.“So it’s true,” he nodded.“You were avoiding me.”“Don’t try to change the subject, Josh. I asked you how you found me.”“I paid someone to hack into the school’s database to retrieve your data-”A slap from Alicia cut him short.“You just don’t know when to stop right? Because your family has the cash you feel like you can pay off anyone to get whatever you want. Why invade my privacy? Again, and again?”“What

  • Sparks Fly   80. Would You...?

    “Where are we going?” Sofia asked, laughing. She couldn’t see past the blindfold Ryan had put on her eyes, but she could feel the excitement build up inside of her.“It’s a surprise, no peeking,” Ryan reminded her with a light kiss at her neck.The car slowly pulled to a stop, and Ryan got down, then came around her side to help her down too.“Easy, easy,” he advised, guiding her.Sofia could hear the sounds of traffic, and of people—though, French, she couldn’t understand, but it made her uncomfortable.“Are we there yet?” She asked nervously; eager to see again.“Almost,” Ryan assured, leading her into an elevator while his bodyguards kept the pedestrians in check.“Ooh,” Sofia shocked slightly, when the elevator suddenly started to move.“Where are you taking me to, Ryan Barnes?” She chuckled, leaning against him, and turning slightly.Ryan knew an invitation to share a kiss when he saw one, and he took this one without hesitation.The blindfold was still on, but neither seemed to

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