Supernova Souls - Ryan Upchurch

-7-

Ryan blows the cloud of smoke out of his mouth and watches the smoke slowly fade out into nothing as he stares out of his bedroom window that was cracked open just enough to let fresh air fill his room.

Mary Jane was laying on Ryan's bed beside Waylon, the two dogs cuddled up on the messy blankets while the TV blasted to drown out the demons in Ryan's mind. The local news station was rambling on about the recent crimes, and murders around Ashland City but it didn't bother him any. How can it when it's all you've been raised around?

"The storm should be over by midnight tonight on the Cheatham County side of Ashland City, but it is not recommended that anybody leaves their homes until the thick fog is gone and the water goes down." The weatherman says, pointing at the map behind him.

"I need to get outta this fucking house." He huffed before he took another hit off his blunt until his lungs ached for fresh air. Smoke rolled from his full lips and pooled into a little cloud before his eyes.

There's a soft knock on Ryan's bedroom door, and once he doesn't ever give an answer there's another knock. Then a voice just above a whisper. "Can I come in?"

"No."

"R-"

"Go away Delilah."

Delilah rolls her eyes and opens the door anyway, her eyes landing on Ryan, then down to his bare back that was facing her. His bedroom reeked of weed and the floors were messy, and his bed was unmade.

Backwoods was written in big, bold letters on his back and flowed nicely into the rest of his tattoos, like mesmerizing artwork on his skin.

"Thought I told you to go away." He says after a few long moments, turning in bed to look at her. His movement made his dog, Mary Jane stir and crawl a little closer to him until her nose was nudging his hand. "Sorry, but I need to talk to you." He raised his hand and began petting MJ softly.

"What could you possibly need to talk to me about at two in the morning?"

"I need to get out of here."

"Rain's still going on strong out there though. You'll die if you drive in this, Lilah."

"Riley drove."

Riley.

Ryan clenched his jaw. "I'm not having two people get hurt on my watch because I let them leave. You're not going anywhere until this shit is over."

Delilah looks down at the dogs laying on his bed then back up at him. "I've got a family to take care of."

"Your family is your mother's problem, not yours."

"My mother's dead, Ryan. My family is my problem."

Ryan takes a drag off his blunt then blew out the smoke, making Delilah cough a little before she took a step back. She couldn't really handle much smoking, but while she was here she'd learned to put up with it.
That doesn't mean her asthma is gone, though. Nor does it mean she necessarily likes his smoking habits, especially the weed.
She did understand it helped take away some of his stress and for that reason she decided she could put her own thoughts aside.

"She's dead?"

"Has been for years. I'm all my brother and my dad have."

"I'm sorry, Dee, but they can take care of themselves by know."

"My brother's barely sixteen, he can't take care of our dad."

"And why's that?"

"My dad's sick and Zach doesn't know how to do his medicine, or take care of him-he's just a kid, Ry. I'm the only one that knows how to care for Sam."

"So.. they can't take care of themselves?"

"They haven't yet, why would they start now?"

"Listen, I'm sorry but I ain't letting you get hurt. That's not really on my to do list for today."

"We all know you don't like having me here. I'm goin'. Goodbye, Ry."

"No."

Delilah pulls the strap of her purse up over her shoulder and tightens the grip she had on her keys. "I said you aren't leaving."

"Watch me."

She turns on the heels of her boots to leave, slamming the door shut behind her. Delilah could without a doubt hear Ryan's cuss words underneath his breath while he slid his boots on, and the jingling of Mary Jane's collar as she shook her head to wake herself up.

"Delilah!"

She shakes her head and opens the door to the garage. "Don't bother."

Ryan scoffs and grabs her hand, pulling her towards him while simultaneously blocking her remote start to her Ford. "Oh, I think I will "bother", baby."

"The fuck you just call me?" She pulls her hand from his tight grip but fails. "Baby." He repeats himself, licking his lips. His southern accent was thicker than honey, even more so when he repeated the simple nickname.

That man could bring her to her knees.

"It's pouring rain outside, ground's covered in water, it's foggy as fuck and it's below freezing. You aren't leaving this damn ranch until this is over." He said, changing the subject.

Delilah rolls her eyes.

"And what're you gonna do if I try to leave? Nothing. You won't do shit."

Ryan prys her keys from her hand and let her significantly smaller hand free. "I can and I will. You're safe here and I'm not letting that change by letting you leave."

"Give me back my keys, bitch."

"Bitch? You're pushing your luck, Dee."

Delilah tried to steal her keys back from him to escape this hell of a ranch she was stuck in because of the raging storm, but failed due to Ryan letting the keys hang from his finger above him, only lifting his arm higher each time she'd grab at them.

"Good luck with that."

Ryan walks back to his bedroom and tosses her keys on his dresser, leaving his door locked behind him.

After getting ignored one too many times Delilah decided to go back to her guest room and read one of the books left by Ryan in the dimly lit room.

"Asshole."