Supernova Souls - Ryan Upchurch

-26-

His phone buzzed and two more messages popped up on his screen before he could open the first one. She really did love to double-no, triple- text him, didn't she? He unlocked his phone and clicked on the first of the three notifications.

Delilah

Off your ass and on your feet boy

We got shit to do today

I'm taking you somewhere

At five in the morning? Where in the world could she possibly go at-he paused to look up at the clock on the wall- 5:50am? He shook his head at the screen, but replied nonetheless.

Ryan

It's 5am where could you possibly take me

Also wtf why are you up so early?

Delilah

I could ask you the same question but I had shit to do, fyi

And you'll see. I'll be there in like 20 minutes

Ryan

Fine

Ryan stood and slipped his phone into his back pocket, then smiled to himself as he stretched. Sure, he was confused, because it was early as shit but he did need something to keep his mind off Riley. He went off to the front door to let the dogs out and sit on the porch with a cup of coffee in his hands and watch the three play for a while.

Time flew by quicker than he'd expected, so he gathered up the pups and brought them all back inside and set down a few pads around the house for the puppy to use, then dropped his coffee cup in the sink. Within seconds after he'd dropped his cup in the sink, a truck door had been slammed, then there was a knock on Ryan's front door. He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes before getting up to go open it.

"Hi." Delilah chirped, her attitude upbeat and happy to match her tone of voice. "Grab your keys, we gotta go."

He nodded and turned to go grab them off his nightstand, leaving her standing in the open doorway. She leaned against the doorframe and looked down at her nails and inspected the chipping polish on them with a bright smile plastered across her face that practically reached from ear to ear. When he returned and saw her grin, he was confused. Who could possibly be that happy this early in the morning? He thought, but quickly tossed the dumb question to the side in his mind and stood in front of the door with his keys in his hand.

He gave her a 'what are you waiting for?' Look and she nodded towards her truck. "Let's go."

"Where we goin'?" He asked impatiently as he climbed into her 2015 Silverado's passenger seat. To him, he sounded normal, just asking a question, but to Delilah he sounded sort of like a confused teenager-or like he was on his period, she didn't know- but she just stared at him like he had grown a second head. "You'll see. In fact, didn't I already tell you that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Mm, yeah?" His halfway condescending tone annoyed her like a thorn in her ass. "Then stop askin', you'll see when we get there."

"Say 'yOu'lL sEe' one more time and you'll see my ass going back inside."

He looked over at Delilah and laughed at her expression. She had her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, trying her best not to laugh at him. She shook her head and eventually gave in and let out a small giggle. "Idiot."

"Takes one to know one."

"Huh uh! I learned it from watchin' you, then."

He turned in his seat with his back towards the door and stared at her with his head cocked to the side and a fake offended look on his face. "You did not learn it from me!" She shot him a cocky grin and put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gearshift. "Did too."