The Wish Factory

Chapter 12

Barry stared at Ryleigh for several seconds after her admission, and she wished dearly that she hadn't told him. She'd embraced the feelings of this realm had given her, and she didn't want to hurt him. She watched as he leaned forward and took her hand in his. The sensation of his hand on hers was warm and sent a shiver down her spine and caused butterflies to fly in her stomach. but something was off and she couldn't pinpoint it. She wasn't sure this was such a smart idea. Sure, it felt real, but it wasn't, and she was afraid she was going to fall too far down the rabbit hole. Still, looking at Barry's sincere expression, she realized that she didn't care so much, but something was definitely holding her back. She wanted the full experience, and she wanted to go for it. Ryleigh lowered her head and sighed, making a move to stand, but he wouldn't release her hand, so she spoke.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to say anything to you about this, Barry. I've forgotten about it, and Iris obviously has as well. I won't make the same mistake twice of hanging all over you like I used to. I really don't want any of this to affect our relationships." Barry snapped out of his thoughts and pulled her hand gently to move her closer to him on the couch. Her pulse was starting to speed up at the way he was looking at her, but she honestly had no idea what he was going to do or say. When he finally did speak, she found herself holding her breath.

"Rye, it did affect our relationship, don't you see that? We used to be inseparable, and I've barely seen you in the three years you've been gone. Iris seldom talks about you. I used to wonder why and all she'd tell me is that you guys had been fighting. Now, I understand the reason, but I still don't understand the why of it. Iris has only ever thought of me as a brother, and you and I were headed somewhere before you took off. I just wish you'd have talked to me instead of taking her word for it. I was crazy about you, completely nuts, and I was devastated when you left. I thought it was me because I remember when we almost kissed. I thought we were heading in the right direction, but you left." Ryleigh felt her mouth open at his speech, but she didn't know what to say to him or how to respond at all. The feelings swirling around inside of her were confusing, new, foreign, and exciting. She was saved from answering entirely because at that precise moment; Iris stalked into the living room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw them, and her eyes narrowed when she saw their linked hands.

"I thought you'd be back at the hotel, on your way back to wherever you've been living by now." Again, Ryleigh was saved from speaking because Barry gently let go of her hand and jumped up from the couch, exploding and leaving a very shocked Iris and Joe, who had just reentered the room, in his wake.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Iris, how dare you! I told you three years ago how I felt about Ryleigh. I told you that I thought we were heading towards a relationship, that I was falling in love with her, and you tell her that she was embarrassing herself? You're the reason that she left and never looked back! What in the hell possessed you, to do that to her or better yet to me?! You and I are as close as brother and sister...or at least I thought we, were." Ryleigh sighed heavily and sank back into the couch with a flop. Joe groaned, sat down in the armchair closest to where she sat and shook his head at his daughter.

"Oh Iris, please tell me you didn't do this." Iris stood up straight and glared at all of them, unapologetic in her stance.

"So, what if I did, dad?! The idea of the two of them together is laughable, they'd have been miserable together, and it would have made things weird for all of us!" Barry jumped in again, utterly furious with the girl he'd considered his closest friend.

"Dammit, Iris, that wasn't your decision to make for Ryleigh or for me! I confided in you, and you scared her off while stabbing me in the back! All the while making it weird anyway. I honestly don't know if I'm going to be able to forgive you for this, Iris...you took three years away from me." Iris looked at Barry and then back at her dad, completely ignoring Ryleigh, which was starting to piss her off.