Chapter 35: 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑𝟒

FINN

Today is the day we’re telling Ryan about our relationship.

The moment I told Bree that we should tell Ryan about us, I was both relieved and scared. So was she.

Today may as well be my last day in this world.

With that being said, we had to strategize how we were going to tell Ryan and keep me alive by the end.

Jack refused to give any suggestions, Rose and Farhan did everything in their power to scare me, Faizan was not interested until his wife asked him to help. Nora and Maham were our emotional support because of Nora’s reassuring words and Maham’s smiley face.

At last, we came up with an idea.

Today is Ryan’s birthday and we are throwing him a surprise party at his house.

Am I not just the best friend for throwing my best friend a party and telling him that I’m dating his sister as his gift?

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Bree asks as we set drinks on the counter. She’s been fidgeting nervously ever since we got here. I’ve been trying to distract but I look away for one second and she goes back to looking like a ghost.

“We were supposed to tell him either way,” I say.

“But today is his birthday,”

“Today might decrease the chances of me getting killed,”

“Today might also increase the chances of you getting killed,” Jack chimes in just when I see Bree starting to relax.

I glare at Jack as Bree stares at him with the same nervousness while the idiot picks up a can of drink.

“You’re not helping, honey,” Nora says, coming up to him and taking the can from his hand.

Jack stares at his girlfriend then looks at Bree, “oh- oh, don’t worry, Bree. Ryan won’t kill him,” he tries to reassure with the most nonreassuring smile.

“Forget Ryan. I can’t believe these two didn’t bring my baby,” Rose says, pointing at the married couple.

She’s been acting offended ever since they stepped into the house with no Maham in their arms.

“She is not your baby,” Faizan says, “and the events that may take place here are not safe for her,”

“He’s exaggerating,” Arzo says.

“He’s not,” Farhan states.

“Why are you all here? None of you are helping,” I wasn’t asking for actual answers but I got them anyway.

“To support you two,” Arzo and Nora say.

“Bree asked me to,” Rose says.

“Arzo asked me to,” Faizan says.

“For cake,” Jack says.

“For food,” Farhan says.

I drop my head between my shoulders and drag my hand across my face.

I’m dying tonight, aren’t I?

Our heads snap towards the front door as we hear it unlocking. Footsteps follow ahead then Ryan enters his living room, dressed in his usual black attire.

He stops in his track when he sees the unwanted crowd- us- standing by his counter.

He raises an eyebrow, his hands tucked in his pockets.

“Surprise!” Arzo and Nora blurt out, being the only ones who remember why we’re here.

Ryan, as always, shows no reaction to their greeting, turning the already tense atmosphere more… tense.

“Well, that was embarrassing,” Arzo mutters, Nora lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Two questions,” Ryan says, “one, why are you all here? Two, why does Bree look like she’s seen a ghost?”

At Ryan’s second question, I quickly return my attention to Bree and find her color drained from her face.

She blinks, “what? No, I don’t,” she says, “and we’re here for your surprise birthday,”

“Ah, I see,” Ryan nods, “what else?”

I look at Ryan. He’s as calm as a cucumber but aware of something as well.

“What do you mean ‘what else’?” Bree asks at the same time Farhan and Jack, taking Nora along, slowly back away from the counter. Faizan pulls his wife closer to him and Rose pulls Bree slightly away from me.

They gave Ryan a clear shot to kill me.

Great.

“Do you not have anything else to inform me?” Ryan asks, “Or do you need time to butter me first?”

“I don’t… butter you..” Bree trails off.

My eyes go back and forth between the siblings-

“Why are you quiet?”

My head turns towards Ryan at his question, finding his attention all on me.

“Hm? what?”

“I am not repeating myself.” He says, his voice containing a terrifying edge to it.

I swallow, “I didn’t want to interrupt..”

“Can you two get to the point?”

“Will you be angry?” Bree asks.

“Depends.”

“You’re not helping,” Rose comments when Bree freezes again.

“Neither are they,”

“Can we hurry up and get this over with? I want to eat,” Jack says, earning a hit on his arm from his girlfriend.

“I can hear his stomach grumbling,” Farhan chimes in.

“This is painful,” Faizan comments-

“Finn and I are dating!” Bree suddenly blurts and slaps her hands over her mouth, her eyes widened as if she can’t believe she just said that.

Meanwhile, I become rigid, waiting for Ryan to pull out a gun from nowhere and shoot me dead in the head.

It was fun while it lasted-

“Thank you for finally telling me,” Ryan says.

The whole room stays silent for a minute.

“What?” Bree and I ask at the same time.

“Did you know about them?” Jack asks, frowning.

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t know,” Ryan says matter of factly.

“How long?” Bree asks, her voice low and hesitant.

“Long enough,”

Of course. Ryan is the most observant person I know.

“And… you’re not mad?” Bree asks.

Ryan stays quiet.

“Ryan?”

“Ask me a different question,”

“Are you going to kill him?”

“Depends.” Ryan says, “why is he still not talking?-”

“I’m not taking advantage of her." I start speaking, "I really care about her and I will do anything to make her happy. I will protect her with my life, I swear. Don’t take her away from me. Or.. don’t kill me because I want to stay with her,”

Ryan stares at me with his intimidating gaze for a minute too long and it had never bothered me before until now.

Different circumstances, I guess.

“She sheds one tear because of you.. You’re dead, Romano,” Ryan states.

The man used my last name. He’s not my best friend right now, he’s Bree’s oldest, very terrifying, brother.

“Absolutely, agreed, yup.” I say.

Bree smiles, “can I hug you?” she asks Ryan.

“Oh! Me too!-”

“No.” Ryan says, point blank, shutting both siblings.

“So heartless,” Farhan mutters.

“Amar, you can breathe,” Faizan says and Arzo releases a breath we didn’t know she was holding.

“That was more intense than my final exams,” she says.

I pull Bree into my arms as Ryan’s attention goes to Jack when he starts rambling.

“Happy?” I ask.

She nods, smiling softly, “you?”

I return her smile, “always with you,”

ᯓᡣ𐭩

“Can you let go of his arm?”

Bree’s grip on my arm only tightens at Ryan’s request.

After our mission was accomplished, we sat around the living room, cut the cake, ate, drank, talked and I tried ignoring the fact Ryan was bashing a hole in the back of my head through his glare.

Now, Jack suggested we go upstairs to have ‘guys’ time’- whatever that means- and let the girls’ do their girls’ talk without interrupting.

That’s just an excuse for him to go upstairs and put on the game in Ryan’s study.

“If I let him go, are you going to kill him?” Bree asks.

“Not when we have witnesses,”

“What?”

“Can you not?” Rose asks, visibly annoyed. Ryan rolls his eyes.

“He won’t kill me, amore,” I reassure Bree. “And I’ll dodge the bullet if he does-”

“Not funny!”

“Right, sorry.”

“Bree, I’ll make sure he doesn’t die,” Jack says.

“You hide when Ryan gets mad,” Bree says. Farhan laughs which soon turns into a fake cough.

“Can you stop? Nora is here,” Jack grits out.

“Whatever. She accepts you for who you are,”

“Can you let go of his arm now? You’re not helping the situation,” Ryan says.

“Promise me you won’t kill him,”

He sighs, “I promise,”

The girls collectively release a sigh of relief and Bree lets go of my arm with a relieved smile.

Bree pecks my cheek as soon as Ryan turns around then I follow the guys upstairs to Ryan's study.

As we walk into the room, I close the door and turn around-

Ryan's fist slams into my face, forcing me to stumble back as a sharp sting cuts my lip.

I curse under my breath, grabbing my jaw to realign it after the punch.

“Now, I'm fine with it,” Ryan says and walks away to sit on his stupid chair.

The guys don't get one bit fazed. Farhan resumes his task of putting on the game, Jack pours himself a drink and Faizan uses his phone- either texting his wife or checking up on his daughter.

“Happy?” I ask Ryan.

“Satisfied,” he replies, “I'll rearrange your fucking face if you hurt her,”

Ironically, the previous tense atmosphere calms down after Ryan's physical blow.

I'd rather have him punch me to show his frustration and let out his anger than let him become a stranger around me.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Things could've gotten worse.