#Chapter 67: Close to Ryan

After dinner, I help Ryan clean up while Alex helps Rita outside to exercise her leg, which is rapidly healing. I wash the dishes while Ryan puts them away, and he uses the opportunity to ask me questions. It makes me feel a little uncomfortable, but I am a guest in his house, and it is completely understandable, even under normal circumstances, that he would want to get to know more about me. At first, he asks typical questions, like where I grew up and about my parents. I respond with minimal information, but enough to satisfy him. He quickly realizes I have a stutter, but that doesn’t put him off. “It makes you more intriguing,” he admits. The statement shocks me, and I get a little shy. I think I may even be blushing as I reply, “No…I’m not…” “You are,” he argues. “I can’t figure you out, but there is something special about you, Cynthia.” “I get that. A lot.” I reply, definitely blushing now. Ryan has gotten closer to me, physically, since we began cleaning up, and I’ve no