Love Unscripted
Page 53
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“You shouldn’t take these now. Mom, Taryn was going to take some aspirin but she shouldn’t take them on an empty stomach.”
I looked at him, puzzled.
“It could upset your stomach even worse,” he said.
“We’ve both been sick, Mom. I think we had food poisoning last night but Taryn still isn’t able to keep anything down. Can she take aspirin on an empty stomach? I didn’t think so.” He smirked.
I dropped my shoulders; I was doomed to deal with the pain. Ryan stepped closer and felt my forehead again. I guess my temperature was acceptable; he opened the box of crackers and tore open a sleeve for me. I was perfectly capable of opening the cracker box, but at the same time I loved that he was taking care of me. And here I thought that he was the one who needed taking care of.
“My mom says you should try and eat some toast and we should drink lots of water.” He swept my hair off my shoulder with his finger, gazing at me again. “I’m sure you’ll get to meet her when you visit, Mom.” He smiled, appearing so happy. “I’ll tell you all about her… later,” he whispered.
Toast sounded good, but hearing him telling his mother that we’d get to meet each other one day completely stunned me.
“All right Mom, I love you too. I’ll call you later tonight.” He ended his call and popped a cracker in his mouth.
“Do you have a toaster?”
I opened the lower cabinet where it was stored.
“Why don’t you go relax? I’ve got this.” Ryan took hold of my shoulders and guided me towards the hall. I smiled on my way back to my living room. I could not believe that Ryan wanted to make toast for me. My heart suddenly felt very full.
“So what do your parents think of all this attention you’ve been getting?” I asked while we both munched on toast out on the couch.
“I guess they’re overwhelmed. Their lives have changed too because of me. My mom and dad tell me that they’re proud, you know, but they also let me know that they’re concerned. My mom keeps telling me to keep my feet on the ground.”
I nodded in concurrence. “You’re going to have to always keep it in check. Just don’t let the fame and notoriety turn you into someone you’re not.
Your parents love the son that they raised, not the celebrity you’ve become.”
He looked at me funny and grinned. “Do you know that my mom said the same exact thing to me? And you’re right,” he answered dryly, “but you don’t know how it is.”
“No, I don’t,” I agreed in my softest voice. “And I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I have a clue of what this is like for you. You’ll have to explain it to me if you want me to understand.”
He shook his head and shrugged. “When I’m on set working, things are great. I love it! But since I did Seaside, things have been crazy. The whole fan thing is… I don’t know… incomprehensible. It’s constant pressure to live up to the hype. Some days it squeezes harder than others.” It was apparently difficult for him to find the words to talk about it.
“Well, just remember who you are, and try not to let this get bigger than that. The minute you stop being humble, you’ll be in trouble.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
“Ryan, you don’t seem to be the type of person who got into acting because you have to feed your ego. You’re apparently really good at it, and you love doing it. It’s the career path you’ve chosen to follow, but it’s not who you are in here,” I said as I patted my own heart with my hand. “Just keep focused on the fact that it’s your job and don’t let it define you. You’ll be okay.”
“You sound like my mother,” he informed.
“No, I’m not trying to mother you,” I defended quickly.
“No, no. That’s not what I mean!” He laughed. “I mean that you’re saying the same things my mom has said to me. It’s bizarre!”
“Well your mother is obviously a brilliant woman,” I amended.
“She keeps telling me to be careful who I trust. Like I need the reminder.” He rubbed his forehead again.
“Ryan, I have a pretty good idea why you have a hard time trusting people and why you have to question the validity of everything and everyone.” I tilted my head until his eyes met mine.
“And I know I have to earn your trust – just like you have to earn mine. We’re just two people trying to be friends. We both have a lot to risk. But I know your risk is much higher – it takes away your freedom and puts you in danger.”
I looked at him, puzzled.
“It could upset your stomach even worse,” he said.
“We’ve both been sick, Mom. I think we had food poisoning last night but Taryn still isn’t able to keep anything down. Can she take aspirin on an empty stomach? I didn’t think so.” He smirked.
I dropped my shoulders; I was doomed to deal with the pain. Ryan stepped closer and felt my forehead again. I guess my temperature was acceptable; he opened the box of crackers and tore open a sleeve for me. I was perfectly capable of opening the cracker box, but at the same time I loved that he was taking care of me. And here I thought that he was the one who needed taking care of.
“My mom says you should try and eat some toast and we should drink lots of water.” He swept my hair off my shoulder with his finger, gazing at me again. “I’m sure you’ll get to meet her when you visit, Mom.” He smiled, appearing so happy. “I’ll tell you all about her… later,” he whispered.
Toast sounded good, but hearing him telling his mother that we’d get to meet each other one day completely stunned me.
“All right Mom, I love you too. I’ll call you later tonight.” He ended his call and popped a cracker in his mouth.
“Do you have a toaster?”
I opened the lower cabinet where it was stored.
“Why don’t you go relax? I’ve got this.” Ryan took hold of my shoulders and guided me towards the hall. I smiled on my way back to my living room. I could not believe that Ryan wanted to make toast for me. My heart suddenly felt very full.
“So what do your parents think of all this attention you’ve been getting?” I asked while we both munched on toast out on the couch.
“I guess they’re overwhelmed. Their lives have changed too because of me. My mom and dad tell me that they’re proud, you know, but they also let me know that they’re concerned. My mom keeps telling me to keep my feet on the ground.”
I nodded in concurrence. “You’re going to have to always keep it in check. Just don’t let the fame and notoriety turn you into someone you’re not.
Your parents love the son that they raised, not the celebrity you’ve become.”
He looked at me funny and grinned. “Do you know that my mom said the same exact thing to me? And you’re right,” he answered dryly, “but you don’t know how it is.”
“No, I don’t,” I agreed in my softest voice. “And I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I have a clue of what this is like for you. You’ll have to explain it to me if you want me to understand.”
He shook his head and shrugged. “When I’m on set working, things are great. I love it! But since I did Seaside, things have been crazy. The whole fan thing is… I don’t know… incomprehensible. It’s constant pressure to live up to the hype. Some days it squeezes harder than others.” It was apparently difficult for him to find the words to talk about it.
“Well, just remember who you are, and try not to let this get bigger than that. The minute you stop being humble, you’ll be in trouble.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
“Ryan, you don’t seem to be the type of person who got into acting because you have to feed your ego. You’re apparently really good at it, and you love doing it. It’s the career path you’ve chosen to follow, but it’s not who you are in here,” I said as I patted my own heart with my hand. “Just keep focused on the fact that it’s your job and don’t let it define you. You’ll be okay.”
“You sound like my mother,” he informed.
“No, I’m not trying to mother you,” I defended quickly.
“No, no. That’s not what I mean!” He laughed. “I mean that you’re saying the same things my mom has said to me. It’s bizarre!”
“Well your mother is obviously a brilliant woman,” I amended.
“She keeps telling me to be careful who I trust. Like I need the reminder.” He rubbed his forehead again.
“Ryan, I have a pretty good idea why you have a hard time trusting people and why you have to question the validity of everything and everyone.” I tilted my head until his eyes met mine.
“And I know I have to earn your trust – just like you have to earn mine. We’re just two people trying to be friends. We both have a lot to risk. But I know your risk is much higher – it takes away your freedom and puts you in danger.”
