"She punched me the night of the blackout, but she didn't realize it was me," Rylee mentioned absentmindedly. "Otherwise she hasn't caused no physical harm. Hasn't even had her dog attack me." Rylee's eyes grew wide from Samuel's warning and he quickly bent forward, pointing at Samuel with his glass, the whiskey sloshing around inside.
"Don't worry, I'm not tellin' her I love her. Well, not now or anything. The moment anyone is warm and squishy around her she gets this look like she's considering jumpin' from the window. I know that would destroy my chances. Not yet, no way." But a new shock quickly replaced Rylee's panic of making such a mistake as mentioning the L-word. The very thought that maybe Charlie already knew his feelings was so surprising that Rylee froze, listening to Samuel with complete attention before he collapsed back against the seat.
"You think? I mean, I guess it's not the hardest thing to consider. She probably does know, even if she isn't allowing herself to realize it. She's really good at avoiding stuff." He considered what he said for a moment, the way Charlie would become so nervous when he would try to make a small move. Yeah, she probably did know on some level, but Samuel was right- she hadn't tasered him or anything. That had to be a good sign.
With a flash in his blue eyes Rylee focused on his friend. "I won't let another man step in. It won't happen." The very idea of another man being with Charlie had always bothered Rylee but he had been lucky enough to not have been around to witness it. If a man flirted with Charlie, tried to approach her, anything like that in front of Rylee... the feeling that appeared from deep within Rylee wasn't a good one and his face flushed with a heat much different than embarrassment. He tossed back more of the whiskey and gave Samuel a nod. "It's all good advice. Thank you. She could use more friends and I'm glad you know her..."
He didn't feel threatened by Samuel for knowing his best friend, maybe it would give Charlie another person to confide in, and that set off a warning sound in Rylee's mind. What if Samuel told Charlie about Rylee's feelings? "... I think."