"Family is something very important," Rylee replied with a soft smile. He thought of his own family; his father dead and gone, his mother back in Missouri, and Charlie... who was here with him. She was just as much family as his parents.
His attention slipped back to Elias and his smile faded. He paused for a moment, taking in Elias' comment and considered what had changed. Well, for one thing, he was now dating Charlie. That had made every day a bit better and he did feel much more confident. Overall, he was happy. Really happy. Elias didn't seem to be quite as much of a threat anymore. Still, his cheeks showed the faintest tint of a change in color as he nearly slipped back into his more natural character.
"Talking about the black out wasn't one of my favorite topics. I'd rather forget it ever happened," Rylee replied with a more quiet voice that nearly admitted his shyness. He paused for a moment, considering if it all should be out in the open, then realized he didn't care. He felt some excitement in the idea of telling this man who wanted to be a part of Charlie's life what exactly had transpired since their last meeting. "Charlie and I are dating now... I'm pretty happy about that. So maybe that has something to do with my character."
Rylee looked up at Elias and held his gaze in a near challenge for him to openly dislike he and Charlie's relationship. He felt defiant, that he would date who he pleased, and he wasn't quite sure why he felt this way to a man he knew nearly nothing about.