The Wrong Moment

The Wrong Moment
By Misha

Disclaimer- Not mine.
Author’s Notes- This is just a little short The Heist: Monaco piece that takes place right after the escape in Chapter One. I have mixed feeling about Rye. I adore him, but I struggle with the friends to lover dynamic and I found the diamond scene a little underwhelming, so this popped into my head and kind of my explanation why the reunion and kiss isn’t a bigger deal.
Pairing- Rye/MC
Rating- PG
Summary- Rye and Elena have a moment after everything goes wrong, but is the timing right?
Words- 777

My heart was pounding as I collapsed on the safe house couch.

“We can’t stay here long,” Rye reminded me, still moving, rummaging through the safe. “This is just a stop gap.”

I knew he was right. Eris had bought us time, but the police were still going to be after us and Ansel… He knew too much and who knew what he had told the police?

Rye grabbed what he needed and then came and sat beside me. “This is a setback,” he reminded me, “but we caught away.”

“We did,” I pointed out bitterly, the memory of Eris… It was too painful to even put into words.

“She did what she thought she had to,” Rye pointed out, “she did it for you. We’d both do anything for you. Besides, it’s a sign of faith, that she knows you’ll make the most of this opportunity.”

I nodded, but I didn’t feel optimistic. I had no idea where to go from here. The whole world would be looking for us, so I had to stay low, but running cons was all I knew. I wasn’t exactly the small town, bake cookies type.

“This will get you to the next safe point,” Rye commented, pressing a passport into my hand, “and you know how to access the offshore cash. You might have to change IDs a few times, but that’s nothing new and what’s next is laying low for a while. You can do this.”

My eyes narrowed. He kept saying ‘you’, not ‘us’. “What about you?” I asked, a knot forming in my stomach. “You’re coming too.” I winced at the note of hysteria in my voice.

Rye looked sadder than he had in all the years I’d known him. “I can’t, Elena, you know that. We’re too much of a target together.” I knew he was right, but…

“I lost Eris, I can’t lose you too.” I protested, “we can lie low, but at least we’ll be together.”

“You need to lie low,” Rye corrected, “I need to be working on a plan, that’s my job, remember? This is only temporary, we’ll be together again before you know it.”

I wanted to protest some more, beg him to come with me, but… I didn’t. Because he was right. Yet…

“We’ve been together since the beginning,” I reminded him, “we’ve always been a team “ Since before we even truly understood the meaning of a con. We’d gone into this life together, knowing the other always had our back, drawing from each other’s strengths until we’d earned our reputations as master criminals.

“We’re still a team,” Rye assured me, “I will come and find you, Elena. I promise you that.”

I smiled weakly. “You better.”

I looked at him carefully, memorizing all the details of his face and all the things I had wanted to say for a while but hadn’t because the timing hadn’t seemed right, because I hadn’t wanted to ruin what we were, suddenly bubbled up to the surface. I reached for him, “Rye…”

He covered my hand gently, the look on his face making my heart sink. Apparently, I had misread the situation… Like, really misread it.

I turned away, trying to drop my hand, but he kept hold of it.

“Elena,” he said gently, “look at me.”

I forced myself to work through the humiliation and do as he was asked. After all, this was Rye, my best friend.

“Not like this,” Rye told me quietly, “I don’t want to do it like this, not as some big dramatic goodbye.” Oh. “You know how I feel,” he continued, “how I’ve always felt.”

I guess I did, which was why I’d felt so sure…Yet, I knew he was right. RIght now it was all desperate emotion and the panic of being separated from the one person who had always been there and it made me terrified that we’d missed our moment. But we deserved better than that, if this was going to be anything.

“And I will be happy to continue this, when I come and find you,” Rye said gently, his hand caressing mine. “I will find you, Elena.”

I smiled. “I know.”

We sat there for a moment, our hands entwined, just looking at each other. I felt both completely content and utterly bereft at the same time. Because Rye was here and we were solid, but it was temporary and soon I was going to be on my own for the first time ever. It was a terrifying thought and I knew that wherever I went, whatever happened next I wouldn’t truly be ok until I was with Rye again.

• End