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Sunlight poured over the king-size bed and I groaned at its intrusion. Throwing an arm over my face, I squinted at the clock next to the bed. Ten o’clock. I slept in!
I threw off the covers and looked around the room. “Ryan?” I called but he didn’t answer. I padded to the bathroom, but he wasn’t in the shower.
Turning around, I noticed a note on the floor. I must have thrown it off with the covers.
My beautiful Laura,
I have to get a few things settled at work today. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to kiss you good morning. But I promise to make it up to you. Come here tonight at 7 p.m. I’ll be waiting.
Yours,
Ryan
Mine.
I liked the sound of that. I spun on my heels and fell backward onto the bed, clutching the note to my chest. With a sigh, I stared up at the ceiling. I felt young and carefree, for the first time in… well, ever.
The last class of my University career was today and I didn’t want to miss it. Soon, I would graduate and start on this new path and I hoped I now had someone to walk it with me.
Turning on the water, I stared at myself in the mirror. I was the same person. Me. Laura Stevens, yet I felt different today. I was happy and looking forward to the future. Ryan knew everything about me and he still wanted me. I hadn’t scared him off. No, in fact, he loved me. He fought for me. He chose me.
I quickly showered, dressed, and ran to class, excited to start this next chapter.
I could barely focus while my professors spoke. He was reviewing the material before the exam. My mind kept drifting to last night. I smirked, remembering how I’d tied Ryan’s arms and legs to the mattress.
He’d somehow broke free at one point when he couldn’t take my teasing anymore and the momentum threw us both off the bed.
What had happened next made me giggle and I turned around, sneaking glances at my classmates to make sure no one had heard. Some girl squinted her eyes in my direction, probably wondering what the hell was wrong with me.
I smothered a bout of laughter with my scarf and focused on the prof.
After my last class, I raced home and dressed quickly for my evening with Ryan. What should I wear? A dress? Too formal. A skirt? That would definitely be an invitation. Mmm, skirt it was.
Leaving my hair loose in big curls, I shook it out one last time before heading out the door. My father was walking up the steps just as I locked the front door.
“Oh, hi, Dad. How was your shift at the gas station?”
He looked tired, but he smiled. “It was good, honey. Boring but good.”
“Well, most jobs usually are. At least the legitimate ones.”
He chuckled. “I guess you’re right.”
I was glad we could laugh about this now. We still had to find a way to get Luke’s ball back, but he hadn’t pressed charges against my father and Rossi wasn’t admitting his involvement, so, for now, we were moving on until we could come up with a plan.
I kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t wait up,” I said as I climbed into my car.
He shook his head. “Say hi to Ryan for me.”
I nodded and backed out of the driveway. My relationship with my father was complicated. I hadn’t necessarily forgiven him completely for everything he’d done, but we were working past it.
I pulled up into Ryan’s driveway and turned off the ignition. Staring up at the house, I marveled at the sheer size of the structure and the surrounding trees. The house felt as big as the man himself and how he had encompassed my life.
Tossing my hair back, I rang the doorbell and then checked my lipstick. After a few seconds of no response, I went to try again, only this time noticed the note stuck to the door.
Come in.
Turning the doorknob, I pressed firmly on the door. “Hello?”
