He sighs and tosses the baseball cap on the coffee table hitting the side of Goldie’s tank. “All of this is new and I’m terrified of where we'll end up in the future.”
“You’re terrified? Ryland, I am too. You’re this big, huge soccer player who travels the globe getting paid to wear free underwear. I'm a normal girl from southern California. I hate exercising and like sleeping in on Saturdays and eating cold pizza for breakfast. You’re this big thing.” My arms fly out encompassing his body from my position. "It’d be easy to take it all and get lost in you, but then where would that leave me? Who would I be?”
I haven’t forgotten my vow to never make a decision based on a guy again. The move a few hours north to San Francisco for Cody was one thing, but what if I were to move to Italy with Ryland and he decides I’m not worth it? I can't go through that again, especially halfway across the world. If it wasn’t for Aspen and Amanda, I’d have packed it up and moved home months ago.
Ryland leans on his knees in front of my chair pushing my legs to either side of him. “Stop fighting us, Marissa. Get lost in me. I’m already lost in you. We’ll come out on the other side together, different, new, but still us.”
“Promise?” I ask taking a deep breath to stop the tears getting ready to start. These are no longer from anger.
“Promise.” His fingers wrap around my wrists pulling my hands from my face and the crappy attempt to hide my tears. “Why are you crying? Isn't this a good thing?”
“I know. That’s why I’m crying.” I wipe my hand across my eyes thankful I didn’t put on mascara this morning.
He tugs on my hands. “Come on. Up.”
“Why?” My chair’s comfortable. I don’t see why I need to move. I hate crying and even more when it’s in front of people.
He pulls me up placing a kiss on my forehead. “We fought. Now we’ll do that cuddle thing you were talking about?”
“You want to cuddle with me?” It’s the enticement I need to follow him to my bedroom.
He swoops down to give me another kiss on the forehead. “Don’t tell Finn.”
I pucker my lips and lock them with an imaginary key. He didn’t say I couldn’t tell Aspen. My sniffles start to decrease and my senses return to normal, but we’re too close to my bedroom door before I realize the mistake Ryland’s about to make.
The hinges creak as he opens the door. It’s a warning sound of trouble to come, but he doesn’t take the hint and run in the other direction. Ryland rushes in like the big breasted blonde bimbo always killed off in the first scene in every horror movie.
“Holy shit, Marissa.” He stops and surveys the damage. “Have you even read the commandments? Did number ten get cut off your paper? Is this your idea of orderly?"
It’s not too bad this afternoon. I hung up clothes a few days ago. I hurry and pick up the comforter off the floor throwing it on the end of the bed and toss the pile of clothes from the bed to the corner chair. The few pairs of shoes I’ve left where they fell after a hard day at work get kicked under the bed with the swipe of my foot. “I haven’t had time to pick up this weekend.”
“So it doesn’t always look like this?” he asks, his eyes circling the room and taking in the items scattered about.
I scoff at him. “Of course not.”Normally it looks much worse.
He sits on the bed scootching to the side closest to the wall. “Thank God we’ll have a maid.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes at him, but inside I grin. Whether it’s at the “maid” part or the “we” comment is unknown, but I won’t question either. He pats the empty side of the bed and I drop the belt in my hand and join him resting my head beside his on the pillow. “So we’re doing this? The whole relationship thing.”
“Yup.” He brushes my hair above my head and wraps an arm around my middle pulling me next to him so my back rests against his chest. The perfect cuddle position.
“What about the rules?” I ask settling my body as snugly to his as possible. Even in my anger I didn’t miss him ripping them up minutes ago.
He laughs his breath blowing a few hairs on the top of my head. “You’ve already broken all the rules.”
“Not yet, the sheer drapes I ordered haven’t been delivered.”
He places a kiss on my ear. “I sincerely hope you’re kidding.”
Oops. Guess it’s time to try and cancel the order.
“You’re not kidding, are you?” His mouth hoovers by my neck forcing him to reposition his body further down the bed.
“I’m sure there’s time to request a refund.” I reach behind me to grab his hand wrapping it around my side and stomach.
I trail my index finger up and down his thick strong arms following a large vein on his forearm. Laying wrapped up in Ryland is safe and warm—something I let myself envision doing for days, months, and years to come. More kisses get placed on my lower neck and collarbone moving down my shoulder a few inches. His hand travels down my stomach and stops to unbutton my jeans before reaching in and stopping at the top of my underwear.
“Make up sex?” I roll to my back and glance up at him.
Ryland chuckles into my neck. “This is why we’re meant to be together. Never question it.”
