“Liz, wait. Do you need me to follow you home?” Jayson asks from behind me.
“I’m good.”
“Text us when you get in so we know you’re okay.”
“Will do.” I call back at Julien, “See you in the morning.”
Elijah decides to wake up then and gives me a sleepy wave. “Bye, Liz.”
When I get home, I text Jayson and Julien to let them know I’m safe and sound. I take a quick shower and slip on my usual bedtime outfit of boy shorts and a tank top. Slipping under my covers, I take a selfie with my phone and send it to Ryder.
Me: Goodnight Ryder.
Hellcat: You’re killing me here. You are so fucking sexy.
I lick my lips. I can still taste him on me.
Me: Thank you for saying yes.
Hellcat: Thank you for asking me.
Me: Was this how it was like before between us? I feel like my body is on fire.
Hellcat: This is so much better than before.
Hellcat: I’ve half a mind to come over there right now and finish what you started in my bedroom.
Hell yes!
Me: I’ll see you in the morning after Julien and I get back. Bring more donuts
Hellcat: Anything for you, Elizabeth.
Me: Goodnight Ryder.
Hellcat: Sweet dreams baby.
Baby.
For the first time since I arrived, my dreams are full of only Ryder. Fantasies of him keep my nightmares away and I wake up the next morning more than ready to tackle Julien’s ten-mile run. I need to pack my bag for school as well as put in a change of clothes so I can shower at the boys’ condo after breakfast. I have an appointment with Dr. Clairemont and then a couple of classes later in the day. When I open my bag and take out my calc textbook from last night, a silver origami star falls out. Curious, I pick it up and notice some writing peeking out from one of the folds. I unfold it to see a message.
“You aren’t just a star to me, you are my whole damn sky.”
Chapter 15
Elizabeth
The smell of musty books and old paper circulate in the air as I walk through the library, looking for the study room Meredith reserved for us. Once I find room three, I turn on the lights and get situated, waiting for her and Trevor to arrive. We were given our first group assignment today onSouth Pole Station, so it was only natural that Meredith, Trevor, and I work together as a group. We’re to compare and contrast the fiction story with articles, papers, and videos on climate change and have to present a group project about pop culture’s treatment of global warming by the end of next week.
Since I have time to kill while I wait for Meredith and Trevor to arrive, I ponder over the past couple of days. I had a lot to talk about with Dr. Clairemont during our bi-weekly session yesterday. Mostly about Ryder, but also about how things were better between me and Jayson, and how much fun I was having with Julien. I haven’t had any more memory flashes since, and the reprieve has been wonderful.
Speaking of Julien, he owes me two more bribe prizes. I found an online store that does cheap custom print jobs and ordered his pink T-shirt. It should arrive sometime next week. Julien’s soccer training schedule is all afternoon practices, so we still get to run with each other every morning. I have to skip tomorrow, however, because of my MRI which Ryder is taking me to.
I haven’t seen much of Jayson other than when he meets me and Julien after chem class and in the mornings for our usual breakfast at their place. Jayson said since I’m taking a shower there every morning that I should leave some of my stuff at their place, like toiletries and clothes, so I’m not having to pack a bag every day. When I showed up this morning with hair care products, soap, and a couple of days’ worth of clothes, he acted like it was Christmas morning. He unpacked everything himself.
I also found another silver origami star on my doorstep when I left to meet Julien at five. This one had the message: “Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever.”
Ryder hasn’t said anything to me about them, and I don’t want to ruin his romantic gesture by bringing it up. I’ve hung the two stars he’s left for me from my ceiling using string and thumbtacks. I want to be able to gaze up at his beautiful word-filled stars as I fall asleep. Last night I dreamed I was sitting under a tree, one that was sprinkled with a million twinkling stars.
