Crazy Stupid Love

Chapter 47: You Again

Rydel's POV

His words ring repeatedly in my ears. My mind is running a thousand miles an hour, but my body is frozen in place.
"Ell..." I whisper.
"Rydel, I've loved you for the past six years. Please make me the happiest man alive and do me the honour of being my wife?"
"You have to promise me one thing," I request.
"Anything," he replies immediately.
"Promise me that this isn't just because of what I told you at the party. That if I wasn't pregnant with your baby, you'd still want this. You'd still want me."
"Rydel," he whispers, getting to his feet. "I will always want you. I loved you then, I sure as hell love you now, and I will love you for as long as I'm alive. There are a lot of things I'm unsure about, but being with you isn't one of those things. You're the only thing that's constant in my life."
"Yes," I whisper. "Yes. 1000 times yes."
Grinning widely, he pulls the diamond ring from the box and slides it onto my finger.
"It's perfect," I whisper.
"Just like you," he murmurs.
Sliding his hands around my waist, he pulls my body right against his. My arms wrap around his neck just as his lips press to mine.

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Riker's POV

Shutting the front door behind me, I begin walking towards the beach. I clutch my spiral notebook tight to my chest, not daring to let the strong winds rip away my most valuable possession. Every song I've ever written has been in this book. I've had it since day one, and it will be with me until long after R5 is over.
I sit down in the sand about 15 feet from the shoreline, and begin to write.

Mom and Dad,
Wholeheartedly, you loved me and inspired me with never ending devotion.
It was a blessing to have been your son,to have been loved to such extents without conditions.
Your words of wisdom opened my eyes to the world and to myself.
By seeing nothing but the best in me, you both empowered me. By believing in me, you transformed me into the man I am proud to be today.
Life happens, and you're gone now. Just know your love remains strong and eternally by my side and in my heart.
I'll never forget you,
Riker Anthony Lynch

Wiping the tears from my face, I get to my feet. Wet sand moulds around my toes as I slowly approach the ocean, the waves washing over my feet and soaking the bottom of my pants. Folding up the paper, I toss it into the water. It is immediately enveloped by the salty waves, being dragged deeper into the abyss as each second passes.
Turning to leave, I spot a girl sitting on the small fence separating the beach from the road. Her long blond hair whips in the wind, emitting a scent I am all too familiar with.
Having to know for sure, I walk slowly towards her.
"Emily?" I ask weakly.
The girl stands up; slowly turning to face me.
"Hey, Riker."
Her ghostly voice holds no hint of the soft melody it once contained. Her raw lips can't force a smile, her body looking unhealthily underweight. The bags under her eyes seem to be weighing her entire body down, but even in this state, she makes them look designer.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
She hugs her arms tighter to her chest before saying, "I could ask you the same question."
"This is a beach by my house. I always come here," I answer.
"Well it's not your beach," she snaps, putting a rude emphasis on 'your'. "So stop interrogating me."
Her hostility cuts so much deeper than I thought it would. Honestly, I never thought I'd see her again.
"Not until you answer my question. Why are you here?" I state angrily. I've been in love with this girl for so long, and I had to let her go for that reason. Why would she show up and not tell me?
"You're supposed to be in New York!"
"Well things change, Riker!"
"You could be anywhere in LA right now! Why here?" I demand.
"I came to see Marriya. I've been sitting outside here for the past hour, but haven't gotten the courage to knock on the door. I was scared you were in there."
"Well I wasn't. Plus I thought you would have called when you got back," I say. "When did you get back?"
"Oh I'm sorry! I don't remember that being in the terms and conditions of you breaking my heart!" she screams, pointedly ignoring my second question.
"I did that because I loved you!"
"Oh, really?" she demands. "Because breaking up with someone really shows that! Great job, Riker, I'm feeling the love!"
"You wouldn't have gone if I didn't! I know you, Emily! You would have given up everything you've worked for just to be with me! I couldn't let you do that!"
"Love requires sacrifice, Riker!"
"That's what I did, Emily! I gave up the most important thing in my life so she could achieve the dreams she's had since childhood! I did what I did because you are the thing I loved most. The thing I love most."
For the first time today, she's speechless. I can tell something she wants to tell me, but is holding herself back.
"It's okay, Em. You can tell me," I whisper.
Pain flares in her eyes at the recognition of her old nickname, but is then replaced with a soft look. A look I remember.
"My brother died. I was a few months into shooting when I got the call that he was doing bad. Really bad. I got there as soon as I could, but I was too late."
A tear slips from her eye, and I resist the burning urge to pull her into my body and never let her go again.
"Riker, he spent his last few hours awake wondering 'where's Emmy?'. Nothing will ever make that okay. He's worth more than fame, more than any movie, more than anything I got caught up with thinking is important. His smile was enough to make day, and now I'll never see it again."
The tears begin to fall; her frail body melting into my arms. As I hold her tight, I feel the steady drum of her heart pounding into my chest. I know in this moment that we're going to be okay. I'm alive. She's alive. I don't care how long it takes, but we will find our way back together.
It takes her a few minutes, but she collects herself enough to pull away from my chest.
"And why are you out here alone?" she asks softly.
"What do you mean?"
"Riker, I know you didn't see me until you got out here. We were together for long enough for me to know you don't come out here alone unless you're upset, so tell me what's wrong."
"My parents died," I murmur. "They were on a plane with Marriya's parents, and it crashed. There were no survivors."
I pause; attempting to calm my shaky voice. Reaching out, Emily takes one of my hands in her own.
"I'm so sorry, Rik."
"We couldn't bury them, but we had a service for them this morning. I just can't believe they're really gone," I whisper, a tear involuntarily slipping down my face.
"Let's go for a walk," she urges, pulling my hand as she begins walking towards the water.
My feet are once again emerged in the water as we walk along the coast; fingers still intertwined.
"I really missed you, Emily."
"Yeah, well you should have thought about that before you left me," she says; her voice colder than ice.
"Emily, that was the worst decision I've ever made. I should never let you go."
"Riker-"
She begins speaking, but her foot suddenly sticks in the sand. Her body crashes into the water; small waves rolling over her.
Of all the reactions she expects me to have, she is definitely not anticipating the sound that comes out of my mouth.
I start laughing.
I don't know if it's the look on her face, or a release of all the stress I've built up over the last week, but I can't fight the grin on my face.
"Riker!" she exclaims angrily, but soon has a smile that matches mine.
The smile I fell in love with.
I reach down to help her up, but she grabs my hand and yanks me down into the water beside her.
She quickly climbs on top of me, pushing my hair from face.
"I really missed you," she whispers.
Leaning in, she presses a kiss to my lips.

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Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! My friend has been bugging me to bring Emily back to Riker for so long, so here she is!
What do you guys think of Emily? Is she good for Riker, or is she bad news?
So I'm going on vacation on the 28, and won't be back till the 5th. If I don't get another chapter up by then, I love you all so much and will see you soon!
~ Hannah xxx