Rhea Ripley- Masterpiece

Chapter 6

I did as Bestie Jake said. I called up Demi again and told her Jake was kicking me out for a week. She told me I could come stay with her. I bought a one way plane ticket, packed a bag, and went to Demi's.

Once I landed, I messaged Demi. She was already here to pick me up. She didn't have to do that, but it's much appreciated. Less money I have to spend. I guess it also gives us extra quality time together. Maybe I'll get to hold her hand?

When I walked out, I immediately spotted the blonde Australian. She's dressed casual and is leaning against her truck. An Ice Nine Kills shirt, ripped jeans, sneakers, and a backwards snapback on her head. I felt my heart skip a beat, which caused Demi to look up from her phone. We shared a smile as I walked over. "Let me help with that. I'll put it in the back seat." She had me hand her my luggage and put it all in the back seat. After she shut the door, I pulled her into a hug. We stood there in each other's arms, taking in each other's scents and letting ourselves relax in our hug. I feel much better feeling her against me. "Oh God, I missed you, Ryder." I knew she wasn't lying because our hug got tighter.

We're supposed to be taking things slow, but it seems impossible right now. I just want to kiss Demi hard and hold her close like this forever. I don't wanna leave her side. "I missed you too, Demi." Slowly but surely, we begrudgingly pulled away. For a minute, we caught each other's gaze. I stared into her eyes. For a moment, she looked at my lips, but quickly looked away.

We hopped into her truck and drove to her place. On our way, I noticed Demi's arm was resting on the center console. I reached over and took her hand into mine. Our fingers naturally intertwined. I can't really explain the feeling, other than it seemed right. The hug and her hand feel the same. It's almost like we're two pieces from the same puzzle.

"So, how was your flight over?" Demi is attempting to make small talk.

"It wasn't bad. I tried to take a nap, but couldn't get comfortable. So, I watched a few movies on my phone." I looked at our hands as I felt Demi rub soothing circles on mine with her thumb. The simple action felt like she cared. Demi even brought my hand to her lips to gently kiss it. My heart then did somersaults and my stomach felt like a group of butterflies were fluttering around in it. I looked at Demi for the first time since we entered the truck.

We stopped at a red light and her gaze met mine. "You're telling me that little action got this reaction out of you?"

"Shut up!" I muttered under my breath. I looked out the window, finding my surrounding more interesting.

"Look at you, Ryder. I only kissed your hand and you're blushing like I just did I grand romantic gesture." I rolled my eyes and laughed along with Demi.

I sighed and shook my head. "That's because to me, it is. I've never dated anyone before. Even the little things matter a lot to me."

Demi nodded seeming to take a mental note. "Yeah, me too." Now I made a mental note. Out of curiosity, I brought Demi's hand to my lips and kissed it. She had the same reaction I did.

"Who's blushing now, huh?" I had a smirk on my face.

"Can't help it when I'm with you." That sentence made me pause. That fact that my presence alone is affecting Demi like this is strange. I'm not used to making a difference in someone's life. Everything about being here with Demi is making a difference for me. I'm already happier.

The conversation continued and we didn't stop until we got to Demi's apartment. We got out of the truck and went inside. I was immediately met with two little dogs. "Why hello there." I walked further in so I wasn't blocking the door. I knelt down to greet the excited puppers.

"Ryder, this is Barry and Luna. The cat over on the couch is Ryuk." Luna isn't as excited as Barry is, but she's still happy to meet me. I made sure both of them got equal amounts of love. They got all the head pats and chin scratches. "So, my room is down the hall next to the bathroom. You can bring your bags in there. After that, I'd like to sit and have a discussion."

Having serious discussions make me nervous. I always think the worst even when I shouldn't. "Uh, ok."

Demi made her way over to me. She pressed a gentle kiss onto my forehead. I melted into her touch, craving more. "Breathe, Ryder, it's ok. It's nothing bad, I promise. I just want to talk about our boundaries. Is that alright with you?"

I nodded my head and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ok with that." I grabbed my luggage and took it to Demi's room. I sat them in front of her bed. Looking around at her room, I noticed it's kind of messy. Not out of control, since there's also a sense of order and neatness at the same time. It's pretty charming because it really does help shine Demi's personality. Chaotic, but put together at the same time.

I walked out of her room and went to the living room where Demi is sitting. I joined her on the couch and sat in front of her, making sure to sit very close. Our legs are touching so I can have a physical way to feel her and to ground if needed. Demi offered her hands, so I took them.

"So, this is to discuss our needs, expectations of each other, expectations of ourselves, and the boundaries we want set. I figured since it's your first and only relationship, it would help us both figure out our goals and what we want out of this." I nodded along to what Demi said, holding on to every word.