Back to You

A Close Call

"You know, I was right about you." 

Tensing up, I peered over to Ryder taken aback. "You think?" I wondered, trying to figure out where his memory was taking him now.

"Oh yeah. You see when I first met you, my first initial instinct was basically...who is this psycho following me around so much? Or the occasional, do I need to start carrying pepper spray?"

Way to kill the mood a little. I didn't think I was that bad. Okay, maybe I was a little. "Woah there..." I shamefully let out, until I heard him chuckle.

"But, the other part of me felt like there was a bubbly and amazing light in you I've never seen before in anyone I know. I wanted to find out more." He expressed.

I shyly grinned. "Well, I'm glad you finally gave me a shot."

"I should be saying the same thing for you. I was in a very bad place Faith, and somehow you've managed to not leave me all by myself. I'm really surprised. Not many people do." He admitted with a slight saddened shrug. Looking at him carefully, I wanted to ask him to shed some more information on the subject. Now that were farther in our friendship, why not? But just as I was about to however, he beat me to questioning something completely different. "So now, tell me. That day in class...what did you mean by saying that I wasn't the only one that had something to protect?" He wondered innocently.

I took a short pause. He held onto a lot of things, I give him that.

"Oh that?! Um...uh...I just meant with w-w-who I trust with my heart and time. When I see great potential in a person and have a feeling there's something remarkable deep inside them, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to see that side of them often. So far my track records has been clean with Jasmine. So I couldn't let you be the first to prove me wrong." I explained.

That was a lot to just pull out my own butthole.

"Really? Well, that's pretty extraordinary...and so are you." He told me firmly beaming.

Happily, I was seconds away from leaning my head down on his shoulders as our walk was the highlight of the whole day. Well, that was until I made out a familiar voice...again.

"Where is he?! I swear, when I get my hands on him...Ryder! Ryder?! Baby?! I know you're here!" Olivia shouted so everyone present could hear from a close distance.

Did she ever just go away?! Of course this had to come at the best time I've shared with him thus far.

"Can we run?" Ryder fearfully said, with his eyes widened and his body frozen. Analyzing his expression knowingly, I couldn't agree more.

Nice to see he was starting to feel the same way as I did toward her for a minute though. Yet where we stood, there was barely anywhere to actually hide without her finding us together. Peering now over to the other students around by the fire periodically taking dives in the ocean carelessly, I soon had an idea that might just work.

"Run? How about we jump?" I asked him intrigued.

Smiling back catching on, he chuckled and nodded holding my hand as I gripped it tightly. "What are we waiting for then?"

Confidently ready to do this, we could hear her distinct and exasperated voice becoming closer.

"Ryder! You better answer me now! I hate sand and water! Andy, you said he was here!" Olivia screamed, grunting angrily.

"I could've sworn he was with that art freak again when I passed the Rec center earlier." Andrea spoke. God, now we were being followed? I swear, these two would not just give us a break for nothing.