Supposed To Be Mine

Chapter 1

UNEDITED

"Nice!" River scolds herself. "Real nice River. The one and the only thing you have left of Zoey, and you lose it like a big dumb moron." She searches the floor of the Sunset Bar and lounge like a lost soul, for one side of her pair of starfish gold earrings.
"God if I find this, I swear, I will plant one tree a week minimum." She mumbles to herself. Her major in college, botany.

"Everyone is already waiting upstairs and I'm the only idiot who won't be there to yell surprise." She keeps weirdly talking to herself.

It was Angela and Fredrick's surprise twentieth anniversary party, and the first time she's going to see Ryan in years, and not mention seeing him with another woman for the first time. Like she wasn't nervous enough with the party being on the rooftop. Heights + River= Not a great idea.

When she hung up the phone on her mother's graduation night, Lucille went in full-on panic mode and had an anxiety attack. By the time morning, River's phone was blown up with messages from Angela. So, she rushed back and had to put aside her anger.

It's been a few weeks now, and she is still a touch bitter that Ryan is engaged to someone else. This party isn't the best idea right now, but her mother is the one who planned the damn thing. Not that she didn't love her aunt and uncle, she just isn't sure how she is going to handle seeing Ryan right now. It's a lot to adjust to. She needs more time, but she was going to have to find a way to get through today.

She is so nervous, that she wore her sister's earrings for comfort, and look what it got her. She should've known that something like this would happen. She didn't know what it was, bad luck, or karma. She just always found herself in unfortunate predicaments. "Please let it be here." She begs out loud.

"River," Ryan calls. His voice reminded her of dark rum and made her feel like its warm sensation was running throughout her body.

She freezes. Out of all the people in the world. It had to be him, right universe? She thinks to herself. Instantly, the blurry picture of her atmosphere was becoming clear. She is on her knees, on ugly lime green tile, in the middle of a high-class bar, with people everywhere, and Ryan was absolutely getting a nice view of her rear end right now.

For a few seconds, she couldn't move. She just felt incredibly stupid.

"Everything okay?" He asks.

Slowly, she gets up off the floor and turns around. Wow. She thought as her eyes settled on him. She was winded with how good his exterior still is. He was well dressed in an all-black tux and tie, that is tailored to fit his body. His facial hair was grown out, and neatly trimmed, his hair short black and gelled to be perfectly set. He used to be clean-shaven always. This was very different, and sexier if she thought it could exist. He was more muscular too, and his shoulders, large and firm she'd bet. She wished she could see what was under his shirt. She'd bet again, that he had an eight-pack going on.

Her mouth slightly opens, and her eyelashes flutter. When she finally meets his glare, honey brown eyes were beating down on her like the sun. She felt like she should be running for shade.

"River?" His left brow rises, and he sticks his hands in his pockets.

For the life of her, she couldn't say a word. She was hoping maybe he lost some hair, or gained some weight, and not muscle weight either.

The thought makes her glance down at her outfit. She wasn't a dress type of girl. She wore a pair of tight black skinny jeans and a silk cream blouse. She paired it with some back sandal heels to add to her 5ft 4inches. Her butt is a little bigger than the average woman's, so jeans are what she felt most comfortable in. She was going to do something with her waist-length hair, but ended up straightening out the black waves, and leaving it loose. Compared to him, she looked like crap.

"River." He repeats.

"Yeah." Finally, she speaks, but that's it. That's all she got.

After another moment, he scratches his head. "We should go, mom and Fredrick are already on their way."

Her eyes widened. "Oh right."

She didn't move and neither did he. He looks at her strangely again for a few more seconds before turning sideways and making a gesture with a hand.

Okay River, right foot first. She nods her head and passes him on her way toward the exit.

He follows close behind, and once they made it in front of the elevator doors, he presses the UP button and then places his hand back in his pocket.

She was starting to realize that they were practically strangers. They were acting like it.

Sometimes, she wished she could go back to those two years before Zoe died. It was the only time she felt like she was normal. Landen and Zack loved to play pranks on her. They discovered that she was a scaredy-cat, and got a kick out of making her panic. It sucked at times, but it felt like her brothers messing around with her. Like what normal kids did. Ryan was like the father in the bunch. He would always spoil his brother's fun. A few times, he stopped their pranks and even turned it around on them.

Bing!

Out of six elevators, one arrived. They enter in, and the doors close. There isn't enough space in there for her right now. She was aware of his every move. Inches, he was standing inches from touching her. She could almost feel the heat radiating off his body. The air was beginning to get thin. She had no idea that she was going to feel this crazy inside being near him again. Total and utter turmoil rumbled her gut, and her lungs, no matter how much air she was taking in, it wasn't enough.

He stretches out his hand and presses the rooftop button. Even the way his sleeve hugged his wrist she found attractive.

The elevator has a rocky take-off.  Surprising both of them, it jerks and tosses her slightly backward. Gasping, she tries to gain a balance of herself by grabbing onto the sleeve of his tux.

Luckily, he was already reaching for her. He grabs her arm and pulls her steady.

There he goes again, right off the bat, saving her

"I don't know how you survived all these years." He cracks the thick sheet of ice between them.

Quick on her feet, she replies. "I stayed away from doors, windows, pointy objects, and all forms of transportation, including public."

He laughs subtly.

She crosses her arms.

It gets quiet again. Ryan was known for being the silent, serious type. He never had much input in any conversation.

She diverts her eyes to the number above the doors. Floor thirty-six. Only like a billion to go. She swallows uncomfortable, clears her throat, and decides to lean against the wall while she waits. Right at that moment, the lights flicker. Immediately she bumps into Ryan.
Dark + River = Freak out + Panic, and eventually cry. Oh, and she was right, his muscles were firm. She was clutching to his bicep like a scared little child. "Ryan." She whimpers.

"Don't panic, it happens all the time." He assures her.

She nods. Okay, River, get a hold of yourself. She could barely think past fear, and how he felt beneath her grasp.

She takes a deep breath, takes a step away from him, and latches her sweaty palms on to the gold hand bar behind her. The lights flicker again. She squeezes her eyes shut. If her eyes were closed, she wouldn't be able to tell if the lights were off.

The elevator jerks to a stop. River's fingers slip off the bars. She loses her balance and falls face forward. She thought she was going to face-plant into the wall or door. It was just her luck for something like that to happen. Instead, Ryan was no longer at the side of her, but in front somehow. He gripped her arms and took her down with him to the ground. He lands on his back and she lands on his chest.

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Hope you're enjoying it. 😊