For Forever and A Day

12.

Since the Accident:
7 months, 11 days
July 18th, 2010

"Are you ready to go?"

Cassandra Williams gave Ryan a small nod as she picked her purse up off the dining room table and slung it over her shoulder.

"I still don't understand why you think this is a good idea." She replied as she walked over to the door. She grabbed her keys and stepped through the doorway and into the hall.

"You'll see." Ryan said with a smile as he shut the door behind him. She took her keys and locked the door before they made their way to the elevator.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." The strawberry blonde confessed as she clicked the button for the elevator.

"I know it doesn't but I promise that it will be worth it."

The girl let out a sigh and shook her head. The doors let out a ding as they folded open. Ryan put his hand up and blocked the door from closing while Cassandra stepped inside. She clicked the button for the lobby while Ryan followed her lead.

As they climbed into the car Cassandra was still a little nervous. She wrung her hands together as Ryan closed her door. She looked out her passenger window and let out a shaky breath.

Ryan had been having her go for rides in the car more often. It could be to the supermarket a couple of blocks over or a restaurant twenty minutes away that they traveled to. Every time they got into the vehicle the girls anxiety acted up.

It has taken awhile but she has gotten better with getting in the car but she still had a long road ahead of her in making a recovery from her shock.

Ryan turned on the radio to help soothe the girls nerves slightly. Soft rock played quietly through the air between them. The girl continued to focus on her breathing as her eyes rested on passing scenery.

"Cassandra?" The girl snapped out of her daze and realized that they had stopped. The young officer had parked the car outside of a small ranch style house.

The sky blue stood out among the trees that surrounded it and the grey of the edgings seemed to attempt to tome the brightness down, but it was so light that it almost looked like a sparkly white instead.

A white picket fence surrounded the house and the strawberry blonde chuckled as her hazel eyes sparkled with delight.

'These two must really conform to the American ideal huh?'

"Are you ready to go in?" She turned her gaze back to her curly blonde companion and nodded.

She opened her car door and slowly climbed out before gently closing it behind her. Ryan smiled warmly at her from over the cars hood. He put out his elbow for her to take and the girl instead raised an eyebrow in response.

"What are you doing?" At Ryan's confused glance in her direction she laughed.

"I'm being a gentleman." The girl shook her head. She stepped forward and took his arm although it did feel awkward and unnecessary. If anything it made the girl feel more uneasy because of how close he was to her.

The girl guessed that he could hear how loud her heartbeat was in her chest and feel the shakiness of her hands.

When they reached the door of the house Ryan opened the door and walked right in. Casandras eyes widened and she tried to dig her heels into the ground to stop him.

Ryan smiled cheekily. "Cassandra don't worry. I grew up in this house. My parents don't mind if I just barge in."

The girl gulped. She nodded but still looked skeptical as she looked around. People were in almost all the rooms. There were some kids running around that Cassandra jumped against Ryan's side to get out of the way of and held his arm in a tight death grip.