Do I Love You?

Chapter 20 - Here We Go

I was now sitting in the car trying to figure out how Ryan and my dad were so close when they had never met each other.

"Hey."

I jumped, startled as someone called me out of nowhere. He laughed his breathtaking laugh at my funny reaction.

"Stop teasing me," I said in a quiet whisper as I puckered my cheeks and slowly slid down my seat.

He suddenly turned his head to look at me but longer than I expected.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" I exclaimed while jumping out of my seat.

"Okay, okay." He responded before turning back around.

I tilted my head once more thinking about how they were so close before saying, I have a question. How...why did my dad not...kill you. Then in a soft whisper I said," No, maybe that's a bit much."

"I already met him silly," he responded while laughing. I further responded by nodding and turning my head the other way.

"Wait what?"

He laughed.

"When did you... how did you - I'm confused."

He laughed even harder after hearing this. "Why do you think I ended up leaving before you woke up that day?"

"So you're telling me, you met my father while you were at the house? So my dad came home and saw you there? What?" How'd you survive that?"

Without replying to my question he continued to laugh.

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After finishing up our project we went to a fast food restaurant.

"Aah" he exaggerated while taking a big bite of his pizza and trying to show me how good it tasted. I was not a huge fan of vegetable pizza. I could eat all the rest except that one.

"Y'know that doesn't make me want it right?" I said before gulping down my water.

"I know, but it makes you want me," he said looking me deep in the eyes. As if on cue, I started choking on my water.

So embarrassing.

Like he usually did, he started laughing at my hilarious reaction. Soon after my session of coughs ended, he started talking.

"I was wondering...did you think about what I asked you?"

My breath suddenly hitched in my throat already knowing what he was going to say.

"Would you please stop being afraid? I'm not going to -" he started before I interrupted him.

"Leave? Cause you are. And I like you, I honestly do but I don't want...I can't when I already know what's going to happen. You're gonna leave and I'm going regret the fact that I ever said 'yes'."

"So you do like me," he replied completely ignoring everything else I said. In return I simply narrowed my eyes at him.

"What?," he asked as if clueless of what he did.

I suddenly thought back to last night when he blatantly ended our talk.

"Why'd you do that?"

"I'm sorry, I was just flustered that you suddenly told me," he answered.

"No. Why'd you go to bed last night. That was the first time I....never mind." I said before looking the other way.

After a while of silence he stood up. "Let's go," he said while putting out his hand for me to take.

"Where are we going?"

"Just somewhere. You'll know when you see it." I hesitantly took his hand. It was soft and sent a million tingles up my spine.

Why am I like this? He's going to leave.

We arrived in the car and started on the mysterious journey. After a while, the road seemed familiar and I realized where he was taking us. It was that place, the place with the hill. But this time, instead of going to look at the view he leaded me to a small cabin nearby. It was filled with glowing multicolored lights hanging all around on the outside. And inside was even better as it had an open space and a music player and dashing lights.

He immediately went towards the music player and turned on the song: Imagination by Shawn Mendes before coming back to me.

"May I have this dance?" He smiled, putting out his hand once more.

Still amazed at the sight in front of me I asked, "When did you prepare all this?"

"The day I was supposed to meet you at the library. That's why I was late and tired in the night. Also, I'm sorry I did that and I do care. Plus, I didn't do all this myself. I got a little help from Amy." He replied and I suddenly felt sorry for thinking what I thought.

"First of all, I was wondering how Amy knew I'd go out with you today, second, I'm really sorry I misunderstood stood you and thirdly, how'd you know I'd say yes?"

"Well I did know you like me so...," he replied jokingly. Instead of replying I gave him a soft punch to the chest and just before I was about to pull back he held on to my arm and pulled me towards him.

We were close.

Extremely close.

I could feel his breath brush my face as we both locked eyes. It was like I was under a spell and his eyes were drawing me in. Without realizing it we started dances slowly to the song, neither of us breaking eye contact.

He moved in closer and so did I as my hands slowly slid around his neck and his slid down my back and to my waist sending tingles down my spine. Closer and closer we got until our lips met. Our kiss was soft and slow as we swayed to the beat of the song giving me the urge to pull his hair but didn't. He suddenly pulled away and somehow I already knew what he was going to say.

"Yes, yes. I'll be with you-"

Before I could properly finish what I was about to say his lips met mine in a rougher manner than before. He cupped my cheeks and pushed me against the wall as he lead our kiss.

My mind went blank as I let go of my thoughts and let him in. After a while we both pulled back for air and rested our foreheads on each other.

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I plopped myself down on the bed thinking back to what happened today. I kicked my legs tossing and turning before landing on the floor. Getting up, I rubbed my head before receiving a call.

It was Ryan.

"Hey, beautiful"

I could hear the smile in his voice and even though he couldn't see me, I smiled back. The conversation continued and it was getting late while I was getting sleepy. I yawned as I shifted in bed wanting to be comfortable.

"You sleepy?"

"Yeah," I answered. My voice raspy as I yawned once more.

"Before you go to sleep I have something to tell you," he said.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"So....." I drifted off without hearing what he had to say.

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Looking forward to seeing him, I got up early and went to school. Our project was due today so I'd have a class with him.

Everyone was in class now but he was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe he was late.

After a while, the teacher came in and begun class. Next she called on our pair but he was still nowhere to be seen.

"Ryan and Lala?" She called before continuing. "Oh I forgot to tell you guys. I have some bad news everyone. Ryan moved."

........

My eyebrows furrowed and my knees immediately felt week.

He's gone?