Eternal Sunshine

Chapter Thirty Nine.

austin

I watched her cry from a distance.

There was really nothing that I could do, or that she wanted me to do.

"How's she holding up?" I heard a voice from behind me. I looked, but it was only the guy that was here when it happened. He's the one who called me about about it.

I ignored him like I had been doing.

"Look, there's no need to act like that with me. I did nothing she needed someone and I was there." he told me as if he was better than me.

"You really wanna fucking go there?" I yelled. "Who the fuck are you anyways?" I questioned him.

He ignored me just like I did him, so I couldn't be that mad. Rylee gently placed Leilani in her seat, and made her way to the door. She looked terrible, but I knew she felt even worse.

"Where's the vending machine, Tate?" she refused to make eye contact with me. "All the way down make a right, and you'll be able to see it." he gave her a friendly smile, but she just walked away.

I didn't take my eyes off of Leilani, so I waited until Rylee got back to talk to her.

She came back, so we entered the room at the same time.

"I'm sor-" "Save it, please." she stopped me mid sentence. She popped a couple pain pills I'm sure her head was killing her, so I didn't complain.

"Why is it like this, Aust?" she started, "Are we better off friends? Things were never this hard, ever." her voice was starting to get shaky.

"Look, Ry. I love you, I really do. And I'm so sorry about your mom." I inched closer to her, but she didn't realize and plopped down on the hospital bed.

I watched as she lifted her head, and silently let the tears fall from her face. "You know, it was her idea inviting you to my graduation." a smile grew on her beautiful face.

We never told Rylee, but the same week she told her mom that she liked me a little incident came up.

"Ms. Justice, is it okay if Rylee came outside? I texted her, but she didn't respond. I really need to talk to her." She gave me a huge hug and smile, "Sure, but she's taking a nap. You have to be the one getting yelled at for waking her up."

I ran up the stairs as fast as I could to Rylee's room.

"Wake up sleeping beast." I jumped in bed next to her tickling her until she fell off the bed, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

It was obvious that she was awake considering she was on the floor, on top of her blanket with a mean look on her face.

"What the hell, Malone!" she shouted.

"I missed you, and I really needed to see you." she raised up rubbing her head where she hit it on the floor, "You literally seen me 2 hours ago." she said.

"Secret spot, let's go." I told her. I stood up to leave her room when I got a glimpse of what she had on which was a white shirt you could see right through.

She had a nipples pierced? Since when? My eyes went down seeing she only had underwear on. I hurried and left so she wouldn't notice I was checking her out.

I hope she wasn't letting any other guys sleep with her because her body was too perfect for that.

I walked down the stairs when Ms. Justice approached me. "Hey, Austin? Is this from Rylee?" she held up a card that I had stuffed in my back pocket it must of fell out.

The card was some girl confessing her feelings for me including a gift card to a guitar shop, and game
stop.

"No, ma'am. Why would it be Rylee?" I asked her.

Did Rylee...like me?

"Just asking." she handed me back the card. "Does Rylee like me?" I asked her. I knew if I smile and she smiled back then she would be telling the truth.

"Don't say anything, and please don't talk about girls to her. It really hurts her feelings. And it's not a big crush? Okay. Don't treat her any differently."

After that it was never brought up again, and Rylee had been with other guys since then.

"I know. I had kinda always assumed she wanted us to be together. She knew how much I loved you." I grinned.

Rylee said nothing, but raised her arms out for me to hug her. I immediately was shocked, "I love you." "I love you more" I said as I took her in for a hug. "You mean the world to me, and you meant the entire world to your mom."

I gently kissed her on her forehead.

Just then that guy walked in, "Hey, Ry? Can I get you anything else?" he asked. I could hear it in his tone he was comfortable with her, but this wasn't a time or place to question.

"No, I'm okay now that Austin is here. Thank you though, Tate."

Tattooed Tate?

I was trying to go back to see if I remember him, but I don't. Leilani begin to make little whines, and I could see a little bit of frustration going on written all over Rylee's face.

"I got it, okay? It's fine." I reassured her again, "I'm always gonna be here for my girls, I promise. No matter what. No matter if you think we're only best when we're friends, dating, or married I'm here."

As I held Lani in my right arm, and Ry with my left I begin thinking: My plans for this turned out differently than I thought, but I would of chosen this path any day.