Ryan Clifford is 23 years old and she has never had a boyfriend. Her parents think she will end up alone if they don't find someone to marry her, so that's exactly what they do. They find the perfect man for their little girl: Luke Robert Hemmings.
...
I got back home around ten, feeling exhausted. I sat up with my mum for a few hours, explaining everything that went down in the past few days. She knew something happened to Ryan, but didn't know any details. So, when I told her exactly what happened, she was utterly shocked. Although, she was happy that Ryan and I were becoming closer.
"Do you love her?" My mum asked, causing me to choke on air.
"W-what?" I choked out, barely getting enough air.
"Do you love Ryan? Or at least see the potential to love her?" She clarified, catching me off guard.
"I-I don't know. Maybe?" I responded, never actually thinking about it.
"Luke, I know its hard, after Samantha and all. But I want you to be happy, and I really think Ryan is a good start." She said, rising from her chair. She came over and gave me a small hug. She pecked me on the cheek and mumbled, "Good night."
I was stunned. I didn't move from my spot after mum left because I couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about what she said. Was it possible that I loved Ryan? No, I couldn't. I loved Sam, I'm not allowed to love someone else.
But I couldn't help not to think about Ryan. She was the perfect height that I could rest my chin on the top of her head. I loved that she was constantly changing her hair colour, unafraid of what people would think of her. I loved the way she dressed, she didn't obsess over her appearance like other girls. She looked beautiful in whatever she wore, with or without makeup. She was unique, one of a kind. I loved that she was independent and kept to herself, but didn't hesitate to tell you if something was bothering her. I loved that she spoke her mind and was brutally honest with you. But most of all, I loved her passion and how her eyes lit up when she was talking about something she loved.
Fuck. I think I might be in love with Ryan.
☆
That night, I couldn't sleep. I just lied awake, thinking about Ryan and how I felt about her. The only time I ever felt like this was with Sam. But now, when I think about her, I don't get the butterflies in my stomach and the burning sensation in my heart like I used to. I get that way now when I think about Ryan. I'm in love with her. But, I couldn't tell anyone because if I do, I'm afraid I will lose Sam forever.
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By the time it was eight in the morning, I decided to get up and start my day. I wanted to look nice, for Ryan, so I put on a black t-shirt, black skinny jeans with rips in the knees, black converse, and my red snapback. I then brushed my teeth and put some product in my hair so that it would stay nicely under the hat.
When I got downstairs, I nearly stopped dead in my tracks. I had to blink a few times and pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream. Mum and Ryan were sitting at the kitchen table, talking while drinking tea. I checked my watch and noticed it was only 8:45a.m. I thought I had told Ryan I would pick her up at noon?
"Morning sweetheart, how did you sleep?" Mum asked, noticing me in the hallway staring at them.
"Uh, fine." I lied, not wanting to get into it with Ryan here. I walked over to my mum and gave her a side hug. When I passed by Ryan, she stood up and pecked me on the cheek.
"Uh, morning." She muttered, her cheeks blushing a little. I don't think she realized what she actually did. I quickly turned around and went to make some coffee, so that Ryan and mum wouldn't see my red cheeks.
"So, what are you two doing today?" Mum asked, leaning her chin on her hands and curiously looking at us.
"Well, Luke was supposed to pick me up at noon, but I couldn't sleep so I got up early and decided to just come over here. I hope that's okay, Luke?" She asked, looking over at me. She was nervous, I could tell by her facial expression.
"Yeah of course. I just would've been down sooner if I knew you were coming, that's all." I assured her, feeling my heart flutter when her nervous expression turned into a big smile. Her eyes twinkled and it looked like she was truly happy. She started talking to mum about something, so I just watched in silence. I didn't really listen, instead I took in every detail of Ryan.
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Her light brown hair was pulled down into a low messy bun. She was wearing a white crop top with two red hearts on it and light blue ripped jeans. She also had sunglasses on her head and all black vans on her feet.
As I continued looking at Ryan, I was snapped back to reality when I heard my mum say something. I shot my eyes over to her and saw that she was talking about a wedding.
"Mum, what did you just say?" I asked, not wanting her to bombard Ryan with questions when she should just ask me later.
"I asked Ryan about the wedding. I wanted to know if she had a dress yet." Mum replied, turning to Ryan who had an awkward smile on her face. Before I could intervene, Ryan spoke up.
"Yeah, I do. It's really pretty, I love it." She replied and I shot her a look of confusion. How had she already bought a dress? We didn't even talk about details or anything.
"That's amazing! Do you have a picture?" Mum asked, her face lighting up. Before I knew it, they were both looking at Ryan's phone. I wasn't sure if I should look or not, unsure if Ryan was superstitious about that sort of thing. "It's gorgeous! You're going to look beautiful next weekend." Mum added and my eyes popped wide open.
"What?! Next weekend?" I almost yelled, earning confused looks from both Ryan and my mum.
