If I Were Allowed To Love You

Fourteen

Ryan stood by the faire entrance, leaning against the gate as he waited for the bus to pull up in front of the high school. Melissa had texted him, claiming to be on the way. He shook his leg; his foot tapped the ground. Soon he would see her. Soon they'd spend the afternoon together, talking and spending time together as friends. If he could kiss her cheek by the end of the date, he'd have his answer. Depending on her reaction, he would either know they would soon be in a relationship or they would be destined to be friends forever. He hoped it was the former.

He may not have known much about her yet, but he knew one thing for a fact. He loved her. He loved Melissa very much, and he wanted to prove himself to her. However, since she was merely human, it was her call in the end. If she did not want to be with him, then they would no longer have a relationship together. But he would never be able to love another. There was no one else he would be with, but he'd remain in her life despite the pain. All he truly cared for was her happiness, and if that included her being with someone else, then he accepted it. Misery was nothing for him if it made Melissa happy.

Imagining forever was hard, but not impossible. If the night went according to plan, he would be kissing her cheek and igniting the mate bond in her by the end of the day. He hoped to be able to start forever soon. If her mind grew mad over wondering when she'd be over him so she would no longer feel the worry of breaking apart her best friend's family, he would be right there to help her get through it. Theo would always remind her that he did not mind because he loved them both. All he could do was help show Melissa the same thing.

If forever started that day, he would treat her like a queen. He'd always make sure her needs were met, taking care of her as the days went on. He'd never overstep his boundaries, making sure to take things at her pace. Whenever she needed someone to hold her and tell her everything would be alright, he would be the arms to hold her. Whenever she needed to rant and have someone listen, he'd be that pair of ears. When she needed a moment alone to herself, he'd give her the desired space, waiting for her to come back to him when she was ready. Unless it was his fault, then he would apologize the moment she would allow him to.

The bus rolled up in front of the school. Ryan straightened his posture the moment Melissa stepped off the bus. Clad in ripped fishnets and black shorts with a tank top, she tied the same flannel she wore to dinner at his house around her waist with her usual dirty canvas sneakers. Her hands were deep in her pockets, her shoulders hunched up as she walked up to Ryan with her head down but her heavily outlined eyes up.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Are you alright?" he softly asked.

Nodding slowly, she shook her head softly and cleared her throat. "Rough morning. I didn't want to stand you up, but I can't afford anything today."

Bringing his hands up to his mouth, he asked, "What happened?"

"My dad's position was terminated. Turns out they don't need that job since the responsibilities can be spread out among everyone else on the floor. Since there were no higher positions open, he's been downgraded back to a regular employee," she groaned. "Sure, if a position opens, he's going to get the job, but there are no plans of anyone leaving, so we're stuck in a strict financial situation right now."

"Melissa, I am so sorry," he sighed as he gently grabbed her by the shoulders. When she softly crept forward, he pulled her into his arms. She hung on tightly, securely wrapping her arms around him as he did the same to her. He pressed his nose into her hair, inhaling softly before pulling away. "If you want me to drive you home, I can."

"No, it's okay. I don't want to go back home," she stated. "I need one night where I can have some fun before I take up more work and need to go to summer school, which I won't be able to afford, so I might as well just drop out and work full time until I can afford to get my GED."