Summer Doesn't Last Forever | ✓

Chapter 30: You've Been Served

Ryder is released from the hospital two days later, on the 24th. Currently we’re in the back of Sarah’s car, and she’s taking us back to Vernon to the house. It’s really beginning to dawn on me that it’s almost the end of summer, it seems like I just got here in Vernon like a week ago. I’m gonna be so devastated when it’s time for me to go back to Dallas. And to think, I didn’t even wanna come to California at the beginning of summer. But I don’t leave until the 20th, that’s almost a month. A month is plenty of time, I guess.

          “Are you two gonna be okay here alone?” Sarah asks as she pulls into the driveway of the house, “I don’t think that anyone else is home.”

          “Yeah,” Ryder says, glancing down at me. “We’ll be fine.”

Sarah puts the car in park and I open my door. “I’ll get your crutches.” I tell him, getting out.

          “Thanks.” He calls after me. He’s not happy about having to use the support of crutches due to his ankle.

Sarah pops the trunk and I pull the crutches out along with his bag of stuff that was on him when he was admitted to the hospital. I slam the trunk down; making sure it’s close securely and then go around to Ryder’s side. He opens his door, hoping out, balancing his weight on his left ankle and not the sprain one which is the right one.

He takes the crutches, placing them under his arms, holding his right foot up. “See you two later.” Sarah says out of the window.

          “Bye mom.” Ryder replies, hobbling up to the front door. I unlock the door, letting Ryder go in first. I close the door behind him and then lock it. Ryder walks into the living room, and drops down on the couch tiredly then he sighs.

          “What’s wrong?” I ask him quietly, sitting down on the couch as well.

Ryder lays his crutches down on the floor and turns to me, “Nothing’s wrong. Everything is perfect.” He says, smiling. He holds out his arm, grabbing mine lightly. “Come here.” He tells me, pulling me closer to him. Ryder wraps one arm around my waist; I rest my head on his chest, curling up next to him. He kisses the top of my head, letting his lips linger there.

          “So,” Ryder begins, leaving his sentence wavering in the air unfinished.

          “So, what?” I urge him on.

          “We’re here, and no one else is.” He says a mischievous smile on his face.

          “This is true.” I nod in agreement.

          “This would mean we’re all alone.”

          “Also true.” I say, catching on to what he’s getting at.

          “And I missed you a lot.”

          “Aww, I missed you a lot too.” I tell him, looking up at him.

Ryder leans down, pressing his lips against mine softly. A few mere seconds later, I’m lying face up on the couch, Ryder’s body hovering over mine. He has one hand in my hair, playing with it some sort of way and the other by my waist, holding himself up.

          “Are you sure your hand’s okay?” I mumble against his lips. To be fair, he’s holding himself up with his left hand, the one he broke or sprained or whatever he did to it when we were in Australia.