The Concept |r. blaney|

sixteen: holdin' onto the dark

The following day, the spontaneous and luxury decision to remain in Alabama while Ryan's sister flew up to celebrate with him came easily. They got a hotel room together, leaving Emma's husband Cale with the baby there with Sturgill while Emma took Ryan and Cadence out for dinner.

All seemed normal.

For a while, at least.

Happiness was always fleeting. Came and went like the tide or a sweet gust of wind on a hot summers day. It dissipated like condensation on the side of a sweating glass after an hour. It melted away like the snow in the early days of spring. As fleeting as it was, it was what made the world go round. It was what made the sad, lonely, dangerous world go round. In the slight chance that that fleeting moment of intoxicating happiness would overcome you again.

Often times, happiness is just a taste as it comes in increments. Little by little, it creeps up. Just as easily, it's gone.

Cadence was having fun. So much fun, actually. She and Ryan were laughing and handsy as ever. Her dress (that she'd bought with Emma before the night,) was taunt and red, strapless and short. Ryan drooled at the sight, which made her stomach swirl with an emotion she hadn't felt in forever. Also, with confusion. He'd just called her his best friend after she admitted she was thinking about maybe kissing him the week previous.

Regardless, he looked handsome and high on life.

So, the confusion was hardly something she dwelled on, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Emma ran into an old friend, so Ryan was quick to grab his best friends hand and yank her to her feet and to the restaurants exit. She didn't protest, though she felt awfully about leaving Emma. With a childish tinge, it reminded her of when they had first snuck away from everyone last time. It were his friends, that time, and they'd spent the better half of the dinner time on a bench. Her crying, cuddling, and him comforting and hugging.

She smiled as she recalled this, her hand in Ryan's as they entered the darkness outside.

He turned to her with a cheesy smile and she knew that he was thinking the same as her. "We need to find a bench."

"Ryan, it's irresponsible to leave your sister at night." She whined, though allowed the determined man to drag her across the crosswalk and onto the sidewalk. A dull glow from the street lights across the road guided them (by some miracle) to a bench.

"You're irresponsible. You're the one who left last time with a complete stranger."

"If I didn't, we wouldn't have the luxury of doing it again, would we?" She teased playfully as they each took a seat on the bench. She squinted around into the darkness, her feet moving up onto the bench as she sighed softly. "Significantly less beautiful now, though." Her lips were pressed into a thin line. Ryan smirked, eyes wandering down to her legs that he knew were short but seemed to drag on for miles of tanned skin.

He licked his lips, noticing how her short dress had lifted slightly as she moved her legs up onto the bench. "I disagree." His voice was soft and caused her head to swing in his direction. Even in the darkness, she could see the glint in his eyes. Last time they were in a situation like this, he'd said that when he insinuated she were pretty. Her blush was also evident, though it was something Ryan had begun to crave.

"Shut up, Blaney." Was what she said then, and what she said now. Neither time did she mean it, and he knew this. He turned to her, moving one leg behind her back to extend behind her as he faced her. She raised a brow at the probably uncomfortable position, though any question of it died in the back of her throat.

Her heart was beating rather quickly as she recognized the minimal distance between them. She sucked in a breath. Her lungs seemed to constrict with the lack of oxygen, despite them being outside in the fresh air. The tension was suffocating. And now, he was facing her, opening himself up to her, yet avoiding all intentional physical contact. It made her furious in a way.