Unexpected

[31] Starting Over

Hey everyone! I'm sad to say that this is slowly coming to an end. There are about three chapter left! It is both exciting and sad. I hope you have all enjoyed the journey as much as I have.

Thanky you everyone who has stuck with this so far! It truly means a lot. :) I hope you have a fantastic day or night, wherever you may be!

Clara.

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What Ryan had wanted to show me, it turned out, was a plateau not far from the Hollywood sign. We got out and stood at the edge together. The view was absolutely breathtaking. Los Angeles spread out below, looking like a river of lights in the dark valley. I glanced up at Ryan through the pale moonlight for a moment before wrapping my arms around him and turning my eyes back to the amazing sight before me.

    “This is beautiful,” I breathed out.

    “I come here sometimes and just sit for hours, drawing. It’s great for inspiration, no matter what time of day.”

    “I can imagine.” The sounds of the night mingled with our breaths to create a perfect, serene atmosphere. We retreated to the hood of Ryan’s car and perched on the edge of the hood after a few minutes. I was perfectly content with simply being next to him, not saying anything. But there was one thing I needed to say before any more time passed.

    “Ryan?”

    “Yeah?”

    The full moon was unusually bright and the glint of pale light in Ryan’s eyes was mesmerizing.

    “I forgive you. For Courtnee, for not telling me about your dad; for everything.”

    His lips parted and he seemed surprised. After a moment, however, he smiled.

    “I still don’t really deserve it,” he said as he squeezed my hand gently. “But thank you.”

    I just smiled, my eyes trailing his lips. My initial plan had been to take things slow, but I couldn’t resist the pull anymore. I leaned forward and Ryan was all too willing to comply. Our lips met in a burst of fire and sparks. His lips still tasted faintly of chocolate cupcake and I let out a sigh of happiness. My fingers curled into his soft waves, Ryan’s arm slipping around my waist as he pulled me closer.

    “Wait.” He pulled away, both of our chests rising and falling a little more rapidly than normal. “I thought we were starting over?”

    “We are. But I’m not going to wait another four months for you to ask me out again, Holloway.”

    Ryan laughed. “Point taken. But…maybe we should slow down a little. I would love nothing more than to kiss you on the hood of my car all night, believe me. But I don’t want to mess this up again.”

   I smiled up at him, not really that shocked at the concern in his eyes. This was the Ryan I’d always known: the guy that wanted to take care of everyone, who had a bigger heart than he knew what to do with.

    “You’re right.” And as much as I wanted to kiss him all night, I knew it probably wasn’t a good idea.

    “C’mon,” he tugged me off of the hood and led the way around the car. The roof was already down, so we climbed into the back seat and found a comfortable spot. I snuggled against Ryan, reveling in the way his chest rising and falling against mine made me feel so safe and happy.

    “Speaking of drawings.” I glanced up at him briefly before looking back at out intertwined hands. “I found the one you put in my book.”