Saving Anna

Chapter Two

**This has not been edited or proofread.**

I slowly dragged my eyes away from the action movie playing on TV when Ryan stepped out of my tiny kitchen with a bowl of steaming ramen noodles. He set it on the table in front of me. "You need to eat," he told me. He had that 'I mean business' tone going, but I was stubborn. I hadn't been able to eat normally since the accident.

Ross had been killed taking me to dinner. I just hadn't known where.

He couldn't eat. How was it fair that I still got to?

I shook my head, looking away from the steaming bowl of noodles. It was even my favorite flavor. "I'm not hungry," I mumbled.

"Tough," he told me, not budging on the matter. I slowly looked over at him. "I want you to eat that. You're not going to sleep again until you do."

I shook my head again, tears burning at the back of my throat. "How is it fair that I get to eat and enjoy food and he can't anymore?"

Ryan quickly took a seat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I was still bundled up in the blanket, but I snuggled up against his side, sniffling for the umpteenth time that night. God, it hurt. It hurt so much that Ross wasn't here anymore. It felt like an entire part of my soul was missing.

He brushed my hair back from my tear-stained, raw cheek. "Will you please at least half of that bowl?" he asked me. I turned my head, my eyes meeting his. They were open and pleading in the tenderest possible way. My chest felt like it was going to cave in.

I turned my head and stared at the bowl in front of me before slowly nodding. He pressed a kiss to my temple. "Thank you, sweet girl."

I reached forward and picked the steaming bowl up, the blanket falling from my shoulders. Ryan quickly grabbed it and wrapped it back around me before he pulled my legs across his lap. He watched the movie in front of us while I ate as much of the bowl as I could, barely making it halfway through before I was done.

My stomach couldn't hold as much as it used to anymore.

Ryan took the bowl from me and set it on the coffee table. Then, he tucked his finger under my chin and tilted my head up to look at him. "Thank you. I'm proud of you, sweet girl." I swallowed thickly, tears burning in my eyes. I hadn't been praised for anything since Ross left this world. He used to praise me for even the simplest things.

He gently tapped my thigh. "Now, I want you to get a shower. I'll get us a movie started in your room."

I ran my eyes over his face. Ryan had always been handsome, and looking at him now was liking looking at Ross, only a much older version that had lighter hair and a lighter shade of dark eyes—a caramel color instead of the milk chocolate Ross's had been.

"Promise you're not leaving?" I whispered. I wasn't ready to be alone yet. I knew I was latching onto him, but I couldn't help it. I knew it was unhealthy, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Ryan kept away the demons in my head. They were silent when he was near. This afternoon and evening had been the most peace I'd had since the accident.

Ryan brushed his hand over my hair. "I promise, sweet girl. Now go shower."

I slowly stood up from the couch and padded barefoot to my bathroom to take a shower.

~*~*~

When I stepped out of the shower, I was surprised to find a stack of clothes on the counter. They hadn't been there when I'd come in. Ryan must have slipped them onto the counter while I'd been showering.