Winning Her Back

Chapter Seven

"All I'm trying to say is that eventually he'll be going off to college and you'll barely have anytime to hang out and talk. It's not like he's going around the corner, Tate. He's going to be in Buffalo which is over 8 hours away. I just don't think you can handle the distance and the heartache." 

Ryan is going to college next year; well more like 4 months. Crazy, I know. I mean we are just about to hit our 6th month anniversary. He can't possibly be leaving already. Ryan got accepted into Buffalo, which was his dream school. Ironically, he's going into accounting. As he says, "it's a mix of being smart and rich." So as Willow blabbers on about how tough it'll be to keep our relationship going, I think about how hot Ryan would look in a suit sitting in a meeting, his thinking face on.

"Tatum, are you even listening to me?" Willow snapped.

"Not really" I admitted. I was pissed at her. She can't just go off about me breaking up with my boyfriend. 

I'm in love with him. 

I'm not just going to give him up because he's going off to college. 

"Ok, don't think about whatever you were thinking about. Don't think about you for a second. Don't think about your relationship. Just think about Ryan." Willow started. "He's going to college. Tatum, if he's still dating you, he won't have the experience that everyone should at college. He should hook up with a bunch of girls and get drunk every weekend and be able to hang out without worrying about calling a girlfriend back home." I was about to cut her off but she stopped me with her hand. "I know you're thinking that he loves you too and he doesn't care and the distance will just make you stronger. You'll go visit him and he'll come home and you can video chat and talk on the phone whenever you guys have free time. I'm not saying he wants this, and obviously you don't either, but.... I  don't know Tate, I'll always be your shoulder to cry on, but if I can prevent an episode from happening I will. Although it's not the same, my brother is at college and sometimes I don't talk to him for a month with all his work. He comes home and it's awkward becuase we haven't talked to each other in ages." She glanced at the clock and quickly added. "I have to go. Think about it. I love you." She said, kissing my forehead before retreiving her car keys and walking out of my room. 

I sighed, taking a deep breath in and calmly letting it out. I felt defeated. What if Ryan was too afraid to break up with me, but wanted to? What if, while he's away, I hold him back from doing all the typical college guy stuff? I wouldn't like that. And if I was in his shoes I would feel trapped. 

To Ryan: you home?

I needed to talk to him. Willow was right. He doesn't have to worry about having a girlfriend back home. I'll be a little high school senior and he'll be a college freshman. He'll be far away and I'll be home. It'll be different and things will change. 

My phone dinged, indicating Ryan texted me back. 

From Ryan: I'm in my bed ready to cuddle with my super cuddly girlfriend. What are you waiting for?

I laughed out loud, slipping my phone in my sweatpants pocket and walking out of the house, telling my mom I'd call her when I was coming back from Ryan's. I rang the door bell and was instantly welcome by a pair of green eyes. 

"Hi," I muttered shyly, immediately walking up the stairs to his bedroom. 

"Ok?" I heard Ryan mumble from the floor below, pushing the door closed and following me into his room. 

I sat myself on the end of his bed, my hands clutching the comforter on either side. 

"You ok?" Ryan asked, standing in the door frame. His arms were crossed over his chest, a pair of sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His eyes searched my face, looking for an answer as to why I was so bleak. 

"I don't know." I breathed, letting my upper body fall back onto his comforter. I heard a deep chuckle and felt a dip in the bed. 

"What's bothering you?" He asked, laying down next to me, taking my hand from my side and intertwining our fingers. 

"You're going to college in 4 months." I stated. 

Ryan laughed quietly. "I am."

"And I'll be here." 

"Unfortunately." 

I turned on my side, facing my boyfriend. "I'm going to ask you something and I need you to answer this truthfully." 

"Of course" 

"Pinky promise?" I asked. 

"Pinky promise." He said, interlocking his pinky with my own. 

I took in a deep, shaky breath before asking, "Do you want to break up before you go to college?" A single tear slipped loose from my eye and fell down my cheek. 

"Babe." Ryan said, sympathy dripping from his voice. "Of course not!" He said, pulling me into his arms. A kiss was pressed to the top of my head as he craddled me in an embrace. "I love you, and I see myself with you in college, out of college, forever." 

"You really think about me in your future?" I knew we were on 'I love you' terms, but I never thought we were going to talk about our future. 

"Well, yeah," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "With a family and a house and three dogs. No cats; maybe a bunny. And I don't know. I just love you, is all." He blabbered on. 

"I like dogs" I giggled. 

"I'm not breaking up with you. Unless we both feel uncomfortable or too upset to handle the distance. I have no intentions of loosing you that quickly. Plus that's in 4 months, we still have the whole summer ahead of us. I really can't wait to see you in a bikini, you have no idea."

"What, my bra and underwear isn't enough?" I cheekily asked. 

"I like you best with nothing on." Ryan seductively said back. "But you know, if you want to strip right now in your bra and undies, I really wouldn't mind. We are home alone." He winked. 

I started laughing, hard. "What?" 

"Y-you said undies" I responded. Ryan rolled his eyes, hovering his body over mine. He started kissing down my neck and slipping his thumbs into my sweatpants and tugging them down a little. 

"Just know that I love you so much. And I want to spend ever breathing second possible with you. You are my absolute everything. Just remember that, for me." Ryan said, as our initimate moment stopped. 

I nodded my head, placing my hand at the nape of his neck to bring his lips to mine.