Winning Her Back

Chapter Fourteen

"I swear, you drank that milkshake faster than the speed of light!" Kelsey cackled loudly as we entered my room. 

"What? You mean that was faster than 3.00 times 10 to the negative 8?" We all groaned at Hanks snooty comment, taking a seat on the floor. 

"We already know you are a science major, you have nothing to prove." Gabby snapped at the boy sitting next to me. He just rolled his eyes. 

"My feet are killing me, though! Never again will I bowl in sneaker wedges!" I said, slipping the shoes off my foot and rubbing away the throbbing pain. 

"You knew we were going bowling, yet you still needed to dress up." Dana said. It was my turn to roll my eyes. I didn't even, really, dress up. I mean, I would wear sneaker wedges and a dress anywhere...

Our conversation was interrupted by my phone vibrating on my dresser. I scooted towards it, seeing it was Ryan. I looked up at my friends who gave me sympathetic faces. 

"You need to do it sometime, babe." Gabby said, getting up and walking to the door, the others following en suite. 

I sighed, nodding. If I didn't do it now, I wouldn't be able to do it later. I pressed answer, taking a deep breath before saying a peppy "Hey!" 

"Hey babe! How are you?" I couldn't help but hear a little disappointment in Ryan's voice. 

"Good, what about you.. you seem a bit sad?" I asked hesitantly. 

I heard a deep sigh on the other side of the phone, "Stress, mostly." 

I nodded, then realized that he couldn't see me. "Same." I agreed, lying down on my bed. 

'You need to do it sometime, babe' - Gabby's words rung through my ears. 

"I think," I was interrupted by Ryan's voice on the line, who started talking the same time I did. "Sorry, you go" 

"Tate," He trailed off. 

"Ry, I think we are about to say the same thing" It was February. The time we had together at home was limited because I wasn't just going to hang out with him all vacation. I missed my other friends, my family, and I was showing Gabby around New York. 

"It's just too much. With your high school schedule, it was easy because we didn't have classes the same time." he sighed. "I love you so much, and I just, it's too hard." 

A tear trickled down my face, knowing how hard this was for both of us. I couldn't have thought of a future without him, it was nearly impossible, but with Ryan and I breaking up, I had to have an alternate plan. "Hey, don't be sorry. We both need a break, and with both of our busy schedules, its too hard to maintain a relationship at such a distance." 

"Y-yeah." Ryan choked on his words. "I love you, Tatum. And when we are older and out of college, even if you are dating another man, I'm stealing you away. You are mine, ok. I'm going to buy those three houses for us, we are going to have a family. I promise" 

I slightly smiled, "Don't turn into Gatsby, now. I don't need you obsessing over me." I chuckled. 

"I wouldn't call it an obsession, it's all love." 

"I love you too. And hey, if it doesn't work out with us, I'll still see you at Zach and Willow's wedding." I giggled. 

"See you there, Tatum." His voice sadly said. 

"Bye, Ryan" 

"Bye." 

I waited for the click on the other side of the phone. When it came, I completely lost it. If I said the day Ryan left for college, or even I left for college was the worst day of my life, I was wrong. Today was. Sure, I would move on. And I doubt Ryan and I would get back together because who really does after a break up?

I was grateful for my friends leaving the room because I was emotionally distraught right now. I needed this time to rejuvenate myself. 

I was single, again, and I hated it. But I knew Ryan and I wouldn't work out, so why go through the stress of a long distance relationship. With school- tests, essays, classes- and even friends and social events, our schedules just didn't cooperate with each other. 

And this was just one year; imagine another three. I would just be torturing myself. 

I'm hurting now, but I'd have to get over it, because Ryan and I, we are done. 

Ryan POV 

I knew she was waiting for me to hang up, she always does. She hates ending conversations. When I hung up, I forcefully fell back onto my bed. 

Why the hell did I just do that? I thought to myself. Why the hell did I just break up with the girl of my dreams- the love of my life? 

I knew I would marry her one day, and I wouldn't mind suffering through college, waiting for the time that Tatum and I can buy a house and be together freely. Without school or friends getting in the way. But, I just potentially lost that. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Ryan?" I muttered to myself. I tugged at my hair, squeezing my eyes shut. 

After a few minutes of down talking myself and pulling out enough hair to make me bald, I sat up in bed and reached for my phone. 

I just made a big mistake, and I'm going to fix it. I quickly dialed the number I've made an effort to memorize after the past 3 years and brought the phone up to my ear. 

The rings were endless, and I was restraining from hanging up and throwing my phone against the wall. 

Tatum didn't have one of those autorecorded robotic woman talking before her voicemail, so when I heard her voice, I instantly started talking. 

"Babe, I'm so sorry. That was a big mistake. I didn't want to break up wi-" 

"... Tatum, sorry I didn't catch the phone call in time! If you leave your nam-" 

"Fuck!"