Stuck On You

Can I join you?

I woke up the next morning to Bryan's adorable face. I smiled and kissed him on the lips, just enough to make him move a little, but not wake him up fully. It was too early for him to wake up anyway. I'm up because I need to run. My mind needs to be cleared of last night.

I got out of my bed slowly, making sure not wake him up and grabbed my sweats and one of Bryan's hoodies. I already felt better.

The sun wasn't even up when I went outside. Hopefully I would be able to get home before everyone woke up and actually get some more sleeping time in. But when I saw someone sitting on the stairs, I knew this was going to be a long run.

"I was really hoping you would come out here this morning." Tyler said as he stood up.

"I always run in the mornings."

"Can I join you?"

I shrugged. "You're already here. Why not?"

We ran in silence. I followed him though. I knew he had somewhere in mind. He stopped when we got to the park.

"Sit." He said, nodding at the picnic table in front of us.

I sat down and looked up at him. "Are you going to make me cry?"

"I hope not," he smiled a little and sat down. "I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking we could pick up where we left off."

"But we can't," he said quietly. "I messed that up."

This isn't how I wanted to start out my time with Tyler. I didn't even want to have this talk. I guess it had to happen at some point, but life is so much easier when I don't think about this.

"Where did you go?" I asked.

"No where special. I just drove...and I've regretted it every damn day since then." He was getting mad at himself. "I left the one thing that could make me happy."

"Ok, stop talking," I told him. "I don't want to sit here and make you feel bad, I really don't, but I'm going to have to. If I was the one thing that made you happy, why did you leave? If you knew it would upset you that much why did you go?"

"Because I need out baby! I needed away from my family, out of that house, and out of this stupid town. It got to the point where I was only acting like myself around you. If you weren't with me, I was a completely different person. I loved being with you baby, but I needed to get away and be myself for awhile."

"Why didn't you tell me that?! Why did I wake up and find you parents in my kitchen worrying about you, and Adam handing me the most heartbreaking note ever."

He shook his head. "I don't know. Like I said, I've regretted it every single day."

"Do you know how long I hated you?" I asked him quietly.

"I knew you would."

We sat there for a long time. I was trying my best not to yell at him, and he was wallowing in regret. The only thing good about this moment is that I'm getting the answers I've needed for years now.

"Can I ask you something that's bothered me for a long time?" I asked him.

"Anything."

"That night before you left..."

He smiled. "The night I'll never forget?"

I smiled too. "Yeah that one. If didn't stop you. If we had actually..." I didn't like thinking about that night. It was too amazing for me to think about when I was trying to forget everything about this boy. "Would it have changed anything? Would I have woken up next you, or would you have still left?"

"I don't know baby. It probably wouldn't have changed anything though. I had my mind made up before then."

I thought knowing that answer would make me feel better. How wrong was I? That hurt almost as much as when I found out he was gone. I need Bryan.

"Don't cry. Please don't cry baby."

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "I'm sorry. I didn't even realize I was."

His head fell in hands. "I'm so sorry Ebony."

"Ty," I hugged him close to me. I forgot how good they felt. I've missed them.

"I'll make it up to you," he said. "This summer is going to be the best summer you've ever experienced."

I laughed. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know. I guess we could just pick up where we left off-"

"Tyler." I said with a warning tone.

"With me being the bestfriend ever..." He smiled. "You really need to let me finish baby."

I laughed. "Sorry. I will next time."

He rolled his eyes. "I've missed you."

"Don't get all sappy again. This is the last time we have this kind of moment. I don't want to cry anymore over you. If you have anything else to tell me, tell me now."

He shook his head. "I think I'm done. What about you? Have anything to tell me?"

"Like what?" What could I possibly have to tell him?

"What about this boyfriend of yours? How did you meet him?"

So he wanted to know about Bryan? Figures. "I was out with a friend one day, and it started raining. Being the mature people we are, we started having a mud fight. I threw a big clump of mud that she dodged and of course it had to hit the one guy that was wearing a white shirt."

He laughed. "Bryan?"

"Nope," I smiled. "The guy Bryan threw infront of him."

"Well then why aren't you dating that guy."

"He cussed me out and went to change his shirt. That left Bryan to apologize for his friend's reaction, and after he had done that he asked if I wanted to do something later that day."

"So you said yes."

"I said no."

"I'm just going to stop predicting you now," He laughed. "Why did you say no?"

"I told him I wasn't ready to think about relationships, or dates, or anything. Then he told me it didn't have to be a date, we could just go as friends. He said any girl that's having a mud fight in college, was someone he could wait for. I didn't totally trust him, but I went with him. I had fun for the first time in what seemed like forever. We went out a lot more for a couple of months, just as friends. He would tell me every now and then that he would wait for me to be ready. That wasn't the first time I had heard that so I wasn't completely sure about him. I trusted him though, and...he reminded me of you. So eventually I said yes to him."

"You said yes to him...because he reminded you of me?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah, I did at first. But I learned more about him over time, and now I like him for other reason." I told him. He doesn't need any ideas.

"Yeah well he likes you too."

"But you don't like him?" I asked. I don't know why, but I feel like I need his approval.

He smirked. "Baby, as long your happy and he's treating you right, I'll like him."

"Really?"

He nodded and I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Why did I need Tyler to approve? How long have I needed it?

"We should get back home." Tyler said.

I agreed and we ran back to our houses. Hopefully everything will be back to normal with us now. I'm so ready to forget everything. I need my bestfriend. I just need Tyler.

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A/N: This didn't really turn out the way I wanted, but it when does it ever? It will get more fun after this chapter. There's gonna be some Adam in the next chapter too. I feel deprived of the little guy. Vote and comment! :)