Unexpected Forever (Ryan Haywood)

Chapter 9

A few hours after getting back home Ryan was in the kitchen making lunch while Ian and I coloured and Louise proudly showed off her stuffed pony to me.

"His name is Oreo because he's black and white. I love oreos. And ponies."

"You'll have to come meet the horses I work with one day then!" She looked at me excitedly when I said that.

"Can I? I've never met a real pony before! Can I ride one?" She jumped up and down with excitement as she pelted me with questions.

"You'll have to ask your dad if you're allowed and then I'll see what I can do." I giggled before she ran off into the kitchen yelling at her dad. She was so excited that she wasn't making any sense. Moments later Ryan came out of the kitchen holding his excited daughter with a very confused look on his face.

"What did you do to my kid?" He asked me jokingly.

I smiled and shrugged, "I may have mentioned that she should come meet the horses I work with and maybe ride one if her dad says she's allowed to." I told him with an innocent look on my face.

"Hmm I don't know, I don't think Louise would like that at all." He joked trying to hide his smile.

Louise looked like she might cry at that, "No! Please Daddy! I love ponies so much! Please let me ride one!"

Ryan let out an exaggerated fake sigh, "Well ok I guess, as long as Abigail promises to take good care of you."

"Yay!" she squealed and bounced up and down in his arms. Ryan couldn't hold back his smile anymore. "Did you hear that Abigail! Daddy said yes! Thank you daddy, you're the best daddy in the world, I love you!"

"I love you too Lou." He set her down and she ran over to me.

"When do I get to ride a horse?"

"I'll talk to your daddy about it tonight okay?" I asked and she nodded smiling.

The rest of the day went amazingly we went to play at the park after lunch and walked to a small ice cream parlor down the street after dinner for a treat, me and Ryan argued for 5 minutes about who was going to pay before I got fed up and just handed the man some cash with a smile. Ian warmed up to me, coming out of his shell and talking to me just as loudly and excitedly as Louise did.

At 9:30 when the kids had finally fallen asleep after insisting that I read them a story instead of Ryan, we both collapsed on the couch.

"I forgot how exhausting kids are." I mumbled leaning to rest my head on Ryan's shoulder.

"I think my kids like you more than they like me." He joked resting his head on top of mine.

"I'm really glad they like me, I was really nervous." I paused, "You have incredible kids Ryan."

He beamed, "Yeah, I do. You are incredible with them though."

I shrugged at him sleepily, "I raised my two younger siblings growing up and I always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher."

"Why aren't you then?"

"Kind of hard to afford university when you can barely afford rent and food." I laughed.

He sighed, "Alright time to get you to bed too."

I groaned, "But I'm so comfy right now."

He chuckled, slipping out from under me and I frowned but before I had chance to protest he had picked me up bridal style and I let out a squeak in surprise.

"Alright, alright, I'll go to bed. Just put me down, I'm too heavy for you to keep doing this shit." I could feel his chest vibrate as he chuckled again and he set me on my feet. I walked to the kitchen to grab a drink quickly and walked back out to see him putting a blanket and pillow on the couch. "What are you doing?" I questioned.

"Going to bed." He replied nonchalantly. "The kids are in my bed."

"I know that but why are setting up on the couch?"

He turned to me his brows furrowed in confusion, "Where else am I supposed to sleep?"

"You're taking my bed, I'm taking the couch."

"No way! I'm not letting you sleep on the couch it's so uncomfortable." He crossed his arms frustrated.

"Which is exactly why you're not sleeping on it. This is your home, I am a guest I am not making you sleep on the couch Ryan. You don't need to be a gentleman all of the time."

"Abigail, I am sleeping on this couch."

I shrugged, "Fine then I'm sleeping on the floor." And began to push his coffee table out of the way.

Grumbling under his breath quietly he walked over to me, picking me up again and carried me to the bed. But when he tried to set me down I refused to let go of him.

"Ryan, you better get your ass into this bed, you are not sleeping on the couch."

"Well I'm not letting you sleep on the couch." He retorted still trying to gently pull me off him.

"For fuck's sake Ryan, we'll share the bed then!" I whisper yelled at him, still aware that the kids were asleep next door.

He seemed to freeze, unsure of how to reply, "I mean, are you sure?"

"Ryan, I am done arguing about this. It's not like we're going to have sex we're just sleeping in the same queen sized bed, it's not a big deal."

Ryan finally gave in and I let go and went to my clothes finding a pair of sleep shorts and tank top to wear while he went to change into pyjamas. I went into the bathroom after him and saw his clothes laying on the floor. I slipped on his shirt and my shorts, brushed my teeth and went back to the room. He smirked when he saw what I was wearing.

"Nice shirt." He teased.

I smiled mischievously at him, "Thanks I stole it from a guy who really likes when I wear his shirts."

He was still chuckling at that when I slid into the bed where he was already laying. But as soon as I turned the lamp off he tensed up and almost held his breath.

"Ryan, you can breathe. You haven't been able to scare me off yet, sharing a bed isn't going to either." I whispered and could hear him exhale and turn to face me. I turned to face him as well, his face being lit by the moonlight streaming through the window. Now it was my turn to panic. Good lord, this man is gorgeous. And I probably look like a mess right now. And I snore. I think I made a mistake. As if he could see the gears in my head turning he smiled and raised his eyebrow.

"You can breathe you know?" He said, using my words against me.

"Shut up, you're not the one lying in bed with a gorgeous man." I mumbled hiding my face in the pillow.

"No I'm not," he whispered, "But I am the one laying in bed with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

My breath caught in my throat and I looked back at him. A gentle, nervous smile resting on his face and those eyes. Ugh those eyes. The most gorgeous shade of blue staring back at me. "W-what?"

His smile grew wider, "You heard me."

"Clearly you haven't seen a lot of girls then." I managed to whisper and tried to turn away from him. Only to have him turn me back around and pull me into his chest.

"I have seen more than enough to know that I would pick you over them any day. Don't doubt yourself, you really are the most incredible woman I've ever met and I'm sorry that you can't see it." I could feel his chest vibrate as he spoke and a gentle kiss on the top of my head. I am falling harder and harder for this man every minute.

I was silent for a while, not sure how to reply. "Ryan?" I asked not sure if he was still awake.

"Yeah?" Came his sleepy reply.

"Thank you."