Finding Forever

Chapter 15

He seems frustrated, but he respects my wishes and sits back down. It takes a few moments for Liam to reply. "Yeah, sure."

Time passed with Liam cuddling against me until his soft snores replaced the noises from downstairs. I lay listening to muffled voices and the clinking of glasses, unable to tune them out. I toss and turn for what feels like hours, wishing Liam never won the stupid game of basketball toss. How am I supposed to share a twin mattress with a snorer?

I can't sleep like this.

"How far is your hotel from here?"

I lay still, listening to Kale's voice coming from the entryway.

"A couple blocks. We could totally walk there," Sophia hiccups.

"Come on, let's go," Kale says. "Time for the real fun to begin."

Sophia giggles, "I sure do like the sound of that."

I hear fumbling footsteps, a few giggles, and then the sound of the front door closing. Jealousy warms my blood and jolts me awake faster than rumbling snores filling the tiny bedroom.

I sit on the bed, my knees drawn to my chin, silently telling myself to calm down. I did not let the thought of Ryan leaving with Tiffany to have hotel room sex with her consume me. Because it shouldn't, Ryan can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants. We are just friends. So why do I need to keep on reminding myself of that?

I take a deep breath and lay back down, trying to get some sleep. I close my eyes and breathe, forcing thoughts of Ryan kissing, touching and – fucking. Ugh!

I am in serious need of some fresh air. I'm suffocating, just lying here in the darkness. I can't sleep. My mind and heart won't stop racing.

Tears prick my eyes, but I suck them back and sit up.

I slowly move off the bed and press my toes onto the hardwood floor, shuffling little by little out of Liam's bedroom, into the hallway, and down the staircase.

The living room is empty and dark. The dining room table has empty beer bottles and glasses with lipstick stains on the rim. My eyes scan the kitchen island to see dirty plates and crumpled wrappers left over from a midnight snack I heard them making earlier in the kitchen. The porch light is still on outside on the back deck, illuminating the hot tub gazebo and night sky. I slide open the patio doors and hear a thunk.

What the-?

I see Ryan slumped down on a patio chair, tossing rocks into a planter a few feet away. At first, I thought I was seeing things. He glances in my direction, his dark brown eyes connecting with mine. There's an energy zooming through my body, and I think it's the relief of knowing he's still here.

"Ryan?"

"Hey," he breathes, sitting up straight in his chair.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask, walking toward him.

He hums, looking up at me.

"What?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Except I asked you first," I say.

I sit down in the empty chair next to him.

"I thought I heard you leave with Tiffany for some more rebound sex."

He doesn't laugh at this, even though I think I'm being funny. "Nah. She left with Sophia and Kale."

He tosses another rock toward the empty plater and sinks it before leaning back in his chair.