Finding Forever

Chapter 18

"Ryan," I say, my voice tight and breathless. "What are you doing here?"

He takes a step forward but looms cautiously. "Maisie may have mentioned your dad's wedding was this weekend."

"And somehow, that meant you should stalk me down in a different state like a weirdo."

"In case you forgot, a few months ago, you practically begged me to attend this wedding with you," he answers with a convincing smile. "And I don't see anyone else accompanying you as your plus one, so..."

"Yeah, well...that was before you turned into an epic douchebag."

He should look wounded from my truth-bomb, but he doesn't. His eyes study me, clearly charmed. His body is inching its way closer in my direction.

"Come on, Ella. Please don't be mad," he says. "Listen, I'm sorry about that night at Royal Shots. If I would have known – "

"I'm not mad," I shake my head, trying to clear it. "I'm just...I mean, I was...yes. But you don't have to explain yourself to me."

I can tell he wants to ask Why did you come there that night? But he doesn't. And I give him serious props for it. This is neither the time nor the place. Because although my decision to confess what I thought were real feelings for Ryan was impulsive, seeing him standing in front of me with mercy in his eyes immediately melts my cold heart for him.

"Can you forgive me?" he asks, dimple showing. "Or stop pretending you aren't thrilled I'm here."

I want to make him grovel at my feet for forgiveness; the trouble is, he's right. I am secretly thrilled he's here. All I want is to move past what happened between us and find our easy rhythm of friendship again. I know it's easier said than done when we've blurred the lines so bad they are no longer visible, but seeing him here and knowing he came all this way for me for what was looking like the worst weekend of my life gives me hope those lines may be able to be re-defined. I force myself to refrain from showing any emotion. Poker-facing it like a champ.

"Where are you staying for the weekend?" I ask hands pressed to my hips. "You're not sleeping in my hotel room if that's what you think. My room only has a single king-sized bed."

"Relax," he laughs. "I've got my room right across the hall."

I narrow my eyes at him. "How did you know what room I was in?"

"Asked the front desk, duh."

"That seems like a breach of privacy," I say matter-of-factly.

There's a slight smirk on his lips as he takes a step closer. A beat of silence passes between us as his eyes travel slowly down my body.

"For what it's worth, you look stunning."

My chest tightens, hearing him compliment me like that. Hearing his words, smooth as velvet, roll off his tongue so easily. I'm not ready for him to say things like that to me so soon.

His words hang in the air. The part where I'm supposed to say thank you, to say something polite about how handsome he looks too, and accept what he says with a smile. But both of us stand there.

"Oh, hi, Ella." A familiar shrill voice comes from my right, distracting us.

I turn to see my soon-to-be step-sister, Christina, and her younger sister, Becka, walking toward me and Ryan. I grew up with both of them since our mothers were once friends. Christina is two years older than me, with poker-straight blonde hair and blue eyes the size of dinner plates. Becka and I are the same age, although she looks older than us. Probably because of her secret smoking habit, she insists she doesn't have. She has a red bob of hair and warm brown eyes. Her boobs are ginormous, and her cheeks are covered in freckles. She looks nothing like her sister Christina but shares the same rotten personality - nosy, entitled, and ditsy.