Blooming Passion •• Ryan Tedder {1}

Tearing Down Walls

Ramona's P.O.V.

The next day, Ramona finished writing the note to Ryan saying that she'd be gone for a few hours and she was taking his car, unable to afford another taxi going that far. She left it on the living room coffee table when she was done. She was going to see the girls, who, after texting Addie, were at Johana's apartment in the heart of Los Angeles (where all of their apartments were, in fact).

She got to Johana's building at around ten, and when she got inside she headed for the elevators, her heeled ankle boots clattering on the floor. She felt uncomfortable hearing that as the only sound in the hallway---it was as if she was the only one in the building.

In the elevator, surprisingly spacious, Ramona slammed the button with a seven on it. It lit up white and the elevator headed up. At floor two, a younger man with black hair and black framed glasses, looking quite like some college hipster, got in and eyed her up and down. She regretted wearing a tank top that showed a bit of her midriff, despite the black and white kimono cardigan over it.

"Hey." He said flirtatiously.

"Hi." Ramona mumbled.

"What's your name?"

"Ramona."

"Cool. I'm Tate."

The elevator headed up again after giving the stomach-dropping lurch. The next silence gave Ramona the opportunity to try and zone out so she wouldn't have to talk to Tate, or at least hear him. Her mind, however, brought up Ryan's beautiful face and what he said last night, so she snapped herself out of it. Right when Tate began talking again, too.

"You know, I'm going to floor seven too." He continued.

"Nice. You live here?" Ramona gulped, trying to sound normal, for Ryan was consuming the back of her mind.

"Nah. Just seeing a friend. You?"

"No. Seeing a friend."

They reached the sixth floor and Tate instantly escalated the conversation.

"Can I get your number, Ramona?"

Ramona's head snapped over to look at him and she fiercely glared at him. He was smirking at her pompously. Cocky prick.

"Why? You need a babysitter?" She asked sharply.

Tate's mouth fell open and the elevator doors came open with a ding. Ramona instantly fled the scene, almost running to Johana's door. Before she knocked, she looked back. Tate hadn't gotten out of the elevator.

Ramona slammed her fist onto the black door three times and Johana's face popped up.

"Hey. Addie said you were coming." Johana greeted her. But there was something off about her tone and Ramona remembered that the last time she saw any of the girls was at the mall.

"I'm okay now." Ramona instantly blurted at this thought. Johana nodded slowly, then she opened the door all the way and motioned for her to come in.

"Nice hair, by the way." Johana complimented.

"Thanks." Ramona muttered, stepping in and looking around. She hadn't been to Johana's apartment in a while. In fact, the last time she visited one of them was Addie and that was a few months ago.

The apartment looked more like a loft than anything and seemed to have a theme of black and white. The first thing on the right was the small kitchen, and the other side had a staircase leading to the bedroom, most likely. Ahead of Ramona was the living room where Lynn and Addie sat on the couch, and there was a wall of shelves on the right side. The shelves separated the living room from the dining room.