Blooming Passion •• Ryan Tedder {1}

Windswept Ruins

Ramona's P.O.V.

Ramona got back at Ryan's house at about ten until five. She seemed to shake as she approached the front doors, afraid of Ryan's reaction to her leaving again. She insecurely wrapped her torso in the kimono cardigan she wore and folded her arms over it. When she reached the doors, she found them unlocked and stepped inside.

She took off her heeled boots immediately because she wanted to make as less noise as possible. Ryan was not in the living room, so he was certainly in another room (hopefully not nearby). If she closed the door quietly and proceeded with everything else cautiously, he could not hear her. Ramona had very often used this method with Shawn to avoid him; avoiding him = no getting yelled at.

Common sense.

Ramona looked around as she moved to place her foot on the first step of the stairs. She looked at how many there were. About twenty. Skipping them would make for an easier getaway.

Then his voice rang out behind her, in the doorway to the piano room. Ramona turned, fearful. Boy, did he look angry. She was really right for once.

"Where were you? You didn't specify that in your note." He interrogated her.

"At a friend's place."

"Again? Twice today?"

"Yes."

"Both after we had a serious talk...can't help but wonder."

"Yeah. But don't flatter yourself, who said I went because of you?"

"I find everything you're saying hard to believe, Ramona. I think you know that."

Ramona gulped. She had no response. His eyes were still intense, just as they were earlier. But there was more anger than earlier. Or heavy suspicion, either one. She wanted to apologize and run away at the same time. Her brain thought the latter to be easier, quicker, and simply better.

Roughly and defensively, Ramona furrowed her eyebrows and snapped, "Just leave me alone!"

Then she turned and ran up the stairs, going two at a time as she originally planned. As she did, she heard Ryan holler fiercely, "Ramona!"

She did not listen. Instead, she ran into her room and locked the door behind her. She immediately went to the window and sat at the window seat. The blue of the sky was getting darker, slowly, as the day came to an end. Ramona watched that and the tops of the trees of the backyard sway in the slight breeze.

Ramona knew she had to rectify the situation, and very soon. She meant, both times she talked with Ryan recently, to apologize and open up to him more. Not about Shawn, about her feelings for him. Let him know what she's conflicted about.

Then she thought back to what he said. He didn't understand what she was conflicted about. Ramona took that as him being a smartass earlier, but realized that he really didn't understand. To him, she was just attached to Shawn forever. No, he didn't know. He had no clue that she was conflicted about Shawn and him.

She needed to tell him something. He's been mad at her all day and Ramona knows it---she's been nothing but defensive. But what happened mere minutes ago...does he even want to see her? Leave it be for a little while. Her mind said.

Ramona sighed. She straightened her back out and stopped resting her chin in her hands. The sleeves of her cardigan were rolled up and Ramona couldn't help but catch a glimpse of her old scars. There were some that were visibly newer than others, just slightly, but she had been clean for a while so they were all well healed.

Ramona got up and moved into the bathroom. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she wasn't sure what exactly to think about what she saw. The black eye was just a small purple blotch now, just a few centimeters away from the corner of her eye and about the size of a quarter. But Ramona thought of the bruises beneath her clothing and ended up stripping down to her underwear to see them.