Alone With Ross

•96•

"Alright you klutz." I laughed. "What's next on the agenda?"

"Lunch." He grinned. "Junipers is close by and I haven't been in years."

He pulled into the drive in and we sat in silence after he ordered. "They don't have food like this back in New Mexico." He leaned back on the head rest.

"I've been all over the world." I laughed. "Nothing comes close to Junipers." I agreed.

"Yeah, little miss gone with the wind." He shook his head. "I've read a lot of things about you." My heart thudded.

"D-did you read... the book? My book?"

He shook his head his eyes downcast. "Just things that would show up on Facebook in the news im and such." He snorted. "Though I'd hardly call it news."

"Tell me about it, my life has become some spectacle. I had to run."

"Must be rough. Traveling the world, seeing amazing sights, staying in resorts, first class, mimosas by the Beach, pool boys, a bank account you don't have to worry about dwindling to double digits." I slapped his arm. "Boohoo!"

"More like, sleeping in my car, getting pick pocketed, reading maps wrong, struggling with a new language, sand in my ass, dropping sweat and lonely nights."

"Lonely nights are what I live for." He responded. "I mean, if you're not content with being by yourself, you're not ready to be with someone else."

"You don't believe in two halves of a whole?" I asked quietly and he looked at me for a second before shaking his head and looking away.

"I'd rather have a matching set than a jigsaw puzzle." He shrugged.

"Well that's a shame. Think of the beautiful picture you could've seen in the end." I remarked just before our waiter came.

••••

"I'm surprised." Vi chuckled. "I half expected you guys to wind up stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"Little faith Vi." Danny shook his head. "And we got everything done too."

"Well you guys should be around to help for Ross' wedding coming up, since you're so efficient." VI's eyes wondered towards me but I continued look at the mantle piece in the sitting room full of nicknacks.

"I don't think I'm invited." Danny laughed. "After the jokes I made to Danielle about our names I don't think she's going to plan to see me again."

"I'll be busy with settling down." I shrugged as Vi continued to look at me. "Weddings aren't really my thing."

"Ironic sense you're attending mine." Was all Vi said before walking off.

She knows something's up.

"I'm uh- I'm going to go to bed." I muttered.

"I'll walk you up, since our rooms are still across from each other." He flashed a smile at me and we headed for the back stairs from the kitchen. We only had to walk a little ways in the hallway upstairs before stopping between our doors.

"It's been a blast, Cass." He chuckled, shooting finger guns at me.

"W-wait," I called out and he tuned back from his open door in curiosity. "Well I was wondering... in the future if I ever find myself in New Mexico, c-could we perhaps go out to dinner?"

Danny's eyes softened. "Oh, Cass." He said quietly, lightly shaking his head. "I'm not who you're looking for," rejection washed through me. "I told you I didn't read the book, and I didn't read the book because I lived right next door to it." He sighed. "For three years, every screaming match, every tickle fight, every annoying rendition of songs. Everyone in the house lived through it." He turned back towards his door. "I know that whatever we would've attempted to have, would never compare to what you and Ross had." He went into his room, pausing in the doorway. "And quite frankly, I don't think anyone will."

•••••••••••

Damn Danny, waita be subtle.

Hey y'all. I'm still going through stuff, quite frankly I think I'm always going to be going through stuff.

So anyways I promise to have this story finished by the end of the year, and after that I think I'm just going to post whatever I want whenever I want.

Wattpad is something I had to talk to my therapist about, i didn't think there was an issue but it turns out writing is my Kryptonite.

When I was younger, I wrote when I was sad. And to this day I still do it... and everyone has always told me that my writing was good, so somehow along the way I felt that I could only be a good writer and write amazing things if I was sad... and so for awhile I abandoned my happiness for my writing.

And oddly enough, it was the best things I've ever written.

Story will be done by the end of the year, there will be no spin offs or continuations. There might possibly be an outtakes book, but that depends on where I'm at mentally next year.

I've also been writing Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction, the story is called "Minute by Minute." And it's the first piece I've written when I wasn't sad, so idk you could give your opinion on if the writing style changed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thanks for dealing with me for so long

Love, Aliah