Forbidden Love

Chapter Nineteen

Bethany's POV

"This is such a wonderful dinner Wendy." My mother said to Ryan's mom. Ryan and I haven't told our parents yet about our engagement. We both agreed that we would wait until after dinner just to be sure that we didn't ruin anything. I looked at Ryan and he looked at me and nodded. I guess this was it. Soon we would know if our families accepted our engagement.

"Mom, Dad, Bethany's mom," he looked at each of our parents as he said there names. They all stopped their conversations and anything else they were doing to look at Ryan. Confused; my mother looked at me, but I just held up a finger telling her she would just have to wait. "Bethany and I have something that we would like to tell you, but we don't know how you are going to take it." He looked at me, so much love in his eyes that it was almost impossible to resist. "Bethany and I are engaged." He said without taking his eyes off mine. I heard my mom gasp, but the rest of the room was filled with silence.

When I looked away from Ryan I saw that everyone was crying. Not in a sad or angry way though. To me they looked like tears of joy. I looked again at Ryan and he smiled, I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

"Oh baby I'm so happy for you!" My mom exclaimed, the first to break the silence. She got up from her seat at the table and hugged both of us. Ryan's mom and dad soon joined in; all of them congratulating us. "Tell me everything when you get home. I have to go to work." My mom whispered in my ear. I nodded, I knew that she was willing to work whenever she could to get us as much money as she could. Before she walked out the door she smiled and blew me a kiss. I returned it as she shut the door.

"We should celebrate." Ryan's father suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea." His mother agreed. Ryan nodded still smiling. Just as I was about to answer my phone rang. It was the hospital.

"I'm sorry I have to take this." I walked out onto the porch.

"Hello?"

"Is this Bethany?"

"Yes it is." The door behind me opened and I turned around to see Ryan standing there. I motioned for him to shut the door and join me. I shivered when the wind blew and Ryan wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back into him as close as he could get me.

"I have some news about your brother Cayden." At the sound of his name my heart sank deep down into my chest. I had completely forgot about Cayden through all my happiness.

"What's wrong with him?" I felt Ryan stiffen behind me. He forgot too.

"He woke up today." I let out a sigh of relief and Ryan relaxed a little.

"That's wonderful," I smiled although she couldn't see. "I'm coming to see him. I'll be there soon."

"Wait before you see him there is something you should know." My smile faded a bit. Whatever she was about to tell me wasn't going to be good. "He has amnesia and we still don't know how bad it is. He remembers bits and pieces of certain things but not much."

"I knew that already. The doctor told me a while ago."

"No Bethany what I'm saying is he barely remembers anything. He knows his name, his parents, how to read and write and talk and that's about it. I'm so sorry." If it wasn't for Ryan holding me I would have fell to the ground. I didn't want to talk anymore so I closed my phone and put it in my pocket.

"Can you drive me to the hospital?" Ryan must have sensed that I wasn't in the mood to talk because he didn't say a word. He led me to the car and as soon as I was in and settled he went to tell his parents where we were going.

On the way to the hospital I forced myself to tell Ryan what I was told over the phone. When I finished he didn't say a word. Instead he grabbed my hand and didn't let go until we had to get out of the car. There was a new nurse sitting at the reception desk when we walked in.

"We are here to see Cayden. I'm his sister Bethany and this is my fiance Ryan." Despite everything that was happening right now with Cayden I still managed to smile when I called Ryan my fiance. The nurse nodded and gave us both a visitors pass. This was going to be the first time that Ryan has seen Cayden since the accident happened a little more than a month ago. I was nervous I didn't know what to expect when I saw him, but I knew he wouldn't remember me.

"Act how you normally would around him. Tell him who you are and who you were to him. That's the only advice I can give you." The nurse that was just leaving Cayden's room informed us. Before Ryan and I stepped into the room I stopped him and pulled him off to the side.

"What do we tell him? Before this happened Cayden and I were in love. Should I just tell him that him and I are friends?" Ryan's face saddened when I said that I loved Cayden.

"You loved him?" He turned away from me.

"Yes Ryan I loved him," I turned him toward me and took his face in my hands. "But that was before we had something. Now I love you and only you." I kissed him lightly on the lips. I felt butterflies flutter in my stomach like they do every other time that we kiss.

"You love me?" He asked.

"Of course I do. If I didn't love you I wouldn't be marrying you. What makes you think that I didn't."

"Well its just that when you said you loved me earlier neither of us were thinking of Cayden."

"You listen to me and you listen to me good, Ryan James Armstrong. Cayden was my past. And you- you are my present and most importantly my future. Never doubt again that I don't love you because I do with all my heart." I smiled. I had no idea where that came from I was never the type of person to stand up for something I believed in. I guess Ryan really does bring out the best in people.

"Where have you been all my life?" He whispered in my ear.

"Waiting for you to find me." I smiled at him and accepted his many sweet, irresistible kisses.

"Lets do this." He opened the door to Cayden's room. I grabbed a hold of his hand like it was the only thing I had left.

"Together..." we both whispered at the same time.