Ryan didn’t need to be told who had invited Niles to the fundraiser at the last minute, it just stank of Pepper’s interference. It seemed that she was just as against him having a relationship with Skylar as Devin was, despite her protests that she just wanted to see her new best friend happy, no matter who she found that happiness with. It was a load of trash as far as he was concerned and he had it pretty much figured out by the time he got back to campus. All Pepper and Devin wanted was for the world to turn to the beat of their drum, as long as they got their own way then life was just hunky dory. But in order for them to get everything in life they wanted it to be, they had make everyone else’s life’s suck so they could be the heroes and save them from their loving, exciting lives. Just because theirs were loveless, boring and overrated didn’t mean that everyone else’s was the same. Before his big brother had started interfering with his life, he had Skylar but as soon as he got in the middle, he couldn’t even give her the gift he had helped him buy her without feeling like he was trying to push her into a relationship she wasn’t ready for.
He had been through so much with her, because of her that he couldn’t help but there was nothing he could do, he loved her he couldn’t just turn his back on her because she was confusing and frustrating. Ryan figured that the only was to make things better was have a little ‘chat’ with Niles about weaselling in on his girlfriend and make sure he backed off. Then he needed need a plan, something more secure than the one he had formulated before, thinking that by being around her all the time she wouldn’t be able to deny what was between them. Now, he was thinking about that old adage ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’. If he could make that work for him then there was no excuse she could use to get out of it, she would have to admit to what was going on between them. He was getting fed up of her changing her mind as to whether she could be with him or not…so she had a good reason to think they couldn’t be together, he didn’t think her worries that one of them would get hurt were nothing but an overreaction…he was just getting frustrated at having to keep reminding her that he knew she would have to leave at some point but that he would deal with it when the time came. All he wanted was to be with her until then.
But Skylar could think again if she thought that he was just going to give up on her and let her walk off without him. He wasn’t ever going to let her go…Ryan had already promised himself that he’d love her the rest of his life, he wasn’t about to let her go anywhere without a fight, even if it meant he went with her. The secrets were getting to be too much but he didn’t want to go sneaking behind her back to investigate them and find out the truth. It was an invasion of her privacy but if she didn’t tell him the truth then there wasn’t much else he could do other than find it out for himself, he needed to know what she was dealing with, what her work with and what her big secret was that told her that she was going to hurt him. He couldn’t be with her without knowing those things. He couldn’t be in a relationship with secrets hanging over their heads and getting between them as they were already proving to be. If they couldn’t be honest with each other then there was no trust and a relationship without trust would mean that it wasn’t any better than his past relationships with women. Even his relationship with Devin and Pepper was being affected by Skylar’s secrets, mostly because they couldn’t keep their nose out of other people’s business. They had to interfere. They couldn’t just live their own lives without butting into other people’s and it was the cause of all his problems.
Ryan knew that if he could only get a firm grip on Skylar, long enough to talk to her as sternly as possible, then maybe he could convince her to follow her feelings and her heart and let them be together. But she could forget about all the time he was giving her. There would be no more laying down and just taking her crap, he was fighting back just like he had when he first met her. He had given her tough love to keep her at arms length, now he was going to do the same to keep her in his arms. She wasn’t going to escape him now, he had her in his sights he just had to figure out a solid plan of keeping her there and making sure she knew just what the consequences were if she rejected him again. He could only take so much and one more snide remark, one more denial of what they felt for each other and he might just strangle the life out of her. At some point she was going to have to accept that he wasn’t going anywhere and he was never going to leave her alone, not if she ran or hid from him, not if she screamed at him that she didn’t love him anymore. Nothing would make him give up on her. He would hound her until the day she died or until she admitted that she loved him and wanted to be with him. Whatever came first.
Ryan didn’t spend the rest of his night brooding in his room, he had more important things to do. By the time he knew that the fundraiser was over, around two in the morning, as it advertised on the invitation, he was already sitting the front steps of Devin and Pepper’s apartment building waiting for them to come home. As soon as they got out the car they saw him sitting there but he wasn’t in the mood to play nice and when Pepper began the innocent act, asking how he was with a big smile and asking why he’d left the fundraiser early, he got to his feet and took the few steps down to the street. He had no idea of where he was going to start but he had a heck of a lot to say to both of them and he wasn’t keeping it inside anymore, it was about time they knew what they’d put him through with their interferences and their plotting behind his back. “I don’t know what the hell gives you the right to ruin my life with all your plotting and scheming but it ends now. I don’t care what excuse you have, I don’t care what you ‘thought’ you were doing or who you ‘thought’ it would benefit, you’re messing everything up, so stop it.” He warned them suddenly, making Pepper sigh and lose her smile as she looked up at Devin questioningly, hoping that he could talk his little brother into seeing sense, but as far as Ryan was concerned, he was the only one who had any sense. Everyone else was the problem and he just had to make them see that and stop butting in.
“Ryan, it’s for your own good. You’re only going to hurt her.” Devin protested, unwilling to stand outside in the street, in front of the entire world, at two in the morning, just to talk about what an idiot he was to think that a girl like Skylar would ever want anything to do with him. But as he made a move forward, taking Pepper’s hand and urging her to follow, Ryan stepped in his way, not about to let them off so easily. He was willing to work his ass of for Skylar, to do anything she wanted or needed him to do to prove he loved her and had earned her love but he wasn’t going to let anyone get in the way of them being together. It was too important.
“You don’t know anything about me so don’t pretend you do. I love Skylar…so much it physically hurts to not be with her. And every time I tell her it’s alright for her to be scared and she agrees to be with me, one of you screws it up and turns her against me.” Pepper could easily believe his words then, spoken with so much pain in his voice that it practically drowned out the anger but she was trying to do what was best for Skylar. Surely if Ryan was what was best for her than she would tell them that and admit that she loved him, but she hadn’t. “She loves me so whatever you think you’re doing or how good you think it is for her, it’s not. You’re hurting her and I won’t let you do it.” Ryan sighed, not sure how he would handle having to see her cry again when he knew it was because of other people and not anything he had done to her. He had made her cry enough without other people getting in the road and starting her off again. She would at least forgive him, he didn’t want her losing all her friends when she hadn’t had them long just because they were busybodies butting into her life.
“Please Ryan, she’s hurting right now, don’t push her.” Pepper asked him to give her some time but she didn’t expect the outburst of anger that greeted her request. She just didn’t realise what a roadblock she was, stopping him from being with the one girl he’d ever loved so much and stopping her from being happy when she wanted to be with him too. Everyone was so blind to what was right in front of their faces that he couldn’t be anything but angry at them for their sheer stupidity.
“You know, you’ve god a damned cheek saying that to me. I’m the only one not hurting her. You, Devin, Niles…you’re all hurting her. She feels I’m the only one she can trust anymore and that’s all your doing.” When Devin admitted that he and Pepper had agreed that Niles was better for Skylar, Ryan just about blew a gasket. They really had no clue whatsoever. But just because they were clueless about the feelings of a girl who was perfectly open with everything she thought and felt if they had only paid enough attention to see it, didn’t mean he was going to start flapping his mouth about it in the middle of the street. He was the only one she trusted anymore, he wasn’t about to destroy that and betray her because her supposed ‘friends’ didn’t know her.
“She doesn’t want Niles, she wants me and you inviting him to this thing tonight ruined everything. Do you know where she was when you sent him to get her? She was with me…kissing me. And as soon as he butted in, snapping at her like she’d done something wrong, she started feeling guilty about being with me.” Devin didn’t really care what Ryan said, he had it firmly set in his mind that Niles was the only guy who could treat Skylar the way she needed to be treated and he told Ryan that, not caring what he thought. The fact that she felt guilty at Niles finding them kissing showed him that she obviously had feelings for Niles but was unable to admit to them. But Ryan couldn’t take any more, they really were single minded people, judging him on what they saw, not the Ryan they should have known was inside him. At least Skylar knew better. Without her he would probably have gone mad dealing with his big brother. “It wasn’t because of him and it wasn’t because of anything you two said. She’s scared that if we’re together, one of us is going to get hurt and she thinks that someone is me…don’t you get it? She’s not scared for herself, she’s scared of hurting me just like every other girl in my life has. She’s the only one who really knows me and you’re trying to take that away from me. I won’t let you do it.” He decided there would be no more compromising, from Pepper or Devin or Skylar. He didn’t care what anyone said, he was going to be with her, they loved each other and if he had to kidnap her and keep her locked up for the rest of her life until she admitted it then that was what he’d do. He was fed up of people judging him on a single mistake or action and it was going to end now before he decided to pack it all in an just runaway from it all.
“You told her you love her…after two days. What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you see that she doesn’t need this right now.” Devin snapped at him in a way Ryan didn’t appreciate. He had no right to defend Skylar, he didn’t know her, he had no idea what she felt or what she wanted so he couldn’t make himself her advocate for the evening. He had no right to assume he knew her just because he’d spent a few hours and a few conversations with her. That didn’t mean he knew her.
“What Skylar doesn’t need, is you and everyone else telling her that all I want from her is to sleep with her. What she doesn’t need is to be turned against the only person who loves her and wants her to be happy because she sure as hell knows you lot don’t. Every time she’s happy, you all come along and spoil it for her.” Ryan knew that something pretty big had happened that night, while he was arguing with his brother and that either way it was going to make or break him but as long as he had Skylar then he really didn’t care which way it went. He was sick and tired of all the arguing, the pretending and the lies. She was the only one who wasn’t lying to him. “I’m not asking you…either of you…I’m telling you to leave her alone. If you don’t, you’ll have me to deal with because I won’t let you hurt her. She means everything to me. If you mess with her again, that’ll be it for us.” He explained with a sigh, about to turn and walk back to campus when Devin called after him, asking what that was supposed to mean, laughing it off as if it meant nothing. So he turned back around and told him exactly what it would mean, tired and deflated to know that no-one respected him enough to let him be with the girl he loved. “It means that I’ll never forgive you. Either of you. It means that if you do one more thing to hurt her, I’m leaving. I’ll leave this town…this state…this country…whatever I have to do to get away from you and be with her. I won’t let anyone come between us.”
“You’re not making any sense Ryan. Go home and get some sleep, we’ll talk again in the morning.” Devin suggested, only managing to make him mad again and he really couldn’t believe the way he was treating him as if he was some kind of child who was only throwing a temper tantrum because they were overtired. He wasn’t a child and he didn’t deserve to be treated like one.
“It is morning dumbass and stop treating me like a baby. I can think and speak for myself but this is the last warning you’ll get from me.” Ryan made it perfectly clear that no matter what his brother thought, he wasn’t going to go through it all with them again at any point. That was it. If they didn’t take the warning, then he was going to go to Skylar and tell her that if she didn’t come to her sense she was going to lose him for good. She either admitted to what was between them or he left but she could guarantee that, although he would love her and her alone for the rest of his life, she would never see him again if she couldn’t step up and say she loved him to his face. He’d gone through too much for her, to be with her, that as he made his way back to campus, he knew that he risked losing her but if he didn’t give her the ultimatum, then he risked losing his sanity and he wouldn’t be any use to her then.
*****
Ryan had slept on his argument with Pepper and Devin but he didn’t feel better after the long weekend he’d had to figure out his plan for Skylar. He had been watching her closely over the weekend to see if Pepper or his big brother had had the guts to approach her about their argument or really about anything. But he was glad to see that neither of them had spoken to her at all, what wasn’t so good was the obvious sadness she held in her eyes, behind every smile and even the way she moved. It exuded from every pore and he could see it a mile away. He couldn’t do anything first thing in the morning, he had a short one hour lecture to attend first but once it was over, he soon found Skylar again, sitting at a picnic table outside the campus café with Eliza and Ruby, who he wasn’t so surprised to see anymore. They all turned to look at him the minute he approached the table and he couldn’t help but smile and be glad to see that they were all smiling, even Skylar. At least there was one place he wasn’t enemy number one. He nodded a hello to her two friends and smiled, directing every single piece of his energy to his sweet girl. “Hello beautiful…I thought I could steal you away for the day?” He wondered gently, making Eliza smile and turn to look at Skylar with arched eyebrows, curious about what she was going to do, knowing all about his fight with Pepper and Devin from her sister. She couldn’t blame him for it, even though she had momentarily persuaded Niles to go ahead and be with Skylar, but only on the advice of her sister. Now she knew he was really serious, she didn’t see why they couldn’t be an item. It was cute. But Skylar didn’t look like she agreed, she just let out a sigh and got up from her seat, excusing herself from the table.
“Why don’t we talk over here.” She suggested to Ryan, leaving the way across to a quiet corner of the café where they were out of view of everyone and where she could apologise for the dreadful way she’d acted at the fundraiser. She hadn’t had a chance to apologise so she was relieved that he was going to give her that chance, saying goodbye to the girls and following her around the corner. He was tempted to kiss her but frankly, he didn’t think she deserved it and he would only go ahead and do it once he had an answer to the ultimatum he was about to present her with. But before he could, she made her protests, asking him what he was doing there as if it were some kind of crime.
“I just thought I could enjoy your company for the remainder of the day.” Ryan explained through gritted teeth, trying not to be angry with her even though she was treating him like some kind of criminal just for loving her as much as he did. And even as he buried his hands in his pockets in frustration, she forgot all about her apology and made him wonder why he bothered trying so hard.
“Look, this is something you probably won’t understand but…I can’t. I don’t want to.” Skylar shrugged, trying her best to look convincing but he knew her too well, he knew fine well it was a lie even if he didn’t already know that she loved him. He decided to hold off on his ultimatum to see if he could break down her barrier first because if he told her about it when she was mad, she was likely to start shouting at him and storm off and that wouldn’t help either of them. He took a step forward, closer to her and smiled, hoping to convince her without resorting to kisses or touching her because he knew she would melt at those things and he wanted her to show him that she loved him without needing influenced or coerced into it.
“What are you so afraid of? I’m not going to hurt you and you’re not going to hurt me. I love you…I won’t tell you that again. You’re damned lucky I’ve told you it at all with the way you’ve been acting. I’m beginning to think you don’t deserve to know it.” He sighed, trying to be gentle with her but also letting her know just what she was doing to him and how much it hurt him. He didn’t expect her to suddenly start crying so badly that she practically threw herself into his arms. It was a step in the right direction but not what he had intended or expected. But he couldn’t say he wasn’t glad that she chose to do it, it was a breakthrough, yet again and all he could do was encase her in his arms and hold her tight. She started rambling then, saying that she was a horrible person and asking him to stay away from her. She reminded him that she couldn’t say no to him even though she had tried but it was when she claimed that she ruined everything and that everyone she loved got hurt, that he had to bring it to a halt, holding her tighter with the words. “Please come with me. I just want to talk to you…to spend some time with you and hold you. Can’t we just leave and forget all this fighting ever happened?” He asked, practically pleading with her to understand but she didn’t say anything. Skylar looked up at him but she didn’t speak, staring at him hesitantly as if unable to make up her mind, scared to give him an answer because she knew it had to be no but she just couldn’t force herself to say it. “Please Skylar…whatever you’re scared of, I’ll protect you. You’re safe with me.” He promised, planting a delicate kiss on her forehead to reassure her as he took a step back from her, reluctantly and held her at arms length, determined to make her decide it herself. He could easily have kissed her and persuaded her to go with him but he wanted her to make the choice herself, even though he had no idea what she was about to do as he let go of her and held his hand out for her to take. She looked so innocent and scared but he’d been honest with her before, he wasn’t going to be her hero, she had to save herself. He could rescue her a hundred times and she would always need him but if she saved herself then she would know she was strong enough to go through anything and come out unscathed.
“I’ll go say goodbye to the girls.” Skylar agreed, wiping away her tears with a smile before returning to the table and collecting her things, telling the girls she would be with Ryan if anyone was looking for her. They just told her to go and have a nice time, making her smile at their faith in her decisions, whether or not she had the faith in herself. She returned to Ryan with a smile, relieved beyond belief that he had forgiven her so many times and probably would a countless number of times more, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders as he walked her back to his dorm room, leaving the girls to chat amongst themselves about how romantic Ryan had been, showing up and whisking Skylar off for a rendezvous.