Ryan Hardy decided that if he'd ever experienced pure happiness, it was in this very moment.
He had finally woken from the nightmare that worked its way into reality. Joe and his twisted mind were dead; all of it was over. The dark cloud that constantly loomed over his head had dissipated, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he could sit down and relax.
The sofa in his apartment was tiny, but it was just enough to accommodate him and the beautiful woman that rested in his arms.
She looked up at him with her deep, blue oceans for eyes. "Ryan," she whispered, "I really can't thank you enough."
He smirked and gingerly pushed a dirty blonde lock out of her face. "Don't need to."
Claire Matthews thought the world of Ryan Hardy, so much so that she wished that she could give him the entire world. She knew that he deserved endless thanks, but she dared not protest. Not now, at least. The moment was stolen right from a movie; it was better not to say anything. So, she simply smiled and squeezed his hand.
Ryan loved just how comfortable he felt sitting in silence with Claire, so he dared not say anything as well. He spent his time quietly tracing her nose with his fingertips, then her lips, then her jaw. When his fingers reached behind her ears, he pulled her closer and closer until her lips were just inches from his.
They both leaned in, but their lips never met. Ryan found himself clutching onto air. Harsh reality set in; it was yet another dream-turned-nightmare. She was gone. Forever.
Ryan Hardy decided that if he'd ever experienced pure anguish, it was in this very moment.