A/N: Man this whole handwriting this before typing thing is doing me so much good. This way I don't end up needing to change what I want to happen because I typed something up and then a few chapters later I can't get to where I wanted to be.
The following weekend Alexis found herself making the drive from Alabama to Panama City Beach, Florida. Snuggles was happily riding shotgun and Alexis found herself growing more and more anxious as the miles passed by.
None of her fans knew what she looked like and none of Cry's knew what he looked like. For all she knew some crazy person had hacked Cry's account or made a fake account and pretended to be cry. She could be on her way to meet a serial killer. 'Damn it Alexis, you should have asked for a description of what he looked like,' she thought to herself.
She stopped on the border between Alabama and Florida for lunch and to walk Snuggles so that she could stretch her legs and so that Snuggles wouldn't make a mess in her car. She let him know where she was and then called her brother and told him who she was meeting with, that way if she went missing he could give police some information that could help lead them in the right direction. At first he was flipping out on her for even considering going to a different state to see a man she had never met. However, he calmed when she gave him information and promised to call him in the evening to let him know how it had all gone.
She finished her food and called Cry.
"Hello?" a sleepy male voice asked.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked softly.
"No, not at all. It was just a long day yesterday. You know, filming and editing. The usual. So where are you? You know, I just realized we've never called each other by name before. I'm Ryan, what's your name?" he responded, sounding much more alert.
"I just got into Florida and I'm Alexis. So people have heard your name a time or two in your videos."
"Yeah, they have, however most fans seem to hold me in higher regards than I ever thought people would."
"Yeah, I've noticed that to. They still call you Cry even in the comments of videos where you're given name is stated. It's cool that you have such a devoted fan base."
"Your fan base is also devoted. I mean with what you posted a little while back had nearly all of them being understanding even without giving them many details."
"Okay so I just stopped at the first rode side park this side of the Florida state line and should probably be to the hotel with in the next four hours. So where would you like to meet?"
"There is a Pizza Hut near the hotel you told me you were planning on staying at. We could meet there once you get settled. Are you already out of your car? Sounds like it's very windy where you are."
"Yeah, Snuggles was whining and I really don't want to clean a mess out of my car."
"Yeah, I wouldn't either," Ryan laughed, "well I guess I'll talk to you soon."
"Talk to you soon, bye Ryan."
"Until this evening I guess, see you then Alexis," Ryan replied before he hung up.
She wasn't sure why but there was something about how Ryan said her name that gave her chills like no other man had before. She had yet to decide if that was a good thing or not. She cleaned up the pile Snuggles made and tossed it into the trash receptacle labeled for animal waste. A few hours later Alexis was checking into her hotel room. The receptionist had cooed at Snuggles and asked if Alexis would like to sign up for the dog walking service offered. Smiling Alexis politely declined the offer but thanked the woman for making Alexis aware that the service was offered.
Alexis got herself comfortable in her two bed suite and called her brother to let him know she made it to Florida safely; she then called her aunt to tell her the same thing. Once that was taken care of Alexis took a shower, having forgone one when she awoke that morning in lieu of the fact that she would spend a good chunk of her day in a car.
Once she was done she dried and straightened her hair taking care to apply the proper products so that she didn't damage the coloring she had recently gotten done to her hair.
"I'm fairly plain. I like peperoni, sausage, and onions," Alex replied.
"Fairly standard pizza toppings," Ryan commented.
When the server returned Ryan ordered a large pan pizza with peperoni and onions. Having taken their order the server left for the kitchens and silence fell between the two of them once more.
"So, you're contemplating relocating. Was it truly so bad? The thing that happened I mean."
"If you knew what happened you would probably say that I'm running away from my problems but I just couldn't take being near him anymore. Not after he betrayed me like he did," Alexis said softly, staring at the spot just below Ryan's face.
"I doubt I would accuse you of running from your problems. By the sounds of it your…..or I guess I should say, the guy who used to be your fiancé hurt you deeply. He played a game with your emotions didn't he?"
"You could say that," Alexis sighed, still not lifting her gaze.
Suddenly Ryan reached across the table and gently lifted her head so that they were looking each other in the eyes.
"Don't. If you fall into a depression he wins. Remember, you have many people you can talk to about your issues. We are here for you," Ryan stated firmly.
Alexis was a little too deep in her thoughts to catch that Ryan included himself in the group of people she had available to her should she need to talk. For his part Ryan couldn't believe his slip up. He hadn't intended to include himself in that statement, at least not verbally.
"I'm trying not to but all I can think about is how, just a short while before the wedding, he cheated on me. The other woman was rather proud of herself, boasting about how the two of them had been doing so since months before he proposed," Alexis tried to keep herself from crying. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to unload that onto you."
"It's okay, you've been hurt. You needed to get that off your chest. You're not the first person to be in a shitty relationship and I know you won't be the last." Ryan said as he thumbed away a stray tear that was falling down Alexis' cheek.
After the pizza was finished Alexis was getting ready to walk back to the hotel when it started raining.
Upon arriving back at her hotel room Alexis opened the door and held her breath as she opened the bathroom door to survey the damage she was sure Snuggles had caused.