So sorry about the cliffhanger! At least I updated quickly. As always, thanks for your feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
I hesitated to answer. A million thoughts buzzed through my mind.
"What could he possibly want?" I thought to myself. "He told me it was nothing, so why is he calling me?"
As my phone kept vibrating, another thought occurred to me.
"What if he realized he was wrong for giving me a false hope? What if he wanted a second chance?"
By the time I had finished thinking, my phone stopped vibrating. My screen read: "One missed call from Ryan Hardy." I stared at the screen for a while. I debated whether or not to call him back. I decided that I was going to wait until after my last class to call him back. Then I could tell him that I had been in class all day.
My hour long class dragged on. All I could think about was Ryan Hardy and what I would say to him. The thoughts of not even calling him at all crossed my mind. As soon as the professor dismissed us, I bolted out of the classroom. I took out my phone, and there was another missed call from Ryan. My thumb hovered over the call button, but I just couldn't bring myself to call him back. I didn't want to get hurt again.
I went back to my apartment and continued to work on my thesis. I was getting into my own discussion part of the thesis, so my focus shifted away from Ryan. As soon as I found a good stopping point, my phone vibrated. I looked at the screen, and it was Ryan Hardy.
I picked up the phone, and answered the call.
"Hello," I said in a professional tone.
I didn't want Ryan to know that I was deeply saddened by what he had said a few days ago.
"Hello, Mike," he replied.
"What can I do for you?" I asked.
I heard him take a deep breath.
"I'm sorry about what happened a few days ago."
My mouth dropped open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was actually apologizing to me? Was he having second thoughts? All of the possibilities flooded my mind.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," he continued. "Maybe we could start over?" he asked.
I opened my mouth, but struggled to find the right words to say. This is what I wanted. I wanted him to call back saying that he was wrong. I wanted to make things right with him. But on the other hand, I was afraid of getting hurt again. I eventually responded.
"Sure," I said.
"How about we meet for coffee when you're not busy with classes?" he suggested.
"That sounds good," I said. "There is a little coffee shop right by campus."
"Yeah, I saw it on my way here. So, what's your schedule look like on Saturday?"
"I don't have any definite plans on Saturday. All I had on the agenda was to finish a few assignments."
"How about Saturday at 9:00 am?" he asked.
"That works for me," I replied.
"Alright, I'll see you then," he said, with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Sounds good," I replied.
I hung up the phone. I started to feel the excitement that I felt when Ryan had asked me to go into the bathroom with him. Maybe it would work out this time. The only thing that bothered me was that Saturday was three days away.
I buried myself in work for the next three days. I worked on my thesis as well as other college assignments, I volunteered to help with campus events, and I even cleaned my apartment from top to bottom. Ryan also sent me a couple of messages. He told me that he looked forward to meeting with me on Saturday.
I looked forward to meeting him, too. I was anxious, of course. I wanted to believe that this could be our fresh start and we would have a real connection, but the thought of getting hurt again lingered in the back of my mind. I decided to just push that thought aside. Ryan sounded sincere on the phone. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was truly sorry for what he had done.
Saturday finally arrived. I woke up at 6:00 am to ensure that I had enough time to get ready. Since this was going to be a fresh start, I wanted to make a good impression. I wore the same suit and tie that I wore for his presentation.
I arrived at the coffee shop fifteen minutes early. Since the weather was nice, I sat at one of the outside tables. I watched for Ryan. I wasn't sure what type of car he drove, so I looked in all the windows of the cars passing by.
After ten minutes of waiting, a black car pulled into the parking lot across from the coffee shop. I didn't get a good look at who was in the car, but I had a strong feeling that it was Ryan.
I was right. Ryan Hardy stepped out of the black car. He happened to be wearing the same suit that he gave his presentation in. We were definitely meant to have a second chance.
He casually walked up to me and extended his hand.
"Ryan Hardy," he said, introducing himself with a smile.
"Mike Weston," I replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
We went inside and ordered coffee. After we got our coffee, we sat at a distant outside table. We started off by making small talk. He then pulled out the folder I had handed him with parts of my thesis. He liked my work overall. He gave me helpful advice on where I needed to develop my argument more. We conversed like nothing had ever happened between us. I had a good feeling that things would improve.
Ryan and I spent the whole day together. I took him to lunch, gave him a campus tour, and then we went back to my apartment. I showed him the parts I added to my thesis. He reviewed them, and offered more advice. I could tell he was getting tired by early evening.
"Do you mind if I crash here tonight?" he asked. "I really don't feel like driving back."
"I don't mind," I replied, trying not to sound excited.
I gave Ryan a pair of sleep pants and a shirt. The pants we a little tight and they came up past his ankles. Seeing him in tight pants put thoughts into my head.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," I thought to myself.
I planned on taking things slow. I was going to let whatever happened happen and not expect anything more.
Ryan and I sat down on the couch. We were on different sides, but after a few minutes of sitting in awkward silence, Ryan moved closer. He put his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm glad I came down today," he said.
"I'm glad you came, too. I appreciate all the help you're giving me with my thesis."
"Let's just forget about college for now," he whispered in my ear.
I took a deep breath, and let all thoughts of school leave my mind. I had Ryan Hardy tonight, and I wasn't going to let any other thoughts get in the way.
He leaned in and kissed me. This time his lips tasted of non-alcoholic sweet tea. I kissed back. As the minutes passed our kiss became more passionate. He pressed his lips to mine harder and harder. I felt his tongue circle around my mouth. I let him take control. He was definitely better at kissing than I was. Once I got used to the feeling, I tried to put my tongue in his mouth. He accidentally chomped down on it. We both jerked our heads back.
"Sorry," he said.
"It's not your fault," I responded. "I've just never attempted to do that with anyone."
"Well, tonight you have," he said, flashing his attractive grin. "You can practice some more if you'd like."
I accepted the offer without hesitation. I pressed my lips to Ryan's and became lost in his kiss.
There will be more, I promise! Gosh, I could go on and on forever. I didn't want to make this chapter too long. I will update again soon.