Chapter 7: A New Distance
The days following Ryan's confession to Summer were some of the hardest he had ever experienced. He couldn't stop thinking about her, about the way she had kissed him and the way she had looked at him when he had told her how he felt.
But at the same time, he knew that he had to give her space. He couldn't force her to break up with Zach, and he didn't want to push her away by being too clingy or needy.
So he tried to distract himself, throwing himself into his work at the construction site and spending more time with his friends. But no matter what he did, he couldn't shake the feeling of longing that he had for Summer.
One night, he was sitting alone in his apartment, listening to music and staring out the window. He felt like he was going crazy, like he was never going to be able to get over her.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and he stood up to answer it. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Summer standing there, looking nervous.
"Hey," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ryan felt his heart skip a beat. "Hey. What's up?"
Summer bit her lip, looking at him with a mix of sadness and determination. "I... I broke up with Zach."
Ryan felt a sense of shock and confusion wash over him. He had never expected her to actually leave him, especially not so soon after he had told her how he felt.
"What? Why?" he asked, feeling like he was missing something.
Summer took a deep breath, looking down at her feet. "I realized that I had feelings for you too. I know it's crazy, and I know we've been through a lot, but... I just couldn't stop thinking about you."
Ryan felt a surge of emotion wash over him, and before he could stop himself, he leaned in and kissed her. It was different this time, more intense and passionate. He felt like he was finally getting what he had wanted for so long.
But then Summer pulled away, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I just needed to tell you how I feel. I don't know what's going to happen next, but I had to take a chance."
Ryan nodded, feeling like everything was still so uncertain. But at the same time, he knew that he couldn't deny the feelings he had for her any longer.
"I understand," he said, taking her hand in his. "We'll figure it out together, whatever happens."
And with that, they stood there in silence, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. The future was still unclear, but for the first time in a long time, Ryan felt like he was on the right path.