SWAY (Part 1) (6 page)

10

Saturday I decided to study. I had an anatomy test coming up and figured studying would be a decent enough distraction. It wasn’t
like I had anything better to do.

I’d been staring at the same page of my textbook for what seemed like hours, getting nowhere. I kept thinking if I hadn’t been so hard headed that I would have been going out with the boy I couldn’t get out of my head tonight. I groaned, wishing I could take it back. That I could yell do-over and get a chance to say yes to Ryan.

I was covered in my notes so I didn’t answer the phone when it rang. I knew it couldn’t be who I wished it was; I’d run him off.

“
Hey Annie
.” It was Lindsey. I would call her back. “
Why
exactly is Ryan Mullins parked in your driveway
?” I didn’t hear anything she said after that. I scrambled to my feet and ran straight to the front door. I swung it open so hard that it hit the wall with a loud crash and then everything stopped. My heart, my breath, my momentum.

David was parked on the street, getting out of his car, his head snapped up, hearing the commotion I’d caused, drawing his attention away from Ryan, who was leaning against his car, watching me.

Why were they both here? At the same time.

David walked slowly toward me, glancing back at Ryan, who looked only at me, as if he hadn’t noticed my boyfriend had dri
ven up.

“What’s going on, Annie?” David asked.

I had no idea, and didn’t know what to say. “This—is Ryan—from school,” I stammered.

“I know. We’ve met.” I’d forgotten that Justin had intr
oduced them at my ball game. “What I want to know is why he’s here.”

My stunned brain was too cloudy to comprehend his que
stion and generate a straight answer, but I also didn’t have one. I walked between the two of them and turned to Ryan, staring blankly at him, waiting for an explanation. He smiled at me, and for a moment, I forgot what was happening.

“
What
is he doing here, Annie?” David ordered, whipping me back into reality. I twisted to face him, still without an answer. Ryan gently slid his arms around my waist, taking my breath as he tightened his grip on me.

“I’m here, because
I want her
.” His tone was rough, but the words still made me dizzy.

David huffed, shaking his head. “Get your damn hands off of her. She’s mine,” he said stiffly, glaring at us. I would have a
rgued with David for thinking of me as his possession, but I couldn’t speak.

“No. She’s not,”
Ryan corrected grimly. “She’s wanted to tell you, but was afraid of hurting you.”

“Annie,” David breathed, his voice becoming weaker as he realized what Ryan said could be true.
That I wasn’t his anymore.

“Is that true?” I swallowed hard as I looked up at David. His brown eyes, full of hurt and confusion gazed into mine, wai
ting for me to say that Ryan was wrong, but I couldn’t. I was in Ryan’s arms and that was where I wanted to be. David’s soft expression began to harden, his teeth gnashed and his hands balled into fists. “I guess that’s it then,” he growled.

I suddenly felt terrible. I should have said something.
Anything. I barely managed to push his name past my lips after he walked away, but nothing else. David disregarded my inadequate attempt to stop him, got in his car, and drove away.

All the blood drained from my face knowing I’d let him go that way, that I’d hurt him. I should have been furious with Ryan, but I wasn’t. I wanted to think that maybe I was still in shock, but deep down I was relieved it was done. I blinked my eyes hard a few times, trying to snap out of my daze, rewinding and replaying
what had just happened.

Ryan’s hands moved from my waist, gliding down my arms, stopping at my hands, which he held gently in his. Blood hurriedly r
eturned to my face, burning my cheeks.

When my eyes met Ryan’s, I expected smug and brooding after what he’d done. He’d broken up with my boyfriend while I stood by and let him.

“Please don’t be upset with me, Annie,” his tone persuasive and soft, like his eyes. “I knew you weren’t going to go out with me as long as David was around. I was right in thinking your relationship wasn’t serious.”

“What made you think that?”

“You did. When I asked you what was keeping you from me, you didn’t mention him. You didn’t mention him when I asked you out, and you didn’t stop him from leaving just now. You know he would have stayed if you’d asked.” He was right, but didn’t want to think about it.

“Did you…plan this?” My voice trembled, not knowing how that would have been possible.

“I had no idea David would be here. I’d just gotten out of my car when he pulled up, and then you came out. As for the rest of it, I figured I’d take a shot at getting rid of him myself.”

I looked down at my hands, still in his. “Why are you here?”

“I think that if you spend a little time with me, you’ll see me differently. I’m not all stunts and schemes. I really am a nice guy and I would be good to you, Annie.” I smiled a tiny smile at the ground.

“Just try. Get to know me. It’s all I’m asking.” Ryan tilted my chin so our eyes could meet. “Come out with me tonight.” His eyes seemed to penetrate my soul, wholly convincing me to a
ccept.

“Okay,” I whispered. A striking smile spread across his face for me, warming my insides.

“Can I come back for you in an hour?” Ryan asked.

I agreed and ran inside after he’d driven away. I frantically dialed Lindsay’s number. “I’m doing it,” I declared. “I’m g
oing out with Ryan tonight.”

“Ohhh, lucky girl.
You get to be alone with Ryan Mullins…in the dark,” she giggled mischievously. “Believe me when I say that I’ve never wanted to be anyone else before, but I so wish I were you right now,” Lindsay groaned.

I hadn’t thought of that, Ryan, and me and the darkness. I couldn’t be alone with him tonight.
Not yet. My thoughts ran wild; I started to panic.

“Annie. Hello? Did you faint or whatever?”

“I’m here,” I said, and then it hit me as she blabbed about how lucky I was again. I knew exactly what I had to do.

11

I was already nervous, so when the doorbell rang I nearly jumped out of my skin. I yanked Lindsey’s arm, dragging her with me.

“Chill, Annie. Damn. You’re so freaked out,” she co
mplained. I ignored her, pulling the door open.

“Ryan, hi.”
I forced my composure. He smiled excitedly at me, and then looked to Lindsey, whom I had plastered myself against. Ryan’s smile slowly disappeared, along with his excitement.

“This is Lindsey,” I gulped. Ryan returned his eyes to me. “Is it okay if she comes with us?” I asked sweetly. He looked at her again. She struck a quick pose, jutting out her hip and plan
ting her hand on it. She flipped the other hand behind her head while flashing an absurd smile as if advertising what a fun time we’d have if she were allowed to tag along.

“Uh…um…okay…if you want.”

I was sure he thought I was nuts and didn’t like the idea of Lindsay coming with us. I think he may have been a little staggered by her appearance. She was wearing a blue and black plaid skirt, black tights, black knee high lace up boots, and a blue-ruffed short-sleeved shirt under a black leather jacket. Her hair was in Princess Lea style buns on the sides of her head with blue streaks hanging down in front, framing her face. She had an Opal stud in one of her nostrils. A new addition since I’d last seen her.

“Good,” I smiled, and then glanced at Lindsey who was wildly gawking at Ryan, as if he was Jerry and she was Tom. I e
lbowed her in the side, warning her to knock it off.

The three of us awkwardly walked to Ryan’s car. He opened the back door. “Lindsay.” He gestured toward the back seat. “Thank you,” she breathed and slid by him almost inappr
opriately. The wild look entered her eyes again as she settled herself in the center of the ivory leather bench.

Ryan opened my door as well. I took a few deep breaths, all co
ntaining the scent of his cologne that lingered in the interior of the car.

“Dammit! He smells good,” Lindsay whispered.

“I know,” I agreed. “I see that you didn’t melt,” I teased.

“Not visibly,” she said out of the side of her mouth. We giggled and quickly composed ourselves before Ryan got in the car. I knew what she meant. Sometimes when Ryan was near me, I
felt like my insides were slippery.

I was relieved to have Lindsey with me, but I wasn’t e
ntirely sure she wasn’t planning to knock me out and make a move of her own.

“I hope you don’t mind being with a few of my friends t
onight,” Ryan said coolly, keeping his eyes on the road.

“I don’t mind.”

“I have a friend who goes to Harmon, his girlfriend left him. She moved out and took almost everything last night so he’s a little down. A few of us thought he shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

“Sure. Right,” I agreed.
How fun
. Entertaining some guy who’d just been dumped on our first date.

Ryan’s friend Shawn lived in a townhouse off campus. Ryan doubled over with laughter when Shawn let us in and he took in the vandalized room. She’d cleaned him out. There were deep impressions in the carpeting confirming the missing furn
iture had once been there.

“Don’t do that to me, man,” Shawn pleaded. “It’s bad enough without you rubbing it in.” They slapped hands, still laughing.

Lindsay pushed her way past Ryan and me and made herself at home, plopping down on the only remaining item in the room, a ragged bean bag chair.

“I’m Lindsay,” she announced, forcefully staring at Shawn as she smacked leisurely on a piece of grape bubble gum.

“Uh, hey…I’m Shawn.”

Ryan quickly introduced me. Shawn said hi, but was concentra
ting on Lindsay and didn’t even look in my direction. As if hypnotized, Shawn sat down next to Lindsay. They began talking as if they were the only two people in the world.

Ryan guided me through the kitchen and out to the back deck. I recognized a few guys from school sitting in plastic patio chairs playing cards. They were using a beer cooler as a table.

One of them shouted, “go fish.” They yelled and howled like idiots, and then the silver cans on their makeshift table were turned up and adhered to their lips. I laughed at the absurd game. It wouldn’t last long at the pace they were playing—killing a beer every time one of them had to
go fish
.

After a while, I went to check on Lindsay. I was creeping through the kitchen unsure of what I might be in for when Shawn’s ou
tburst of wild laughter startled me so that I jumped and unintentionally made myself known.

I almost broke out laughing when I saw them. Lindsay and Shawn were on their bellies, their elbows resting on opposite ends of a yellow pages book, with their hands cupped together.

“Arm wrestling?” I snorted.

“It’s pretty funny to watch,” Shawn confided. “She’s d
eceiving. This harmless looking girl morphs into the Incredible Hulk on contact.” I thought it was odd that Shawn thought of Lindsay as harmless looking, but I could tell that she loved the compliment.

I felt Ryan’s hand on the small of my back, then his breath
in my ear. “Are you ready to go?”

I nodded. 

“We’re going to get something to eat. You wanna come, Lindsey?” he asked. I hoped she would say no.

“Can you come back for me?” she asked sheepishly.

Shawn offered to get her home safely if she preferred, and of course, she did. I made her promise to check in with me later even though Ryan assured me that Lindsay would be safe with Shawn.

Ryan and I decided on an Italian place and sat in a booth with a red and white checked tablecloth and candlelight. We shared an Italian sausage pizza and talked. I was surprised by easy it was to keep a co
nversation going with him.

I learned that Ryan was also an only child. His parents were still married, although he was sure they didn’t like each other an
ymore. His mother mostly socialized and his father was an attorney. He started playing baseball when he was five. He lit up when he talked about it, which made me smile.

After dinner, Ryan drove me home and as he walked me to my front door, awkwardness and nerves set in. I convinced my brain to qu
iet down and not freak out over whether or not he was going to kiss me. I didn’t think I was ready for that yet, although I hadn’t expected him to be so sweet.

“Thank you,” I muttered. “Tonight was nice. I had fun.” I smiled, nervously cutting my eyes away from his.

“Can I see you again?” I wasn’t expecting that and found myself speechless, so I nodded yes.

“Is tomorrow too soon?” I smiled too big and shook my head no.

“Looks like you’re all talked out,” Ryan teased. “I’ll be here around eleven.” I smiled at him, keeping the ruse going. It made him smile, too.

Once he was in the yard, I heard my name and turned around. “Put that hair up and bring your bat.” He pointed at me as if calling me out for a competition. I laughed to myself. “You got it.”