Just Friends? No, It Must Be More

Chapter 14

Alison’s POV

My head was pounding. I. Need. Aspirin. I thought to myself. I felt an arm around my waist. And for a moment I couldn’t remember what happened the night before. I wasn’t in my dress. I don’t remember changing. I freaked out and flipped around and my hand accidentally hit a guy’s face. Ryan’s face.

“Ow” he groaned and placed his hand over his right eye.

“Oh crap. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you!” I sat up, gently cupped his face in my hands and tried to see if his eye was hurt. He squinted his eyes and tried to adjust his vision by blinking. I felt bad for hurting him but he wasn’t supposed to be in my bed. “Why are you in my bed anyways?”

He blinked a couple of times and rubbed his eyes. Once he registered what I just asked him he chuckled and said “What do you mean why am I in your bed? You kind of begged me to stay with you.”

“Oh” I felt my cheeks grow warm. I knew I was blushing like crazy because of the big grin on his face. I’m never usually that forward. I tried to remember what happened last night, but most of it was a blur.

He looked at me while I tried to replay last night in my head. Last thing I remember is Kenny practically carrying a giggling Anna in his arms out of the club. “Please tell me you remember what you told me at the club.”

He looked at me with worried eyes. He was worried that I couldn’t remember telling him that I wanted to be with him. But I remember what I said and the fact that he was worried was cute. “Of course I remember.” I smiled warmly to reassure him of what I said.

His face brightened, “So it’s a official? You and me?” I nodded and his hands gently pulled me by the hips closer to him. Every time he touched me softly like he was just then my heart felt like it was doing back flips. When he was with other girls before me, like Jasmine, he would usually just drape his arm around their shoulders or loosely around their waists like it was nothing. Like it meant nothing. That’s why it always surprised me when he held me like he did, like he was letting me know much he cared about me and couldn’t get enough of me. I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like every touch meant something.

He pulled me closer until our faces were inches apart. His arms were now around my waist, holding me in place. “I forgot to tell you how sexy you looked last night.” His eyes danced around my face. I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t. He has this strange way of leaving me speechless. “Spend the day with me?” he whispered.

In a second I would have said yes, but at that moment I realized I had work today. Why today? It was 9:30am and I had to be at Starbucks by 10:00am. I had 30 minutes to brush my teeth, shower, get dressed and walk to work. “I would love to…” He smiled big, “…but, I can’t. I have to be at work in 30 minutes. I need to get ready now.”

Took so much for me to pull away from his embrace, it always did. But even more so then than before because I wanted so bad to spend the day with him. We’ve spent the day together before but this time would be different because we wouldn’t just be hanging out. No, we would be doing things together as a couple, him and I. Me and him. As an us. I loved the idea of that… us. It sounded right.

I hurried off into the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I walked out of the bathroom and Ryan was still there, waiting by my dresser. “You’re still here?”

He shifted from side to side with his hand on the back of his neck. He always did that when he was nervous. “Yeah, I- I wanted to ask you something.”

“Okay… Ask away.”

“Well, um. What are you doing Friday?” where was he going with this? That’s a weird question to ask.