Ryan pushed up off the bed and reached for my hand. He pulled me to my feet and began to get dressed, finding his clothes strewn all over the floor. I pulled on my nightshirt and walked Ryan to the front door.
“Thank you for letting me come over tonight,” he
said. “I promise I didn’t plan on letting you take advantage of me, but I’m not complaining.”
I laughed. “Oh, so I took advantage of you, huh?”
“You threw me on my back and started dry-humping me like we could win a gold medal for it,” he teased, making my face burn. “I’m kidding. I loved it. You can do that anytime you want.”
“Go away now,” I said, practically shoving him out the front door.
“I’ll call you later.” He leaned down and gave me a sweet kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth.
My body tingled all over again. Trying to ignore it, I said, “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”
“I think that’s my line.” Ryan winked before walking away.
I watched him swagger toward his car, enjoying every second of the view.
You’re Not Listening
Sofia
Since I’d kept Ryan up until almost sunrise, he slept most of Sunday before he had to go to work.
As much as I wanted to see him, especially after sleeping together, I needed to ease him into our lives carefully. The last thing I wanted was for Matson to feel like some guy had shown up out of nowhere and never left. Even though he asked no less than five times on Sunday where Ryan was and if he was coming over, I felt like the preservation of our mother-son relationship was important and vital.
When I dropped Matson off at school on Monday morning, I thought I noticed Derek’s truck parked across the street, but I couldn’t be sure. Convinced that I was being paranoid, I tried to let it go. But when I mentioned it to Sarin, she convinced me to call his school, just to be safe.
After talking to the vice principal and ensuring that the only people on Matson’s approved pickup list were my parents and me, I hung up feeling somewhat better. Derek showing up at Ryan’s work or mine was one thing, but the idea of him showing up at Matson’s school was a horrible prospect that took my breath away.
I planned to see Ryan during my lunch break, but my boss’s meetings ran over and I couldn’t leave. Being forced to eat lunch at my desk happened sometimes, but I never complained because it meant overtime pay.
I typed out a quick text to Ryan.
Sofia: Sorry I can’t make it. Maybe tomorrow?
He immediately responded, making my heart race.
Ryan: It’s okay, angel. But just for the record, I miss you terribly.
Sofia: I miss you too.
“Texting with lover-boy?” Sarin teased as she passed by my desk.
“Shut up,” I said, knowing that stupid smile I couldn’t control was plastered on my face.
She stopped, turning around to come back and lean on my cubicle’s wall. “Sofia, in all honesty, you deserve to be happy. You know that, right?”
“I do.” I believed that everyone deserved to be happy. I was no exception to that, but I wasn’t sure it was meant for me before Ryan came along.
“Good. Because happiness looks good on you. I bet Ryan looks good on you too.” She laughed before tapping my cubicle and hurrying off.
After work, I was on edge as I walked out of the building and to my car in the parking garage. When Derek was nowhere to be seen, I thanked God as I got into the driver’s seat.
Derek seemed to be growing more and more confrontational, and fear of what he might do next weighed heavily on me. I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder, expecting him to be around every corner. It was exhausting.
When I pulled up to my parents’ house to pick up Matson, I thanked God again that Derek wasn’t lurking. The same gratitude returned as I parked my car at home and we walked safely through the back door.