A Reason (A Reason, Season, Lifetime Series) (8 page)

“Ahem.” I hear from a couple of feet away. I open my eyes and see Grant with his arms crossed, looking huge, and a little scary.

“Um.” Kiss, lick, kiss, and nibble. “Ryan. Um, oh God.” Growl, nip, suck. “Ryan, Grant.”

“What, Grant?” Ryan says, in between nips on my mouth and then towards my neck when I turn my face to look at Grant.

“I think you should put her down. She’s trusting you to keep her safe, not steal her virginity against the refrigerator, next to the drive safely school bus magnet. Though I’m sure that would be a fantastic story for the grand-kids someday, you fucking hornball.”

Ryan gives me a couple of pecks and then lets me down easily. He leans his forehead down to mine. “I was not, am not, rushing into sex, please don’t ever think that. I just have wanted you for so long, I’m enjoying being able to actually kiss and touch you like I’ve dreamt of doing for months now. Do you want to watch a movie still, or do something else, and no, Grant, that is not a pick up line for sex. I mean like play games upstairs or something as a group. Are you staying overnight, Grant?”

“Yeah, I think I should stay, to guard this one’s virtue before she throws it at you next to the Playstation when she kicks your ass at Mortal Kombat like her sister just kicked mine. She giggled, she refers to death moves as the bad move thingy, and she kicked my ass.”

Ryan and I both just laugh
. “I wouldn’t doubt Emma will probably kick ass at that too, she can do anything. But no way in hell am I stealing her virtue, as you put it. No virgin could kiss a guy like that.”

Ryan looks back down at me. I’m still up against the refrigerator, with my arms around him. I’m not exactly enjoying these two debating my virginity in the kitchen. “Well, you would be wrong, and Grant would be right. This town is a bit too small for me to just sleep with anyone and not want it spread around, and none of the guys here really made me feel like they were worth it. A country girl needs more than an eight second ride you know.” Ryan’s mouth drops
open and Grant starts laughing loudly. I look past Ryan, trying to get out from against the refrigerator, and see Grant bent right over laughing.

“It’s just so lovely to stand here, hearing two guys debate your virginity and all, but can we go do something else now before I see how well my legs are working now and kick you both for debating my virginity in the fucking kitchen?” I walk over to the counter, grab a banana, peel it and take a big bite.

“Ouch, I think that was a clear message. So games or movies?” Ryan asks.

“Well your mom is trying to sleep, and Eva and I kicking your asses at MK upstairs could get loud. May as well stay downstairs for now. Ryan told me he has the old version of Romeo and Juliet. Since we need to know the play soon, may as well watch it and start to learn it.”

“Like you haven’t already read it a few times?” Eva says as she walks in the kitchen.

“Well, yes, but reading it and seeing it acted out are two very different things. Do you want to see it?”
I ask her.

“Oh, I already watched it once, but it was done really well. The details were great, little things in the written play that you don’t pay much attention to, really stand out in the movie. I think it would be good for all of us to watch it, it may help us with putting on a
good play without a lot of studying.” Eva says, coming over and grabbing her own banana.

“I’m suddenly regretting my decision to stay the night tonight. Is it too late to change my mind?” Grant says.

“Yes, it’s after nine and you aren’t eighteen yet, I don’t think you can drive this late. You’ll survive the movie, I promise. There are even fight scenes, with blood and everything.” Eva tells Grant.

“Do you guys want to bake some cookies to snack on for the movie? Emma and I were just debating baking a snack.” Ryan asks everyone.

“You two were debating hot sex against the refrigerator, but whatever. Should it worry me that you like to bake, dude? I mean, I’m glad I at least have my own bedroom, but you’re sending mixed signals.” Grant says, and I start laughing loudly.

“I told you!” Grant and I slap five and keep laughing our asses off.

“For your information, a lot of men can cook and bake. It’s just been my mom and I for a while since my Dad died, and I like helping her cook. If you’re questioning what team I play for, I would be happy to demonstrate again, against the refrigerator or anywhere else for that matter. I still don’t believe a virgin could kiss like that.”

“Kiss like what? Against the refrigerator? Wow
, aren’t you two moving a little fast? I can assure you my sister is a virgin, she’s quite proud of the guys she has turned down, and weren’t you just dating his best friend like five minutes ago? Not that I haven’t seen the way you two have looked at each other for the last several months, but still, slow down.” Eva says.

‘You knew he liked me and didn’t say anything?” I ask her.

“Well, duh, I thought you knew! Everyone has been whispering about the fireworks going off when you two are anywhere near each other. You walk into the room and his eyes barely leave you. You steal glances at him a little too often and you start blushing as soon as he talks to you, every time. How could I not know? You didn’t know? Are you blind? I just thought you were trying to avoid it because of Danny.”

I turn and look at Ryan, who is still standing in front of the refrigerator, and he’s looking at me. “You really look at me whenever I walk into a room? You watch me?”

“How could I not, you’re this perfect little package. You’re so tiny I could just carry you around all day, your big dark red curly hair may be bigger than anything else on your body, besides your perfect perky breasts, and um, shit I lost my train of thought.”

“You’re thinking about tweety again, huh?” I ask him.

“Shit, yes. I had to think about you being so tiny and perfect, but those, and then I thought of your cute little matching underwear set, and all train of thought has left the building.” He walks a few steps, picks me up onto the large island in the middle of the kitchen that I was leaning against, and starts kissing me, with his hands fisting in my curls, crushing my mouth to his.

“Well I think we can all now agree, he is definitely not gay, and cookies do sound good to snack on while we watch the movie.” Eva says.

I’m too busy to be able to agree with her. I suck on Ryan’s tongue, pulling it further in my mouth, and he growls. It’s definitely more of a growl than a groan. Damn that is hot. I moan back a little as he starts to massage my neck and he nibbles on my bottom lip. My lips are swollen and starting to be tender at the warfare his mouth is waging against mine, but it’s a good kind of tender. I wrap my legs around him, and pull him closer, digging my nails into his back a little.

Suddenly I feel a spray of cold water and
we jump apart. Eva is spraying us with the kitchen hose. “Cool it down you too. You’re like dogs in freaking heat. Knock it off! Let’s get baking so we can eat the damn cookies and watch the movie. My sister is not losing her virginity next to the damn bowl of bananas.”

“I’m still sticking with my theory that no virgin could kiss like that.”
Ryan says, breathing heavily.

“Yeah well, maybe someday she’ll prove you wrong and be able to laugh at you and say she told you so. That day won’t be today, i
n your mother’s kitchen. Where are the chocolate chips, I definitely need some chocolate.”

Grant is laughing so hard he’s now sitting on the floor. He was cheering her on when she sprayed us. Ryan and I are both pretty wet, but mostly just our heads.

“If I end up with swimmer’s ear because of that spray, I am so kicking your ass, Eva.” I tell her. Ryan reaches under the kitchen sink and grabs a clean kitchen towel. He comes back over to the island and helps me dry off my hair and face.

He walks over to a cupboard and grabs stuff out of it, including chocolate chips. He turns on a radio that’s attached to under the cupboards to a local station
that plays the newest hits. Friday flash backs are playing, so we all start singing and dancing. Soon we’re all covered in flour, and we’re eating bits of cookie dough off of a spoon while the cookies bake.

The timer goes off and Ryan has cooling racks set up on the island, since we made two dozen cookies. They smell so good, I just love the smell of melted Tollhouse! We set the racks on the island then headed into the living room to let them cool before we eat.

Ryan grabs the movie and puts it in the player. He sits on the sofa and puts an arm up so I can cuddle into his side. I love that he’s a cuddler! Was it seriously just today that we started being together? I tuck into him, and he wraps his arms around me. I fit perfectly, it’s like a puzzle that is finally complete.

We of course know some of the lines, so we have fun doing voice overs and making jokes, all four of us. Grant even seems to be enjoying himself. Ryan pauses it about twenty minutes in, so we can all go grab milk and the cookies. I’m not sure today could be any better, other than my mom being in the hospital again. If I broke down every time she got hurt, I would never have a life. It is sad, but this is kind of normal for us now. Our parents fight, bad, it’s what they do, and living is what we do.

When it gets to the end, Ryan turns my face towards his. “Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips, oh you the doors of breath seal with a kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death. Come, bitter conduct! Come, unsavory guide!” I silence him with a kiss. A guy who quotes Shakespeare, bakes cookies, protects a family he barely knows and who kisses me well enough to make my legs go weak? I’m keeping him.

We kiss just a little and then cuddle to watch the rest. When Juliet comes back, I quietly say her lines, and tear up when she stabs herself. By the end
, I have tears running down my face, I sniffle and Ryan turns my face back to him.

“You know how it ends, but you still cry?”

“Yes. It is still sad, and so touching, regardless of the fact that I read the play. They did a great job in that movie.” I stop to sniff, and he leans forward, kissing the tears away on my cheeks. He reaches behind him and hands me a tissue. “Thanks.” I say, sounding stuffy. I’m sure I look like Rudolph with a big red nose from crying.

“Well, I’m ready for bed. I know sleeping beauty here took a nap, but I am exhausted. Ma showed me our bedroom already, so I’ll head up to bed. Thank you, Ryan, for everything. You and your mom are so sweet, and I just want to let you know that I really appreciate all of this.

“No need to thank me, Eva. I’m happy to help you both, and so is my mom. She’ll be happy to know you are calling her Ma now. Everyone does sooner or later. Sleep well. I’ll keep sleeping beauty here company until she’s ready to join you.”

I wave her off to bed, to let her know I’m fine. “I’ve been up since five am myself. Can I trust the two of you alone?” Grant asks.

“Dude, the fact that you even have to ask that question pisses me off. I am not that guy. I may kiss her, and enjoy it, a lot, but I’m not that guy.”

“Good night, Grant. Thank you, for everything. I appreciate your big brother role. I always wanted a big brother.” I get up
, kiss him on the cheek, and tuck back in to Ryan’s side.

Grant smiles and heads upstairs. “So, what do you want to watch now? Or do you just want to talk?”

“I would love to talk. We have kissed a lot today, and let me say, wow. I have never kissed anyone like that before, and I did not fake my legs turning to jello. I feel like I have known you for so long, we seem to just, click. Like a puzzle that has its missing piece, is what I was thinking to myself earlier, which sounds so cheesy now that I said it out loud.” I blush and hide my face in my shirt.

Ryan picks me up and turns me around so I’m sitting facing him. “I believe you, you’re obviously a really honest person. Everyone says you’re honest to a fault, even if it hurts someone’s feelings, you will always be honest. I’m shocked, because I’ve never kissed anyone like that either. I guess we really do just fit. My first day of school here, do you remember me that day?”

I have to think about it, but I do remember. “You came in to the lunch room with Danny and Curt. You made the wrestling team your first day of school because of something you did in gym class. They were treating you like a Greek God or something. I was a little pissed that I was being ignored by my best friend because of some sweaty mat rat. You were like the new shiny toy. I remember you kept looking at me, and I felt like you were almost rubbing it in that you had all of the attention or something. I tried talking to Danny a few times, but it was like I wasn’t even there. It pissed me off, so I left. I went to the bathroom and then the library early since I had study hall next period anyway. Turned out you were there in that study hall too, and I really didn’t want to like you. You just got so much attention wherever you went, you were like a walking billboard of looks, talent, and don’t even get me started on your fans.”

Ryan laughs. “I don’t have fans, smart ass. Let me tell you how I remember that day. Danny had told me how he was best friends with the hottest girl in school. That he was thinking about asking you out since you had finally dumped some other guy that you didn’t even really like from some other school. He said at games, guys from other schools constantly chased you and asked you out. He talked about you non-stop. I walk in to the cafeteria, and see this tiny little thing that is so adorable, so freaking hot, all I could think was ‘I want her.’ I kept looking at you to see if you were single or not, to try to hear you talk, anything. Suddenly you reach for Danny, he kind of brushed you aside, but
when you weren’t looking at him he nodded his head towards you and winked at me. My heart thudded. The girl I saw and knew I wanted, with no real explanation other than I just felt this instant connection. That girl was with my new best friend. Then you left, and all I could think was that maybe you would tell him no. Then I walk into next period study hall, and there you were. I had all of these nosy people talking to me, and all I wanted was to hear your voice, or have you look at me. He asked you out not long after that. He saw the way I looked at you, and he got territorial. You said yes to him, and my heart dropped at my feet. It was crazy, I didn’t even know you! Then as time went on, and we did hang out together, I saw how amazing you are. How you are so nice to everyone no matter what, yet if someone bullies someone that can’t defend themselves, you are all over them. You fight for the underdog, you are the underdog, the runt of the litter, but you don’t quit. I watch you all the time. When I found out what happened, I was done letting you suffer. I had to help, and to hell with the bro code. I will protect you, I will help you. I’ll be your best friend, your protector and hopefully your boyfriend. This isn’t about wanting to have sex with the cutest and shortest girl in the school, this is just about someone I really feel a connection with, and I just want to be with you. I will be myself, no games, no teenage bullshit. You’ll get the real me because I want all of the real you.”