Chapter 18

"Caramel macchiato with soy milk."

I called out the order, the last one after an extremely exhausting shift, and handed the woman waiting patiently on the other side of the counter her cup. "Have a great night."

Through the glass windows at the front of the café, I could see that the sun had long since set, leaving the sidewalks of Los Angeles relatively empty. The dinner rush, which usually only lasted for an hour, had started in the late hours of the afternoon, and had just ended with the small hand of the clock resting at the eight. The line had been non-stop for hours, and after forgoing my break, I was about ready to fall asleep on my feet.

Once the woman exited the shop, Colette turned to me, leaning up against the counter. "Please tell me it's over," she muttered tiredly, wiping her hands on the underside of her apron. She'd started her shift early this morning when her parents had asked her to come in to help, and if I was feeling tired, I couldn't imagine how she was feeling.

I chuckled at her lack of enthusiasm, but just by my laugh you could tell that exhaustion was slowly washing over me. "I think it's over," I replied safely, knowing that we were only open for another hour. Even now, only two people remained in the café and they looked to be on a date, cuddling up to one another in one of the back booths.

"Thank god." She turned, grabbing a clean rag from beneath the counter to start the clean up. "Do you mind staying a few extra minutes to help cleaning?"

Although I'd been due to clock out a few minutes previous, it was hard to say no to the hopeful look she wore. The sides of my lips tilted upwards as I nodded. "Sure."

Her shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you," she said gratefully, tossing a rag my way. "I'll punch you in a red-velvet cupcake."

I rolled my eyes at her bribery but didn't refuse, because truthfully, there wasn't anything I was craving more in that moment.

Setting to work, I made my way around the counter and began wiping down the empty tables, and by the time I was done, the couple in the back had decided it was time to leave. By the time I'd swept the floor and rearranged a few of the chairs it was quarter after eight, and I made my way to the back of the café, signaling to Colette that I was heading home.

Clocking out, I let the ties of my apron fall around my waist, finding it somewhat freeing as I shed the dirty uniform. Spinning the dial on my locker, I popped open the door, hanging my apron on a hook before reaching into my bag for my phone.

3 missed calls from Ryan.

Curious as to what he had wanted, I punched in his number, leaning my shoulder against the cold metal lockers as I heard the line ringing. It didn't take long for him to answer, perhaps two or three rings, before I heard his voice through the phone.

"Zoe?"

I knew, as my insides fluttered happily, that if we'd been face to face, I wouldn't of been able to resist the urge to kiss him at the sound of his velvety smooth voice. It was warm, welcoming, and something that I was quickly becoming addicted to.

"Hey," I replied softly, smiling to myself.

"How are you?"

"I'm good," I replied, his voice alone succeeding at pulling me from exhaustion. "I just finished work, but how are you? I saw that you called."

"Yeah sorry." I could imagine him running his hand messily through his hair as he spoke. "I forgot you were working tonight. I had to text Emily to make sure I hadn't done anything worth ignoring me."

"Oh, no." I started shaking my head before I realized he couldn't see it. "No you didn't. Was there, I mean, did you want to talk about something?"

"No, I just missed you."

Spoken confidently, those words sent a shiver down my spine, as I was caught somewhat off guard by his honesty. "Oh," I managed to squeak out.

His laughter suddenly filled the phone. "What? No 'I miss you too Ryan'?"

"Of course I miss you," I mumbled embarrassedly, wondering how, after almost three months, he still managed to make my cheeks heat up and my tongue to get tied up. "How were your interviews today?"

It was the first week of February, and with the release of Ryan's latest film just a few short days away, he'd been whisked out to New York City for a press tour. Radio interviews, television appearances - the whole shebang.

"They went alright I guess," Ryan started, "But they weren't really unique. Most of the time when we have a string of interviews like this, a lot of the interviewers end up asking us the same questions. I'm pretty sure at least three radio broadcasters today asked me and the others how we all got along while shooting and if there were any fights behind the scenes."

"Well were there?" I asked teasingly, causing Ryan to chuckle.

"No, at least none that I was involved in," he quipped.

As I continued asking him how his trip was going, I found myself zoning out, invaded by my own thoughts as he began to explain further about his day.

Over the days he'd been gone I'd been supportive, wishing him luck and calling him every night to talk, but I was getting restless. I wanted him home already, because while he was out exploring the big apple with his cast mates and management, I felt like I was being pushed to the sidelines.

It had only been a week, but it felt like forever.

"When are you coming home?"

The sentence sprouted from my mouth before I had time to think about it, cutting off whatever Ryan had been talking about. I bit my lip, realizing my mistake as silence greeted the line. Worry filled my mind until I heard him sigh.

"My flight only leaves JFK tomorrow afternoon around two, so I probably won't be back in LA until nine," he said softly.

"I just wish you were here now."

"I know babe, I do too," Ryan replied, "But it's only another 24 hours or so, and then I'll be home. It's not that long.'

"Okay," I said, feeling a smile tug at my lips, "I..."

I stopped abruptly as I realized what three words had almost slipped from my lips. I wasn't ready for those three words – at least I thought I wasn't.

"Zoe?" Ryan's voice rang through the other end of the phone, urging me to continue.

"Yeah sorry," I said, shaking my head, trying my best to clear my thoughts, "I was just going to say that I really miss you and I can't wait to see you." My voice started to soften at the tail end of the sentence. "But I actually should be heading home."

"Why, where are you?"

"Still at work," I answered sheepishly.

"Damn, I'm sorry," Ryan apologized, "I'll let you go so you can get home. You drove to work right?"

"You don't need to apologize, it's just been a long day and I'm pretty much ready for bed," I explained, my exhaustion falling over me once again as I yawned. "And yeah, I drove today."

"Good, because you shouldn't be walking home this late all alone."

My insides warmed once again as his sweet side shone through, knowing all he was thinking about was whether or not I was safe. "I won't be," I reassured him. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

With a smile, I pulled the phone away from my ear, ending the call. Turning around, I jumped, not expecting Colette to be leaning against the break room's door, listening in on the conversation.

"Well that was just adorable," she said teasingly.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked embarrassedly, my head ducked as I gathered the rest of my things together from my locker.

A grin formed on her face. "Long enough to know that tomorrow will be a good night for you, what with your boyfriend back in town."

My cheeks were ablaze at her words and what they were insinuating. I wasn't the type of girl to advertise the moments that I spent alone with my boyfriend, and although it was all in good fun, her teasing still made me slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh shut up," I mumbled under my breath, causing her to laugh as I shut my locker. I brushed passed her, my hair falling down to cover the side of my face. "I'll see you later."

The amusement was still clear in her voice as she shouted after me, "Goodnight."

Pushing the front door of the café, I held it open as a lone customer passed through before heading out back to the parking lot, jumping into my car as I headed for home.

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I wish it had been the sun that woke me up hours later, but sadly, that wasn't the case.

An incessant buzzing was pulling me from my slumber, and I wasn't the least bit thrilled, as my eyelids were forced open to see my room was still pitch black. My vision was blurred, but through my hazy state, I was still able to make out the numbers on my alarm clock.

It was only three in the morning.

Rolling over with a groan, I tried to pull the covers higher up, grabbing my pillow to cover my ears. All I had was hope; hope that the buzzing would stop soon. I sighed when, seconds later, the buzzing ceased. Releasing my pillow, I snuggled back into the comfort of my bed, only to be rudely interrupted when the buzzing returned with a vengeance a minute later. Pushing the blankets off of me, I reached out grabbing my phone to see that there was an incoming call.

Ryan.

Confusion filled my head as I swiped against the screen, bringing the phone up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey." His voice was much less groggy than mine was at this early hour. "How's it going?"

I yawned. "It would be a whole lot better if I was still asleep," I mumbled, letting my head fall back against the pillows. "Why are you calling so early? Isn't it like six in the morning over there?"

For a few seconds, all I received as a response was the sound of his warm laugh traveling through the phone line, but as the laughter faded, he replied, "Come open your front door."

My ears must have been tricks on me, as I could've sworn I heard him ask me to go downstairs. "Come again?" I asked, willing him to repeat himself as I pushed myself up into a sitting position.

"I said you should come and open your front door," he repeated. I could almost feel him smiling through the phone. "You don't want anyone to see me standing out here like a stalker, do you?"

My legs were swinging out from underneath the covers before he was finished talking. I didn't drop my phone as I ran, my body fully awake in that moment, heading down the stairs. The path felt longer than usual in the dark and I was surprised that, as I skidded into the entryway, I hadn't mistakenly bumped into anything. Flipping the latch on the door and pulling it open, my eyes widened as I saw Ryan standing there.

His hand was still holding his phone up to his ear, but his gaze had shifted when I opened the door, eyes gleaming as he gazed down at me with amusement.

I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to make sure that this wasn't a dream. It was reality. My boyfriend was actually here.

His eyebrows lifted as a grin stretched across his lips. "What, no hello?"

I couldn't speak; the words were lodged in the back of my throat. Instead, I shook myself out of my shocked state, stepping forward to swiftly close the space between us. His arms wound around my body gently, although his grip was strong, as though he didn't want to let me go. I shut my eyes and enjoyed the moment, just breathing him in as my face tucked into chest.

Nothing but silence surrounded us for a few moments, letting me just sink into his embrace and savor the moment. This was what I'd been missing. The closeness. The support. Knowing that if I needed him, he'd be here in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, the moment couldn't last forever. He was the first to pull back, but he kept an arm around me as he stepped further into the house, closing the door behind him. It left us with no light; solely the darkness keeping us company.

"How are you here?" I whispered, breaking the silence between us.

The hand that wasn't hovering around my waist came up to cup my cheek, the pads of his thumb gently brushing against my skin. "I was at the airport when you called me," he explained, a faint smile on his lips. "I booked an early flight home so that I could surprise you."

"At three in the morning?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Whatever works."

A feeling of euphoria washed over me as my gaze dropped to his lips for a brief period of time. "And your manager or costars didn't mind that you left before them?"

As my eyes drifted back up to meet his, I was able to tell right away that he'd no doubt been aware of my wavering gaze. "No," he said slowly. A satisfied smirk played on his lips as he shook his head. "We were finished with the interviews, so nobody had any reasons to stick around. My manager and I were able to find early flights out and everybody else is on the flight back tomorrow."

My heart was fluttering like it never had before and I didn't have a reply for him. Instead, I reached up, letting my arms rest around his shoulders as I brought my lips to his.

The caress was soft, the fire alight, and the passion infinite.

However, as a yawn crept up on me just a few seconds after our lips connected, I was reminded that it was, indeed, still the middle of the night.

"Tired?" Ryan chuckled as I pulled back, covering my mouth as I yawned.

"Aren't you?" I threw back sleepily, "It's three in the morning."

"I slept on the plane," he replied matter-of-factly, shaking his head. "Did you want me to leave so you can get some rest?"

My heart lurched forward at the thought of him leaving so soon. He'd just got here, and I didn't want to let him leave. "Or, if you're still tired, you can come upstairs and keep me company," I suggested. "To sleep, just sleep," I clarified as I saw a familiar twinkle appear in his eyes.

"I think," he smiled, intertwining his hand with my own, "That's just what I need."

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Waking up the next morning next to Ryan was pure, serene bliss.

I didn't know what time it was, but the sunlight was streaming into the room through the curtains, slowly but surely waking me up. In my, very revealing, pajamas, I was all too aware that Ryan had slung his arm around my waist sometime during the night, pulling me in closer to his chest. Our bare legs were tangled together underneath the covers, and the feeling of my bare skin touching his was enough to make goose bumps rise and my insides quiver with excitement.

Closing my eyes to savor the moment, I sighed, cuddling closer to him, my face tucking in to the hollow of his neck.

He stayed still for a while, but soon enough the spell was broken. His arm tightened around me, pulling me impossibly close as he drifted into consciousness.

A groan escaped his lips as I pulled back slightly, titling my head upwards on the pillow. His eyes blinked open, adjusting to the light that had fallen into the room before zeroing in on me. His hair was disheveled, the remnants of a short and impromptu make-out session that had taken place early in the morning, and it only made him look more appealing at this hour.

"Good morning," I whispered, the side of my lips tipping upwards.

"Mmm, it sure is," he returned, his voice deep and velvety smooth, sending chills down my spine. His hand had inched below the fabric of my camisole, rubbing slow patterns against the exposed skin. "What time is it?"

Just as I was about to turn over to take a quick peek at the clock on my bedside table, the sound of footsteps hit my ears. The pitter-patter didn't stop, but instead grew louder and louder until I heard the doorknob of my room jiggling.

Biting my lip in anticipation, I watched as the door pushed open to reveal Abbie. She trotted into the room happily, still clad in her pajamas, her bed head messily tied up in two pigtails. As she walked closer to the bed, only to realize I wasn't alone, her eyes widened.

"Ryan," she squealed, jumping up onto the bed and wiggling her body in between the two of us.

He laughed, his arms moving away from me as we were separated. "Hey Abbie," he said with a smile, pulling himself into a sitting position, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," she said, a toothy grin splitting her face. "When did you get here?"

"Last night when you were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you up."

As their conversation drifted to where he'd been and why he'd been gone for so long, I simply laid back and admired the two of them. Abbie had crawled up onto his lap and was now sitting there comfortably as Ryan smiled down at her.

The scene made my heart clench. There, in front of me, were the two most important people in my life at that moment and I wanted, no, needed, them to get along.

Abbie's eyes widened suddenly, cutting off her own train of thought as though she'd just remembered something. "Are you staying for bweakfast?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as her eyes flitted between the two of us. "Aunty Emily is making pancakes."

Ryan's head twisted towards me, raising an eyebrow.

"He's staying," I nodded, causing a smile to emerge on both of their faces.

"But we'll be down in a few minutes," Ryan added, "Okay Abbie?"

She nodded, muttering something about going back down to the kitchen to help, before she edged herself off the bed and scurried out of the room.

"So," Ryan began, a smirk slowly appearing on his face, "How much time do you think we have before we have to be downstairs?"

His eyes were sparkling wickedly while a flush crept onto my face at what I thought he was insinuating. "I don't... I... I mean..." I stammered, not knowing how to respond.

Luckily, Ryan pulled me out of my misery as he dropped his façade, laughing at my reaction. "Don't worry babe, I just want to talk."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so," he started, his grin depleting into a small smile as he pulled me closer, "You know how Valentine's Day is next Friday?"

My heart skipped a beat.

That was something I was increasingly aware of, as it had taken me ages to figure out a gift for him. "Yeah..." I trailed, urging him to continue.

His eyes roamed my face as he struggled to find the right words. "And how I've been doing a lot of press interviews and appearances for the movie that's coming out soon?" I nodded, now curious to where he was going. "Well," he said sheepishly, "The premiere is actually on Valentine's Day."

And with those few short words, any thoughts of a quiet, intimate Valentine's Day suddenly crashed around me. "Umm, okay," I mumbled, "Did you want to do something the day after then, or?"

As his head began to shake, my heart dropped even deeper into my chest.

The expression on my face must've given away how I was feeling. Ryan leaned closer; letting his lips caress mine for a brief moment before pulling back. "You didn't let me finish." His hand was holding my chin still as his thumb ran slowly across my bottom lip. "I want you to come with me."

"To the premiere?" I asked, lying there stunned.

He chuckled. "Yes, if you're all right with that."

My head was spinning. "But..." I paused, trying to find the right words, "I've never been on a red carpet."

"And neither had I before my first movie," he commented, flashing a grin before his smile softened. "There's nothing to be nervous about," he said reassuringly, "I'd be right next to you the whole time, but if you're still not up for it..."

"It's not that," I spoke slowly, closing my eyes for a few seconds before I reopened them, meeting Ryan's curious gaze. "I do want to be there to support you. It's just, are you sure?"

"I think it's about time the world meets the girl I'm completely crazy about."

That was all it took for every piece of the puzzle to fall into place. It just felt right. "Well in that case," I said, "How could I say no?"

His smile grew as he inched closer, my arms tightening around his neck. "Did I mention that we're also going away for the weekend after the premiere?" My eyes widened at the news, but as I opened my mouth to reply, he shook his head. "Emily's already promised to look after Abbie, and Dean's coming over Friday while her and Dustin go out."

It was almost overwhelming, the emotions that were floating between my head and my heart. There were no words to describe how wild the butterflies in my stomach seemed to be swarming. "You just thought of everything, didn't you?" I breathed out, a smile gracing my face to match his.

There was no time for a response before our lips met, and in that moment, I didn't see how it was possible for things to get any better.

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Sorry about the delay for this chapter, but I've decided that updates for this story will just be when the chapters are finished, which should still be weekly for the most part. Also, it's a bit shorter than the usual chapters, but I decided that there really was nothing more I could add. I just wanted more Abbie/Ryan/Zoe time to show their relationship progressing.

Vote and leave a comment if you enjoyed it <3