Chapter 9

In the days that followed the release of the magazine there was a constant anxiety circling the back of my mind. Whenever I'd step foot in public, whether it be for class, for work, or for groceries, it was as if I was waiting for somebody to recognize me. It was irrational, I knew, since both my name and face were concealed, but I still couldn't help thinking that somebody would recognize me.

Once a few days had passed without incident, and with constant reassurance from both Ryan and Emily, it seemed as though the truth had finally stuck. Ryan had been right; nobody knew who I was and nobody knew that I was the one with him in the picture – I had nothing to worry about.

With worries no longer plaguing my thoughts, it felt as though the rest of October passed by in a flash. I went to class, I did my assignments, I spent time with my daughter, and, in what felt like no time at all, it was Halloween.

"So, have anything fun planned for tonight?" Colette asked as she came back from her break to see me washing down the back counters of the café.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and, for the most part, Corner Café hadn't seen much business after the daily lunch rush. I'd finished classes early for the day, a few of my lectures having been cancelled or postponed, and with the free time I'd been given, I'd picked up a last minute shift after agreeing with Emily that she'd pick up Abbie from daycare.

"I have a three year old at home Colette," I replied, reminding her as I finished up my cleaning, "By the time I get home she'll be dressed up in her costume, waiting at the door to go trick or treating."

"Well I guess that rules out you coming to a party with me tonight then?"

Having not heard the bell ring to signify a new customer, I jumped, releasing a small yelp as I turned to see Ryan standing on the other side of the counter. A smirk started to appear on his lips at my reaction, but an eyebrow was also raised, awaiting my reply.

While his picture with me on the front of the magazine had caused quite a frenzy with his fans, he had taken his own advice, staying in the shadows as he let it blow over. That being said, with him laying low over the past couple of weeks, his visits to the café had been few and far between.

Dropping the rag I'd been using, I brought a hand up to my chest, waiting for my heart to stop its rapid beating. "God, you scared me," I stated, calming my breathing before fully registering his question. "And oh, umm, yea sorry," I replied sheepishly, "I don't really have time for parties much these days."

"It's fine," he shook his head, a smile still gracing his face, "I figured you'd be going out with Abbie tonight, I just thought I'd give it a shot," he shrugged.

"She's just too cool to attend your big Hollywood parties," Colette teased as Ryan stepped up to the cash, shaking his head in amusement as he recited his usual order.

"Yeah, maybe she is," he replied softly, loud enough for me to catch it and send a small smile his way as I set to work on his usual drink.

Colette turned to me once his order had been punched through. "Actually, I was wondering if you were doing anything to celebrate your birthday," she restating her previous question. "After all, you only turn twenty two once."

"I have the day off, which is lucky I guess," I replied, but more or less shrugged off her question as I finished up Ryan's drink, "I never really celebrate my birthday that much anyways."

Ryan, having caught on to what the two of us were talking about, looked at me with a puzzled expression as I handed him his drink. "It's your birthday?" he asked, his eyebrows scrunched together curiously.

"Not today, but tomorrow, yeah," I replied, shifting uncomfortably while shooting a small glare Colette's way. She simply shrugged, not looking all that apologetic as she headed to the back to help out.

My birthday wasn't something that I really celebrated, not since before Abbie was born. It never bothered me though. The most I'd get was a card left out from my parents and a nice breakfast cooked from Greta back home, and truthfully, I didn't need anything special. To me, it was just another day to get crossed off on my calendar.

"And you aren't celebrating?" he pushed further, but I knew it was just his general curiosity.

I sighed and shook my head. "It's not that big of a deal," I persisted, "I'm just not someone who throws a party every year." As I looked into his eyes, I saw something flash through them, as though his mind was starting to spin with ideas. "And don't you think that just because you're famous you won't get punched if you throw me a party," I continued.

"I'd pay to see that happen," Colette threw in teasingly, coming back through the kitchen doors with a plate of pastries for the display cases.

Redness tinged my cheeks as I realized that if she'd been able to hear our conversation from the back, the only other people in the café at the moment, an elderly couple who sat conversing in a booth near the back, would have been able to as well.

"The thought didn't even cross my mind," Ryan expressed, a humour to his voice that shot a nervous tingle down my spine.

"Sure it didn't," I rolled my eyes, my embarrassment fading as I took a few steps back, finishing the cleaning I had started before his arrival.

"So you're definitely busy for the night, right?" Ryan stepped up, moving along the counter to where I was standing.

"Yes," I trailed, a small smile playing on my lips as I looked up at him, "But if you're in the mood to skip your fancy party and come trick or treating with us instead, the offer's open," I stated jokingly.

"Good to know," he smiled, bringing his drink up to his lips.

Just as I was about to continue the conversation, I turned my head to see a few new customers strolling into the café.

"Well, I guess I'd better go," Ryan said, shading his face from the new customers, as he pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pockets and slipped them on. "Have fun tonight."

"You too," I nodded, saying a quick goodbye before I slipped back into work mode, starting up the order that Colette was punching in.

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Three hours later I was running late.

I'd promised Emily that I'd be home by 5:30, but as my phone flashed telling me that it was already 5:40, I quickened my pace, still having a few blocks to go.

The café had been hit with an unexpected rush at five 'o'clock, just as I was about to finish my cleaning and clock out, so I'd stayed behind a few minutes to help out. Those few minutes had somehow turned into almost a half an hour, and when the line started to dwindle down to its usual size, it'd been Colette who'd pushed me to leave, saying that she'd be able to handle it.

Now, pretty much running up the driveway, I burst through the door. "Sorry I'm late," I called out, breathing heavily as I dropped my bag near the door, heading into the kitchen.

Rounding the corner I saw Emily and Abbie sitting at the table, each digging into a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Abbie turned to face me, a grin on her face as she stuffed another spoonful of food into her mouth. "Hi momma," she chirped, speaking through her mouthful of food, "Aunty Emily made cheesy pasta."

"I can see that," I said, grabbing a napkin from the center of the table to wipe the mess off her face, "But remember what I said before sweetie; don't talk with you mouth full."

Her hand came up to cover her mouth, but I could still see her grinning as she nodded.

"Don't worry, I made sure there was enough for you," Emily stated, gesturing to the stove where the leftover food was sitting.

"Thanks," I smiled, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard before finishing off the macaroni and cheese. "Are you and Dustin still going out tonight?" I asked, sitting down with my food across from her.

She nodded, having finished up her food as she stood up to put her dishes in the sink. "Yeah, one of his friends is having a house party and we're going to head over there for a bit," she explained, "He should be here around six."

"A party?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow in amusement, "On a Wednesday?"

She smirked. "Don't worry, I know I'm working tomorrow morning."

"Hey, I'm not the boss of you," I replied with hilarity, "Go out and have fun."

"Oh I will," Emily nodded happily, smiling as she finished cleaning off the counters. "I'm heading upstairs to change, call for me if Dustin gets here."

"You got it," I said as she left the room, shoveling a rather large spoonful of cheesy goodness into my mouth. A few bites in I felt a tugging on my shirt, only to look to my side to see Abbie trying to get my attention. Once again, her mouth was full of cheese sauce, but her bowl was empty. "What is it sweetie?"

"Is it time to go get candy yet?" she asked sweetly, excitement shining in her eyes as I cleaned off the mess she'd made.

"Well you have to put your costume on first sweetie, so why don't you go tug it on while I finish up in here."

She nodded excessively, giggling as she more or less launched herself off of her chair and out of the kitchen, her little feet pattering up the stairs as she headed to her bedroom.

It didn't take long for me to finish my dinner and clean up the rest of the kitchen, and a mere ten minutes later I was heading upstairs to see how Abbie was getting on with her costume. "Knock, knock," I voiced as I stood in the doorway to her room, "How's the costume coming along?"

I tried not to laugh as I looked down at Abbie to see that, although she'd tried, the dress she was wearing was on backwards. "It's not working momma," she complained, attempting to figure out what was wrong with it as she looked in the mirror.

"Here, let me," I offered, concealing my laughter as I walked over and sorted out her dress. "There," I said, smiling at her as I turned her to face the mirror, "All you had to do was turn the dress around."

Abbie grinned as she saw herself in the mirror. "I'm a pwincess momma!" she cheered as she picked up the bottom her dress and started spinning with glee.

"Whoa there my little princess," I expressed, picking her up before she got too dizzy, "You don't want to hurt yourself before you go trick or treating do you?" She shook her head. "So, how about we go downstairs and find that tiara I bought you? Then you'll look like a real princess."

She cheered giddily, clapping her hands as I laughed at her excitement, carrying her down the stairs on my hip.

I'd remembered where I put the tiara when I had purchased it the other day. It was cheap and a piece of plastic, but when I spotted it grocery shopping, I knew that Abbie would love it, so I'd thrown it in the cart. Placing Abbie down on the couch, making sure not to wrinkle her dress, I walked over to the television stand and pulled out the plastic bag I'd hidden behind it.

"So, what do you think?"

I pulled the tiara out of the bag, and even though it was clearly not real, Abbie's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "It's so pwetty!" she said happily, and I smiled, placing it softly on her head.

"There, now you look like a real princess."

As Abbie swung her feet off the side of the couch, visibly happy about her costume, the doorbell rang. Just as I was about to stand up to answer the door, I caught the sound of footsteps barreling down the stairs. "I've got it," Emily called, and I shrugged it off, assuming it was Dustin at the door.

Looking back down at Abbie, I placed my hands gently on her knees and smiled. "Are you ready to go trick or treating?"

"Yeah," she cheered happily.

"Well how about you go grab that pillowcase I laid out in the kitchen while I go set up the candy outside for other kids," I suggested, and although she might not have fully understood me, she agreed, wiggling herself off the couch before turning towards the kitchen.

"Zoe," Emily called out, "I think this trick or treater is looking for you."

I stood up, confused as I headed to the doorway to see what Emily was on about. "What are you talking about?" I asked, "Who would be at the door..." I trailed off as I rounded the corner into the entryway.

Standing there was Ryan Adams, dressed up in a full pirate costume.

I stood there shocked, wondering what to say, but before I could utter a sound, I saw Emily smirk as Dustin's car pulled into the driveway.

"Well, that's my ride," Emily stated, slipping on a pair of shoes and picking up her bag from the counter. "Have fun tonight," she continued, looking between the two of us in amusement before heading out the door.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, breaking the seconds of silence that had passed.

He opened his mouth to reply, but just as the smallest of sounds passed through his lips, Abbie came running around the corner, waving her pillowcase around her head.

"I found the bag momma," she said, grinning up at me as though it was her greatest achievement. It didn't take her long however, to notice that we weren't alone. "Ryan!" she chirped, looking up at him happily, "What are you doing here?"

"Your mom invited me to go trick or treating with you," he replied, crouching down to poke Abbie gently on the nose, "Is that okay with you?"

"You're coming out to get candy?" she asked, scrunching her face up. Noticing her face, he nodded slowly, the both of us waiting hesitantly for her reaction. "Yay," she cheered, a moronic smile spreading across her face as she more or less jumped with joy. "But why are you dressed up as a pirate?"

"I would also like to know the answer to that," I asserted, a smirk playing on my lips as he stood up from his crouched position.

He shrugged. "It's one of the only costumes they had last minute."

I raised an eyebrow at his reply. "I thought you were going to a party tonight," I stated, "Wouldn't you have needed a costume for that?"

"Contrary to popular belief, a party on Halloween isn't necessarily a costume party," he responded teasingly, making me roll my eyes. "But I since you oh-so-graciously invited me out tonight, I figured I'd dress up a bit."

"Are you sure you didn't just choose it because the pirate hat and eye patch keep your face hidden?" I asked, nodding to the two things currently resting on top of his head.

Pulling the eye patch down to cover his left eye, I saw the outline of a smirk appear on his lips. "That may have been a contributing factor."

"You should've been a king Ryan," Abbie pointed out, "Cause I'm a pwincess and then momma could be the queen."

Ryan's eyes lit up with mischief at my daughter's suggestion, looking towards me for a response. Meanwhile, I stood there, stunned speechless for a second as a small blush made it's way to my cheeks, shocked that my daughter had unknowingly just married Ryan and I in her mind.

"Aren't we supposed to leaving?" I asked, steering the topic of conversation in a different direction as I shook the bowl of candy that Emily had left, opening the door and placing it, along with a note on the front porch. "I mean, you don't want people to run out of candy, do you?"

Luckily, as I mentioned the word 'candy' Abbie quickly forgot what she'd suggested, and instead cheered, but I knew from the way Ryan was looking at me, amusement in his eyes, that he'd picked up on my diversion tactics.

With Abbie at my side, grabbing my hand as I stood outside, I turned back to look at Ryan. "Aren't you going to walk the plank captain?" I asked teasingly.

Ryan smirked. "Aye aye captain," he winked, closing the door behind him.

"Now let's go get candy," Abbie shrieked, pulling my hand as she hurried the both of us down the driveway, Ryan following closely behind us.

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Trick or treating was interesting to say the least.

Walking around the neighbourhood, it seemed as though every kid under the age of thirteen was out on a hunt for candy. Ryan, however, seemed to be the only adult who chose to wear a costume. I found it highly amusing when other parents would look at him funny, muttering under their breaths about how weird or sweet he was to dress up, as I somewhat agreed.

Somewhere towards the middle of the night Ryan had convinced both Abbie and I, after a lot of hesitation, to go through a haunted house that a neighbour had set up in their garage. It didn't end up being all that scary; just a lot of fake blood, cobwebs, and disturbing pictures.

That was, until the end.

Just when we thought it was over, the owner of the house, dressed in a bloodied scarecrow costume, jumped out at us. Abbie and I had both shrieked in fear, her more than me as I had to calm her down gently, explaining that he was simply wearing a scary costume. She seemed to understand, her fear quickly disappearing as the man handed her some candy, apologizing for scaring her.

Sooner or later the streetlights flickered on as the sun started to dim, and Abbie had collected a full pillowcase of candy.

"Can you carry my candy?" Abbie asked, yawning as she trudged along beside the two of us.

I chuckled, taking the pillowcase off her hands as I rubbed her head gently. "Don't worry sweetie, we'll be home soon," I promised.

"But I'm tired now," she whined, getting agitated with the amount of walking she'd done so far tonight. And to be fair, we'd spent more than two hours going from house to house, her adrenaline seemingly dwindling towards the end of it.

I looked down at the pillowcase in my hand, and even though it was heavy, tried to calculate if I'd be able to carry her the rest of the way as well. Before I could speak though, Ryan stopped and dipped down in front Abbie.

"Do you want a piggyback ride home?" he asked gently. She nodded, a small and tired smile growing on her lips as she raised her arms up above her head.

"Up, up!"

Ryan laughed as he turned around, letting my little monster jump on his back, making sure he had a good grip on her before he stood up again. "You okay all the way up there?" he asked jokingly as Abbie's small arms rested loosely around his neck.

"Mhm," she mumbled, her head falling lightly onto his shoulder.

He turned to face me, raising an eyebrow at my stunned expression. "What?" he asked wondrously, readjusting my daughter on his back.

I smiled softly at him, shaking my head. "Nothing."

Ryan still looked at me strangely for a second, trying to get inside my head. It was clear he couldn't find what he was looking for, as he shook his head, accepting my reply as we turned onto my street.

Ten minutes later Abbie was pretty much asleep on his back as I unlocked the front door, grabbing the, now empty, candy bowl from the porch, and bringing it inside. Dropping her full bag of candy at the bottom of the staircase, I turned back to Ryan. "Pass me the sleepy critter," I said, holding out my arms. He gently shrugged Abbie off his back, positioning her in his arms before passing her off to me. "I'll just go put her to bed," I stated, hoisting her up onto my hip as she mumbled, "You're welcome to stick around though, I'll just be a couple of minutes."

True to my word, it seemed that Abbie really was exhausted. It took me no longer than five minutes to strip off her costume, gently pull on her pajamas, and tuck her softly into bed. With the exhaustion she already held, it seemed as though the minute her head hit her pillow she was out like a light.

Shutting the light off and closing the door, I headed back downstairs where I'd left Ryan to wait. "Sorry about that," I apologized, finding him seated on the sofa in the living room.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, standing up from where he'd previously been.

"Oh, are you leaving?"

"Why, did you not want me to?"

"Well, I was just going to pop a movie in," I replied. "You're welcome to stay and watch."

"What kind of movie?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged. A smirk grew on his face. "What about a horror movie?"

"Horror?" I repeated nervously, glancing at the DVD case that I knew held some of Emily's horror movies.

"Yeah, you know, get into the Halloween spirit," he teased, picking up on my hesitation. "Why, are you scared?"

"No," I denied hurriedly, "But if you want to watch a scary movie, you have to choose it."

"Deal," he grinned.

I nodded, gesturing to where the movies were kept before heading into the kitchen to make a bowl of popcorn. As the microwave clocked ticked down, I sat propped against the counter with clenched hands. If I was being honest, horror movies weren't my forte, and I was a bundle of nerves wondering which movie he'd pick.

As I headed into the living room minutes later, popcorn in hand, I saw Ryan getting comfortable on the couch as the previews for a movie flashed on the screen. He'd shed the accessories that accompanied his costume, leaving him in a flowing striped top and a pair of ripped black pants.

"Do you mind getting the light?" he asked, turning his head to smile at me as I set the bowl on the table.

I nodded, walking over to flip the switch before taking a seat beside him. "So," I fidgeted nervously, "What are we watching?"

"You'll see," he replied with a smirk, resting his arm along the back of the couch.

I was determined to not jump at the movie, but as the first scene rolled through, I was already shaking in my seat. By the time we reached the last scene of the movie my body was more or less pressed up against Ryan's side, my face hidden in his chest as I gazed quickly back at the screen

It turned out to be a bad idea, because as the movie came to a close, a demon popped out of nowhere, terrorizing the people that hadn't yet died.

"Fuck," I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut as I clenched my hands around Ryan's thigh.

"Okay, okay," Ryan seethed, gripping my hands before I drew blood, "Loosen the grip a bit."

"This is all your fault," I declared, bringing my head up as I heard the credits start to roll.

He held his hands up in a mock surrender. "Hey, you agreed to the movie," he stated, "You could've just told me you were scared."

"I'm not scared," I huffed under my breath.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically, "You sure have a good grip for somebody who wasn't scared."

"Shut up," I mumbled embarrassedly.

"So, how about another movie?" he asked, clapping his hands together excitedly. I looked at him as though he was crazy. There was no way I was sitting through another horror movie if I planned to get any sleep tonight. He laughed at my reaction. "I meant something that's not scary."

"Oh, sure."

"Any preference?" he asked, pushing himself up to change the DVD.

"There's some comedies stacked down there if you want," I replied, "It doesn't really matter to me."

He ended up choosing a case at random, pulling out a 1980's dramatic comedy that I hadn't seen in a while. As the movie progressed I found myself sinking back into the comfort of Ryan's arms, a blanket lay out on top of us as the chilly evening air blew in through the open windows.

"Hey Ryan," I started; having lost most of my interest in the movie by the time an hour had passed.

"Yeah?"

I looked up from where I'd been resting my head to see two curious orbs gazing down at me. "Why did you show up here tonight?" I finally asked, getting a question, which had been circling my thoughts since he turned up this evening, off my mind.

"What?" he blanked.

I pushed myself up slightly, looking him in the eyes as I continued. "What made you decide to come here tonight? I mean, you showed up at the café looking excited to go to this party, but then you never went."

"I wasn't all that excited for the party to be honest," he confessed, "I just thought it'd be cool to take you. You know, introduce you to some other famous people in the area, but you couldn't, so why would I?"

"Umm... because you were the one invited?" I offered, still not understanding his train of thought.

"And you invited me trick or treating tonight, did you not?" he threw back, and I realized his words were true. Even though I'd meant it as a joke, I did tell him that he was welcome to come. "Plus," he added, digging his hand into his pocket, "I thought I'd give you this."

"What..." I trailed as he pulled out a thin rectangular box and held it out to me.

"You said it was your birthday tomorrow right? So consider it an early birthday present."

"But you only found out a few hours ago," I replied shakily, "You didn't need to get me anything."

He brought up a hand to rub the back of his neck nervously. "I actually bought it a few weeks ago," he confessed. "I thought it'd look nice on you at the wedding, but then I sort of forgot about it. So technically, it's just a gift that's two weeks overdue."

I nervously took the box from his hand, cracking it open to see the most gorgeous gold chain with a small emerald pendant. I gulped, running my fingers over it gently as I realized the gem was real.

"Ryan," I said breathlessly, looking up at him through my eyelashes, "This is too much."

"Don't worry about the price Zoe," he insisted in a voice that nobody would be able to resist. "May I?" he asked, plucking the necklace out of its box. I nodded pushing my hair to one side as his hands came around my neck and clasped the necklace, letting it fall down the curve of my neck. "See, it looks perfect."

I sat there stunned, picking up the pendant with two fingers as I admired it. "Thank you," I breathed out.

I looked up to see Ryan, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Your welcome."

A matching grin slowly appeared on my face, and just as I was about to speak, I heard the sound of jingling keys before the front door opened.

"You know you forgot to lock the door again Zoe," I heard Emily's voice carry, her footsteps becoming louder as she followed the sound the television was emitting. "Oh," she paused as she stepped foot into the living room, noticing that I wasn't the only one here, "So that's who's car is parked across the street."

"Yeah..." I trailed, looking slowly between Ryan and Emily as I inched my way out of his arms.

"I'm guessing you guys had a good night then?" she asked, dropping her keys on the ledge next to her with a smirk.

Thinking back, I realized that this was one of the better nights I'd had in a while. It'd been relaxing, I got to spend time with Abbie knowing that I didn't have to wake up for school in the morning, and it certainly had been full or surprises.

"Yeah," I smiled, playing with my pendant gently as I looked up at Emily, "I guess you could say that."

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Well that's the next chapter, written and posted. Sorry it took me a little longer to update guys, but I hope you guys think it's worth it! Also, I started reading Melissa Meyer's books (because I stopped halfway through Cinder a few months back) and I'm so into it. Have you guys read any of them, because if you haven't, you definitely should?

Remember to vote and leave a comment below telling me what you thought of the chapter; I'd love to know what you guys are thinking!

P.S. I'm considering entering the Watty's, do you think it's a good idea?