Chapter 20

The only bits of information that Ryan had given me regarding our trip had been that we were boarding an airplane after the premiere and it would be taking us to a relaxing weekend away. Other than that, I had no idea what our getaway would entail, and in all honestly, I didn't have a clue where we were headed. I figured we were at least staying within the country, as my passport hadn't left the bottom of my handbag since I'd carelessly thrown it in there while packing.

Having fallen asleep almost as soon as the plane set flight, I wasn't able to coax our destination out of him, and before I knew it, I was being jostled awake by Ryan hours later.

"Zoe, wake up."

I'd been partially aware of him calling my name a few times now, but finally, the words were starting to register in my head as I hazily slipped into consciousness. I battled against my better judgment to force my eyes open to realize that my head was rested against Ryan's shoulder. Blinking my eyes into focus, I lifted my gaze to meet his. "What time is it?" I asked groggily, realizing that the only light around us came from the light that had been switched on above our seats.

"You look cute when you're confused," he mused, causing a flush to spread down my neck, "And it's just past three. We've just landed."

No wonder I was so tired. I'd gotten less than three hours of sleep, all of which I'd been hunched over in an airplane seat, and now I was being forced awake. "In the morning?"

Ryan smiled, nodding. "Yeah," he said, "Now come on, we have to meet the driver out front. It's a little bit of a drive to get to where we're going."

"And you're still not going to tell me exactly where that is?"

"I'll give you a hint," Ryan said, standing up from his seat once most of the first class passengers had left the plane. He tugged our bags from the overhead compartments. "We're at the Seattle airport."

"Seattle?"

He nodded in response, a knowing grin playing on his lips. "Yes, Seattle."

"And what exactly is in Seattle that's worthy of a weekend getaway?" I asked, yawning in the middle of my sentence. I lifted a hand to rub my eyes, trying to awaken my body a bit more as I stood up and shuffled my way into the aisle. We were the only ones still left on the plane and the flight attendants were watching us impatiently.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

The airport was, surprisingly, more packed than I'd expected for such an early hour of the morning. The workers didn't look too happy to be there and the customers arriving with us looked unmistakably tired. While most people surrounding us headed off towards the baggage claim, Ryan pulled me to his side, making sure to keep his head down while steering us towards the pick-up parking lot. With everyone otherwise preoccupied, we were able to make our way outside without being noticed.

"I expected a quiet town, not a big city," I said as we stepped through the doors of the airport. The night air was chilly and although my hoodie did a sufficient job in blocking the wind, I was itching to route through my bag for my jacket.

"Just because we're in the city now, that doesn't mean we're staying here."

"What?"

He shot me a mischievous smile; thoroughly amused at the way my eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I told you that you'd be relaxed this weekend, and I'm keeping my promise," he said. "We still have a bit of a car ride until we get there though."

I nodded, hearing the familiar beep of his phone. "Right, what time is it now?" I asked as he pulled his phone out to read the new message.

"Three-thirty."

"And how long until we actually get there?"

He gave a sheepish smile. "That depends on traffic."

I rolled my eyes. It was too early for him to avoid these questions. I needed to know when I'd be able to collapse onto a real bed instead of an airplane seat or the back seat of a car. "It's the middle of the night," I said flatly, "There is no traffic."

"Probably about an hour then." I sighed, dropping my head against his chest. He shifted our bags so that they were both hanging from one arm, the other wrapping around my torso. "Sorry about all this," he apologized, and seconds later I felt the softness of his lips touching my forehead. "This was the only flight I could get so that we'd have the whole weekend together and fly back Monday morning. If you want to sleep in the car you can, I'll carry you up once we get there."

I pulled my head back slightly, seeing a sea of worry swirling in his eyes. If he thought that he'd ruined this weekend in any way, he was mistaken. Somehow, we'd managed to fall under the radar thus far, and I could only hope that the rest of the weekend would be like this.

Just the two of us.

My lips tilted upwards. "Maybe I'll stay awake if you tell me what our mysterious destination is," I said teasingly, trying to ease the tension.

It appeared to work; his shoulders relaxing as though a weight had just been lifted off. "If you want to find out, you'll just have to stay up for another hour."

"I don't think that's possible," I said, yawning mid-sentence, "And I don't understand how you're so awake right now. Shouldn't you be just as tired as I am?"

"I slept for a bit on the plane," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm used to having a weird sleep schedule."

I nodded, cut off from responding when a white car pulled up to the curb. It was sleek, it looked expensive, and I figured it was the one we were waiting for considering the majority of people surrounding us were waving down cabs. Confirming my suspicions, Ryan's arm fell from around my waist, as he led me towards the car.

When the car rolled to a stop, a man that looked to be in his early forties climbed out of the driver's side, greeting Ryan with a polite smile before popping open the trunk and asking for our bags. Ryan moved towards him, shaking his hand and exchanging pleasantries while helping him fit the luggage into the cramped space of the trunk. When the bags were safely tucked away, the driver returned to his spot up front while Ryan rounded the back of the car, pulling open the back side door.

"After you."

The backseat wasn't the largest, in fact, it was quite cramped, but after buckling up I simply pulled my legs up to rest beneath me so that they weren't squished up against the seat in front of me. Watching Ryan squeeze in beside me had me chuckling underneath my breath. His legs were bent at the knee, though his knees were nearing his stomach with the lack of room he had, and his back was hunched so that his head didn't squash against the roof. Turning to see the amusement on my face, Ryan rolled his eyes, extending his arm along the top of the back seat.

After voicing my thoughts regarding the size of the car, I'd learned that Ryan hadn't actually rented this car for the weekend; it was simply a shuttle service that the place we were headed provided. The name of our destination, however, had not been slipped into Ryan's reply. I'd tried to ask the driver where we were headed, but after receiving a signal from Ryan in the mirror, he'd opted to keep his mouth shut for the entirety of the ride.

Turning my gaze to the window, I realized we were driving through the main streets of Seattle. It seemed as though all the buildings were lit up, bringing life to the quiet streets at the early hour. There were several skyscrapers that caught my attention, but before long all of the lights simply blurred together.

The reason: my eyes were slowly drooping.

I hadn't even noticed the transition I was experiencing, but before I knew it, all I could hear was the buzzing from the engine as the sounds and sights of the city disappeared. The last thing I remembered before slipping completely from consciousness was the feeling of lips against my scalp, a soft whisper of jumbled words causing me to drift to sleep.

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I didn't wake again until the morning.

The sun was flooding into the room as I blinked my eyes opened, adjusting to the bright light. Pulling myself into a sitting position, I stretched my arms above my head, realizing only then that I was sitting in an enormous bed, centered in the middle of an unfamiliar room. Furring my eyebrows, I tried to recall a moment when I'd woken up last night, but I couldn't clasp onto a single memory after falling asleep in the car.

Looking around the room, my eyes widened. Everything in the room looked rustic, though the elegance of it all gave clue to its expensive design. The lights were dimmed low, the furniture was wooden, and the sliding doors that led outside showed a small deck looking out onto a vast array of forest. There were two plush chairs placed in front of a large brick fireplace, a small dinner table wedged in between them. Other than that, all I could see was two small hallways at the end of the room, one presumably leading to the bathroom while the other led to the door.

I shifted in the bed, throwing my legs over the side, but was immediately hit with a gush of cold air. My gaze shifted downwards to see that sometime in the night I'd lost the clothes I'd changed into on the airplane, and was instead wearing nothing more than my underwear and a large white t-shirt of Ryan's.

Rolling my eyes, I lifted my gaze back up as a squeak hit my ears. Pushing a cart of room service around the corner, Ryan was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his eyes widening as he noticed I was awake.

A cheesy grin overtook his features, taking in my sad excuse of an outfit as he wheeled our food towards me. His hair hadn't been touched since he'd woken up, still disheveled and strewn on top of his head, and the happiness radiating off of him gave him a childlike aura, which I found strangely appealing.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully, leaning in for a quick peck on the lips. "How did you sleep?"

The sides of my lips pulled upwards. "Good, though I could've done without the new pajamas," I teased, raising an eyebrow as I saw a red hue dust the apples of his cheeks.

"I figured you would've been too hot in what you were wearing," he said with a small shrug.

"Sure," I drawled, though a laugh made it's way through my lips. Pecking him on the cheek, I leaned back and eyed the various plates that were scattered a top the food cart. "So," I said, lifting the lid off one to reveal a delicious looking omelet, "What's for breakfast?"

"You mean lunch?" Ryan laughed, wheeling the cart towards the fireplace before transferring the plates onto the table.

"What do you mean?" I asked, glancing around to see if there was a clock in plain sight. There wasn't. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon," he replied, sending me a smile as he nodded at me to sit down. "You were out like a light last night that, even when I carried you up and tucked you in, you didn't open your eyes. I actually thought I'd have to wake you up myself this morning using whatever means necessary."

"And I bet that would've been a big inconvenience to you, wouldn't it have been?" I asked shaking my head in amusement.

I quickly noted the grin that spread across his face as he plated a few of the dishes for me. "The biggest."

Laughing, I dug into my food. It was delicious, as to be expected, but it suddenly registered in my mind that, having not stayed awake the night before, I hadn't found out where we were staying.

"So, am I finally allowed to know where, exactly, we are?"

"I'm surprised it's taken you so long to ask," he commented, a smile on his face. "We're at Willows Lodge, a small resort just outside Seattle."

From what I could gather by just looking at the view through the glass doors, this place was definitely private, located off the map and away from the public. "How did you find this place?" I asked. "Have you been here before, or...?"

He shook his head, swallowing the food in his mouth before responding. "My mom mentioned it to me when I asked her if she knew anywhere I could take you for Valentine's Day," he said. "She tried to suggest simply taking you out to dinner, but when she realized I wanted to be hidden away from prying eyes, she said this place was amazing."

My heart clenched, love and warmth taking hold of it. Not only did he take me somewhere quiet and romantic, he'd asked his mother for advice.

The words I love you were on the tip of my tongue, I just didn't have the confidence to let them free. "What's so amazing about it?" I asked instead.

"All she said was that this was where her and my dad spent their first anniversary," he said. The fact that he'd taken me somewhere that held significance to his family was endearing, causing a soft smile to hover on my lips. "When I called, the people I talked to said that they had an award-winning restaurant and a relaxing spa. They said that not many people take the drive out from the city to explore up here, so the gardens and trails around are relatively private. I just thought it'd be a nice surprise." A smirk appeared on his face as he continued, "Plus, the rooms have really big beds. Comfy too."

He winked in my direction, causing me to laugh, realizing where his train of thought had landed. "Well that must've been the selling point," I said teasingly.

He grinned, laughing along with me. "You know it."

Letting the laughter fade, the two of us kept up light conversation as we finished off our food.

An hour later I had thrown on a few layers of clothing from my suitcase, keeping warm with a jacket and scarf as the two of us headed outside to explore the resort grounds. Forgoing a pair of gloves, I tucked one hand into my pocket, the other intertwining with Ryan's naturally.

Leaving our room, we headed down the staircase at the end of the hall, trying to steer clear of our neighbours, and pushed through a door that led to the back of the building. A chilly wind nipped at my exposed skin, reminding me that we weren't in California anymore.

Not knowing which direction to go, we took a guess. Following a trail that split through the trees, we eventually began to see signs that set out a path for us to follow. Not many other guests had chosen to look around like us, and though I could see the appeal a day at the spa held, I couldn't lie and say I wasn't enjoying myself. Once I'd become accustomed to the colder air, the walk became peaceful and serene.

It felt strange to be so tucked away from the world for a while, and I welcomed the breath of fresh air.

I was all too aware that I'd stepped out from the shadows the night before, publically appearing next to Ryan on the red carpet, and that I'd willingly thrown myself into a world so different from my own. While my world revolved around a three year old bundle of joy and a self-inflicted expectation to finish my degree, his was a whole different kind of chaotic. Ryan had people all across the world wanting to know what he was doing at every moment of the day. Whether it was filming a scene for an upcoming movie or tying his shoelaces to go out for a run, they wanted to know. There were some who wanted to see him fail and some who looked up to him.

His life was a rollercoaster. There were good days and bad ones, but as an entirety, it was wild and unpredictable.

I wasn't sure how the news that he was dating a college student with a daughter would come across to the public, if they would be supportive or try to tear us apart. I didn't know if I'd be thrust into the spotlight or slowly sink back into the shadows when new gossip crossed the headlines. There was so much uncertainty laid out on the path before me, but with Ryan by my side, I hoped that, together, we would be able to conquer what was ahead.

Suddenly, quite literally pulling me from my thoughts, Ryan yanked me sideways. Stumbling over my own two feet, I felt my back press up against a tree. Our shoes were sinking into the slushed mud, having veered off of the path, and my eyes widened. "Is someone coming?" I asked quietly. When I turned my head, struggling to see or hear anyone around us, I looked back to Ryan with confusion.

He shook his head, though I did notice how he'd taken another step closer to me, pushing his body up against mine. "No," he replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he gazed down at me.

His lips were on mine in an instant. This kiss was not sweet and it was not innocent. It was passionate, needy, and full of yearning. There was no space between the two of us as he frantically moved his lips in sync with my own. His fingers were tangling themselves in my hair as I grabbed the front of his jacket, desperate for more of the warmth that was spreading to every corner of my body. I felt a new thrill surge through me, remembering that while we'd yet to see a single soul, that didn't mean there wasn't a chance of us getting caught against a tree in the middle of a forest, our hormones taking the lead.

He pulled back, his breath still mingling with mine. Opening my eyes slowly, I felt a lazy smile tug on my lips. "What was that for?" I asked, my voice sounding airy and light after being left breathless by his kiss.

"I just felt like it," he smirked, shrugging. I rolled my eyes. "Plus, I thought it'd be a way to lead in to me telling you that we have to be back at the resort in about half an hour."

Curiosity filled my eyes, my forehead crinkling with confusion. "Why, what's in half an hour?"

"I may have booked us both a private hour at the spa," he admitted. His hands, having never fallen from where they'd been woven into my hair, cupped my chin and tilted it upwards. The feeling of him brushing a feather light kiss against my lips before he continued speaking was enough to get my heartbreak back to a racing speed. "I wanted us to be able to relax for a bit. Not that this isn't relaxing, I just thought you'd enjoy a massage or something to brush off a bit of stress."

"You thought right." An impish grin formed on my face, while my grip on his jacket tightened once more. Calculating how long we'd been exploring, I'd guess that we were about twenty minutes away from the resort. "So you said we have thirty minutes right?" He nodded. "Then how about we make use of the next ten before heading back?"

Happiness radiated off of him when he understood what I was suggesting. I'd re-ignited the fire within him, and he didn't falter once, his lips attacking mine with yet another earth shattering kiss.

Half an hour later the two of us were running hand in hand through the back door of the resort, hurrying our way through the halls with laughter. Not having time to head back to our room and change, we pushed through the glass door of the spa. The worker's sent us a strange look as we stopped at the front desk, trying to calm ourselves and catch our breaths, although when their eyes landed on Ryan, those looks disappeared in an instant.

"Sorry we're a bit late," Ryan said, although the smile on his face was attesting to how apologetic he really was. Turning to face me, his eyes were glinting with the memory of what we've been doing to loose track of time. "I booked a private hour here for my girlfriend and I over the phone."

"Sure," the employee stammered, clearly aware of whom she was talking to. "I'll just go make sure everything's ready for you two." She offered us a nervous smile before scurrying off and out of our sight, returning minutes later with two white dressing gowns. Directing us to the changing rooms, she informed us that our masseuses would be with us when we were ready.

True to her words, when I slipped off my clothes and pulled on the fluffy white robe to cover myself, I walked out to see Ryan talking quietly to one of the women waiting for us. Hearing me approach, his gaze turned to me, his irises sparkling with a secret. No words were said to curb my curiosity, and before I could open my mouth, the two women directed us to lie down on the bare massage tables.

Lotions and oils were used to make the experience more relaxing, and although the pressure was borderline painful at points, I breathed through it, knowing it would be worth it in the long run. The woman, who was currently digging deep into the knotted tissues of my shoulders, was working magic. I could physically feel any worries I'd built up over the past few weeks fleeing from my body, and it felt amazing.

When her hands disappeared after only half an hour, I turned my head to see her signaling me to sit up. Pulling the tie on my robe tightly, I followed her instructions, but was confused as to what was going on when I saw Ryan still enjoying his own massage.

His eyes opened slowly at the sound of my feet hitting the floor and, noticing my puzzled expression, his lips curved into a soft grin. "Just go with it," he said quietly and encouragingly.

Not knowing what was going on, but trusting my boyfriend's wishes, I followed the masseuse into the next room. Lining the walls were hundreds of nail polishes, as well as several chairs set up in front of footbaths. Realizing what was going on, I picked out a baby pink colour from the shelves, keeping in theme with the holiday, and took a seat in one of the chairs. The next half hour was spent sitting back and unwinding as one of the employees worked on perfecting my manicure and pedicure, while another women came into the room to give me a soothing facial.

I'd never had the luxury of spending time at a professional spa before, and after spending just an hour with these women, I knew that I would definitely look into treating myself more often.

The spa experience was short though, the time for our privacy expiring all too soon. Feeling awakened and refreshed, I headed back to our room with Ryan, only to be given another surprise.

Without my knowledge, Ryan had been able to slip a black cocktail dress into my luggage. It was one that I'd seen hanging on Yvette's clothing rack the night before and it was gorgeous. The arms were intricately stitched with lace, attaching to an otherwise simple dress that fell to the middle of my thigh. Uttered speechless, Ryan took the opportunity to inform me of the dinner reservations he'd made at the restaurant downstairs.

It didn't take me long to get ready once I'd been shaken from my state of wonder. I simply pulled my hair up into a sleek ponytail and shimmied into the dress, choosing to only enhance my make-up the slightest bit. Rummaging quickly for the pair of heels Ryan had gifted me the night before, I slipped into them, smiling when I saw Ryan rolling up the sleeves of one of the dress shirts I'd bought him for Christmas.

The restaurant was fancier than I expected, five stars to be exact. Not even a minute after we were seated, an expensive bottle of red wine was brought out and poured into two glasses in front of us. The menu was one single sheet of laminated paper with seven complex dinner options to choose from, ranging from oven-roasted lamb chops to a vegetarian stir fry served over wild rice. It was a nice meal, and we were lucky enough not to be bothered by anyone as we ate, but it just wasn't my style. It was too elegant, too lavish, and too refined

When I had escaped to the bathroom for a few minutes to escape the dim lighting and cultivated environment, Ryan had paid the bill, sensing that I wasn't entirely comfortable in this setting.

It wasn't until we were strolling down the hallway towards our suite that he spoke to me. "Did you not like dinner?" Ryan asked nervously, a crease of worry slipping into his expression.

I shook my head as he unlocked our door, ushering me inside ahead of him. "I did," I insisted, continuing as his eyes turned skeptical. "Everything that you've done for me over the past two days has been absolutely incredible. It's been like I've been thrown into a fairytale, living in an unimaginable dream, and I've loved every second of it. I just, I don't know," I sighed, "I wanted something a little more relaxed and easygoing tonight."

He stepped closer to me; one hand grasping my hip while one hand cupped my chin, tilting my head upwards. Our eyes met and his eyes were thoughtful, almost searching, but it was clear that he wasn't mad. "Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked, rubbing his thumb in circles just above my waist. "I've would've just cancelled the reservations and ordered something to the room."

"I didn't want to ruin your plans."

He shook his head. "My plan was to spend time with you this weekend. It doesn't matter what we're doing, as long as we're together."

A smile pulled at my lips. "So you don't mind relaxing in the room for the rest of the night? Maybe watch a movie?"

"I think that sounds like the perfect excuse to hold you close to me," he replied cheekily, pulling me closer to his chest.

I laughed, planting my hands on his firm chest before pushing away. "I just have to get changed," I said lightly, "And then I promise I won't leave your side."

"I'm counting on it."

Shaking my head in amusement, I retreated to my suitcase. Tossing a few articles of clothing to the side, I searched for my pajamas before hitting a cardboard box that I'd completely forgotten about. Snatching it from the bottom of my bag, I grabbed the first pair of pajamas that I could spot before turning back to Ryan.

The air left my lungs at the sight of Ryan shirtless. He had stripped off his shirt and was working on the belt of his dress pants as his eyes trailed up to meet mine. I was aware of the amusement in his eyes as he nodded down to the box in my hands. "What's that?"

"Umm it's just something I bought you for Valentine's Day," I managed to breathe out, a nervous smile surfacing. "I wasn't sure what to get you, but I remembered you mentioned that you used to like building them, so, yeah." I extended my arms, pushing the present in his direction.

He was curious and intrigued, stepping forward to take the box from my hands. I hadn't wrapped it due to a considerable lack of tissue paper lying around my house, and watching him stare at the box in silence was making my hands jitter.

"Do you like it?" I asked quietly, biting my lip.

I saw the exact moment that it sunk in for him, the exact moment he realized that I remembered the conversation we'd had a while back about his past, and that I'd based his present on a hope that his past hobby hadn't died.

I had bought him a model plane kit, like the ones he had built when he was a kid, and as Ryan looked down at it, his eyes were wide with astonishment and disbelief.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to say, but the words that fell from his lips were a complete surprise.

"I love you."

"W... Wh... What?" I stammered out, eyes bulging.

I don't think he truly realized what three words he had uttered, his eyes widening in realization, but when a few moments of silence ran between us, his gaze softened. "I never thought I'd see another one of these kits again until I had my own kids, and with my busy schedule, I don't even know if I'd ever have time to sit down and build it with them. And then I met you. The first time I bumped into you, you intrigued me. I wasn't wearing much of a disguise, but you didn't recognize me." He smiled at the memory as he moved closer to me, discarding the gift on the table next to us. "Then we got closer and I met Abbie and you agreed to be my girlfriend. I hadn't thought about having a normal life again since my first premiere, and when you two suddenly became such a big part of my life, it felt like everything I believed in was turned on its axis. I found myself thinking about what it would be like to wake up next to you every day and hear Abbie playing downstairs with the toys that my family would no doubt buy her, just because she's too adorable to not love. She takes after her mother like that." His voice was tender and my eyes were filling with tears of happiness, though I kept the floodgates closed, not allowing them to fall. "I love you Zoe Hamilton, and I promise you I'll do anything possible to have you stay around for a long, long time."

My mouth was quivering now, but I was eventually able to find the courage I needed. There was no falter in my voice as I said, "I love you too Ryan."

His pupils brightened. "You do?"

I laughed, feeling one tear escape as I nodded. "Yes," I managed to force out.

Before I knew it, our mouths were locked in a fiery, passionate kiss. His tongue teased my bottom lip and I was unable to stifle the moan that it evoked, causing him to grin against my lips. My hands trailed up his bare chest effortlessly. I was conscious of my feet taking steps backwards. When the back of my knees hit the edge of the bed, I fell back against the soft sheets, knowing a movie was now the last thing on the either of our minds.

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It was safe to say that we didn't leave the hotel room again until the next morning.

Our night was spent exploring the love we harbored, finally giving in to the feelings that had been circling us from the first moment we'd bumped into each other in Corner Café all those months ago.

It was late in the morning when the two of us awoke. His arms were wrapped securely around my shoulders when my eyes fluttered open after the most amazing dream, and I couldn't of asked for a more perfect morning.

Knowing that our flight left early the next morning, Ryan asked me over breakfast if I wanted to head into the city for a few hours, in disguise of course, to sight see and act as run-of-the-mill tourists. I'd nodded excitedly, the thrill of wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city building in my stomach.

Seattle's streets were lively for a Sunday afternoon. There were cars whizzing past us and other people surrounding us on the sidewalk, but with the small disguises we'd both adorned at the resort, not a single passerby glanced our way.

There were shops lining each side of the road. With each step we took, the window displays seemed to change from expensive couture to books displays to freshly baked desserts. Spotting a pizza place at the next street corner, I pulled Ryan's hand, crossing the street to join the short line of customers. The food was greasy, unhealthy, and overall bad for us, but I didn't care one bit as I stuffed the food into my mouth once we'd found a vacant bench to sit down.

The food was only the first thing that we stopped for however, as the stores we spotted throughout the city began to draw our attention and spark curiosity. Ryan had managed to wrangle me into a science store for kids, in which I laughed as he stood with a wide smile on his face, watching an employee help a group of kids make their very own silly putty. I, on the other hand, coerced Ryan into stepping into a used bookstore. It wasn't the most organized or the biggest of places, but the inside held character, the books slightly worn and battered from years of love from past owners.

"I can't believe you bought five books," Ryan said, shaking his head as we walked out of the shop, a bell ringing over our heads. "When are you going to have time to read them?"

"I'll find time," I replied, swinging our intertwined hands back and forth, "And I tend to go overboard in books stores sometimes."

"That's not to hard to believe," he teased.

Shoving myself into his side half-heartedly, I wasn't surprised when his hand left mine, seeking out a resting spot on my shoulder.

The streets became busier as the afternoon began to disappear. We must've spent hours exploring the downtown, and when we reached an area that slowly started to disperse into high rises and company buildings, we figured that we'd spent all the time possible in the city. With an intersection up ahead, I prayed that finding a taxi back to the resort wouldn't be too difficult.

What happened next was unforeseeable.

It may have been due to the fact the two of us were too focused on hailing down a taxi, or it could've been fate playing a cruel joke on me, but as we reached the street corner, the two of us bumped into another person coming around the corner.

There body collided mostly with mine, Ryan taking it upon himself to steady my feet as I toppled backwards from the collision, having not seen anyone in my path.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

The voice trailed off in disbelief when they realized whom exactly they had bumped into. My spine stiffened and my eyes snapped up in urgency, needing to see if this was really happening. It couldn't be, not now. Yet here we were, standing face to face as though not a day had passed since we'd last spoken.

"What are you doing here?"

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I'm technically finishing this one-hour after Valentine's Day is over, but in my mind, this chapter still fits the theme of the weekend. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Who do you guys think they bumped into? What are your predictions for the rest of the book? (There are only six chapters left, including an epilogue). Also, my next upload may or may not be for my new short story, Staying Afloat, so I suggest checking that out if you haven't yet!

This chapter is dedicated to EmSlough for her wonderful revamp of a cover, as well as the banner at the top of the chapter xx