Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I lifted my shirt and checked my side. I was almost as good as new. The only evidence of my injuries were some raised pink bumps from the bullet wound and where the stitches had been before the doctor took them out a week prior. I smiled at the thought that everything was almost just a memory now, and pulled my shirt back down, readjusting my collar. I looked myself over carefully. My shirt was clean, so were my pants, I was in a brand new pair of converse that my dad had given me, and the bags under my eyes were almost non-existent. I looked okay to me, but I needed a second opinion. I hurried out of my room and down the hall to my dad's bedroom. I poked my head in quietly. "Dad?" I said.

My dad looked up from the papers in his lap and smiled when he saw me. He was looking better everyday. His cheeks were full of color again, he hadn't had a serious coughing fit in over a week, and he had walked all the way downstairs for breakfast without any help this morning. I knew he hated being stuck in bed, but it seemed like that wouldn't be for much longer.

I stepped into the room and held out my arms for his inspection. "Does this look okay?" I asked.

He looked me over. His eyes scanned my light blue, short sleaved button up and black jeans, the ones without holes in the knees per his recommendation. My hair was combed back nicely and I was a wristband that Ryan had gotten for me the day I got my stitches out. My dad nodded in approval. "Very sharp," he said.

A relieved smile tugged at my lips. "Good," I said, dropping my arms. "Are you sure you'll be okay without me? I left dinner on the stove and some blankets on the couch. If you can't make it upstairs by yourself you can sleep there," I told him.

He chuckled like my effort as unnecessary. "I'll be fine. Go on and have a good time, and tell that boy to take good care of you," he said.

"I will," I promised. I couldn't help smiling as quickly hurried back to my room to grab my jacket.

It had been a little over a month since everything had happened. At the trial, my mom was found guilty of all charges and she was now serving a fourty year prison term for first degree attempted murder. I thought it should've been a life sentence, but the jury ruled that out since she was a woman. I wondered if it was because the majority of the jury had been women and my mother's defense was mostly aimed towards them.

My dad had to stay in the hospital for about two weeks before he was allowed to come home. I had hoped to see him improve more quickly, but it had taken some time for him to get used to being taken care of. He had been very quiet and he slept most of the time at first, but with every passing day he became even more like his lively self again. It was good to see him finally feeling better after all he had gone through.

As for Ryan and I, we'd been taking it slow and easy. He was still a little nervous to be around me sometimes, especially if he had just fought with his parents, but he was getting better. I just had to make sure he knew I wasn't afraid of him even if he was upset. He was learning to talk to me about the things that bothered him, and he was learning how to use conversation as a release of anger instead of an outburst.

I smiled as I zipped my jacket. Today was our big date. He had asked me where I wanted to go, and I said that he could take me anywhere he wanted with the exception of sushi as I wasn't very fond of raw fish. I wasn't sure where he was actually going to take me, but he said to dress nice. This was as nice as I could be, so I hoped it was good enough.

As I finished fixing a straw hair that had fallen into my eyes, I heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. I quickly grabbed my phone and hurried down to open the door. As I did, my whole body tingled with anticipation. As soon as I saw the person outside, I flung my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. The visitor chuckled and hugged me back. "Hey, gorgeous. You look great," Ryan said.

I shrugged, the smile still on my face. "You look great too," I told him, pulling away.

He glanced inside. "Is your dad up or is he still sleeping?" he asked.

"He's up, but he's doing paperwork. He told me to tell you to take good care of me," I said.

Ryan slipped an arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

I laughed and pulled the door closed as we stepped off the porch together. "So where are you taking me?" I asked curiously.

"Not telling. But don't worry. You'll love it," Ryan promised.

I wasn't sure what was around here, but I knew Ryan wouldn't take me somewhere I wouldn't like so I put my trust in him and let him lead the way to where we were headed. I watched as the trees and houses turned into the city lights as we walked, our hands swinging between us contently. Finally, Ryan stopped me in front of a beautiful two story building with perfectly shaped and trimmed plants surrounding the front walkway. The doors were open to the streets, and I could hear classical music playing inside. We walked through the doors and my eyes widened at everything I saw. There were fancy chandeliers, waiters in full suits, and a candle on every table. It was like a movie.

Ryan pulled me with him towards a man standing behind a podium with a pair of wire-frame glasses perched on his nose. The man smiled politely. "Do you have a reservation?" he asked.

Ryan nodded. "Yes, the reservation is under Ryan Richards," he told the man.

After checking a book on his podium, the man smiled again. "Of course. Right this way."

We followed him up some stairs and to an empty balcony that looked over the nicer side of the city. There was a table for two set up near one corner and Ryan pulling out my seat for me as I sat down. "Thank you," I said. He sat down across from me and winked.

The man from the counter said, "A waiter will be with you shortly," before he handed us a wine menu and.

After deciding that wine was not for us, we set the menu aside. I looked around. "This is a really nice place," I said.

Ryan picked at a couple of stray crumbs on the table cloth nervously. "I hope you like it. I wanted it to be really special," he said.

"Of course." I smiled and put my hand over his. "I love it," I said. The blush on his cheeks darkened.

Just then, the waiter walked up. "Do you know what you wish to drink?" he asked as he handed us regular menus. "We have a wide selection of wine, beer, and other beverages."

I glanced at Ryan. "Would it be wrong if me to ask if they have Dr. Pepper?" I whispered.

Ryan snickered. "You never know until you try." He turned to the waiter. "Can we have two Dr. Peppers, please?"

The waiter wrote it down on his notepad and gave a tiny bow with his head. "I'll bring them right out," he said.

As he walked away, I chuckled. "I feel like royalty or something."

Ryan imitated the waiter's bow with made a straight face. "I'll bring them right out, Master," he said with an English accent that did not fit his normal voice.

I laughed into my hand as I returned the bow. "Jolly right. Carry on," I said between giggles. We started laughing at the totally inaccurate use of phrasing and I couldn't help wondering what the waiter would say if he heard us. "Jeez. I feel so rude. What if he walked in while we were saying that?" I asked.

"I bet he'd just keep his back straight and not say anything," Ryan said as he tried to control his laughter.

The waiter walked back out on the balcony as we were still laughing with a tray with two drinks on it. He set a drink next to each of us. "Have you decided on your dinner yet?" he asked.

Ryan cleared his throat to keep himself from laughing. "Not yet," he said.

The waiter nodded before giving another small bow and leaving. I grinned. "I hope we're not too annoying," I said. "Two improper teenagers at the more proper place in the city."

Ryan shrugged. "If we were, we'd get kicked out. This place is pretty tight about those things," he explained.

I looked around with a nod. "Yeah. I got that impression."

After that, Ryan and I talked about several different things and had a fabulous dinner. It took a solid hour, but I could tell Ryan wasn't as nervous as he'd been before. He was smiling more easily after his first glass of soda and he didn't hesitate when he talked. It made the evening a whole lot more relaxed and enjoyable when neither of us was worried about being weird.

"So, when do you think your dad will be going back to work?" Ryan asked as he took the last bites of his food.

"He's working from home right now, but I think he'll be back to working normally in a few more weeks," I said.

Ryan nodded. "I hope he gets better. I mean, I'm worried about him, but I also see the stress it puts on you too," he said.

I shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'm just happy to be of some help." Suddenly, I faintly heard the sound of a familiar song. I concentrated on it as I listened to the lyrics.

Ryan noticed my sudden distraction. "What is it?" he asked.

I looked back at him. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just listening to the music. I used to hear this song on the radio all the time when I lived with my mom," I explained. I trailed off as I looked away. "She hated the radio I had and often took it away from me to keep me from using it... It's just a bad memory to remember," I said, hoping to defuse the situation I had suddenly created.

Ryan was silent for a second. Then he stood up and walked around to my side of the table. I frowned as he held out a hand to me. "Would you care to dance?" he asked, a smiling hinting on his lips.

I blinked and looked around. "What, here?" I asked. "Why?"

"I want to dance with you," Ryan pressed. "Let's make it a good memory to remember."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. My eyes drifted to the other guests at the restaurant and then back to Ryan. His smile remained and I eventually looked down at his hand. Then I sighed and took it, standing up and letting him lead me to an open space on the balcony. As the music reached a slow section, he put my hands around his neck then placed his own on hips. I swallowed. "Just so you know, I can't dance at all," I warned.

Ryan grinned. "Don't worry. I'll teach you," he said.

He started to sway from side to side, moving me along with him. I slowly got the hang of it and smiled lightly to myself as I watched our feet move across the floor. Contentedly, I laid my head on his chest with a sigh. "Thank you..." I murmured.

"Hmm?" he asked. I just shook my head.

The world around us just seemed to melt into the background as we drifted slowly around the balcony, our bodies so close we could feel the warmth of one another perfectly. The song seemed to go on forever, but I was still disappointed when it slowly got quieter and quieter, until it ended all together. Ryan held me to him for a moment before he finally released me and smiled. "See? You're not that bad of a dancer," he said.

I laughed and pushed him a little. "In your opinion. I had no idea what I was doing," I countered.

His smile widened and he slipped his arms around my waist. He bent down and kissed my neck as he whispered, "Do you know what I'm doing?"

I leaned into his touch and smiled, deciding to ignore the fact that there were other people in the restaurant that could definitely see us. "Depends," I said.

Ryan pulled away. "On what?" he asked.

"Well, if you're doing what I think you're doing, then I'll push you off the balcony," I told him.

He frowned and layed his head on my shoulder. "Aw! Why?" he asked, looking disappointed.

I nudged his shoulder with my elbow. "Are you crazy? There are people everywhere. I would never do something like that in a place like this," I said. "It's bad enough you got me to dance."

A gleam of mischief shown in Ryan's eyes when he lifted his head to look at me. " So, you're saying that it would be fine if we were somewhere else?" he asked.

I blushed at his obvious intentions. "Maybe..."

*******

Subscribe to my YouTube at: Melanie Eberheart

Donate to my Patreon at: patreon.com/MelanieEberheart

Or follow me on Tumblr at: nekosaysmeow333

- Nekoco