RYAN'S POV

"Ava slow down, what's wrong?" the words just slipped out even though it was so obvious what was wrong.

"What's wrong?!" She snapped in disbelief as we stopped abruptly. She opened her mouth to speak but it seemed like there were so many things she wanted to say all at once, that she couldn't say any of them at all, and paused in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I know. Let me explain."

"Explain? Yeah you have a lot of explaining to do but right now you don't get to say anything."

"Please just let me tell you why I had to be with Melissa this week." I pleaded.

"No. I don't want to hear it. I don't care anymore! The only words you're gonna hear next will be from me." She snapped.

Even when she was angry, she was wildly beautiful to me; her eyes were blazing, and the pins in her hair had loosened, sending soft tendrils falling to frame her passionate face.

"No. More. Melissa." She all but growled, "And that's an order!"

Her face contorted in pain, her eyes revealed a storm inside her as she pushed me against the wall.

"Why did you let her kiss you?" she grimaced, the confusion and frustration etched deep in her expressions.

The image of Ava locked in Très' embrace flashed before my eyes, evoked in response to her accusatory question/tone, and suddenly I couldn't suppress my jealousy and hurt and frustration any longer as my expression hardened. Why did you let him?

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't have Ava." I replied swiftly, unable to completely keep the bitterness out of my tone.

Fire blazed in her eyes in reply, before it quickly died down into smouldering embers of guilt and remorse. And then she kissed me.

She pulled me towards her by the lapels of my tux and crushed my lips to hers, kissing me so deeply, so passionately that I felt like I might spontaneously combust. It wasn't a sweet kiss; it was urgent and searching and possessive. But it filled me with complete and utter involuntary ecstasy...and hope. My guard had already been worn down before I could even try and put it up. And before I knew it, I was already kissing her back, letting myself be pulled in by her irresistibility. Her lips melded with mine as she maintained her hold on my jacket, never straying even a hair's breadth away. She pulled me closer, following my movements as I gathered her into my arms so unaware of how much I had needed to hold her, to feel her clutching at my chest; how weak I was to my desires to let her consume me. How much love I had been keeping inside, building, rising, intensifying no matter how many times she knocked me back.

She was a burning flame but I was running out of oxygen; she was going to take every last breath from me until there was nothing left to burn. I couldn't help but let my feelings pour out into the kiss, I couldn't stop; because there was something in the way she kissed me so desperately that made me unable to refuse her.

"I'm so stupid" she cried against my lips, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,"

She cradled my face in her hands and kissed me even more deeply, "Don't be with her. You can't. You're mine."

What?

"You're mine Ryan," She whispered again, pain evident in her eyes as they squeezed shut, her brows furrowed acutely as she blindly sought out my lips.

Against my heart's wishes, my brain stepped on the breaks; I needed to know if she was going to tell me she felt the same way I did.

"Ava," I began, holding her gently by the shoulders and setting her back a little. "What does that mean?"

Her beautiful eyes were caught in anguish and I half expected her to freeze and go into lockdown again. I held my breath and prepared for the worst, but she tightened her grip, and did just the opposite.

"It means she's all wrong for you" She began. "She doesn't know you, she doesn't appreciate you, she doesn't care about you."

"She's no good for you." She concluded firmly.

I felt like she was finally opening up to me, and I stood there in disbelief. She was finally being honest, and I didn't want her to stop now.

"Who is good for me then?" I pressed, "Tell me just who exactly the right girl for me is?"

I just wanted her to say 'it's me' because with all of her imperfections, it's never been clearer that she's the perfect girl for me.

Something like determination blazed in her eyes.

"Someone that knows your favourite colour is forest green, that you like vanilla & coconut Ice cream, you love books and you have a way with words, you're a lightning striker in soccer, you suck at making pancakes, and you secretly have really nice abs."

I laughed softly as she slid her hand down my torso to emphasise her point.

"Someone who knows how selfless you are, and that you always put others before yourself." She kept going, shattering all my expectations.

"Someone whose whole day brightens just by seeing you smile, and who feels like they get lost in the depths of your eyes when you look at them."

My heart beat more and more out of control after hearing each new thought.

"Someone who will put you first, makes you their top priority and doesn't care if you were born second."

I heard her choke up a little and I felt a lump form in my throat too; from all the emotions surging through my body.

"Someone who...just wants you to be happy, and lets you decide who or what will give you that happiness, even though they thought that they knew letting you go was what was best for you."

She looked down and away ashamedly.

All this time...every time she ever tried to push me away when I knew that I wasn't the only one who felt the sparks between us. When I knew just how good things could be...this was what she was thinking about? She thought I wouldn't be happy if we were together?

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but I was speechless. All this time she was thinking of me. She was wrong, but she'd been thinking of me.

She took my face into her hands. "Ryan you deserve someone that really cherishes you, and cannot stand to be apart from you and not be able to hear your voice. She feels empty when she's not in your arms. When you're angry or sad, she feels it 100 times more, especially when she's been the reason for your suffering."

She was close to tears, and the words seemed to be tumbling out of her mouth straight from her heart.

Don't cry, please don't cry. If you cry, then I'll cry!

"You deserve someone that loves you. Really, truly, genuinely loves you. And Melissa does not. She is not that someone." Ava finished quietly.

I wanted to hear her say that that someone was her.

"No. Melissa is not that someone." I agreed gently, not realising she had been holding her breath.

She sighed with relief deeper into my arms.

And maybe it was seeing her with Très (and then Tanner tonight), but all my insecurities I had tried to bury came rising to the surface once again. I felt like I just needed to hear her say it for real, even though deep down I know it. I can feel it. And I know it was not easy for her to open up like that and leave herself vulnerable.

The words slipped out:

"So, are you?"

Her gaze flickered up to meet mine, but I couldn't read the expression on her face.

And before she even got the chance to say something, suddenly the gym doors slammed wide open as someone rushed outside in a rampage.

"There you are you skank!" Melissa sneered.

"Your Mom should be calling you any second now to tell you the bad news." She huffed. She did look like a demon, with her hair extensions frizzy and mangled as they stuck out from where Ava had pulled them. Her eyes were almost glowing red as she charged towards Ava with her claw-like nails out, looking like she was going to tackle her to the ground.

Out of pure instinct, I moved in front of her protectively.

And like witchcraft, Ava's phone began to ringseconds later.

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Sorry to make you wait for the most dramatic part guys!

First of all I would just like to apologise to those of you who messaged me via Wattpad inbox. I've been checking Wattpad via the app on my phone and for some reason it just never gave me notifications for new messages in my inbox. I am truly sorry for not having seen and replied to your messages!

To everyone that has left me wonderful comments and messages, thank you so much for supporting me even while I've been holding out on you. Last year was incredibly tough and challenging for me. I spent a lot of time writing that's for sure, but not on my story as I would have loved to do. Instead, I had constant academic manuscripts and essays to research and generate and I was so drained by the end of it that my brain had no creative energy left to offer.

Know that I am still working away at this slowly but surely. I promise I'll finish it (eventually!)

Until the next update, enjoy, comment, vote, and message! I'll be checking a lot more often now.

Take care, 

Cerise xx :)