Page 73 of Loathing Ryan
“What are you thinking about?” Bells snapped me out of my thoughts, her voice vibrating against my chest.
I glanced down at her. “Nothing, really. Just about how I won’t get to see you until summer.”
Izabel pushed herself up slightly so she could look into my eyes. She gave a little pout. “I know. That seems like forever from now.”
“I need to ask you something,” I trailed off, tightening my arm around her waist and bringing her closer. She looked at me expectantly. “It’s just...are we okay, Bells?”
Her eyebrows bunched together. “What do you mean?”
“Things just don’t feel the same between us. I just want to make sure that we’re okay. Thatyou’reokay with us. With the distance.”
She stared at me for a few seconds, processing what I had just asked her. Then, slowly, she leaned in and pressed her lips to my cheek. My eyes closed of their own accord, relishing her closeness.
“I am more than okay, Ry,” she said against my cheek. “I promise.”
I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding and clutched her. Those words gave me relief. I don’t know what to do without her, but I never wanted her to be unhappy. If she had said that she wasn’t okay, we would figure it out. I would not be a burden to her.
“Thank God,” I muttered as I rolled her over again, assuming my position between her legs.
She squealed and wrapped her calves around my lower back, pulling me closer to her. I captured her lips in mine, and we picked up right where we had left off.
Spring— Year 2 — Izabel
My pencil tapped against the wooden table as I thought about what else to put on this study guide. Midterms were coming up, and I had so much to do; I could barely think straight. My head bopped slightly to the music playing out of my headphones.
The library was swarming today with students cramming for exams. There were energy drinks and coffees strewn across the tables and lots of groans of frustration.
My focus was entirely on my study guide, when I felt a pair of hands clamp down on my shoulders, slightly squeezing my muscles. Startled, I whipped my head around to see Mark grinning behind me. I yanked out one of my earbuds and smiled back.
“What’s up?” I prodded. I hadn’t seen him yet today. Usually, he was always willing to study with me.
Mark kept one hand on my shoulder as he maneuvered into the chair beside me. “You willneverguess what I got you!”
The energy radiated off him, and he sported one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen. His brown eyes were twinkling in mischief. It was impossible for me not to smile back at him because he emanated so much excitement.
“What is it?” I asked him, now pulling out my other earbud so I could give him my full attention.
Mark moved his hand off my shoulder and reached into his backpack, pulling out a manilla folder and sliding it over to me on the table. I shot him a questioning glance and moved to open it.
My fingers moved inside the folder and pulled out the papers. Mark was beside me, practically bouncing in his chair, unable to contain himself. I looked over the paperwork, and my heart rate increased.
“Italy!” I exclaimed, looking over the waiver printed on the school’s stationery.
“Yes!” he shouted back, throwing up his hands. “It’s a fifteen-day historical tour of Italy! The history department is doing a big tour, and it has open slots. I thought you would love it, so I jumped on the opportunity and put our names down!”
This was incredible! I had always wanted to go to Italy. The food, the history, the atmosphere. It would be a perfect summer excursion, and at no cost. I was beyond excited.
Then I saw the dates. And as I mentally pulled up my calendar, my heart sank into my stomach, leaving me with a sour sick feeling.
“Mark,” I whispered, defeated. “I’m supposed to be in Berlin on those dates.”
“It’s fine. You can just reschedule that,” he brushed me off.
“I’ve been planning that trip for months, years,” I said, irritation tingling in the back of my mind. “You knew I was going to be going this summer. It’s not like I’ve kept it a secret from you.”
Or that it really mattered if I had.
Mark fully settled down now, picking up on my quickly dimming excitement. “Look, Izabel. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip! You can’t miss this. Just think of all the history we’re going to get to experience.”
