Page 79 of Loathing Ryan
It was painful letting her hop on that flight home. The look she gave me before walking through the security gate still haunts me in my dreams to this day. It was the epitome of heartbreak, with a hint of loneliness.
That day, I started planning my surprise trip. About two weeks ago, I called her dad for minor sleuthing. I had to make sure that she wasn’t planning a trip home and to find out which dorm she was living in.
My GPS on my phone dinged to let me know that I had to turn off my exit. I glanced around as I got closer and closer to the university. Princeton was a historic university, one of the prestigious Ivy Leagues. The campus itself looked old—classic buildings with gothic architecture.
I pulled into a guest parking lot and parked the car. Reaching behind me, I grabbed my duffle bag and slung it over my shoulder. Then I walked toward the dorm building that was hers.
As I approached, I saw students swiping key cards to access the building. I stood still in one spot, looking around to see if there was a check-in desk. This was so different from what I was used to back in Berlin.
“Are you going in?” a girl asked as she approached me. She must have seen my confused expression, and she giggled. “It’s okay. I live here. I can let you in if you want, handsome. You got a name?”
“Uh…” I paused, at a loss for words. “Ryan.”
“Well, Ryan, what brings you around here?” she prodded as she grabbed my arm and led me to the door, where she quickly scanned her card, and the door beeped.
“I’m here to see my girlfriend.”
Dropping my arm, she pouted. “Of course you are. Well, I won’t interfere, then. Have fun.” She stepped away once we were inside, muttering about how the handsome ones are always taken.
I chuckled and looked around for a sign or directions or something. Izabel was in Room 307. So third floor, odd side. Meandering my way up the stairs, I found her door. On the outside of the door was a small whiteboard that had swirly purple letters. It depicted Izabel’s name and then her roommate’s.
I remembered the schedule that she shared with me at the start of her semester. I didn’t think she had a class right now. Her door was mostly shut but cracked, leaving just an inch or two of space. I could easily push it open.
So I did, and I quietly stepped into the small room and came to an abrupt halt.
Her dorm room was a double with two beds, two small desks, and two dressers. One bed was made up of a blue patterned comforter with a teddy bear sitting proudly on top.
But what stopped me in my tracks was what I found on the other bed. Izabel and Mark were sitting on the floor, leaning against the edge of one of the beds. Mark’s head was tossed back, his mouth wide open as he snored. Izabel was against his side, her head lolled onto his shoulder. Both were fast asleep. Notebooks, pens, and flashcards were strewn across the bed and on the floor.
I took in the scene briefly, letting my brain catch up with the images my eyes were seeing. Then I felt the heat sear through my body.
I dropped my duffle bag on the ground with a loud thud. “Bells.”
Izabel stirred at the sound of my voice. She lifted her head and looked around, confused. When her eyes landed on me, with my arms crossed against my chest, she quickly straightened up and shoved Mark awake. The boy next to her startled with a snort and lifted his head.
“Ryan?” Izabel asked as she joined the land of the living again. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to surprise you since it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other,” I said, my voice flat. My blood thrummed, but I bit down any anger that threatened to rise.
Izabel and Mark both scrambled off the floor. Izabel wrapped her arms around her stomach and smiled at me sheepishly. I glared at her, and the smile fell off her lips. Mark noticed the quiet exchange and stepped up to me, and patted me on the shoulder.
“Hey, man, long time. This isn’t what it looks like. We were studying and took a nap. That’s all.”
I glared at Mark, still trying to keep a hold of the fire that threatened to unleash. Of course, I trusted Izabel wouldn’t do anything out of sorts, but still, seeing her cozy with Mark rubbed me the wrong way. “You need to get the fuck out of my face,man.”
Mark recoiled from me and held up his hands in mock surrender. He glanced back at Izabel, who nodded toward the door. “You should probably go, Mark,” she whispered.
He stared at her for a second too long before grabbing his backpack off the desk chair and leaving the dorm room.
That left Izabel and me. Her blue eyes locked on mine. She warily stepped toward me, lifting a hand to my cheek. I maneuvered out of her way and gave her another hard look. Her face fell, and she sighed.
“Nice to see you too,” I muttered.
“You should have called to let me know you were coming,” she shot back.
“Why, so you could put on a big show of everything being perfectly fine for me? Really, Izabel?” I shook my head. “I shouldn’t have to?—”
I paused, not liking the direction I was taking this. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I inhaled deeply. “I just—this isn’t what I was expecting walking in here. Please, just be honest. Is there anything going on with him?”
