Page 73 of Between Then and Now
“And today,” he says, his voice dropping to a tender murmur, “is the first of many days where I get to tell you that I love you.”
And then I close the gap between us.
Every kiss I shared with Ryan is different. The first kiss was hesitant, full of complications and the weight of unspoken words. It was the kind of kiss that left you wondering, questioning everything that came before and everything that might follow. The lighthouse kisses were tinged with self-doubt, a desperate attempt to understand emotions we weren’t ready to face, filled with the fear of what might go wrong. The kisses in our room in the inn were hot and heavy.
But this kiss—this one is perfect.
It starts softly, almost shyly, as if we’re both savoring the moment, committing it to memory. His lips are warm and familiar. His hand gently cradles the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair and anchoring me to him in the most tender way. I can feel the steady rhythm of his heart beneath my fingertips, matching the beat of my own, as if our bodies are syncing, finding their own perfect harmony.
As the kiss deepens, I lose myself in the sensation of it—the softness of his lips, the way he tilts his head to fit perfectly with mine, the warmth of his breath mingling with my own.
“Ahem.”
I freeze at the sound of a throat clearing. I open my eyes to see Ryan, equally wide-eyed. The house, which had been comfortably dim, is now flooded with light so bright that my eyes have to adjust. I squint a few times until it hits me—there are more than a dozen pairs of eyes staring right at us.
Our living room is set up with streamers and banners that say “Congratulations.” From a distance, I can see the dining table decorated with different kinds of food.
“Well, shit,” Ryan mutters, loosening his hold on me but keeping one hand firmly in mine. “So, this is where everybody is.” He looks atManangLinda and says, “You didn’t tell me.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”ManangLinda shrugs. I shake my head at her obvious amusement. “I told you, everybody. These two will come home with more than just memories.” She smiles and proceeds to the kitchen, the very picture of nonchalance.
“What the hell?” I stammer, looking around in disbelief at the unexpected audience.
“We were supposed to surprise you after your award,” Haley says, stepping forward from the back of the room, “but we got carried away with the free romcom.”
“And none of you thought to make your presence known before we, you know, made out in front of everyone?” I shout, half in shock, half in embarrassment.
“Well, we didn’t want to interrupt the big confession,” my mom chimes in, looking far too amused by the situation. “We did try to very subtly hint at our presence when you started kissing, though.”
“But you two wouldn’t budge; Haley was actually the third person to clear her throat,” Richard adds, casually munching on a piece of fried chicken.TitaFrances swats his hand, scolding him to stop eating and wait for everyone.
Ryan takes charge, raising his voice over the murmur of the crowd. “Okay, people. I’m not usually one to break up a gathering, but as you can see, we’re kind of in the middle ofsomething important.” He tightens his grip on my hand and pulls me toward the door.
“Byeeeee!” I call out, following him without hesitation.
“Okay, that’s just wrong. It’s not like we won’t know what happens next—” Haley starts to say, but Ryan shuts the door firmly before she can finish.
“There’s something else, Bon,” he says as we’re free of the audience. He motions to a dog crate behind me. “I dropped him off earlier today, before I went looking for you.”
I peek in the cage and see Puppy, wagging his tail. I open the door immediately, and he jumps into my arms. “Hey, Puppy! I missed you so much, oh my god!” He licks my face, and I laugh. I turn to Ryan and say, “Do we have to name him now?”
“I suppose so. Do you have anything in mind?” he asks as he holds one of Puppy’s paws.
“How about ‘Lighthouse’? Or ‘Eight’, ‘cos, you know it was the room we shared? Or ooooh, how about ‘Rain Cloud’?” I say as we walk down the steps of my house.
I turn to Ryan who’s looking at me intently. “We’ll figure it out.” He takes Puppy—Lighthouse-Eight-Rain Cloud—from me and holds my hand.
We can still hear the muffled voices of our friends and family on the other side of the door, but right now, none of that matters. Ryan turns to me, his eyes full of love and determination, and kisses me one more time. Again, this kiss is different—it’s filled with promises, the kind that speak of the future we’re going to build together, one day at a time.
EPILOGUE
Emily (The next protagonist)
one year later
It’s late—later than I’d like to admit. I blink away the fatigue, forcing my eyes off the computer screen and out to the New York City skyline. It’s surreal, this view. The skyline I once only saw in movies is now my reality, ever since I got this job three weeks ago. It’s been a series of pinch-me moments since I started here, like living inside a postcard. I even have my own desk, right by the window, with a view that never fails to mesmerize.
My attention is glued to the pedestrian sixteen stories below. She has a phone set up on a tripod and she’s dancing while the others are obviously annoyed at how she’s taking up space on a busy street. I chuckle to myself because the streets of New York are very rarely dull.
