messages and two missed phone calls from him. She really wanted to talk to
him but refused to give in to her desires. She would only get hurt again.
“He likes you a lot, Nat.”
“How do you know that?” She looked up from her phone.
“Oh, ummm….” Lise stuck her head in her closet.
“Lise, why do you keep interfering after I already told you
I don’t want to go out with him? First, you gave him my number without asking
me and now you’re trying to plan a double date for us. I still can’t believe
you called and told him I was okay without asking me if I wanted him to know.”
Natalie took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to
say anything she would later regret.
“I’m sorry. He was really worried about you and when I
couldn’t find you or get a hold of you, he asked for your number so I gave it
to him. Besides, Sal told me that Ryan said he couldn’t stop thinking about
you.” Lise pulled her head out of the closet. “You’re not supposed to know that
and neither am I. Ryan apparently told Sal in confidence.”
Natalie’s heart rate automatically doubled. Was he really
thinking about her the way she was thinking about him? Surely not. Giddiness
swept across her. She fell back on her bed, holding the phone close to her
chest. She glanced over at Lise. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why you keep pretending you don’t like
him. I can see it all over your face.”
Natalie covered her face with her pillow. A few seconds later
she tossed the pillow to the side. “Is it that obvious?”
“Uh, yeah. I know that jerk really hurt you but Ryan seems
like a good guy.”
Natalie smirked. “They always do.”
“You need to call him. Besides, he’s freakin’ hot too.”
Natalie narrowed her eyes at Lise. She wouldn’t put it past
her to try and hit on Ryan.
“Don’t worry, I already know what you’re thinking and he’s
not my type. He’s a little too country for me. Besides, I think fate brought
you two together. I mean what a coincidence that you two ran into each other
here?”
Natalie thought about what Lise said. Was it fate? Or
another heartbreak waiting to happen? The phone rang, interrupting her
thoughts. She glanced at the number on the screen. It took her a whole second
to realize that number belonged to Ryan. A rush of adrenaline hit and her body
tingled with excitement. Without thinking, she hit the answer key.
“Hello?” She quickly searched her mind for something to say.
Her body tensed with fear and her head spun.
“ e He..llo, Natalie? It’s
me, Ryan. Ryan Garrett.” Instantly, her body wilted at the sound of his rugged
voice.
“Hi.”
“Thanks for taking my call. I’m not trying to stalk you or
anything. I...ummm…just ummm….wanted to apologize for any inappropriate
behavior the other night. I don’t know what got into me.”
“It’s okay. It’s my fault, not yours.” She searched for the
right words but her mind was blank.
“No, it’s not all your fault. I’m guilty too.”
“I guess we are both to blame to a certain extent.” Natalie
noticed Lise looking at her.
“Who’s that?” Lise whispered.
Natalie ignored her and kept her attention on Ryan.
“I didn’t mean to upset you to the point where you had to
run off. I went after you but I couldn’t find you. That’s when I told Lise and
Sal, and we all went looking for you. I’m not sure if she told you that. I
asked for your number and she gave it to me. I hope you don’t mind.” Ryan cleared
his throat.
“Yes, she told me. I’m sorry I ran out on you Ryan—”
“OMG! Are you talking to Ryan?” Lise blurted out.
Natalie covered the phone with her hand and motioned for
Lise to go away. Lise held up her hands, waiting for an answer so Natalie nodded,
confirming her question. Lise smiled and winked, and then went back to getting
dressed.
“Sorry. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve got issues.”
Natalie didn’t know how else to put it.
him but refused to give in to her desires. She would only get hurt again.
“He likes you a lot, Nat.”
“How do you know that?” She looked up from her phone.
“Oh, ummm….” Lise stuck her head in her closet.
“Lise, why do you keep interfering after I already told you
I don’t want to go out with him? First, you gave him my number without asking
me and now you’re trying to plan a double date for us. I still can’t believe
you called and told him I was okay without asking me if I wanted him to know.”
Natalie took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to
say anything she would later regret.
“I’m sorry. He was really worried about you and when I
couldn’t find you or get a hold of you, he asked for your number so I gave it
to him. Besides, Sal told me that Ryan said he couldn’t stop thinking about
you.” Lise pulled her head out of the closet. “You’re not supposed to know that
and neither am I. Ryan apparently told Sal in confidence.”
Natalie’s heart rate automatically doubled. Was he really
thinking about her the way she was thinking about him? Surely not. Giddiness
swept across her. She fell back on her bed, holding the phone close to her
chest. She glanced over at Lise. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why you keep pretending you don’t like
him. I can see it all over your face.”
Natalie covered her face with her pillow. A few seconds later
she tossed the pillow to the side. “Is it that obvious?”
“Uh, yeah. I know that jerk really hurt you but Ryan seems
like a good guy.”
Natalie smirked. “They always do.”
“You need to call him. Besides, he’s freakin’ hot too.”
Natalie narrowed her eyes at Lise. She wouldn’t put it past
her to try and hit on Ryan.
“Don’t worry, I already know what you’re thinking and he’s
not my type. He’s a little too country for me. Besides, I think fate brought
you two together. I mean what a coincidence that you two ran into each other
here?”
Natalie thought about what Lise said. Was it fate? Or
another heartbreak waiting to happen? The phone rang, interrupting her
thoughts. She glanced at the number on the screen. It took her a whole second
to realize that number belonged to Ryan. A rush of adrenaline hit and her body
tingled with excitement. Without thinking, she hit the answer key.
“Hello?” She quickly searched her mind for something to say.
Her body tensed with fear and her head spun.
“ e He..llo, Natalie? It’s
me, Ryan. Ryan Garrett.” Instantly, her body wilted at the sound of his rugged
voice.
“Hi.”
“Thanks for taking my call. I’m not trying to stalk you or
anything. I...ummm…just ummm….wanted to apologize for any inappropriate
behavior the other night. I don’t know what got into me.”
“It’s okay. It’s my fault, not yours.” She searched for the
right words but her mind was blank.
“No, it’s not all your fault. I’m guilty too.”
“I guess we are both to blame to a certain extent.” Natalie
noticed Lise looking at her.
“Who’s that?” Lise whispered.
Natalie ignored her and kept her attention on Ryan.
“I didn’t mean to upset you to the point where you had to
run off. I went after you but I couldn’t find you. That’s when I told Lise and
Sal, and we all went looking for you. I’m not sure if she told you that. I
asked for your number and she gave it to me. I hope you don’t mind.” Ryan cleared
his throat.
“Yes, she told me. I’m sorry I ran out on you Ryan—”
“OMG! Are you talking to Ryan?” Lise blurted out.
Natalie covered the phone with her hand and motioned for
Lise to go away. Lise held up her hands, waiting for an answer so Natalie nodded,
confirming her question. Lise smiled and winked, and then went back to getting
dressed.
“Sorry. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve got issues.”
Natalie didn’t know how else to put it.
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