chapter 19

                            𝟏𝟗

𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐍

I can't believe how quickly this summer went by. Ellie and I have to leave tomorrow, Since school is starting on Monday. I really don't want to leave. I'm going to miss Ryder, so god-damn much.

And it will be so long before we get to see each other again, what if he forgets about me and moves on?

I wouldn't be able to cope with that kind of heart break.

I've known Ryder a full three months now. I don't want to lose any time with him, but I don't have much of a choice. Not only that, but I have to do good in school, so I can get into a nice college here in Florida.

That way, I can see him every day, and since Ryder is still finishing college, we might even end up going to the same school even if it's just for a year.

And if we last for that long, we might even eventually move in together. I know I might have thought too much about this, but I just can't help myself.

"Quinn?"

"Sorry, what did you say?" I asked Ryder, who was sitting next to me on the thinking rock.

"I didn't say anything, you just got so quiet that I started to worry."

"No, sorry. I was just thinking, that's all." He laughed and pulled me tighter against him.

"You don't need to worry, I won't forget about you, and I sure as hell won't stop calling you, and talking to you every day, I'm going to call you so much that you'll probably be the one who gets tired of me."

I laughed, but I turned serious again when I asked the following question.

"Ryder, we've only known each other for 3 months, how do we know that we won't meet someone new?"

Ryder looked at me, I've never seen him look so serious.

"Quinn, if that happens, then it means that we never really loved each other, and I know for a fact that I love you, and I think that you love me, so I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes." Would it be possible to fall more in love with a person every day?

"Ryder, of course, I fucking love you. That's why I'm going to do my best, so I can get into the University of Florida, and our life together can officially start."

I'm so ready for our future together.

I want to spend the rest of my life with this man because I have never met someone so kind and strong like him. He is the kind of man you find in fairy tale books and movies.

I finally found the man of my dreams.

I know plenty of people are going to laugh at me now since, I'm only 18, and he is 21, but we'll see who will be the ones laughing in 5 years.

So on the 25th of January, it's Ryder's birthday and I would have already graduated by then, so I decided that I would surprise him. I already checked with James, and he confirmed that Ryder didn't have any plans, and he was going to be here.

"I will miss you so much." Ryder said as he pressed a soft kiss to my temple.

"You have no idea." I said and kissed him on the lips.

This has had to be our most emotion filled kiss ever, and most possibly the most special one as well.

"Quinn, I'm going to miss everything about you." I smiled at him warmly.

"Yeah, I will miss everything about you too, especially your face."

Ryder chuckled and hugged me. It was the longest and best hug we've ever shared, just like the kiss.

~~~~

So the time has come. Ellie and I are going home today, the guys are driving us to the airport, and it is getting too difficult to hold back our tears, but we have to for the sake of all of us.

We have arrived at the airport with only ten minutes to spare. God, do I wish it was more, maybe I should just change my mind and finish school here, yeah, that sounds like a great idea?

'No, Quinn, get it together!' I thought to myself.

"Okay, here we are." I heard James say while he took Ellie and my bags out of the trunk. Ryder didn't really say much, which worried me.

"Ry?" I asked. But to my surprise, he smiled.

"What did you just call me?" He said, grinning. Oh, crap! Did I just give him a nickname?

"Nothing." I said while looking at my feet, I could feel my cheeks heating up instantly.

"Hey, don't look away from me, I think it's cute."

"Really?" I asked, but couldn't hide the smile on my face.

"Yeah, but only you get to call me that, though." I hugged him around the waist.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

He hugged me back.

"I know. I will miss you too."

We said our goodbyes, and turned to leave. But when we were almost at the door, we heard James shoutout something from behind us. Something that made me and Ellie both stop dead in our tracks.

"Ellie, I love you!" Ellie turned towards me with a look I've never seen before. I smiled at her and nodded, and that seemed to give her all the answers she was searching for.

"I love you too!" And in a matter of seconds they're in each other's arms, crying and kissing. And to others around us, this might have looked like two crazy people, but to me, it was the most beautiful thing ever, finally seeing my best friend in love and happy.

"Sorry to break up this special moment, but if they don't leave right now, they are going to miss their flight." I heard Ryder say to James. I laughed when James sighed and asked Ryder for just two more minutes.

5 painfully long hours later, we finally landed. I already missed Ryder the second we boarded the plane, so the second we landed I yanked my phone out of my purse, took it off flight mode and texted him.

He replied immediately, he always did. That is one of the things that I love about him.

𝐐: 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐝.

𝐑: 𝐇𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚, 𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.

𝐐: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?

𝐑: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

𝐐: 𝐍𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐨!

𝐑: 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝.

𝐐: 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐲.

I forgot to mention, Ryder started working as a bartender at the local bar, so he could earn some extra cash, so I won't get to talk to him as much as I wanted, but that okay, I'm just happy for him, he truly enjoys his job.

"Quinn?" Ellie called, pulling me away from my phone.

"Yeah?" I asked with a smile.

"I miss him." I sighed but smiled.

"Yeah, I know. Loving someone who lives so far away is hard, but in our cases completely worth it."

"Definitely." Ellie said smirking.

Our parents picked us up at the airport. It was good seeing them again, even if we like just saw them a week ago. Ellie and I said our goodbyes. We agreed that she'll pick me up on Monday so we can drive to school together.

I'm not worried at all, I know that Ryder and I will be just fine, and hopefully, I'll have a drama free year, without any Mark and Jessica drama.

Fuck, I spoke too soon. Why the hell is there drama waiting at my front door?