Ryder

twenty one

There was a big chance that I might just have been dreaming right then.

But then again, dreams weren't this disbelieving and happy whenever I had them. They'd stopped being nice a year or so ago.

It was just, I'd never had anyone or any chance of ever just spontaneously going out in the middle of the night with someone I trusted enough to keep me safe but one I barely knew anything about (Ryder was safe but I didn't know him). And no one had ever, during my whole nineteen--almost twenty--years of existence ever bought me sunflowers or a kitten of all things, or taken me out on a short trip to one of the many huge hills that surrounded one side of this town, with a sky above so dark and full of twinkling stars.

Well, to be fair, Ryder hadn't exactly driven us all the way here on his motorcycle because of me. It was the black kitten in my hands that had needed a nightly stroll.

But still, I had never seen so many stars in my life before.

I was starstruck and unfortunately, seconds away from having a really bad case of word vomit.

"You're so soft." I gushed unabashedly as I held the tiny kitten in my hands. "And you've got such big eyes! I've never actually held a kitty like you in my hands before. It's just they seem so awfully snippy whenever I go near them but you're such a gem. And the stars!" I held her up in the sky and quite nearly fell back on the grass. My sweet little black gem blinked back at me with her big brown eyes and her fur seemed to glitter amongst the stars. "So many stars. I've never seen so many stars in one spot before. They're almost as pretty as those sunflowers, although I do think they're wilting back in my dorm and I'm just so devastated and happy."

I was quite possibly drunk on happiness. It was so entirely similar, yet so different from being drunk on alcohol. I liked it better because being drunk with happiness was much more effective than being drunk because of alcohol.

The kitten in my hands gave a small meow and I laughed in delight.

I was so wrong. We were already in the danger zone by then. I was so unbelievably happy and vomiting out every word that came to my tongue seemed like a necessity by then.

"Are you waiting for the cat to talk back?" I heard Ryder somewhere behind me.

Falling back on the grass, I looked over at him, my face upside down, and found him by his motorcycle. He'd been busy with a phone call and I hadn't heard him putting his phone away. I hadn't realized he was listening to my blabbering.

That didn't however stop me though.

I grinned. "How had you known that I absolutely and incredibly adore sunflowers!" No one knew that. I hadn't even known it until I woke up with one of them almost in my face today. So big and bright and yellow.

He narrowed his eyes at me. Or I think he did it since I was still somewhat looking at him upside down. I rolled over on my stomach and placed the kitten before me, looking up at Ryder questioningly.

"I hadn't known." He spoke carefully, gaze steadily lowering down my face and my whole form in a pointed gesture. "But it wasn't difficult to assume."

He was looking at the pajamas I was currently wearing right then. My striped pajamas with tiny sunflowers on them. He was right.

A surprised giggle left my lips when Gem tried to lick my chin. "But." I sobered and sat up. "That was so nice and thoughtful of you."

Ryder looked away. "Pains me to agree, but I suppose."

I watched as Gem walked away a few steps and a few more, nosing around the cool night air. "Can I tell you something?"

He regarded me with a somewhat pensive gaze before leaning against his motorcycle. Ryder wasn't wearing a jacket because I was wearing his jacket and that meant I could see them. The tattoos that were visible beneath his rolled-up sleeves. I wanted so desperately right then to close the distance between us and trace my fingertips along the black ink, ask him about them, find out what each of them meant.