Stall Me [Ryden] [BOOK TWO]

seven

The next time I opened my eyes, I was still passed out on the couch, curled up in Ryan's lap. I raised my head to peer around Ryan's arms. The living room was quiet, the tv and dvd player turned off. When I glanced a the window I noticed it was dark outside. The environment was serene- so what had woke me up? I attempted to shift, but pain shot up my leg, so I winced and sat still. Instead, I turned my attention up to Ryan.

He was peacefully asleep, he looked as if nothing could ever disturb him. A soft smile landed on my face, but my intervention where I enjoyed Ryan's appearance was interrupted as Sarah threw the door open, walked in, then slammed it again. She appeared to have something in her hand, which I soon realized was my own, olive-green guitar. Panic filled me as stormed straight through the house, her goal appeared to be outside- with my guitar. Not hers, mine. 

I quickly whined and grabbed Ryan's leg, shaking him rather violently. Ryan jolted awake with a sharp intake of breath. He sent me an expression of confusion, but I simply motioned my head in the direction in which Sarah was headed. Ryan quietly turned his head over his shoulder to peer over the couch. When he took notice of Sarah, he cursed under his breath. "Shit." Quickly, I scrambled off of Ryan, allowing him to lunge from the couch, and instead run at Sarah before she could reach the door.

"Sarah! What..what uh, are you doing with Brendon's guitar?" Ryan stalled. Sarah whirled around to face Ryan, an expression of disgust crossing her face. I frowned from behind the couch. I was clutching to it to express my pain, instead watching over the edge of the couch at the conversation. Sarah easily saw me, though, and shook her head in disbelief. "If he's gonna be a cheating son of a bitch he doesn't deserve the pleasure of this stupid group of glued together wood, Ryan, get out of my house." She snapped.

My panic grew- Ryan wouldn't let her throw my guitar out, would he? Ryan's face fell into yet another frown. I could tell from where I sat, there was really nothing he could do about the situation. I groaned and fell back on the couch, "Then I'll leave," I decided, raising my head warily to yet again, peer over the couch. That stopped their docile argument. Both Ryan and Sarah snapped their attention to me.

"Leave? You're just gonna walk out if I give you this?" She asked. Ryan gave me a look of desperation, I could see the pain in his eyes knowing I was risking my favorite guitar's 'life'. Yet at the moment, my guitar was the last of my worries. If Sarah was going to act like this, cross the line into my musical career, then clearly  I had no business with her. So I straightened up as my confidence grown, though my mood was easily dropping. "Yes." 

Sarah stared at me for a long moment before her lips curled into a smile. "Deal, take this, and get out." She decided, shoving the guitar into Ryan's arms. The boy grunted softly in surprise at the extra weight added to his arms. I found myself choking on air as I neurotically willed Ryan to keep a good hold on it. In the end, he managed to catch it, and turned to me with a deflated smile. "Shall we?" He called out.

I quickly wiped at my eyes, before leaning over to lift Bogart into my arms. "I'm taking Bogart, too. Everything else..I'll come get it in the next 30 days. Legally, I have that much time to get on my feet before you have the right to kick me out of this house." I spoke, my confidence growing with each step I took towards Ryan, Bogart curled up in my arms. Ryan gripped firmly to the guitar neck, running his fingers over the body of it all the same- he appeared to be too caught up in admiring my guitar. 

"Deal. Go." Sarah insisted, pointing at the door. As I turned to head in that direction, Sarah spoke up yet again, "Wait, here. You can take this, too." I whirled around to face Sarah, only for her to watch her quite dramatically remove the engagement ring I'd given her- off of her finger. That's when my world came crashing down. Surely she just wanted a break, right? She wasn't dumping me- she couldn't, not in the situation I was in.