❝You know I love you, right?❞
21-year-old Kendall Morgan moves to Los Angeles where she plans to live out her dream. But there is only one problem: She doesn't even know where to start.
One fateful day, while working in a coffee shop, she meets Holl...
No matter how fast he walked, he felt as if he wasn't walking fast enough.
He just had to see had to see her. He had to see her bright green eyes look into his brown ones. He had to see the way her mesmerizing curls bounced while she moved her head. He had to see the smile that he'd been craving for the past week.
Without Kendall, he felt void. She made him better. She made everyone better. It was the energy she gave off that made you want to be a better person.
They were meant to be. How could Ryan stay away from his soulmate?
He took the stairs up to Kendall's apartment floor. The elevator was too slow.
I'm coming, Kendall. We'll be together again soon.
He swiftly made his way to Kendall's apartment door and knocked impatiently. After a minute, she swung the door open.
"What the hell, Ry-"
Ryan cut her off with a kiss.
Kendall tensed for a moment before kissing back. Every part of her wanted this, but a tiny part knew it was wrong. A small voice nagged at her to stop, but she didn't care. Ryan was already on her bed and removing her shirt. She was already too far off the edge to control herself. And his lips felt like magic against hers. His fingers grazed over her body, leaving trails of fire on her skin.
Stop.
Kendall put her hand on Ryan's bare chest and pulled away. "I can't do this."
His dark brown eyes filled with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I said we should keep our distance," Kendall recalled.
"Your lips say one thing, yet your body says another."
Kendall shut her eyes tightly. "I just need to focus on myself right now."
Ryan nodded, slightly disappointed. "I get that. But don't ask me to stay away from you again."
Kendall subconsciously bit her lip, forgetting the effect it had on Ryan. Ryan stood up from the bed, putting his shirt on uncomfortably. If he didn't have a raging case of blue balls, he wouldn't feel so awkward.
Despite the small voice in Kendall's head saying she had nothing to feel sorry for, she couldn't help but feel bad. She had led him on. No one liked a tease.
Before she had time to think, she spoke. "Um, do you wanna go somewhere?"
★
Kendall and Ryan strolled down the store's cereal aisle, enthusiastically debating on what the best cereal was.
When they talked, it seemed so natural. There was never an awkward silence. They could easily bounce topics and ideas off of one another. Ryan liked the fact that he could talk to Kendall about anything and everything. A conversation with her was never dull. She just became so lively when she talked. Her voice could mesmerize anyone who heard it. And Ryan was glad that he had the opportunity to hear her speak. Her voice was like a blessing.
"Reese's Puffs are a crime to the cereal nation," Kendall claimed confidently. "Lucky Charms are obviously superior."
"But eventually they get boring," Ryan countered.
Kendall mocked a gasp. "Marshmallows will never ever get boring. With Reese's Puffs, it's just chocolate and peanut butter in every bite. It's artificial and it doesn't even taste that good," she said, grabbing a box of Lucky Charms off a shelf. "Plus, it's my groceries."
"All right, Kendall. You can continue to believe that Lucky Charms are better. Only the awoken ones know that Reese's Puffs rule the cereal world."
Kendall rolled her eyes playfully and turned the shopping cart into the candy isle. The bright, colorful assortments of candy bags nearly blinded Ryan as he followed behind her. He grimaced as he watched Kendall toss a bag of gummy bears into the cart.
"How can you eat that garbage?" Ryan questioned.
"How can you not eat this garbage? It's the best thing ever."
"I guess I just ate too much candy as a kid to the point where I don't like it now."
"That's gotta suck," Kendall said with fake empathy. She pushed the cart into the vacant self-checkout area.
"Maybe I should go on one A.M. shopping trips more often," Ryan joked. "There would be less people to recognize me."
Every now and then, Kendall would forget that Ryan was an actor. The world saw him as a movie star, while she just saw him as a normal person. But it was small moments—so small that she wasn't sure they were real—when Kendall would notice how he ran his hand through his dark hair and smiled. Those millisecond long moments made her remember who Ryan was.
Ryan could be with wealthy actresses or singers. Why was he showing an interest in Kendall?
Girls around the world were practically in love with him. What made Kendall so special?
Kendall laughed. "Don't be too sure," she nodded towards two girls who were timidly approaching them. They looked like they were in their early twenties.
"Are you Ryan Hughes?" one of the girls asked timidly.
"No," Ryan deadpanned, then laughed when the girls frowned at his response. "I'm kidding."
The second girl light up. "Could we get a picture with you."
"Sure." Ryan smiled. He took the girl's phone and took two pictures with them. "Have a nice day, ladies," he said, hugging them each.
They both blushed before scurrying out of the store. Kendall continued to scan her groceries and paid when she was finished. Without saying a word, she picked up the bags. Ryan took a few from her, and they walked out into the night.
Comfortable silence engulfed them. The cool Los Angeles air caressed Kendall's skin, causing small goosebumps to form on her arms. She could hear nothing but the steady beating of her heart.
She wasn't sure of what drew Ryan to her, or what drew her to him. But Ryan seemed like a good guy. She had to give him a chance.
How bad could he be?
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