these mountains and that guy deserves to rot in prison for a long time, not get eaten. My work here’s done. I gotta go.”
“No, wait!”
I gave Chelsea a wink before I shot out of there so fast I disappeared in the blink of an eye.
By the time I got back to Ryan’s dorm, the news of Chelsea’s recovery was already being reported. Ryan met me at the entrance of his building and didn’t say anything, just pulled me into his arms. I laughed, but there were sobs mixed in with it.
“Are you okay?” Ryan asked quietly.
I sniffled. My laughter died down, leaving only my tears behind. “Oh, Ryan. Thank you for talking me into doing that.”
Ryan squeezed me tighter. “It went well, then?”
“That poor little girl. You should have seen her. She was so scared, but so brave. She was so sweet, and now she’s going to be okay.”
“Because of you,” Ryan said.
I didn’t respond to that right away. I didn’t care that it was because of me. I was just glad that that creep didn’t get the chance to touch her. The thought of whatever his plans were being the last minutes of her life was enough to make me sick. But she was safe now, and that man would never do that to anyone ever again, and that felt good.
I wouldn’t care if anyone ever knew what I’d done. I didn’t need the glory of it all, but Ryan was right. Knowing that I had done something to help someone made a difference.
“It felt so good to be able to help instead of hurt for once. I did something useful. I have all this power and I sit on it like it’s a curse, but maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s a gift. Think of all the good I could do.”
Ryan finally pulled my face away from his chest so that he could look into my eyes. His were so warm and his smile was so bright that his nickname should have been Sunshine instead of mine.
“See?” he said. “You’re already thinking more positively.”
I rolled my eyes, but he was right. He’d given me something tonight that I never realized I’d needed so badly. He gave me a sense of hope, a purpose.
Yeah, I’d come to terms with what had happened to me. Thanks to Ryan I’d realized that I could still live my life, but the “why” had always plagued me. Why had this happened to me? Why was this my burden to bear?
Now, though? If I could use what happened to me to really make a difference in people’s lives, the “why” wouldn’t matter anymore.
“Will you tell me about it?” Ryan asked. “I watched the news the whole time you were gone. I was scared when they said she was kidnapped. Did you have trouble with the guy? Did they catch him? Was it dangerous? Were you scared?”
I shook my head. “If anything, knowing that someone had her only made me determined. I wasn’t scared at all, just angry. When I found them, he had her tied up and gagged. I didn’t even think of being scared. I didn’t lose my head like I did when Mr. E. hurt you. I was smart about it, and careful.”
My voice was filled with excitement again and I smiled at Ryan. “I can do this! I want to do this! You’re right. I know I can’t change what happened to Mike, but helping Chelsea tonight? Even if I never save anyone ever again, I saved her. One person’s life is better because of me. That’s enough to help me accept the past and move on.”
“You were right,” I said again. “I did need something better to hold on to.” I flung my arms around him and let my tears fall. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Ryan’s hands moved to my waist and then up my back as if he couldn’t hold me tightly enough to satisfy his need. “Don’t thank me for that. You’re the one who did it, Jamie. And for the record, more than one person’s life is better because of you.”
“I know. Imagine what that girl’s parents would feel like if anything worse had happened to her.”
Ryan gave a soft laugh. “I meant me , Sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes. Ryan can be the biggest romantic. I am not the mushy type,
“No, wait!”
I gave Chelsea a wink before I shot out of there so fast I disappeared in the blink of an eye.
By the time I got back to Ryan’s dorm, the news of Chelsea’s recovery was already being reported. Ryan met me at the entrance of his building and didn’t say anything, just pulled me into his arms. I laughed, but there were sobs mixed in with it.
“Are you okay?” Ryan asked quietly.
I sniffled. My laughter died down, leaving only my tears behind. “Oh, Ryan. Thank you for talking me into doing that.”
Ryan squeezed me tighter. “It went well, then?”
“That poor little girl. You should have seen her. She was so scared, but so brave. She was so sweet, and now she’s going to be okay.”
“Because of you,” Ryan said.
I didn’t respond to that right away. I didn’t care that it was because of me. I was just glad that that creep didn’t get the chance to touch her. The thought of whatever his plans were being the last minutes of her life was enough to make me sick. But she was safe now, and that man would never do that to anyone ever again, and that felt good.
I wouldn’t care if anyone ever knew what I’d done. I didn’t need the glory of it all, but Ryan was right. Knowing that I had done something to help someone made a difference.
“It felt so good to be able to help instead of hurt for once. I did something useful. I have all this power and I sit on it like it’s a curse, but maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s a gift. Think of all the good I could do.”
Ryan finally pulled my face away from his chest so that he could look into my eyes. His were so warm and his smile was so bright that his nickname should have been Sunshine instead of mine.
“See?” he said. “You’re already thinking more positively.”
I rolled my eyes, but he was right. He’d given me something tonight that I never realized I’d needed so badly. He gave me a sense of hope, a purpose.
Yeah, I’d come to terms with what had happened to me. Thanks to Ryan I’d realized that I could still live my life, but the “why” had always plagued me. Why had this happened to me? Why was this my burden to bear?
Now, though? If I could use what happened to me to really make a difference in people’s lives, the “why” wouldn’t matter anymore.
“Will you tell me about it?” Ryan asked. “I watched the news the whole time you were gone. I was scared when they said she was kidnapped. Did you have trouble with the guy? Did they catch him? Was it dangerous? Were you scared?”
I shook my head. “If anything, knowing that someone had her only made me determined. I wasn’t scared at all, just angry. When I found them, he had her tied up and gagged. I didn’t even think of being scared. I didn’t lose my head like I did when Mr. E. hurt you. I was smart about it, and careful.”
My voice was filled with excitement again and I smiled at Ryan. “I can do this! I want to do this! You’re right. I know I can’t change what happened to Mike, but helping Chelsea tonight? Even if I never save anyone ever again, I saved her. One person’s life is better because of me. That’s enough to help me accept the past and move on.”
“You were right,” I said again. “I did need something better to hold on to.” I flung my arms around him and let my tears fall. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Ryan’s hands moved to my waist and then up my back as if he couldn’t hold me tightly enough to satisfy his need. “Don’t thank me for that. You’re the one who did it, Jamie. And for the record, more than one person’s life is better because of you.”
“I know. Imagine what that girl’s parents would feel like if anything worse had happened to her.”
Ryan gave a soft laugh. “I meant me , Sunshine.”
I rolled my eyes. Ryan can be the biggest romantic. I am not the mushy type,
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