Chapter 64 Two Different Pulls

Chapter 64 Two Different Pulls
I stand there still in shock, my heart pounding hard.
The roar of the ocean and the cheering crowd suddenly feel very far away.
Ryan is here in Malibu. He's here at Samuel's surfing competition.
For me.
"Ryan… oh my goodness, hey," I manage to say, finally, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around his neck in a tight hug.
My god, he smells exactly the same.
When I pull back, he's still smiling at me.

I notice Fareed and the rest of the group watching us, and quickly compose myself, stepping back a little.
"Guys, um…" I begin, gesturing between them. "This is Ryan."
Ryan shakes Fareed's hand first, then Melissa's.
"Hi," he greets them politely, then turns to Zayn. He's about to pump his hand in a handshake, but on second thought, pulls him into a bro hug.
"Good to see you, man."
There's a little smile on Zayn's face as he withdraws from the embrace.

I think I'm dreaming for a moment because, to my surprise, Zayn actually looks kinda happy, in fact.
I thought he'd be mad and stuff. But he doesn't look the least bit hostile.
"Same here," Zayn responds.
Ryan finally turns back to me.
"How did you… What are you doing here?" I ask, still stunned. "Oh my gosh, this is a huge surprise."
"I know." He smiles, rubbing the back of his neck almost shyly.
"I decided to come see you," he says in a soft voice.

"Since I had your home address in LA, I booked a flight. Got in last night, actually. When I showed up at your parents' house this morning, no one was home."
He lets out a small, self-conscious laugh.
"I felt like an idiot standing there on the porch."
I wince. "I'm sorry, Ryan. Also, I don't live with them anymore. I stay with Zayn at his apartment." I explain. "And then we left for here."
"I can see that now," he says with a small, joking laugh. "Anyway, I stopped by the hospital where your mom works, and she told me you were in Malibu with a friend."

He looks around the beach briefly. "She suggested I wait until you got back, but I told her I'd just take a bus over and maybe rent a motel, cause I didn't want to wait. So she gave me the address."
Ryan meets my eyes, the smile turning a little vulnerable. "I really missed you, Ash."
I feel a little guilty of the warmth that flutters in my chest.
I've actually missed Ryan more than I've let myself admit.
"You must be exhausted," I say worriedly, taking a look at his face.
"I am," he sighs, but his smile stays soft. "Totally worth it, though."

My cheeks grow warm. I glance sideways at Fareed and Zayn— both of them are staring at us. Fareed looks curious. Zayn's expression is neutral, but I can almost hear the thoughts going on in his head.
Thoughts of what would happen now that he's here.
"Um… walk with me?" I suggest, suddenly needing to escape the scrutiny.
"Sure."
"We'll be back, guys," I say over my shoulder as we start walking down the sand.

"Yeah. Take your time," Fareed drawls, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Ryan gives me a questioning look.
"Is he my competition?" he asks curiously, in a whisper so that Fareed won't hear.
I let out a surprised laugh. "No. I just got here yesterday. I barely know him."
"Good," He mutters.
Zayn. That's your competition.
The thought flashes through my mind uninvited. I push it down.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't find a motel around," Ryan continues. "Everything's booked because of the competition."

"Oh. That's annoying." I pause, then add, "Perhaps you could crash at Samuel's beach house with us. I'm sure he won't mind."
"Who?"
"Samuel, the friend we're here for."
"Oh."
We keep walking along the shoreline when I spot Samuel heading back toward our group, a shiny gold trophy clutched in his hand.

"There he is," I say, waving to get his attention. "Let's ask him now."
"Hey, Samuel!" I call, jogging lightly toward him with Ryan beside me. Congratulations on your win! I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Ash," he replies, beaming. His eyes shift curiously to Ryan.
"This is my friend Ryan," I say quickly. "He came to see me, but all the motels are booked. Would you mind if he stays with us for a few days?"
Samuel shrugs easily, still smiling. "Sure, no problem. Any friend of yours is welcome. Besides, I'm in way too good a mood today to say no."

"Thanks, man," Ryan says, tipping his head. "And congratulations again on the win."
"No worries."
Samuel continues toward the group. I glance back and see Roy and Anna—who all of a sudden seemed to have spawned from nowhere—rushing over to greet him, Fareed and Roy jumping on him in celebration as he holds up the trophy.
"So now that your accommodation is sorted," I continue, stopping to face Ryan.

I take in his face properly, his warm brown eyes and gentle smile.

"Tell me the real reason you're here, Ryan."
I have to ask because I have a feeling he's here to win me back. That type of romance that happens in movies.
I don't want that to be the case here because he'll only end up hurt. Again.
He looks at me for a long moment, then sighs. "I already told you. I miss you, Ash. And the way we broke up never sat right with me." He pauses, searching my face. "I know the distance is a lot, but I still stand on the fact that we can make it work."

His voice has so much emotion in it. "Or is there someone else already?"
I hesitate, my eyes flicking over his shoulder to where Zayn is standing with the others.
"No," I lie quietly.
Ryan's shoulders visibly sag in relief. "Phew. Kinda had me scared for a minute."
I slip my hands into the pockets of my shorts, looking out at the water instead of at him. The guilt is already coiling in my stomach.
"Ryan…" I start carefully. "I don't want you to think that coming all this way means we're gonna…"

"I know." He cuts me off gently. "I just… I needed to see you, Ash. To know you're okay." His voice drops. "But…"
I hold my breath.

"In the few days that we'll be here, can you at least please consider it?"
"Ryan…" I groan.
"Just think about it, please. Okay?"
Sighing deeply, I respond. "Fine. Okay, I will."
He leans down to press a kiss to my cheek. "Thank you."
"Come on," I say, turning back toward the others. "Let's get you settled. Samuel's got plenty of room at the beach house."
Ryan falls into step beside me.

When we reach the group, Samuel is still being enthusiastically congratulated on winning first place.
Melissa's eyeing Ryan with new interest, and I catch her giving him a slow once-over.
A strange flicker of satisfaction springs in my chest at the shift in her attention.
At least for now, she's no longer focused on Zayn.
"So, Ryan's staying with us," I announce to the group, trying to keep my voice light.
Samuel nods. "The more the merrier,"

"Hi Ryan!" Anna chirps brightly, rushing forward to give him a quick hug.
Zayn and I lock eyes while Ryan's distracted.
It's not a long look, but it feels loaded with everything we're not saying out loud.
What happens now?