“See you later, Ryder,” she whispered, nearly choking on her words as all her suppressed emotions came rising to the surface. There was no way she would ever put all that on Ryder's shoulders. He didn't deserve to be weighed down by the knowledge that she'd fallen hopelessly in love with him. The past few years had been rough on him, and she knew there had been some dark nights of the soul as he mourned the passing of Lena. She wasn't going to pile any more baggage on his already heavy load.
“Don't forget to save me a dance,” he shouted after her. His words seared her ears and brought to mind images of the two of them slow dancing to a love song. How in the world was she going to act normal with Ryder holding her in his arms and gliding her across the dance floor? Every day it was becoming harder and harder to conceal the depth of emotion she felt towards Ryder. At work. During their down time. Whenever they were in each other's company. And even though the thought of being held against Ryder's strong chest made her heart race with longing, she hated the fact that she couldn't reveal to him everything she'd been holding in for the last six years.
Because, the truth was, holding it inside was slowly breaking her heart.
*
The Way Home Page 17
