Page 25 of Mommy's Boyfriend (Be My Boyfriend 1)

Rylee eventually lifted herself off of me and rolled onto the blanket next to me. We both lay there for a while speechless and motionless except for the quiet panting of our breath and the slow rising of our chests. The sun had finally settled beyond the horizon and twilight was hanging over us in the night’s sky with the distant twinkling of the stars. It was then that I realized that what I felt for Rylee wasn’t going to change.

The thought struck me like a freight train. Not only did I need to convince Rylee to be with me because I wanted her, but also because my life would be empty without her. I’d spent most of my adult life unattached and only then did I realize how lackluster it was. I’d missed out on the most important and exciting things in life, like spending time holding the woman I really care about in my arms or making her life or taking her to new, exotic places. I knew that Rylee wouldn’t be easy to convince, but I also knew I couldn’t give up on her. I believed that no matter what the complications were, we could overcome it together.

Just then, Rylee sat up and I felt the whole world around me disrupt. Her absence felt like a thorn in my heart and painful pangs of sadness hung low in my chest. It felt like a part of myself had somehow detached itself and I couldn’t bear it. She had started to get dressed again (sans her ripped panties) and I knew she’d be wanting to get back soon, but I couldn’t help myself. I needed to say something.

I zipped my pants back up and then reached out and took her hand. “Rylee, it’s clearer now more than ever that we have unfinished business with each other,” I told her. “Our chemistry is undeniable and I don’t want to let go of that all because of what some gossiping locals might say about us just because they’re bored with their own dull lives.”

Rylee turned to face me as she buttoned up her blouse again. She was frowning. “You know it’s more complicated than that,” she retorted.

“I know, but it doesn’t matter, Rylee. You’re worth any kind of complication,” I assured her and held her hand tighter, hoping to persuade her to believe me.

Rylee stared at me for a long time after that and I couldn’t decipher the look on her face. I wanted to believe that she was starting to trust me, but I had no reason to think that. I wished I could tell what was going on in her head. Before I could say anything more, Rylee was standing and straightening her skirt. She slipped her shoes back on and coughed.

“I need to get home now,” she said as she looked away from me.

“Okay,” I responded, feeling like even after making sweet love to her for the first time in five years, that I had somehow lost her again.

We proceeded to pack everything up and head back to the car. The drive home was a comfortable silence. All I could think about was finding more and more ways to convince Rylee that I really wanted to be with her and to get her to trust that I wouldn’t disappear again, but it was difficult. Not once in my life had I tried this hard to win over a woman and that proved just how important Rylee truly was to me. I started to think about telling her how I was retired comfortably with a lot of money. I could really take care of her and she wouldn’t need to work a day in her life if she didn’t want to.

I opened my mouth to tell her all of this, but as I glanced over at her, I found that I couldn’t. “I really enjoy spending time with you, Rylee,” was what I said instead. I couldn’t help it. It was the truth and it came tumbling out of me before I could stop it. I knew it wasn’t half as convincing as the many other reasons we should be together, but it was the one that meant the most to me at that moment.

She smiled over at me and oh, how I adored that beautiful smile of hers. “I enjoy spending time with you too,” she admitted, “but I’m just not sure that it outweighs the risks of us being together.” She let out a sigh and shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe we should just take a break, especially while you’re still pretending to date my mother.”

I frowned. “I don’t think I can bear to stay away from you, Rylee,” I admitted.

Rylee let out a quiet chuckle. “You’re forgetting that we spent five years apart, Spencer. I’m sure you can hold out another few months,” she reminded me with a pointed look.

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