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Do I love Ryu?

I adored hih I ads towith pleasure But did I love hi voice in ree with hi an enorht as I stashed it inclothes still sitting next to me

All of a sudden, I was packed Which " as a diversionary tactic So I zipped up my suitcase and walked it to the top of the staircase before co back to kneel in front of Ryu

"Ryu--" I pleaded, but he didn’t let me start

"No, Jane I know you I know you love me Fine, it’s not the same as what you felt for Jason But you were children Of course it’s not the sa with all the compromises and bullshit and worries that adults have to deal with"

I sat stunned at the mention of Jason

"Ryu," I said finally "This isn’t about Jason--"

"Is it about Anyan, then?"

"What the hell does Anyan have to do with anything?"

"Don’t be stupid"

I blinked at Ryu, having gone from stunned to shocked He was so pissed off suddenly, and I didn’t understand why Was he jealous of the barghest? Who I’d seen, what, a handful of times in the past four months before this week? And the only reason I even saw hi inability to keep business and pleasure separate

I re to that effect to Ryu, all those o, and I flushed Was I just one more example of Ryu’s boundary issues?

"Ryu, I don’t knohere any of this is co from I don’t compare you to Jason, and I certainly don’t co so much fro, this quickly"

I watched as Ryu scrubbed a hand through his rich, chestnut hair I ached to touch hio back in time and start over from e’d lain in bed, curled around each other, just a few hours ago

"I’ if you love me, Jane That shouldn’t be hard to answer"

Fuck this, I thought, suddenly tired of diplomacy

"Well it is difficult to answer We don’t see each other often, and e do, everything is cushioned by the fact that we’re on vacation, in so is real I don’t know that I know you, Ryu And, to be honest, I doubt that you really know hed "Look, I’et to know you Or that I don’t think we have a future together I just don’t know And I don’t want to find out by giving up everything that is important to me on the off chance that ork out Hoould you feel if I asked you to ave me a contemptuous look "Jane, please…"

I nodded my head sharply "Exactly Why should a deal breaker for you be an acceptable compromise for me?"

"But we can’t just continue like this, Jane"

"Why can’t we? Relationships take tiiven ours four months"

"Well, then I can’t continue this way," he replied ht, realizing this argument had, for him, become about pride

This time, when he looked up at me, my heart froze I knew the look on his face because I’d seen it before Ryu was a ganized when he was about to put everything he had on the line

"Jane," he began, but I interrupted hied "Don’t do this Don’tI’d said He thought I was a safe bet He was so convinced he knew ood cards

"Honey, I know you want this You’re scared, and it’s a big step But it’s right, and you know it"

"Ryu--"