Taking a deep breath, I knock, then feel like a pussy when my heart rate kicks up again. Jesus, Jameson, get a fucking grip.
Just as I finish the internal pep talk the door swings open, and my gaze collides with a pair of long, slender, tanned legs. I quickly take notice of the dog next to her, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same one she had in high school.
“Can I help you?”
My gaze snaps to her face at the familiar sound of her soft, innocent voice, and all the air gets sucked out of my lungs as I stare back at the one girl I’ve never forgotten. Emily Michaels looks almost exactly how I remember her. She’s still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on, but there is one thing that is different, one very big thing. Her ice blue eyes that I remember so well, the same ones I used to fucking dream about now look me straight in the eyes. She looks right at me as if she can see me. I quickly falter, feeling like I’ve just been sucker punched. What. The. Fuck.
Emily
I stare up at the sexy stranger, hoping my cheeks aren’t as red as they feel, and wait for him to say something. Good god, I didn’t even know someone this good-looking existed. Why is he looking at me like I have two heads?
I’m just about to ask him again why he’s here but before I get the chance he finally speaks: “You can see me?”
I gasp and shock has me freezing in place, my heart kicking into overdrive at the sound of his familiar voice. It’s a voice I would know anywhere, one I have never forgotten. But it can’t be him… can it? I assess him closer now, taking in his brown, messy hair and strong jaw that’s graced with barely-there stubble, before staring into his intense, dark green eyes, ones I remember hearing so much about a long time ago.
Oh my god… “Ryder?” I ask unsure, my voice barely above a whisper.
He looks taken aback at the mention of his name before a slight smile tugs at his lips, and I take notice it’s a real sexy smile, just like the rest of him. “Yeah, Em, it’s me.”
A million emotions slam into me at once. I gape at him like an idiot, wondering how to respond, and my body ends up reacting before my mind can. Stepping into him, I rise up on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck. He stiffens in surprise and I instantly feel stupid, realizing it was the wrong move. Just as I’m about to step back, his strong arms come around me and he pulls me against his hard body. My heart skips a beat and his warmth envelops me from the inside out. I close my eyes and absorb the feel of him against me, he feels familiar yet so foreign. His body is stronger than I remember and he seems taller, or maybe it’s just me. It has been so long.
Why is he here? Why now? The internal question has me stepping back to look up at him. His eyes lock with mine, and the intensity of them steals my breath.
“How…” We both start at the same time and I laugh nervously, feeling awkward now that some of the shock is wearing off.
I step back into my apartment and wave him in. After closing the door, I turn to see Summer inspecting him. Smiling, I lean down and pat her. “It’s all right, girl, he’s okay.” She seems unsure but takes my word for it.
I look back up at Ryder to see him watching me. We stare at each other for an awkward second before I clear my throat nervously. “Um, well, come on in.” I lead him into my living room and watch him take in my apartment.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I ask, trying to mask my nervousness as he takes a seat on the couch, his large presence seeming to make the large living area feel smaller. “Or I can make you something to eat if you’re hungry. I have stuff to make a sandwich, or if you’re hungrier than that I could, um, like order something, or something…” I close my eyes as I realize what a complete idiot I sound like. God, just shut up, Emily.
Ryder smirks, clearly finding my stupidity amusing. “No, I’m okay.” He encircles my wrist and pulls me down next to him, my bare leg touching his jean-clad one.
Is it just me or is it warm in here all of a sudden?
“You look really good, Em.”
I feel my cheeks heat at the compliment and my stomach does a little flip at my nickname, he has been the only one to ever call me that. “Oh, thank you. So do you.” His expression sobers at my response and I quickly realize how shocked he must be to find out I can see. “It’s recent. I just got my sight back a month ago,” I mumble quietly.
“How?”
As I look back at him my own questions arise, but I decide to get this out of the way first. “Honestly, I’m still not sure how it happened. I went to bed one night, and had a horrifying nightmare. When I woke up from it… I-I woke up to light. I could see everything around me clearly.”
He studies me for a long moment, his expression seeming suspicious, or maybe intrigued is a better word. “What was the nightmare about?”
“I don’t remember. Not much of it anyway.” I shake my head and expel a heavy breath, suddenly feeling overwhelmed like I always do when I talk about it. “I’ve had a lot of doctor appointments the last few weeks, trying to figure out how it happened. It’s not completely unheard of, but it’s rare. Only five percent of people with the same disorder have had this happen to them, but all of the documented cases have been through hypnosis and extensive psychotherapy. One doctor thinks my nightmare was about whatever I saw in the woods that night. He thinks I relived it and it unlocked my mind, but now I’m blocking the memory subconsciously.”
“What do you think?”
I shrug. “Does it really matter how it happened or why? The fact is it did and I’d rather just deal with it and move on.” I don’t share with him how much of a struggle it’s been, and that I don’t like thinking about it. Because the fear I felt after waking up from that nightmare is something I never want to feel again.
“No, I guess in the end it doesn’t matter, not if it doesn’t to you,” he responds quietly, his eyes seeming to study me again.
It makes me uncomfortable so I decide now would be a good time to change the subject. “So what brings you back here?”
“Business.”
“Business?” I repeat in surprise, attempting to mask my disappointment. What did you think, Emily, he came back just to see you? After six years? I give myself a mental slap for the thought.
“Remember the garage I used to work at in high school that Hector owns?” I nod, and keep from telling him I remember everything about him. “I’m thinking about buying it. I own a few businesses back in Florida and I’m looking at expanding. When Hector told me he was thinking about retiring I decided to come check his out and see if it’s something that would be lucrative for me.”
“Really, you own your own businesses? What are they?” I ask intrigued, happy to hear he is doing so well.
He clears his throat. “We do custom paint jobs on motorcycles.”
“Motorcycles,” I muse with a smile. “I can see that. It suits you, or at least the Ryder I remember.”
“Yeah, I like it. So how about you? What do you do?”
Okay, that was a quick topic change. “I work at Meadow of Hope. It’s a rehabilitation clinic for the visually impaired. I work in the children’s ward. We mainly work with people who recently lost their sight. We help them learn to adjust and cope to their new lives. Kind of ironic considering what I am going through right now.”
He gives me a small smile, and again I can’t help but notice how incredibly sexy he is. I completely understand why all the girls made a big deal about him back in high school, if he looks the same as he did back then. I get the overwhelming urge to run my hands along him so I can see for myself. It’s so strong that I quickly link my fingers together to stop myself.