Chapter Seventeen



The Night of the Crystal Ball

Ryan arrived early on the night of the ball to see if there was anything he could do to help. Edmund ushered him in to the living room and offered him a drink. "Is Gillian ready?" Ryan asked.

"I don't think so, This is Gillian we are talking about." Edmund told him. The two of them talked for a while until they where interrupted by Peggy. "Why hello Ryan." She said before turning to Edmund. "You are needed in the kitchen, right away." She told him.

"Now what?" Edmund complained rising to his feet. "I'll be right back." He told Ryan leaving the room.

Alone in the living room, Ryan started to think. He still couldn't believe it had already been a year.

Him: Maybe this was a bad idea.
Gillian: Well Hayley gave us tickets.
Edmund: Ryan?
Gillian: We have every right to be here. Edmund: Your not welcome here.
Him: So that little speech you gave --
Edmund: That didn't apply to you. I want you to leave. Gillian, you can stay if you want.
Gillian: I don't want. If Ryan's not welcome neither am I.

"So much has changed since then." He thought to himself, but his thoughts where interrupted by Gillian's entrance.

"Ryan!" She exclaimed coming toward him. "I thought I heard your voice."

Ryan looked at her, she took his breath away. She was wearing a long, off the shoulder silver dress. And her hair was down and curled into ringlets. "You look gorgeous." He told her bending down to kiss her.

"Thanks. You don't look to bad yourself." Gillian told him taking in the sight of him in his tux. The two of them sat on the couch and Ryan handed her a wrapped box.

"I was going to give this to you at Christmas, but I never got the chance." He told her. Gillian ripped off the wrapping paper and gently opened the box. Inside was a silver charm bracelet with a heart on it. She took it out of the box and looked at it closely. In really small letters, I love you was engraved. Tears came to Gillian eyes as Ryan helped her put it on. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it." He looked at her and smiled. "I still can't believe a year has gone by."

"I know, It seems like almost yesterday that we where here. Remember we won that prize thing?." She asked think back to last year.

Gillian: Oh, Honey we're going to the islands. I love islands and I love you.
Him: Oh, Excuse us.
Trevor: They'd better not be counting their coconuts.
Him: We are going to walk in the moonlight.
Gillian: Swim in the moonlight.
Him: And we're going to make love until the sun comes up.

 "We never did end up going to Aruba." Ryan said. "Whatever happened to those tickets?"

"I don't know. But look on the bright side. We can do all those things we planned on our honeymoon." Gillian said suggestively.

"Well we better start planning this wedding soon so we can hurry up and get to the honeymoon." He joked.

Gillian laughed. "We can talk about that later but for now I think we should move in to the ballroom, the ball should be starting soon."

"And For once we are on time!"

To Be Continued..



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