Mine to Lose by T. K. Rapp Read Free Book Online Page B

guy last month and every
time I talk to her, she does nothing but gush about how great he is. I’m so
glad that she found someone, because it annoyed her that her little sister was
settling down before her.
    With everything that’s been going on between
Ryan and me, I have been a poor excuse for a sister, something she pointed out
numerous times. I’m not sure where they met, but she said that on their first
date, he kept making her laugh and complimenting her. But her favorite part was
when he reached out and held her hand; I think she used the word fireworks .
I doubt she’s getting ready to make any big moves with this guy, but it’s nice
to hear her so happy. Lang and Ryan had an instant bond and he agrees that
hearing her so fired up over this new guy is entertaining.
    “Maybe he’s the one ,” he says with
air quotes while laughing.
    When I feel the conversation is about to
return to talk of us, I opt to focus on the past, not the looming future. I
rest my head on his shoulder before I speak. “Do you remember that night we
went to see Mumford and Sons?”
    “Which time?” he asks nudging his
shoulder, clearly teasing me.
    “Last year. When it rained.”
    “Yeah,” he says, wrapping his arm around me.
“How could I forget? We were drenched and you were freezing.”
    I let out a small laugh, snuggling closer
to him. “Yes, but I’m talking about after.”
    “Oh, you mean when you made me stay there
well after the show ended so you could try to see the band?”
    “Hey!” I sit up objecting. “It could have
happened. They had to leave at some point.”
    “True. But you forgot there were multiple
exits. Figures you chose the one they wouldn’t use,” he teases as he hugs my
body next to his.
    I sigh and close my eyes, feeling as
though I could drift to sleep. “Well, that was the night I knew I wanted to
marry you. I thought, anyone who would do that, even though he doesn’t like the
band himself, has to be a keeper.”
    “Still feel that way?” When he asks, I
swear there is a hint of worry in his voice for what my answer might be.
    “I’ll always feel that way.” No other
words are spoken, he kisses me and I relax, dreaming of a world where Ryan
isn’t leaving and there are no unspoken words.
    * * *
    As we land in San Diego, I feel as though
I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Ryan has a rental car waiting
for us, and the drive to the hotel shouldn’t take too long. I try my best to
keep a positive attitude and not worry about tomorrow or even a week from now
when he leaves. The apartments we’re looking at all have vacancies, so it’s
just a matter of seeing which one he likes the best. By the time we fly out on
Sunday, Ryan will have a new home. Without me . In California. The
area is familiar to him because he summered here growing up, but to me, it’s
another world.
    “Are you hungry?” he asks, breaking
through my sad thoughts.
    “No, I’m good, but if you want to stop,
that’s fine.”
    “I talked to the agents this morning, two
of them said they could see us at four o’clock. Is that okay with you?” I nod
in agreement. Pull the Band-Aid off, I think to myself. Without another word,
he turns out of the car rental facility and hops onto the freeway, heading to
parts unknown.
    The drive to the first complex is only
twenty minutes, but he doesn’t even bother to stop because the place looks
pretty rundown. It looks nothing like the pictures online and I can tell he’s
disappointed because if the next one is as bad as this, we’ll have to start
from the bottom. Fortunately, the next apartment is down the road and when we
pull up to the leasing office, I can tell he already likes this place. The complex
appears to be older, but it has been maintained really well.
    The leasing agent greets us when we walk
in and extends her hand to Ryan. “Mr. Tate, I presume?”
    “You must be Reese,” he greets her
warmly.
    She smiles and picks up a phone that
begins ringing