Page 15 of Level Up (Franklin U 2 #4)

Chapter Fifteen

Jay

He had made it.

Normally the stage lights were bright enough to wash out the audience, but Ryan shone right on through. I spotted him the second I stepped out onto the stage. He sat front row, sandwiched between my best friend and his. I rarely found myself getting nervous when I performed, but for some reason, seeing Ryan in the crowd gave me a flurry of butterflies that threatened to wipe out all the lines I’d worked to memorize.

Thankfully, I made it through the play without any major mistakes. We reached the end and earned ourselves a standing ovation from the packed house. I took a bow with my cast mates, soaking it in, locking eyes with a very proud-looking Ryan.

This was what I’d been so scared of losing ever since I had to leave my old school. I didn’t know if I’d find the same kind of appreciation for theater in another college. Franklin U didn’t disappoint. The cheering went on for so long that we decided to take another bow before we walked off backstage .

“That was so tits,” my cast mate Jerricka said as she held the curtain back for me. She wore a military-esque outfit with a black-and-white hat that matched mine. “Opening night! We did it!”

“We did,” I said, giving her a side hug. The thrill of finishing a show never got old, especially when it went as flawlessly as tonight’s had.

It made me want to celebrate for the rest of the night.

We walked through the dark hall that led to the large green room. It was loud in there, with the cast celebrating and hyping up our director. It was her first show and surely wouldn’t be her last.

I was about to go congratulate her when a hand landed on my shoulder. I whipped around and got hit with a full-body hug from Maddy. She smelled like vanilla and strawberries, her excited squeals rising in pitch with every hop she did.

“That. Was. Incredible.” She smiled from ear to ear. “You killed it.”

“Thank you, thank you,” I said.

She then stepped aside, and I realized someone else was behind her.

Ryan. He held out a big bouquet of deep red roses. They looked so perfect I was sure they were fake until I got a whiff of the sweet scent drifting off them. “For you,” he said, and for the first time since I met him, he seemed kind of shy. “I was going to have Maddy bring them backstage, but she insisted I come with her.”

“ Insisted ,” Maddy said with a wink. “All I did was casually mention coming backstage to see you, and Ryan over here nearly tripped on himself trying to follow me. ”

He looked down at his white sneakers. “Guilty,” he said. He glanced around. The rest of the cast was busy doing their own thing. I realized he was being conscious of who saw us together.

Fuck. I really didn’t like that. It didn’t make me feel good, seeing him nervous like that. I grabbed the roses from him, and without giving it a second thought, I leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Maybe it was leftover adrenaline from the show, but I really wanted to do it. His eyes lit up as bright as the stage lights from earlier. No one around us batted an eye.

Hmm. Maybe all this worry I had about people judging us was unfounded?

“Whoaaa, what’s going on here?” The shrill voice came from Timothy, one of the other leads in the show and a huge shit-talker.

Gah damn it.

I had been telling him yesterday about wanting to organize an event to protest the offshore drilling project. We had an hours-long conversation about my activism and how he could help get involved. He was also a snarky and very nosy guy. He knew everyone’s secrets on the cast.

“Mr. Jay is fraternizing with the environment’s worst enemy?” He looked Ryan up and down with the most cutting glare imaginable. “I can see why, at least.”

Ryan tensed, a muscle in his jaw twitching. I swallowed.

“Why are you always in everyone’s business?” Maddy answered with her arms crossed. She chewed her gum with an attitude that couldn’t be hidden.

“I’m observative, that’s all.”

“Go be observative somewhere else.” Maddy pointed over his shoulder. “Like over there, where your ex-girlfriend is chatting up your ex-boyfriend.”

Timothy narrowed his eyes. He looked at Ryan and me one more time before he turned on his heel and walked over to interrupt whatever was happening with his exes.

“He’s never getting either of them back,” Maddy said under her breath.

“Thanks for that,” Ryan said. He gave her a friendly shoulder bump.

“No problem. Weren’t you going to ask Jay something?” Her eyes lit up almost as bright as her pink hair.

“Oh, hah, right.” Ryan scratched the back of his head. He looked so damn handsome tonight. He must have gotten a haircut today because he sported a clean buzz cut that left his dark hair short and close to his scalp. It made his God-given bone structure pop. He wasn’t one to grow a beard, but even any stubble he might have had was freshly shaven. And he must have dug in his closet for his fancy clothes because I’d never seen him in this striped black-and-white button-up, designer letters on the pocket, matching the designer letters on his clean white sneakers.

“Are you free tonight?”

I blinked back my surprise. “Uh, yeah? Why?”

“I wanted to take you out. To celebrate your show going so well.”

“Is that the only reason?” Maddy asked, playful in her tone but sharp as nails in her glare.

“And because I want to spend more time with you.” Ryan chuckled, his cheeks rosy .

For a brief moment, I heard the word “Daddy” in my head, and I almost spontaneously dropped to my knees.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked.

“It’ll be private. So, you know, we won’t be interrupted.” He looked at Timothy, who bounced to an entirely different group, although they seemed as put off by him as I was. “But I want to surprise you.”

My eyebrows rose, my heart skipped a whole handful of beats.

“That sounds fun,” I said. “I love surprises. Let me go change. I’ll meet you outside the theater.”

“Perfect.” He stepped forward, almost as if he was going to lean in and kiss me, but stopped himself. Fuck. I wanted to kiss him. But that interruption by Tim made me feel like everyone’s eyes were turned to us. Maybe it was for the better this way.

Although the sinking feeling in my gut as he left told me that maybe it wasn’t for the better. Maybe this way sucked major fucking donkey dick.

I changed out of my costume in record time, putting on a pair of short black shorts and an oversized T-shirt I’d gotten from a Lana Del Rey concert. It wasn’t the best first-date attire, but I didn’t exactly have tons to work with.

It hit me as I pushed open the stage door and stepped out into the street.

First date.

Holy shit.

That was an interesting development. I really didn’t expect this to be happening, but I also wasn’t exactly complaining. It felt like I was still dancing, every step some choreographed move that pulled us closer and closer together.

There he was, leaning against a light pole, casually scrolling on his phone. His sleeves were rolled up so I could see those sexy forearms.

He looked up as I approached. “There’s the star,” he said.

I waved a hand in the air. “I’m far from the star,” I said, smiling as he wrapped me up in the tightest, warmest, and most comfortable hug I’d ever gotten. His cologne washed over me, making me feel a rush of endorphins.

“Ready?” Ryan asked me. “It’s a little bit of a walk.”

“Let’s go,” I said. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if I wanted to. Not only was I riding the rush of having an incredible show, but now I got to celebrate it with the man who’d somehow managed to snag my attention and affection even when I had my walls up.

Impressive.

Together, we walked through the streets of FU, the evening air alive with the buzz of excitement from the successful show. Ryan led the way with a confident stride. His hand brushed against mine every now and then, sending sparks of electricity dancing up my arm. He was discreet about it, but that only made it a little hotter. My dick began to react, growing in my shorts.

All from being close to Ryan.

“So, where are we headed?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity as we turned a corner onto a quieter street. We were still on campus but closer to the edge now, away from the theater .

Ryan glanced over at me, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Remember it’s a surprise?” he teased.

The streets grew quieter. The hustle and bustle of the college faded into the background as we chatted about the show. The conversation between us always flowed as easily as a river babbled over a bed of smooth rocks and pebbles.

It was nice.

Really, really nice.

Finally, we arrived at our destination. My eyes widened in surprise as we found ourselves standing before an old bell tower that loomed tall against the twilight sky. Its smooth white stone and spiraling staircase gave it an air of mystery.

“Here we are,” Ryan announced with a flourish, gesturing toward the tower’s entrance. “I know the maintenance people. They gave me a key.”

“You’re wild,” I said, feeling so damn excited. He unlocked the heavy wooden door and pulled it open, the joints creaking loudly.

“After you,” he said, smiling from ear to ear.

My heart raced as I climbed the winding staircase, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. With each step, the anticipation built until finally, we emerged onto a small platform at the top of the tower.

I gasped in awe as I took in the breathtaking view spread out before us. San Luco stretched out in all directions, its twinkling lights painting a mesmerizing scene against the darkening sky. The campus was alive underneath us, with buses taking kids home and lights from the different buildings revealing that some were still studying. I could see the ocean from here, too, but didn’t stare too long in that direction .

It wasn’t the landscape that blew me away, though. It was the scene that Ryan had created atop the tower that truly snatched my breath right out of my lungs. Picnic blankets were spread out on the floor, adorned with flickering candles and an array of delicious foods. A bottle of wine stood chilling in a bucket of ice, its pastel pink label glistening in the soft glow of lanterns.

“This is incredible,” I murmured, my voice filled with wonder as I took in the romantic setting Ryan had prepared.

Ryan beamed with pride. His green eyes sparkled with excitement. “I wanted to create something special for us,” he confessed, his gaze never leaving mine.

I reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers beneath the soft glow of the lanterns. “You always manage to make me feel special,” I admitted, feeling the weight of my words hang in the air.

As we gazed into each other’s eyes, I felt a surge of emotion welling up inside me, and I knew it was time to share something I had been holding on to.

“You know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” I began, my voice tinged with vulnerability. “About you, about us. And it’s like you’re always on my mind, Ryan. I can’t seem to shake this feeling that you’re becoming a bigger part of my life with each passing day. During the play, I could barely even think about my lines. I kept thinking about you. That’s why I winked at you. So you’d know I was thinking of you.”

Ryan’s expression softened. “I knew it. And I feel the same way,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

A comfortable silence settled over the bell tower, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of the city below. But my mind was elsewhere, filled with thoughts of the complicated situation between us.

I sat down on the blanket, Ryan following my lead. He grabbed the bottle and popped open the cork. The sound echoed around the small space.

“You know,” I began, my voice tinged with sadness, “I understand you aren’t your father’s company, but… Redpine is playing with the building blocks of nature, breaking all the rules. It’s like they don’t understand the consequences of their actions.”

Ryan nodded, his expression somber as he took in my words. “It’s scary to think about,” he admitted. “I hate that it’s my family causing it.”

That part was clear to me, but would it be obvious to casual observers? “But even in the face of all that,” I continued, “being here with you, it’s like everything else fades away. It’s like… like we’re creating our own little sanctuary, where nothing else matters but us.”

Ryan’s eyes softened, and he reached out to cup my cheek. His touch sent warm, delicious shivers down my spine. “I know what you mean,” he whispered. “With you, it’s like I can forget about all the chaos in the world and… just be.”

As we sat there, lost in each other’s gaze, I realized that this moment was something special, something worth holding on to.

It hit me like a comet. I knew it was time to take the next step.

“Ryan,” I began— don’t think about it, don’t second-guess yourself, let it happen, let the words form —“Lets make this official.”

A smile spread across Ryan’s lips. Dimples appeared where they weren’t before. “Fuck. Yes,” he replied.

Ryan leaned forward, hand settled on the nape of my neck, and he kissed me. Soft, tender, passionate. I could tell he meant every word he spoke, same way I did. I felt it in the kiss, deep down in my bones. Things had the potential of getting really complicated, but I couldn’t care less about that.

This felt right .