I swear if that's a ring in Ryder's pocket...

I need to stop thinking about that and focus on the ride. This is Ryder's first time on a Harley, and I want to make sure my full attention is on riding, not whatever is in his pocket. I have to make sure he's comfortable enough to get on the bike again, whether it be with me or on his own eventually. Hopefully.

But I can't get my mind off of that velvet box. It's eating at my thoughts, the image burned into my eyes. It can't be a ring... I mean, we're not even dating. Rings are for people who have been together forever, are in love, in actual relationships. I've known Ryder for two months, we're just casually dating, I think, and we're not in love. At least I don't think. It's too early for love. Right?

We're pulling into a small parking lot, and I ask Ryder to get off to make it easier for me to back into a space. His long legs made it almost impossible to ride, his knees digging into my thighs, but we somehow made it. He's standing there, watching me maneuver my bike in-between the lines, but all I can see is the outline of that box in his front pocket. Once I'm satisfied, I put the kickstand down, remove my helmet, and put it on the handlebars. Ryder puts his on the sissy bar, and we begin walking, hand in hand, toward the beach.

The sunset is a beautiful orange, with hints of purples and pinks throughout the horizon. Seagulls are flying overhead, and most people are packing up to leave, the breeze making it too chilly to be sitting here in their swimsuits. I thankfully remembered to put my day bag on the luggage rack, so we were able to bring a towel, which I place on the sand, close enough that the tide comes up and touches our toes when we sit.

Ryder shifts, and I look over to make sure that box is still in his pocket. Thankfully, it is, and he just retrieved his phone from his back pocket. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?" he asks, his playful smirk making its appearance.

I look away, uncomfortably. "I- I'm not," I stammer.

"Whatever, weirdo. Stare at me all you want," he says while wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "I'm yours to stare at and gawk over." I shiver as the breeze picks up, and he pulls me closer.

We watch the sun set until it's almost completely dark. It's peaceful to watch the sun go down, with the sounds of waves crashing and the feeling of the water wash against my feet. Just as my nerves start to settle, Ryder breaks his hold on me. I look to see him standing up, reaching his hand into the pocket with the box. My eyes instantly go wide and my breathing stops, nerves skyrocketing. He looks to me with a soft smile, then notices my expression. He squats so we're face to face, his expression turning to concern. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

My eyes drop, looking at the sand on my toes. Taking a deep breath, I say, "Ryder... I know what's in your pocket."

"You do?" Now his eyes are wide, the same shock I just had now all over his face. "I thought I was secretive."

"You can't really hide it in your front pocket, idiot." I smile sheepishly at him. "But, don't you think it's a little soon? I mean, we've only known each other for two months."

"Too soon?" He's starting to seem disheveled. "I thought it was late, honestly. I wanted to ask you this on our first date."

"What?" I exclaim, now standing up next to him. "Our first date? Seriously?" I'm screaming, appalled at him.

"I mean, yeah," he says backing away, hands up in defense. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal to you! I'm trying to be romantic!"

"Ryder," I yell even louder, startling the last few beach-goers. "You can't propose to me! Are you stupid! We're not even dating! You can't ask a girl to marry you if she isn't even your girlfriend! Plus, like I said, we've known each other two months! That's nowhere near long enough to be ready for marriage!" People are now staring at us, mostly me, and inching closer to hear as much of the conversation as they can.

"Marry you? What are you talking about?" He asks, pulling the velvet box out of his pocket.

"That!" I yell again, pointing to the box. "I know there's a ring in there. What else would you put in a box like that?"

"Earrings, you idiot," he laughs. "Did you really think I was proposing to you?"

"Maybe..." I trail off, looking apologetically to a couple nearby.

"Corina," he says, lightly cupping my jaw in his hand, bringing me back to his gaze. "I'm not proposing to you, okay?" I smile in response, still unable to think straight. "I do have an important question for you, though."

"What's that?" I whisper out, looking deep into his eyes.

He opens up the velvet box, unveiling a pair of beautiful diamond stud earring in the shape of the Harley Davidson bar and shield. He smiles sweetly, the wind blowing his tousled hair. The sun his behind him, hitting his body perfectly. He looks like he could be a model right now, posing for a magazine.

"Corina Hamilton, will you please do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" He's smiling nervously, waiting for my answer. I smile back, tears forming in my eyes. In any other situation, I would suppress them, but right now I have so many emotions flowing through me that I can't. It feels like hours before I'm even able to open my mouth to answer.

"Just say yes already! We've been watching you two crazy kids for minutes!" I hear some older man yell to us.

I laugh, wiping tears away, then yell, "yes, Ryder. I would love to be your girlfriend." I leap into his arms, kissing him passionately, earning an applause from the man that encouraged us and his wife. "About damn time," I say, placing my feet back onto the ground. "I was starting to get antsy. I was actually going to ask you the same thing tonight."

"You were going to ask me to be your girlfriend?" He pokes fun at me, pretending to fan himself with his hand. "I must say, I'm extremely honored."

"You know what I meant, idiot." I lean my head onto his arm, my favorite place to rest. He wraps his arm around my side, reaching up to play with the ends of my curls. He lightly kisses the top of my head, and we sit in peaceful silence until the sun disappears completely, meaning it's time for us to head back to the apartment complex.

The ride home was so much more enjoyable than the ride to the beach. All of my stress was lifted off my shoulders, and all I had to think about was riding through the warm night air, taking the long way to enjoy the night even more. That, and I couldn't get my mind off of Ryder's knees digging into my thighs. Either he needs to get his own bike, or I need a bigger one. I'm hoping for both.

—————

Hello everyone! So there's the answer to the ring question... it wasn't a ring! Just a pair of pretty earrings that I've wanted for so long but my husband won't buy them for me.

The chapter is a tad short, but it was filled with a lot, so I think it's okay.

Tonight is the first night I've slept at home in three days, and let me tell you, it feels nice. I missed my dog cuddling up to me every night!

Okay, enough about me. Tell me what you think about the chapter!