38: The New Testament

[ K A R A ] Ryder's eyes were dark and serious. He wasn't kidding about it, wasn't he? Was I hearing him right or did he really just ask me to go off and run away with him? "Just try this Kara, imagine your life with me,” he said again. “Five years from now, ten years from now. We'd be together, somewhere in the world that's beautiful and warm. We'd live by the beach, I'll hold your hand every night, I'll make you pancakes every morning," he was smiling from ear to ear, and it was making my stomach twist into knots. All those things sounded wonderful. I could just picture it, Ryder and I starting a new life together, we could build a nice home for ourselves, and maybe someday even start our own family. "Is that a smile? I see a smile," he commented at my face. I quickly pulled myself together. Was I really smiling? "But that's not how this works, Ryder,” I shook my head at him. “We can't just run off into the sunset and everyone lives happily ever after," "Why not?" The image of my mom