Ansley woke up the next morning feeling peaceful. Ryan refused to leave her side and stayed the night, trying to console her. She appreciated having him there.
She glanced down at his hands wrapped around her waist. It felt nice to be in his protective embrace, but she knew it was only temporary and when she flew out on Monday, she would be alone to deal with her emotions.
Ansley eased his arm away and got up. It was a little after six a.m. and she needed to get her mind focused for her interviews today.
She left the bedroom and started a pot of coffee. The aroma awakened Ryan. She looked up to see him walking toward her rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he joined her for a cup.
“Sorry for waking you,” she apologized
He stretched his arms, stifling a yawn. “Nah, you’re good. How did you sleep?”
“I slept as well as one can when trying not to have a total melt down.”
Ryan walked up to her and took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.
As soon as their eyes connected, she began to cry again.
Ryan stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”
Ansley wanted to believe him. She wanted to open her eyes and wake up from this nightmare.
“Why don’t you take a shower while I schedule you for a massage?” Ryan suggested.
“I have an interview scheduled in a couple of hours.”
“Then you’d better hurry.”
He poured a cup of coffee and handed it to her. “You still drink it black?”
She smiled. “Only when I’m working late or studying.” Ansley picked up two packets of sugar and cream.
She took her coffee to the bedroom.
When Ansley came out twenty minutes later, Ryan told her, “The masseuse will be here shortly. While she’s here, I’m going to my suite to shower and change. Call me when she’s done.”
“Thank you, Ryan. I really appreciate you being here for me.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Ryan was a good man. Ansley had known this from the moment she met him. She was a fool for breaking off their relationship. The truth was that Ryan was the only man she ever really loved.
While she had been fond of Davis, Ansley was never in love with him. Ryan had always been the one, but now it was too late.
After her massage, Ansley dressed and called Ryan on his cellphone.
“Hey. Thank you for arranging that for me. I really needed that.”
“Let me know once you get back. I’ll order lunch for us.”
Ansley bit her bottom lip. “Ryan, you’ve already done beyond enough. You don’t have to babysit.”
Ryan huffed. “I told you. This is where I want to be and lunch with you is what I want to do today. I’ll go check out a few exhibits and meet you back here. What time do you think you’ll be done?”
“I’m interviewing them together at ten a.m., I should be done by noon.”
“Bet. I’ll see you then.”
Two hours later, Ansley headed back to her suite, peeling her clothes off to grab a shower. As the water hit her body, she reflected on her interview. She thought the interview went well, but it didn’t take much to distract her considering her article was on HPV and cervical cancer.
She knew the doctors would test her again, checking her for HPV. The thought of that scared her, having HPV would increase her chance of cervical cancer. Each year, there were over twelve thousand cases of women being diagnosed in this country with cervical cancer. The way her luck was set up, she felt overwhelmed with that possibility.
Stepping out of the shower, she wiped the steam away from the mirror and looked at her reflection. She put her hands through her damp hair. You’ll get through this.
She wrote articles on sexually transmitted diseases. Had conducted countless interviews with doctors and people who are living with the disease. Those people lived normal lives. She knew that to be the case, but what Ansley wanted to know was when she would feel normal again.
The phone in her room rang, and she walked over, sat on the bed, and answered it. “Hello.”
“Hey Ans, glad you’re back. Come down to my suite. Lunch is ready.”
Ansley held her breath, then let it out slow. “I’ll be right there.”
Ansley left her suite and took the elevator down to his floor. She searched the wall for room number two nineteen.
He left the door propped open for her to enter.
Walking into Ryan’s suite, she was greeted by the familiar sound of Jodeci’s song, Come and Talk to Me, playing in the background.
“Huh? What you do think? Did your boy come through or what? I got all of your favorites on deck.” Ryan stood in a b-boy stance with his legs parted and his arms crossed.
The counter in the kitchenette was full of her favorite late-night college cram foods. He knew she loved brownies, and he somehow managed to get every kind of combination there was from caramel walnut brownies to cheesecake brownies. There were grapes, cherries, sliced pears and mangos. He had a blanket laying across the floor and created a place setting so they could enjoy a pepperoni pizza and some lemon pepper wings.
She put her hands over her mouth. “Wow. This is too much.”
Ryan took her hands into his, locking their fingers together. “Nothing is too much when you love someone. When you love someone there are no conditions in place. All I have ever wanted to do was be with you.”
“Ryan, no—please stop. I messed that up. You deserve more. You deserve better. I have this disease now and—.”
He released her hand. “And what Ansley? Things happen Ansley. No one is perfect, but you’re my well-constructed, God-sent, image of perfection. You’re the one I compared others too. You’re the perfect person for me and I’m not letting another moment pass without us working this out. Now are you ready to stop running?”
Ansley knew that Ryan loved her, she felt that every time he looked at her. But she wanted to be certain that he could be strong enough to go through this with her.
She nodded. “I do want this, but—,” she paused and Ryan groaned.
“But what Ansley,” he questioned.
“I have a doctor’s appointment on Monday at nine a.m. I want to wait to get retested and have the doctor check me for everything before starting a relationship. Some people say they are okay with dating someone with a disease, but it’s not only going to affect my life, it would be a change for you as well.”
Ryan’s head bobbed. “I understand, but I’m not going anywhere. We’re a couple and that’s that.”
Ansley’s eyes widened. “Now you know that is not how this works. A girl needs to be courted.”
Ryan pointed at the pizza box. “Consider yourself courted. Now stop playing and give your man a kiss.”
Ansley reached up and put her arms around his neck, and planted her lips on his.
He was willing to be patient with her while she figured everything out, and this time she would stick around to let him love her like she deserved.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” He patted her on the behind. “Now text me the address, I’ll be at the appointment with you on Monday.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Now enough of this pity party, woman go over there and fix us some pizza.”
Ansley giggled. “Whatever chile.”