NOW, RYLAND

[Deleted]

Ray woke up that morning with the feeling he had to do something really important. Actually he couldn’t even sleep well, but he had to wait until the morning came. He had a day off of filming Dog Days, so everything came to its place when he found enough money to borrow a car from a local car dealership. He couldn’t afford anything else such as a plane ticket, so the car wasn’t a big deal, but it was fast enough. He took the distance between Chicago and New York with the speed of light. It was crazy, but he knew what he had to do, mostly because he wanted to do it. He had texted Jolene to be sure whether the cast of Shut Up and Drive was going to be filming in New York. Now when he knew that they were there, he knew what to do. He had to find Ryland.

After everything he had been through… No, after everything they had been through, he knew what he wanted to do. It probably took him too much time, and that was what was untypical to such an impulsive person like him. Or it was. He had many ups and downs before he finally reached the decision to go travel from Chicago to New York just to see Ryland. Well, not just to see her. He had things that he wanted to tell her, things that he couldn’t tell her through the phone or skype. He had to see her face to face. His heart was racing with the speed of the car while he was approaching New York City.

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DAYNA as RYLAND <3

[ryland]

Ryland had loved her trip to Chicago. She had gotten to see her friends that she hadn’t seen in a little over a month. She got to spend valuable time with Schuyler and Ray, two of her closest friends. Going to New York City wasn’t something she wanted to do, she would have rather stayed in Chicago with her friends and Alessandra, but she knew that was out of the question. Seeing Ray in Chicago after he had disappointed her with the news of him and Jolene, she actually was super excited to see him and wasn’t that upset at all. Ryland and Ray weren’t a couple, and they hadn’t been close to couple status when he had slept with Jolene. People told her she could do better, but she wanted Ray, she wanted to be his girlfriend. For such an indecisive girl she knew what she wanted, she just didn’t know how to get it with other people standing in her way.

She sat in an actors chair on set and picked at her finger nails and she waited for her turn after the scene that was filming concluded. She checked her phone, wanting to text Ray but not wanting to be a nuisance either. All she wanted to do was tell him “hi” and ask him how he was, but she felt like a pest when he was all she thought about and then contacted him. She sighed and tried to put her focus on what was happening in front of her, but she wasn’t successful.

[Deleted]

Ray’s knees were shaking so hard that he could hardly stand up on his feet, while he was getting out of the car. He couldn’t remember another time when he felt that way. It was crazy. He was nervous; his throat was so dry that he was sure that if he tried to, he couldn’t speak. He felt as if he was going on an exam, though he had never been nervous on exams. Actually he had never been taking his high school years seriously. They didn’t matter now, because he had another exam, probably one of the most important ones in his life. And Ryland would be the one to decide whether Ray was going to pass or not.

And he saw her. Standing in an actors chair when he noticed her, but she suddenly stood up, when he made a step to her. It seemed that was her turn to shoot a scene, so the moment to talk to her wasn’t the most appropriate. But it also seemed that Raynold Graves didn’t care. He effortlessly slipped out unnoticed by the security guards; he had a great experience with escaping from them. And just a moment later he found himself in front of Ryland, turning his back against her co-worker with which she had to shoot a scene. The director didn’t seem glad with the fact that a man that wasn’t even a stuntman got right in front of the camera. Nobody seemed glad actually. Once again, it didn’t seem that Raynold gave a shit. “Ry,” he took her small hands into his, “Just listen to me.” Good. But words seemed hard to find. “I… " Now what? "I came here…” He instinctively bit his bottom lip without taking his big blue eyes off of hers. He wouldn’t miss the chance. It was now or never. “Ryland, I’m sorry I was such an asshole. I know I hurt you and I’m sorry for that. I know I probably don’t deserve it and I’ll understand you if you just kick my ass, but I…” He squeezed her hands before continuing. “I just want to be with you. That’s why I came here. I just want to be with you… now.” He finally stopped to take a breath. And to give her the word.

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DAYNA as RYLAND <3

[ryland]

She got out of her chair and was prepared to start filming one of her scenes when she saw someone coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. She noticed the bushy hair and she stopped and she turned towards him with a confused look on her face. Why was he here? They had just seen each other two weeks ago in Chicago. He grabbed her hands and she watched him, almost as if she was holding her breath, her eyes were a little bigger than normal. She looked at him with eyes that were encouraging him to continue, but she was also blushing because she was embarrassed and nervous that the director was going to yell at her once he was finished, or yell at her in the middle of Raynold was going to say. Actually the director was having a bit of a fit as he paced and rubbed the back of his head with his other hand on his hip.

She listened to him, surprised. She didn’t expect him to apologize, she didn’t expect him to do anything more than just continue being her friend. She figured that whatever the two had developed had been over. She still had feelings for him, but she was preparing herself to make the break from wanting whatever romance she thought was going to happen. She had slept with someone knowing that Ray probably was over her or wasn’t going to take the leap to being her boyfriend. This was happening though and it made her smile warmly as she looked into his eyes. She felt the heaviness in the pit of her stomach when he faded out, knowing he was going to say more. “Now”, that made her melt a little bit. Now, he wanted to be with her NOW. She looked at him with her eyes still wide for a moment before she started nodding, smiling at him. ”It’s okay Ray, I forgive you. I’m not going to kick your ass. We can be together…now.” She pulled him into a hug. ”I think you need to apologize to my director though for your impulses.” She teased with another smile. She didn’t feel like filming anymore, she knew she would have to though.

[Deleted]

Ray sighed in relief and finally smiled, when he heard her spoke. He saw the great and so wanted ‘yes’ into her beautiful eyes, so he knew what she was going to say. He was caught in surprise when she gave him a hug, but he quickly put his own chaotic thoughts in order, and squeezed her. He wanted this moment to last forever. He didn’t want to step back and let her go – in all meanings of these phrases. It was crazy. He took in a deep breath, feeling the lovely smell of her soft hair – it was like summer flowers with a hint of cinnamon. And he could honestly say he was already falling in love with it. He felt like everything was easier when it was with Ryland, and he could feel that everything was going to be easier with her. But he didn’t want to think about the future. At least not now, especially after Ry reminded him that she was supposed to be filming.

Ray looked at the director. The man didn’t seem happy, but he wasn’t mad. He was.. surprised? Ray didn’t realize that he literally burst into the set, so a mad director was expected. He bit her lower lip and slowly approached to the man, still holding Ry’s hands and pulling her behind him. “Uhm…” He started. He didn’t know how to continue and the man didn’t seem like a guy that was going to help him with apologizing for ruining half of the filming day. Suddenly Ray puller Ryland next to him and put his hand around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, but I’m taking Ryland with me,” he said. They turned their backs against the director. “She’ll be back in one hour,” Ray cried, but added whispering when he looked down at Ryland. “Or maybe even more?” It was up to her. He kissed her forehead before she spoke.

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DAYNA as RYLAND <3

[ryland]

Ryland liked the way that Raynold made her feel. He was also a person that she felt comfortable confiding in, and honestly she didn't have many of those. Sure she had plenty of friends, but friends that she could be so close to to share everything with she lacked. Ray was her best friend, one of them at least, and she knew that dating him would be taking a risk, but with the feelings that bounced around between the two in the past month it would have been hard for them to go back to being friends. She knew that this would make Jolene only hate her more, and she honestly hoped the girl would no longer pose as a thread to her. Ryland was the type of girl that would try her hardest to ignore it and not think about it though because she didn't like problems. Ray always made her feel good about herself, because Ryland never did. He always reminded her that she was intelligent and clever and pretty when she thought she was stupid, unimaginative and ugly. Even the girl in the spotlight had problems too.

Ryland looked at her director with an apologetic guilty expression on her face. She would let Ray take care of him since he was the one that interrupted the filming and all. When Ray pulled her closer to him though she couldn't help but smile. That's what he made her do when he was around, he made her happy. His apology wasn't exactly what she thought it was going to be, it wasn't even an apology really. She could see the director tense up like he wanted to punch somebody and she looked at him, "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, thinking of where she wanted to go with this. "I'll be back tomorrow…" This was going to be in the tabloids, everyone was going to call Ryland a diva, say that she walked out of set. Anthony was going to be pissed at her. She nudged Ray's side with her elbow, "Let's go, run." She grabbed his hand and she pulled him with her as she ran out of the lot and outside the big doors to the small parking lot. She ran because she felt like just walking away wasn't appropriate, the air in their had turned awkward and she wanted to be out of there and with Ray as soon as she could. "You romantic!" She exclaimed, laughing lightly before she grabbed both sides of his face and pulled his face towards hers, kissing his lips with force. Delicacy didn't seem right here.

[Deleted]

There was something about Ryland that was making him smile. If you knew his personality well, you would say that it wasn’t really hard to make such a person as Raynold Graves smile. And you would be right. Well, it depended on his current mood, but most of the time he was one really easy-going human being. But there was something different in the way he was smiling, while he was looking at Ryland. There was something special. He didn’t notice it, and probably he wasn’t going to do it, but it was true. There was something different, something beautiful that was waking up inside of him, when he was around her. He liked making her smile. And he loved making her feel good in any way he could. Even if that meant to almost kidnap her from a set.

Ray was pretty surprised when he found her lips pressed against his. It was their first kiss, but this wasn’t what caught his attention. Ray was one of those men that could hardly remember the dates of their first kisses, first dates or other firsts. What surprised him most was the fact that Ryland herself pulled him against her and kissed him first. It was something that, honestly, he didn’t expect, especially since he knew about her big and small uncertainties. It took him a few moments, but he found himself really happy when he realized what was happening at that moment. He put her hands on her hip and slowly pressed his body against hers. But he didn’t make the kiss more insistent. “I’m a badass, don’t call me romantic,” she giggled into her face. “I’m starving. Take me somewhere to eat or I will eat… you!”

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DAYNA as RYLAND <3

[ryland]

Ryland had appreciated the ease of her friendship with Raynold and hoped that it would transition into their newfound romantic relationship. Ryland is a laid back kind of girl, energetic at times, but as far as being overbearing or jealous that was something she was not. This had always been beneficial in her past relationships and knew that it would be good with Ray. Although Jolene had her a little edgy, as she seemed pretty risk taking and non-forgiving. She thought it was romantic that he had driven from Chicago to New York City to see her and to express how he felt, and she was glad that she could make his trip successful.

He seemed thrown off by the kiss and her cheeks flushed, suddenly self-conscious that she had done the wrong thing. Maybe he didn't want her to take the lead and be so aggressive? That was just her insecurities talking, men loved that shit. She felt his body against hers. They had hugged before sure, but this felt different, but she liked it. When he giggled she couldn't help but let out a giggle herself. It wasn't hard to make her laugh or act giddy. She looked him in the face and raised an eyebrow, "That was demanding and sounded totally inappropriate." She wrinkled her nose at him and smiled. "You drove so far for me, i'll take you somewhere to eat." She took a step to the side and grabbed a hold of her hand, interlacing her fingers with his. "How long are you going to be here?" She asked as she began walking out of the lot with him.