Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
She grinned and nodded. “Now it’s all making sense.”
“For the record though, I was crushing life on the ranch. Not at first, but by the end of it I was right at home with the horses and goats and chickens.”
She looked legitimately surprised as she murmured, “I can’t imagine.”
I was still thinking about her reaction as I stashed my bag in the locker room and started my workout. Was it really that far-fetched to imagine me in the country? I knew I didn’t look rugged and outdoorsy, but I’d done a pretty good job of adapting to that very new environment. I was going to keep getting better at it too, since I planned to spend every vacation there from now on.
That thought made me pause and sit up on my exercise bike. Was that really all Ryder and I would ever have? One or two weeks a year, while I worked sixty or seventy hours a week and tried to get ahead in my field? It wasn’t nearly enough, considering how much he meant to me.
He and I had to figure this out, but first, I needed to finish school. I started to feel panicky when I thought about how much I needed to do over the next two months, starting with designing and producing my final collection. I also had to update my portfolio, complete assignments for three classes, finish my internship, and more. It was a lot of pressure, and pretty overwhelming.
But then, after all of that was out of the way, Ryder and I would have time to talk about our relationship. I was planning to go see him as soon as I finished school. Once we were face-to-face again, we could come up with some sort of solution to our limited time together.
I had no idea what that would be. All I knew was that something had to give, because I needed him in my life, and being apart from him for fifty weeks a year was heartbreaking.
After my workout, I showered and got dressed, then checked my phone out of habit before remembering it was dead. I left the gym with my bag over my shoulder and walked to the nearest transit stop, where I fidgeted until a bus arrived.
It was still very early—a few minutes to seven according to the clock at the gym—so the city was just starting to wake up. I barely noticed it as I reviewed today’s mental to-do list. I’d done a lot of thinking about my collection during my week off, and now I really needed to make a decision and get going on it.
I had about three hours before class, so I headed to the studio and let myself in with my key. Surprisingly, the light was on, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air. Apparently Kit was getting an even earlier start than I was, although there was no sign of him.
I went to my worktable, put down my things, and plugged in my phone. As soon as it came back to life, I sent Ryder a text: Good morning, Ry. My phone died last night, but I wanted to thank you for humoring me and sticking around while I fell asleep.
It rang a few moments later, and when I answered the video call, Ryder said, “Hi, baby. You’re up early.”
“You don’t know the half of it. I’ve already been to the gym, and now I’m in my studio on campus.”
“Impressive! For the record, I didn’t just stick around while you fell asleep last night. I’d planned to keep my phone on all night and watch you drool on your pillow, but when I woke up this morning, the connection was dead. Now I know why.”
“Next time we virtually spend the night, I’ll remember to plug in my phone. Also, I don’t drool.”
“No, but it could happen. If it does, I’ll be sure to grab a screen shot,” he teased, with a big grin.
“That’s so mean.”
“I know.” He was still smiling.
Just then, something across the room caught my eye, and I murmured, “Oh, no.”
“Is something wrong?”
The big sheet Kit used like a tablecloth was folded up and back, revealing a bed underneath his worktable. “I think my friend Kit has been living in our studio. He could get expelled for that because it’s totally against the rules, so I don’t think he’d do it unless he lost his apartment.” Suddenly, the way he’d personalized the studio made a lot of sense.
“If your friend’s in financial trouble, let me know how I can help. It can be hard for someone to get back on their feet if they’ve become homeless.”
Of course Ryder’s first thought was about how to help, even with a virtual stranger. “That’s really sweet of you. I’m going to go find out what’s up, and I’ll text you soon.”