The Night I Woke Up Beside You

[SEASON 1] Chapter 3: Bad Boys Can Also Be Good

It's too easy to say that you want to change the things around you, but the truth is, you can't really just make things change overnight just because you said so. To change something was not really just some kind of a fast-paced scenario you can force to happen anytime you want it to. It should be a process... A phase. A cycle that follows a certain rule of nature and it takes quite some time. But for Regina, waiting for things to adapt to change was no longer an option. She wanted everything to move on fast, so she could finally forget all the pain. And as she turned to leave, letting the silence hover in the air like finality, she started to feel a little bit better leaving it all behind. 

She already had enough. She needed a change. Her own body moved on its own, hurrying the steps as she walked over the grassy front yard but she stopped when Charles spoke suddenly, cutting her liberty short and her face went grim.

"We're not yet over. You're not doing this," he persistently denied, though he did not sound quite convinced by his own words at all. Regina looked over her shoulder, giving him a fleeting glance, and she immediately saw the emptiness in those eyes that made her feel guilty inside. But she needed to break up with him. He would hurt the two of them in the future and he would lie. Even if he was still the nicest guy out there right now, she could no longer look at him the same way. His love would never really stay the same forever. 

Things would change. She was sure of it because she had gone through it already. It was painful and awful and even if it might not have been real and was just all a dream, she can't go further into the future with him anymore. It was just so difficult for her to forget it all. She had been there... felt that, done that. It got her here. She wanted out. She did not want another replay. She wanted to change.

"I don't want to break up," she heard him said. His voice cracking at the end and Regina shut her eyes for a second, refusing to get swayed by that.

If this was the only way she could avoid the impending tragedy in her future, maybe it was really better to end things as soon as now. She had already decided to save herself from further destroying what little sympathy and love she had left for him, she needed to prevent things from happening or making it uglier. This way, he might not end up committing something else to deeply hurt the people around him. Maybe, he would change. Their future would change for good. And maybe they were really not just meant for each other in the first place. She can't love him the same anymore... Not like this. 

"It's done, Charles," Regina painfully said, her eyes losing their glow as she turned her back on him and sighed, "I'm going home."

"No, tell me why. Why are you doing this? I don't think you really meant those words. We were okay. So, why? Why would you even want to break up?!" Charles's voice got a little louder this time, demanding and desperate with a determined look on his face. He did not even care about the people crowding around them, witnessing this entire drama unfolding. He was not really going to let this one go too easily. He needed answers. He's not giving up.

She felt the exhaustion hit her, and then she snapped, "I broke up with you because I don't want to be with you anymore! This is over. I'm going home!"

This was too much. She had to move. And as she started walking away, Regina instinctively grabbed the nearest person around her and pulled him along as she started to leave for good, "You take me home." She said to the random guy she had snatched out of anger, just because.

Well, she wasn't going to leave and go home on her own now, was she?

Ryan was poleaxed. His face froze as he found himself being dragged by Regina away. He did not really know what to do at the time. When she had suddenly grabbed his arm, it felt like he was waking up in a bad dream. This was not what he had pictured in his mind when he thought of just helping her from Eric. All of this s**t happening before his very eyes, and now he somehow found himself in the middle of it. He shot Charles a helpless look. Charles looked like he was about to murder him. No, he was not part of this. Ryan wanted to say, but all he could do was to shrug at Charles as a form of his explanation, trying to tell the other guy that he really had no clue why she was suddenly clinging to him. This was bad, he thought to himself. 

"Regina..." Charles uttered back, Ryan kept his silence. Regina kept walking away. Charles did not attempt to follow her behind this time. He stood there like a hopeless i***t on the same spot, completely deflated and utterly defeated. Ryan could not even speak for himself nor could he get away from Regina. She was gripping his arm like a lifeline. And he really did not want to make this all worse, so he just went with the flow for now, because really, he just had no other choice.

"Just get along with this," he heard her grumbling at him when they had managed to take a few steps away from everyone else. She gave him a quick glance over her shoulder and moved her other hand to grab on the same arm that she was holding already, just so she could reassure herself that he can never leave. "Please, just get along with it."

Ryan could not do anything but simply oblige. This was trouble. By tomorrow, things would definitely change at school. Rumors will start eventually, and he would become yet another target for the spotlight. There goes another juicy gossip about him. He can't really afford this type of trouble anymore, he already got a lot on his plate. But this had already happened. There was no going back. The consequences will surely cost him soon. What else can he do? Ryan started to feel a little concerned. He can only imagine what sort of chaos this entire mess would result into. Why did she have to choose him? And why did she have to drag him into this whole problem?

"Where's your bike?" she asked suddenly after a moment and Ryan shot her a suspicious look, evidently more worried about her question.

"Why?" he warily asked, reserving his thoughts. They were now out of earshot. They stood at an empty sidewalk after they took a turn on a corner past the house, where several cars had been parked around the whole block near Charles's place. Regina searched all around for a particular eye-catching motorbike that she was picturing in her mind. She had seen him a lot of times riding a huge black motorcycle before. But she could not see anything like that. She crossed her hands over her chest and sighed loudly. Then she turned to look at him.

"Give me a ride home," she told him in a snotty way. It sounded more like a command rather than a request and Ryan scowled a bit. She just stared straight at his face, looking so casually unbothered, and she did not even show any much emotion considering what just happened a while ago. She just broke up with the guy everyone believed she was so in love with, right? Was she really this cold?

"I'm not giving you a ride home," Ryan flatly rejected her, looking away as if to leave her be. But she quickly blocked him with both of her arms, her soft hands slightly grazing over his chest, and she stepped right in front of him. He felt a zap of electricity from where she had touched him. 

Ryan frowned over it. Regina smiled cheekily, trying to persuade. He was really huge and she felt like a midget standing too close to him. It was intimidating but she was unfazed. His eyes were darker under the moonlight and he loomed over her, his big frame almost like a wall. She did not really know what to expect when she had suddenly leaned closer but Regina caught a whiff of a pleasant scent coming from him. Sandalwood, masculinity... dark fragrance.

He actually smelled nice, and she subconsciously moved closer. She got so distracted that she even went and tried to sniff him. Wait, stop. Regina immediately halted, her eyes widening a little, realizing what she was just about to do, and quickly straightened up, taking one cautious step back. What the hell was wrong with her? She tried to keep a straight face, disoriented to actually learn she almost tried to smell him in the most shameful way and tried to look unaffected.

"We're neighbors," she said in a stern voice, focusing on her words while staring up at him, "And it's already dark. I need someone to bring me home."

Right. They actually lived across each other. But not everyone knew that. Ryan never really cared about his neighbors and it never really mattered. He had always distanced himself from people and always do things on his own. Even Regina had been a total stranger to him not until just a few minutes ago when he had seen her struggling with the jackass, Eric. He had only intended to help her but it seemed like his charity had blown out of proportion. And now, here he was. Standing right here, helplessly stuck with her, and terribly trapped. And he also realized that he had to deal with Charles Summers soon after this, a friend who might not be a friend anymore. Ryan was no longer confident about the friend part. What could be worse?

What a great life you got, Ryan bitterly thought. But she was still right, it was not safe for her to go home on her own right now. It was really kind of late, the streets were all empty and dark already, and she seemed like she had no one to turn to. So now what? 

Ryan was conflicted.

"Where's your bike?" Regina asked this again, and this time she really wanted him to agree. She was almost too nervous to look back in the direction of Charles's house. Charles did not follow them anymore and she was really glad that he was letting her leave tonight. But this place was too far from her house so it would be difficult for her to go back alone. If only she had not forgotten where she had put her phone. 

Damn. She was too eager to leave Charles a while ago that she did not even realize she should have brought it with her so she could just contact someone else to pick her up. She felt helpless. And Ryan was the only one she can rely on at this point. A cold wind breezed in and Regina shuddered from the chills, wrapping her arms around her bare shoulders to try and get warm. Ryan was still not saying anything, and she was already losing hope.

She looked vulnerable and he just stared at her, his words stuck in his throat as he saw her shivering from the cold. The first instinct he did was to remove the jacket he had tied around his waist and give it to her. He really did not understand why he was being too nice now but something about how vulnerable she had looked while she tried so hard to keep a calm face made him want to help her again. He was not really going to let a girl go and walk her way home alone, was he? 

He was not that much of an asshole yet.

"Fine. Let's go," he then said to her, deciding to be the nice guy tonight just for once. He let out a long sigh. Regina's eyes shot up and she stared at him as if he was some kind of a hero. On top of his jacket that was now protecting her from the cold, Regina was more than just grateful that he was being so generous. She could hug him right now but that would be a little too much so she just kept her hands to herself. 

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver," she said to him in utter delight, her face breaking into a huge beautiful smile, lashes fluttering, soft cheeks pressed up, eyes glimmering at him and he felt a little pinch inside his chest as he gazed down at her, dazzled by her face. Whoa.

She was pretty, and the way she just beamed at him felt like a rewarding moment. Even when her hair was all over the place, her face voided of makeup, and she was not even really trying to impress him, Ryan still found himself simping over the way her lips had curved up into a soft, luscious smile with those deep dimples showing on each side of her mouth. Damn... he had to shake those thoughts off. This was Summers' girl for Pete's sake.

Bro code. Remember.

"Right," he nervously remarked, taking a deep breath as he forced himself to look away. Note to himself, do not stare at her face for too long. Extremely dangerous and risky. He almost lost his own self. He started walking, his hands finding their way into the front pockets of his jeans and he led her to where he had parked his bike at the vacant lot across the next house. Ryan kept his back on her, still trying to condition himself since this was actually the first time he was letting some random girl ride behind him in his bike whom he wasn't particularly attracted to. Really? You're not attracted? He heard a voice said inside his mind and Ryan tried to push it away. Chicken. He glowered. 

This was strange territory. And he did not really know whether to feel weird or feel nervous. He never had been this uncomfortable with girls before. He sounded like a whiny virgin boy right now, and he frowned deeper, mentally humoring himself in a self-deprecating way. Was he really just getting all too antsy because some girl he was not supposed to kiss and fool around with was actually going to sit with him on his bike?

He should not be worrying over it too much. Why was he turning quite soft? Must be the booze, but he did not really drink anything. That would never be safe for him to ride his bike. Must be her face... cause that was quite interesting, even if it felt too wrong. He should stop thinking about her face. And now it felt a little awkward to look at her again. He still had his back on her. He was resisting the urge to stare at her, afraid that he might gawk again and forget reality. 

"This is huge," her comment came in all of a sudden, and Ryan's attention immediately went to her, as he whipped his head around to look behind him. He was already staring at her face before he could even stop himself. His eyes met hers. She smiled, and there it was again. Please don't smile. Ryan quickly looked away, gulping, and he moved to give her the helmet for safety to distract himself. Let's get this over with. The quicker the better. He might not really survive this night if he was not careful.

 "Thanks," she muttered back, accepting the helmet from his hand and she put it on. His jacket and the helmet smelled faintly like him too and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from swooning. Not the right time to swoon, girl, she told herself. Locking the strap below her chin, she waited for him to prep the bike. He moved and dangled a leg over the huge thing and settled comfortably on the seat in one go. He took out the keys from his pocket and looked natural as she watched him from the side. His bike was like his second skin. The engine roared to life as soon as he started it up.

"You getting on?" he raised a brow at her as he balanced the bike with one foot on the ground. She gaped at him.

"H-how?" 

She did not think of this all through and as it turned out, she was actually nervous to climb up on the bike. The seat was too high and she was not sure how to get on it. 

"Grab my arm," he offered, reaching a hand out to her. She hesitated but still took it as she wobbled and stepped over the foot-pegs to get her leg across the seat behind him. She hoisted herself up and grabbed the only thing she could hold onto, which was his shoulders, and clumsily settle herself on the seat. She almost got it, but her butt did not land right and she let out a soft yelp, clinging onto him, her arm moving around his body over his chest. She panicked, but she was not sure if it was because she thought she was going to fall or because she could feel the sturdy muscles underneath the thin fabric of his shirt. What was she doing?

"Are you fine?" he asked suddenly, sounding quite a little out of breath. She must have been gripping him too tight and only then she realized what she was actually doing. It looked like she was hugging him from the back. And she quickly removed her arm, feeling her cheeks burning from embarrassment.

"Sorry," she regretfully muttered in shame, hiding the blush under the helmet and her hair.

"It's okay," he said after a moment, his voice now calmer and he tried not to think too much of what just happened as he spoke over the engine's noise, "Are you settled now?"

She nodded with a "yes" coming out of her lips. It was the first time she would be riding on a motorcycle and she gulped nervously, taking a deep breath. She inhaled and realized that it was also a mistake cause she caught his scent again and this time, it was pretty distinctive because he was too close to her and there were only inches apart from them. Sandalwood, masculinity, dark fragrance. She got dizzy for a second, it was irresistible. Then she tried to hold her breath, which was impossible but it was that or to sniff him shamelessly. 

"Grab onto me," she then heard him saying as he revved up the engine then a click sounded. 

"What?" 

She tried to act like she did not hear him at all, but she knew what he just said. And instead of saying it once again, Ryan took the initiative to reach behind him and grab one of her hands. To hell with it. This was for safety. And he put it around his waist before adding, "You need to hold here. Or else you might fall."

It would have been just easy if he was wearing something much thicker than what he had on right now. Because as soon as Regina's hand dropped across his abdomen, her heart immediately started pounding and her lungs started to constrict. A tingling sensation hit the nerves right from her fingertips straight up to her shoulders and down to her spine. Her stomach fluttered and the blood rushed to her brain. Those were abs... Real hard-toned abs. Good lord.

She might not really fall but she might faint from suffocation. It was hard for her to breathe naturally. He was too close, too sandalwood, too muscular, and too... dark, dark, dark. She was too nervous to get too close yet she can't go anywhere but to be near him. And now the bike just started moving. The engine purred and he started to plow it away, the wheels screeched, and off they went. The impact of the first skid had Regina reaching for the other side of his waist with her free hand and now, she got both of her hands on him. Good gracious, this was scary.

Though the scary part was not because they were going too fast. It was because she was already pressed against his muscled back. The bare skin of his arms and elbows grazed over hers as she held onto him with both of her arms wrapped around his body. Her face was over his shoulder and she sank into the comforts of his scent. She's losing it. Who knew that riding a motorbike with someone like this can also be dangerously provocative and sensual, she realized. 

Then she felt the wind blowing over her face and she felt a little lightheaded. Her heartbeat rose to the thrill and the rush of adrenaline as their speed increased. She could feel the vibrations of the running engine beneath her legs, and she felt infinite. Then as she saw the rapid passing view of streets around them, she smiled and closed her eyes. She rested the side of her head against his shoulder blade and sighed, reveling in the blissful feeling of this experience. It's dangerous yet she somehow did not care anymore.

In fact, she actually loved this. She loved this kind of danger.

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