AllFreeNovel
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It’s—
Ryan is overwhelmed. By feeling. By holding. By knowing.
—
When you’ve neverseen the ocean, this is what it feels like to see the ocean. You can only observe what’s in front of you, which is impressive. But what alters your life, what leaves you at a loss for words, is knowing what’s beyond. Standing there, seeing just a fraction of a fraction of its face, you know it can only lead to something enormous.
—
All they dois sway. It is the most natural motion in the world.
The wind does it. The tide does it. Other couples do it.
Ryan and Avery do it, too.
—
They have eachfound something, and they have each found someone.
Both at the same time.
—
“There you are!”
At first Avery doesn’t hear it, but then Lana is at his side, asking where everyone else has gone.
Avery pulls back from Ryan, just a little bit. And Lana reacts as if Avery was hiding Ryan this whole time, as if he wasn’t right there holding him.
“Oh!” she says. “Who is this?”
“This,” Avery replies, “is Ryan.”
The dance floor is too crowded for Ryan to retreat entirely, but Avery sees him shy away.
“Hi, I’m Lana!”
“Hi.”
Lana turns back to Avery. “Have you seen everyone else?”
Avery takes hold of Ryan’s hand, so he won’t shy away too far.
“No,” he tells Lana. “I’ve been here. And I’m going to stay here. I’m sure they’re around, though.”
Avery barely knows Lana. But he relies on her understanding.
He sees it click—Lana stepping out of her own situation to see Avery’s.
She smiles. “Got it. If I see them, I’ll tell them you’re here. We’ll let you know if there’s anything for you to know.”
“Thank you,” Avery says. Then he turns back to Ryan, squeezes his hand, tries to return them to the song.
“Do you have to go?” Ryan asks. “I mean, it’s okay if you have to go.”
“But it’s more okay if I stay, right?”
“I think so? I mean, if it’s more okay for you, it’s definitely more okay for me.”
