"I really respect what you did tonight" Skylar said, as they were curled up in bed later that night.

"What do you mean?" He wondered.

"Talking to my dad, I liked that...I mean it's kind of oldfashioned and sweet" she said smiling contently at him.

"I respect your dad, I had to tell him myself, letting him know my intentions are honorable, and I don't want him to kick my ass!" He said, and it wasn't meant to be a joke. Dave was not the kind of guy you would mess with. He had this funny side to him, but he was a tough guy, no doubt about that. Ryder liked that, he liked the fact that Dave could be really funny and caring, but at the same time - he was a badass! A protector...An alpha male. He had no doubt - Dave was tough, underneath that mellow guy was also a madman, ready to strike!

"Honorable intentions...I think, I am beginning to rub off on you" she definitely meant that as a compliment.

And he caught that.

"I like the way you see me...it makes me think, I can really change...become a better person" he was stroking her arm. Tenderly.

"You can be anything you want...you have so much potential Ryder, someone failed to instil that in you early on, every child should be told how amazing he or she is. My dad always did, no matter how screwed up he was, he never failed to reassure me...and you? You already changed, remember how you were when we first met? You were arrogant, rude...indifferent. You are not like that anymore" she kissed his hand, the hand that was holding on to her.

"I am sorry...I was such a jerk" he said, feeling bad thinking about it. He treated her poorly, but that was before he knew her. Before he truly saw who she was.

"You didn't fool me...I knew it was just an act! I knew deep inside that you were special...you are a good guy, you have a big heart...you can't hide it from me" she said truthfully. She always knew there was more to Ryder than his loud act.

"I don't understand what it is you see...I really don't" he didn't, he really didn't get it.

"I see you...I see who you really are".

"I hope so...I don't want to disappoint you Skylar".

"You won't" she said, and kissed him gently.

"What am I going to do without you?" He said that out loud - although he didn't intend to - he didn't want to upset her, or himself. How do you talk about death, when you have barely lived?

He felt lost.

He was developing all these feelings for her, he was investing all his time and energy into this relationship - and it scared him. He knew she would leave him...sooner than he wanted her to. Closing his eyes, he could picture her sitting in a chair on a white wooden porch...her hair long and grey...her hands wrinkled, painted by time. He could see her smiling at him.

He could see himself growing old with this girl, but he knew it was never going to happen, and it broke his heart! Some people turn to God in a time like this. Some people would seek comfort in family and friends. Some people had to run away: Get up and leave. He would have done that just a couple of months ago, when he didn't care who she was.

The difference was...Now he did care.

He cared too much to get up and leave. You don't leave the people you love just because you are scared, only cowards do that! He wasn't a coward, and it just occurred to him, that he really did love her!

He loved her more than he loved himself.

He never felt like that before. Ryder usually put himself first, he didn't have anyone in his life that he valued...not his mother, not his friends...not even himself.

But he did now.

Now he had Skylar.

She changed everything. He never imagined that was possible. He had his life mapped out. He was going to live day by day. No reason planning for a future you don't believe in? But he believed in Skylar, and the way she saw him, the things she said meant something to him...he wanted to listen. She gave him reason to care about something...everything. All of a sudden he found a purpose to keep going, fighting...even dreaming?

"I was thinking about something" he said, and he was waiting for her to ask him what it was, he knew she would.

"What is it?" She said, and it made him smile, he was getting to that stage where he knew what she was going to say, that happens when you are close to someone? You know their reaction, you can finish each other's sentences...he sort of liked that.

"I think, I want to go back to school. Maybe part time or something. I don't even know how many classes I still need to take, but I bet Charlie would help me" he was quiet.

She sat up...she cupped his face with her hands...forcing him to look at her, and it made him feel vulnerable somehow.

Her eyes...he could disappear into those beautiful hazel brown eyes...even the way she looked at him made him feel good about himself. The way she looked at him, made him believe he was what she seemed to see?

A good person. Someone who truly was good! Or at least had the capability to be good?

And he wanted to be.

For her.

Maybe someday he would want to be good - not just for her - but for himself too?

"I am proud of you Ryder" she said, and gave him a hug.

"I don't know how I'll pay for it, the scholarship is hardly still an option" he looked worried, but she just smiled.

"We can figure that out" she said, and coming from her he almost believed it ...