Ramona's P.O.V.

Meanwhile, as Addie began to grab her phone and call Ryan (Ramona didn't know this, however), Ramona went up the stairs, confident, strong. Strong enough that even her own thoughts deflected the worries of her conscience---it would tell her that he'd hit her and Ramona would reply that she wouldn't let him, it would tell her that she doesn't have the guts to leave him for good and Ramona would remind herself that she loved Ryan.

Love is a very strong word, and with that power behind her, there's no way she didn't have the guts to leave him. Besides, she's got to return Ryan's kiss sometime.

When Ramona reached the door of the bedroom, she looked around inside and saw no Shawn. She glanced at the clock. It was 6:34. She also glanced at the photo of her and Shawn smiling, but more so herself. She felt bad for that Ramona, with the sad eyes. No matter, though, because this Ramona was about to have a better life. That Ramona was gone.

Ramona noticed that the light was on in the closet, though. Taking a deep breath, Ramona took those few steps forward and turned just to see Shawn standing in front of many empty hangers. Few had clothes on them. She was surprised he hadn't noticed before.

On the other hand, for the many times Ramona had seen Shawn angry, she knew exactly what it looked like. He'd be obviously tense, which he was, fists often clenched too. Ramona stared at his back a moment and thought of how to begin. Maybe she could get on with it. Just say, "Shawn, it's over. Fuck you."

Could that work? She could just walk out? No, of course not. Shawn proved himself to be aware of her presence already anyways. She thought she'd been quiet.

"Why is most of your stuff gone?" He growled without turning around. Ramona felt her stomach clench. She took a deep breath again. Her confidence was waning. Maybe it was just adrenaline and that was leaving her, though.

Her eyes got watery. She didn't feel sad, but they felt like tears, which were so unfortunately familiar.

Shawn repeated himself, getting louder.

"Ramona, why is your stuff gone?!"

Ramona did not flinch as usual. She blinked back the water from her eyes and lifted her chin. A voice rang in her head, but one that was not her own. It sounded like Ryan's.

You can do this.

Ramona took another deep breath, as if the air in her lungs would give her strength back. She felt hesitant. Her stomach clenched a little tighter, twisting.

Then it told her again.

You can do this.

Ramona finally spoke, "I think you know why, Shawn."

Shawn turned and glared at her, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Ramona just huffed, glaring right back at his assumption of having power over her. She spun on her heel and left the room. Maybe she could get Addie and they could just leave then and there. She could always come back for her stuff.

She didn't want to linger. She didn't want to argue. Besides, he knows she's moving out, she's leaving. He's gotten the point already.

"Ramona!" He called as she headed down the stairs. Just as he did fifteen minutes ago. But this time she was not to look back at all.

As Ramona stepped away from the staircase, she looked around for Addie. It didn't take long to find her standing in the kitchen by the island, a phone in her hand that she just said something into. Shawn called her name again as he came down the stairs.

Ramona looked away from Addie, who glanced once at her, as Shawn came in and grabbed her arm roughly. Ramona shoved him away, glad to be able to. Shawn scoffed angrily.

"You're going to see that stupid songwriting asshole, aren't you? I knew you had something going on with him, you fucking liar."

Ramona scowled and raised her voice, "I guess that's what it feels like to be lied to then, isn't it?"

Then she took a pause before rolling her eyes at him, "Of course, I wouldn't know what that feels like at all, would I?"

Shawn growled in fury again, the muscles in his arms flexed, "You've been cheating on me---"

"So have you!" Ramona cried back. That was probably the first time she'd really defended herself against him. Boy, did it feel good.

"He's an asshole, he's never going to be able to---"

"Oh, shut up, you pathetic piece of shit! Besides, that 'asshole' just happens to be my boyfriend!"

There was a sharp inhale behind her, from Addie. Ramona didn't look at her, but found herself smirking again. Shawn's face turned slightly red from rage and his jaw clenched almost as tight as his fists. Ramona crossed her arms and waited for a response.

"You can't leave me," He spat, seeming a bit lost for a good argument, "I'm better than any man you'll meet!"

With his second statement, he stepped forward a bit. Ramona didn't flinch yet another time. She heard Addie mutter something into her phone, but it was quiet enough that she couldn't hear what it was. Ramona focused on Shawn again and replied, "Well, you've been sorely mistaken on that one."

Shawn's glare became colder and Ramona tried to match it. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Addie looking somewhere near the front door. Maybe it was the windows. She was muttering more in the phone, of which Ramona caught a few words, "...might want to hurry..."

She also thought she heard her own name, but looked back at Shawn. She raised her eyebrows, indicating that he was to say something more. But he seemed speechless and all he could do was give a pathetic angry face. He didn't even care about Addie, or get suspicious of her actions.

Ramona saw something outside the window just then. The blinds weren't open all the way, though, but only a bit. Addie muttered more into her phone. Ramona tried to listen to her words, but she had to focus on Shawn, who began to shake his head. Ramona's heart thumped as Addie moved around.

"So you think that you can just get your little friends together and scheme? Come up with plans on how to get you moved out of here? Just have them help you, like it's that easy?"

Ramona almost laughed.

"Well, let me tell you, it wasn't hard! You're not exactly the most observant person!"

Shawn's face twitched and he stepped forward again. Ramona uncrossed her arms, but didn't budge from her spot, even as Shawn got in her face, only a foot or so away. She even wanted to use her eyes to just dare him to try and hit her.

Then Addie flew by Ramona's right, flashing just by them and to the front door. Shawn turned to her, finally seeming to take note of her presence. As he turned, Ramona got a better sight of what was happening behind him. Addie held the phone tight against her right ear and stood by the door.

"What the hell are you doing, Baker?!" Shawn barked. Addie looked over, getting cut off from muttering quietly into the phone. She glared at Shawn, but still smiled mischievously. She also gave Ramona a look, one with joy hidden in the green of her eyes. She looked at Shawn again, putting her hand on the door handle, and declared, "Like you said, helping Ramona."

Then she threw the door open and Ramona caught sight of none other than Ryan coming up the stairs to the front door. As the door opened, his eyes flew up quickly and he saw Shawn and Ramona standing in the living room. First, he clearly gave Shawn an angry look, and Ramona wished she could've seen Shawn's face. Then Ryan looked at Ramona and something else was in his eyes. Something that kept her stomach turning, but in a better, gentle way.

Shawn turned back to Ramona, and Ramona couldn't help but keep her eyes on the handsome man that stopped just at the doorway instead of looking up. Their eye contact didn't break, but then she caught him smiling a bit. Then Ryan winked in encouragement.

That was all Ramona needed.

Ramona tried to hide her smirk just as Shawn muttered, "You'll realize your mistake."

Ramona looked up at him. She felt braver than ever. She kept her voice lowered to Shawn's same volume.

"And what mistake is that? That I should've left you a long time ago? Shawn, there's only one man that outranks them all, and, news flash, it's not you. It's that guy behind you, at the door."

Shawn let out a smaller growl from the back of his throat, and turned his head to the side a bit. Ramona knew this livid look. He'd try to hit her, most likely. Ramona took a step back from him and watched him closely. She wanted him to. She had a plan to throw him off.

Almost on cue, however, he tried to. He raised his hand, and with this, both Ryan and Addie flinched by the door, but Ramona was quicker. She slapped him with all the force she could muster, and the room heard an earsplitting smack that followed. Shawn stumbled back, hand on his left cheek, dumbfound. He looked at her, the anger had gone. He was simply shocked. Ramona glared at him hard.

"Get the fuck out." She snarled. Shawn was thrown off by her hit, of course, but still managed to say, "You'll be back."

Ramona didn't reply. Shawn turned to head out the door and Ramona watched him go. She also almost laughed as Ryan quickly sidestepped and threw his hands to the side, as if he was happily inviting Shawn out the door (which he probably was). Shawn did nothing to this, whether or not he saw it.

It was nice to look at, Shawn heading away from her. She felt a freedom with it, as he left the house. It felt to her symbolic for him also leaving her life. Their relationship was once a magnificent, painted masterpiece, simply a work of art. But those memories on white canvas soaked into one another eventually, just to create ugly hues of heartache. But no---it was no longer heartache. Ramona stopped looking at that painting a long time ago and created a new one with Ryan, one of pride and triumph and love.

Just before Ryan looked over at Ramona, Ramona ended up looking away from him and down as she felt the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. She couldn't let Shawn leave without taking it back, of course.

It was hard for Ramona to run out the door past Ryan without hugging him first, but she knew well she had to catch Shawn before he left.

"Shawn!" She yelled from the patio as he opened his car door. Shawn looked up at her grumpily. Ramona slipped off the ring and went down the stairs quickly, running to him and holding her hand out in front of him, the shiny little ring sitting in the middle of her palm.

"Take this. Then you can leave." She told him, smiling a bit. Shawn's face still kept an angry stare. His mouth twitched and his left cheek was glowing red from her hit, but he said nothing as he roughly took the ring from her. Then he got in and drove off, Ramona standing there and watching him do so. She waited until he was out of sight before looking over back at the house.

Ramona smiled at the sight. Ryan stood there at the bottom of the steps, face lit up by the setting sun just as it was the evening he first took her---or rather saved her---from Shawn. His eyes sparkled and he smiled his beautiful grin, and his soft hair just barely moved in the wind as smoothly as hers did.

Before even she knew it, she was running at him across the driveway and jumped into his open arms, hugging him tightly. His strong-yet-gentle arms found their way around her middle and Ryan picked her up and spun around a bit. Ramona laughed a bit as he put her down, and then they gazed into one another's eyes again, blue on green as usual. Ramona's own eyes filled with tears again, except she actually felt things this time. Good things.

"I love you, Butterfly." Ryan suddenly stated, hands still holding her close to him by the small of her back. Ramona grew warm and nervously laughed, "Um..."

She looked down. Could she say it? Or wait...did he even read her letter?

Ramona looked back into his eyes. His eyebrows raised up a bit in expectation, but his face was still pleasant and patient.

"Did you...read my letter?" Ramona mumbled.

To Ramona's relief, he laughed. She pursed her lips for only a moment, but when they locked eyes after his laugh, he placed one of his hands on her neck and replied with a casual shrug, "Speaking of which..."

It was both unexpected and expected at the same time, but overall, simply perfect. The initial meeting of their lips caught Ramona off guard, and Ryan's were not soft nor rough. But then the initial meeting was followed by an ardent, warmer melting under this congress. Their mouths began to move in harmony, as though they couldn't get enough of each other, as though to devour each other with their lips was the only way to express what they felt. After a short while, it stopped being a kiss, and it was suddenly just a blossom into something new and complete, different from what Ramona had known was inside herself.

At long last, their awaiting passion had bloomed into the full rose, bright and lively petals flourishing like their love. It was a beautiful, pink bloom full of colors from the heart.

As resistant as both of them were to pull back, they eventually separated their lips from the other's and Ramona found herself trying hard to breathe again and not be noticeable about it. She couldn't look away from the wildfires in his eyes either. She kept her hands on the back of his neck and thought about how she could easily stay there for a while more.

"It's about damn time." Addie suddenly said. Ramona and Ryan turned to the front door of the house, seeing Addie standing there, leaning on one leg, with one hand on her hips as she smirked at the two of them. She didn't even register the fact that she may have even ruined the moment---her bright, smiling face gave off vibes of no regret. Ramona shook her head.

"I'll go get the rest of your stuff, Ramona." She added along with that, just as she glanced at both of them one more time the moment she turned around to get Ramona's remaining things. Out of the corner of her eye, Ramona saw Ryan turn back to face her. She looked back at him.

As a piece of hair flew in front of her right ear from the breeze, Ryan pushed it back softly with his hand, his eyes scanning her face over again.

"Where are you planning to go?" He finally spoke. Ramona shrugged, though she knew. She just didn't know if he'd mind.

"Would it be too soon to come live with you?" She blurted, hopeful. Ryan laughed softly again.

"It's a free country, I don't think the economy will collapse if you do. Besides, such a big house with no one coming over often...it gets lonely." He replied. Ramona laughed, feeling as if she couldn't get enough of his smile. Or his face. He really was handsome...

"It's really nice having you there." Ryan then added, stopping her from falling into a daydream. Ramona's smile didn't fade.

"Okay." She whispered with a nod. Then she went on the tips of her toes to kiss him again, gingerly, tenderly.

With this, her mind quietly told her that this was the beginning of the new chapter. That, as the sun set and she rode off with Shawn behind her and Ryan beside her, the story would have a far better setting, with green grass and beautiful, fully bloomed roses poking out of the ground and smiling at her, and, of course, her new love.

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Ah, the refreshing rose metaphor as well. Despite flower metaphors being pretty cliche, I think I've pulled it off. But you like???? Because I do, hahah. I was writing it and kind of getting happy myself. A good portion of that was probably because you guys are probably like holyshitfinallygoddamn. So...yeah! Please comment! May or may not be my favorite chapter of this whole thing, so I'd love feedback!

Also, thanks to Nicole for the song---Free by Ryn Weaver. Fits quite well, certain lines for either Ryan or Ramona. Listen to it!! 10/10 recommend, you guys. Lol. I hope you liked this chapter!!! Next one on Saturday the 30th! xxx