Rivals In Love (Love In Montana Book 4)

The next two days, Ryan waited impatiently for Georgia to come to college but she didn't. He tried calling her but she didn't accept his call. He tried messaging her but she didn't reply to his messages too. He was too restless to see sense. In his anxiety, he drove to Fordsville Public Hospital after college to catch a glimpse of her and talk to her. He had no idea when his jealousy had turned the desire that he felt for her into a need. Now that he had a taste of her and knew the truth about her and realized his mistake as well, that need had developed into an intense and overwhelming craving. A craving to gain her trust back, to gain the magic back which existed before between them. He wanted to undo the hurt that he had caused her. He wanted to apologize.

He waited at the reception for a few minutes, impatiently, knowing that her mom was still at the hospital and Georgia was bound to come and visit.  After waiting for twenty minutes he saw Phil walking out of the elevator. He hid himself not knowing how to explain his presence to Phil. His eyes however searched for Georgia. After Phil left, he enquired for Rose McLean and went upstairs to see if Georgia was indeed there or not. 

After ensuring that her mom was peacefully sleeping, Georgia got up to go to the cafeteria of the hospital to get herself some coffee. If she needed to stay the night, she might as well grab a quick bite while her mom was still asleep. But she hadn't gone very far out of her mom's room when in her haste she collided with a hard chest. 

"Oof," she gasped, looking up into the stormy blue eyes of none other than Ryan Wilson! Georgia's mouth hung open seeing him here right in front of her mom's room. 

"You?" She gasped, looking around to see if anyone was around or not. "What are you doing here?" She whispered, lowering her tone. Ryan was the last person whom she would expect here although he was the only one she'd been thinking about day and night and every second of her time. His kiss had kindled inside her a fire which she never knew had existed before. In fact now, she became more interested in Ryan's kiss than in the project. Seeing him suddenly in front of her had made her lose her composure. Ryan grasped her arm taking advantage of her lost state.  

"I've come to see you, obviously. Why are you avoiding me? I know that I've been rude to you and I'm sorry," he started. Then looking around he lowered his head towards her. 

"But I'm not sorry that I kissed you. I'll do it again and again," he whispered into her ear, his mouth grazing against the sensitive skin below her ear. Georgia trembled as a strange desire caused goosebumps to erupt on her skin. 

"You're crazy Ryan. Please, let's go to the cafeteria. Phil and Brian will arrive any minute," she said, panicking at the thought. Without waiting for his answer, she caught his hand and pulled him away with her towards the cafeteria. Ryan just followed her like a lost puppy, feeling the warmth and the softness of her hands as it clasped onto his. It felt as if they fitted perfectly into his. Georgia led him to the cafeteria and released his hand but he didn't release her at all. His warm hand held onto hers tightly, engulfing her slender and soft ones in his rough, tanned and calluses one. 

"Ryan, I need to eat something before mom wakes up," she pleaded. 

"I'll order for you. Please let me make it up to you? I'd been such an as*h*le to you when you were going through so much," he pleaded. Georgia looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity of his plea. 

"Okay," she agreed. Ryan's face broke into a happy smile as if he had found his prize. 

"Thanks, Georgia. Can you forgive me?" He asked her softly. Georgia blushed and nodded. Ryan wanted to jump with joy but he calmed himself down and pulled her with him to the counter to order something for themselves. 

They ordered their food and carried it to a table nearby. "How's your mom now?" He asked her. Georgia shook her head.

"Not well. She has developed an infection in her lungs which the doctors are struggling to treat currently," she said as a sadness filled her eyes at the thought. 

Ryan felt horrible for her. He didn't know how to comfort her. So they ate in silence. "When will you be able to come to college? You're missing out in your assessments, " said Ryan. Georgia nodded. She knew it but what could she do? After her dad was well settled at home Phil and Cameron would return back to Wyoming leaving aunt Dorothy here. If only her brothers had some sense of responsibility in them, she could have been able to attend college. 

"I don't know Ryan. My cousins will return in a day or two. With dad unwell and Brian and Greg least bothered about mom, I have literally no one to relieve me. Maybe if aunt Dorothy and Hannah, who's mom's caregiver,  agrees, I could go back to college," sighed Georgia. 

"Please don't mind my saying so but your brothers are real tools," said Ryan. Georgia knew that he was right.

"I know. I hate them," she whispered. It was the truth and there was no point in hiding it from him. Ryan grimaced. He hated them too. 

"I'll help you with the notes and work done in class. When your mom's asleep try to cover the studies sitting here itself. Else you'll lose a year," said Ryan, Georgia nodded. He was right again. 

"You're right, Ryan. I'll bring my books here and try to cover the topics. Can you please send me all work that has been done in class?" She pleaded. Ryan smiled, eager to help her. Her helplessness made him feel bad and wanted to help her in some way or the other. 

"Sure, I'll forward them to your mobile number, " he said, with a grin. Georgia nodded. 

"Thanks a lot for this help, Ryan, " she told him but Ryan simply stared at her, as if considering something in his mind. They had eaten up everything that they had ordered and got up together to leave the cafeteria. Ryan walked closely behind her, his arm brushing with hers causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin.

"I need to go back to mom's room," said Georgia, her face a little flushed at her reaction to him. Ryan didn't want her to leave so soon but he had no choice. 

"Please can you come to college tomorrow?" He begged, staring into her eyes, as if pleading with her to agree. 

"I'll try my best, Ryan, " she whispered, lost in his electric blue eyes. 

"Not try. Please come," he said. Georgia nodded. Till her cousins were here, she would have to take out time to go to college. Later on, she wouldn't be able to at all. 

"Okay, I'll go to college tomorrow if my aunt and cousins agree to stay the day here with mom," she told him. Ryan smiled. 

"Thanks. I'll send you the work soon. See you tomorrow, Georgia, " he said, flicking her nose, before walking away. Georgia stood watching him go with a silly smile on her face. She had to agree that Ryan was a real charmer if he wanted to be.  So was she falling for his charms? She blocked her mind to that question refusing to acknowledge the answer. She wasn't ready to face the answer. She wasn't ready to discover her growing feelings for Ryan. Her life was too complicated right now and there was no place for any attachment or relationship, that too especially with their family rival. 

She rushed to her mom's room and saw that she was still asleep. She sat down on the sofa in her room and looked out of the window. Her mind went back to Ryan. Why did he come straight to the hospital from college? Did he miss her? Why did he take so much risk knowing that her brothers could have seen him? Did he feel something for her too? She touched her lips where he had left his mark with that kiss. They still could feel his touch. She touched her nose which his fingers touched playfully. 

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths but it seemed like Ryan had slowly and unknowingly crawled into her heart and mind and she was powerless to stop him. "God please help me. I don't want to fall in love with him," she pleaded, mumbling softly to herself. 

But no one has any control over this strange feeling called love. It creeps into one's heart whenever it wants to, at times when one least expects to fall in love. 

Despite the prayer, Georgia knew in her subconscious mind that she had actually fallen in love with Ryan Wilson, son of their rival family!