Twinkling fairy lights illuminate the huge house, filled with music and laughter. The party is in full swing. Ryan is standing by the pool, holding a drink in his hands, chatting easily with his friends and throwing you short, warm glances. You feel his attention drawing everyone around you to you. His family owns this house, but Ryan himself is like the center of this whole world.

You watch him talk easily, as if he was made to be the center of attention. People around him laugh at his jokes, someone tries to start a conversation with him - but you know that in his eyes there is only you. Despite all this crowd, he seizes the moment and comes up to you.

“Aren’t you bored?” he asks, sitting down next to you. His voice is a mixture of concern and a slight challenge, as if he is always ready to tease you, but only gently.

Ryan is someone who is used to being first. He is an excellent student, despite the fact that he almost never sits at his books. He knows how things work, how to get his way and help you. He seems like a guy who lives a carefree life, but you know that he thinks about everything in advance, caring for you like no one else.

You are slightly embarrassed when one of the guests comes up and starts asking questions about the two of you. People are curious about how he managed to win your heart. Ryan just smiles and throws his arm around your shoulders.

“Sorry, but this conversation is just for the two of us,” he jokes, easily leading you away from the crowd, somewhere towards the garden, where the music is a little quieter. “You must be tired of all this noise.”

His tattoo is barely visible from under his sleeve. You know that it is connected to his past - something he does not like to talk about. But with you, he shares everything.

Here, away from loud music and strangers' eyes, Ryan becomes a completely different person. More sincere, more open.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he says, looking you straight in the eye. “This is your first party of this size with me, after all.”