"I'm here" Ricky said into the cell phone sitting between his right ear and shoulder as he pulled his rented red convertible onto the side of the road, parking it outside of a polished New York home and taking the keys from its ignition.

"Are you sure you want to do this Ricky?" his sister Grace asked timidly from her spot against the marble counter in her kitchen, back in Texas.

"I have to. It's her. It's always been her" Ricky replied

"But -" Grace paused, concerned with a knock at her front door. "Someone's at my door…"

"No buts Grace. I'm doing this… I'll call you after okay?" he said kindly

"Okay" Grace mumbled, hearing a series of cars pass by her brother "Just be careful…"

"I will Gracie. Thanks" smiled Ricky before hanging up the phone and slipping it into his pocket.

Grace placed her cordless phone onto the counter as the visitor on her porch continued to announce their presence. "Coming!" Grace shouted, briskly making her way towards the front hall of her home. She unlocked the door crossly; her mouth falling open in sight of the unexpected guest.

"Hi Grace" delivered the stranger

"H-Hi Amy"

After checking for oncoming traffic, Ricky stepped out into the street, shutting and locking the car door behind him. He hurried onto the lawn of the home he was now standing outside of and blinked apprehensively in awe of his surroundings. Jumping onto the sheltered porch, Ricky rapidly rang the home's doorbell twice and shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, began to nervously pace the platform.

Silence reciprocated his presence and as the seconds ran longer, he grew more and more impatient. He moved to aggressively begin knocking on the door with his fist, but a click from inside the duplex froze his hand. Moments later, a skinny man with red puffy eyes and stubble sprinkling his jaw line swung open the door, greeting Ricky with a scowl.

"Where is she?" Ricky wheezed, his heart beginning to race

"Beats me" The home owner muttered

"Ben!" Ricky shouted, slamming his palm against the bricks bordering the door frame

"Home I guess. Texas maybe?"

Ricky's brows burrowed in confusion.

"She went to find you Ricky! Okay? She went to find you!"

"She-she did?" Whispered Ricky, stepping backwards in shock

"Yesterday. Kept going on about how this wasn't working… how I didn't love her" Ben exclaimed, poking his chest with one of his fingers repeatedly "So she packed her bags, thanked me for everything and called a cab"

"And you have no idea where she went?"

"Where would you go if you were her?"

Ricky's eyes widened in comprehension "I know where she is"

"Better hurry" Ben mumbled, beginning to close his front door

Ricky ran off the porch, making his way back across Ben's lawn. He stopped in his tracks, turning around slowly "Ben?" He called, as the door was just about to shut.

Ben hesitated before pulling the door open again "Yeah?"

"Thank you"

"Take care of her Ricky"

"I will" Ricky swore as he hopped into his convertible, ignited the engine and tore out of the street.

"You sure you don't want any sugar?" Grace asked Amy again, carrying a tray holding two cups of coffee into the dining room. She sat down across from her guest, handing her her drink

"I'm sure. I always have it black" Amy replied, taking a sip of her coffee

"You're just like him you know" Grace said solemnly, stirring some cream into her coffee. Amy pursed her lips, watching her ex-sister-in-law struggle to carry the conversation. "How have you been?" Grace asked with forced cheer after a moment of silence

"Miserable" Amy admitted, ignoring the sympathy in her friend's eyes

"He told me what happened between you two"

"I figured he would" Amy replied, taking another sip of coffee "He's actually the reason I'm here. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Oh…" Grace mumbled, lowering both her voice and her cup "Amy… He's gone…"

"Gone where" Amy inquired, trying to slow her racing pulse

"I was on the phone trying to talk him out of it when you knocked"

"Trying to talk him out of what?"

"Going to see you"

"Would you like a drink sir" A stewardess asked Ricky politely, pulling him out of his daydream

"No thank you" Ricky said, forcing a smile. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably as the flight attendant pushed her cart full of drinks back up the main aisle of the plane. Ricky stared out his window intensely, ignoring the harsh winds beginning to shake the aircraft as his flight descended in the sky

"Folks" A voice crackled over the PA system of the plane "This is your captain speaking. It seems we are entering into a mild wind storm with expected showers. Please buckle your seat belts and prepare for some slight turbulence as we descend into Northern California. Thank you"

"I've always hated turbulence" declared the elderly man sitting in the seat next to Ricky. Ricky glanced at the man impatiently "You've stayed awfully quiet this entire flight young man. Everything alright?"

"I'm not one for talking" Ricky replied, checking his watch. He had 57 minutes.

"How come you're flying to California?" the passenger persisted

Why was he flying to California? For her he thought. Ricky swallowed, breaking his silence with a simple reply. "I'm going home"

"I'm going home" The perky woman seated next to Amy announced proudly "To see my husband and son. How about you?"

Amy looked at the woman unsettled "Me too" She said weakly, gripping her chair's arm rest as the plane rattled in the sky. Two male flight attendants hurried to drag their beverage cart back to the stewardess station as the overhead seatbelt lights flashed orange

A loud static noise filled the plane "Hello everyone. The captain speaking. It seems we are experiencing minor turbulence as we descend into Northern California. Please fold up your trays, buckle your seat belts and prepare for landing. It has been my pleasure to fly you this evening. Happy travels"

Please let him be there Amy thought to herself as she fastened her seatbelt and pressed her head against her headrest nervously. She had always hated flying.

Ricky hopped into his cab, escaping the rain by seconds as a downpour began. "Please hurry!" Ricky pleaded after giving his driver directions. He settled in his seat, panting heavily after his vigorous sprint through the airport to hail a cab.

He checked his watch again as they neared the cemetery. 11 minutes. Soon the car slowed.

"What's going on?" Ricky shouted from the back of the cab

"What's going on?" Amy asked skittishly

"The storm blew the lights out!" Her cabbie replied, irritated "Traffic jam. I think we're stuck here for a while"

Amy checked her phone. 11:51 pm August 13, 2019. She hesitated, not sure what to do.

"Here! Keep the change" Ricky griped, fisting his driver a set of bills before collecting his things, popping open his door and stepping out into the rain. He began to run.

Amy ran her hands over her face in frustration and as she lowered her hands, caught sight of a dark figure stepping out of the cab in front of hers. "Stop the car!"

Wind knocked against him, forcing him to re adjust his footing to prevent himself from falling. His clothes were drenched. Rain soaked his skin. He wiped water out of his eyes as he ran. He slowed his run to a jog as he rounded the corner onto the road of the cemetery and coated both pant legs in mud as he stepped into a puddle accidentally. He carried on, his face searing in pain as wind and water whipped against his chilled cheeks. Reaching the entrance to the cemetery, Ricky opened it's iron gate and pushed himself over the small hill that gave view to the entire grounds. She wasn't there.

She ran behind him, calling his name. Each time her voice was stolen by the wind and he remained unaware of her presence behind him. She followed him onto the gravel road leading up to the graveyard and screamed for him again as he stopped in defeat at the top of the hill overlooking the cemetery.

"Ricky!" She shouted once more, as the first strike of lightning lit up the sky.

He turned around, his watch chiming as the time turned to 12:00. Thunder clapped above them.

"I was there!" He shouted as she approached him slowly "I went to New York!"

"I left New York! I flew to Texas!" Amy yelled back, blinking away the drops of rain settling in her lashes

"How'd you know I'd be here?" He asked

"I didn't" She replied "How'd you know I'd be here"

"You're Amy Jeurgens! I always know where you are"

"Listen Ricky!" Amy began, starting up the hill as lightning struck again "About the other day… I didn't mean… I shouldn't have.."

"Its okay! I don't care anymore! All I want is to be with you! Because being without you these past three years have been horrible! I can't live without you Amy! I tried and I failed and I-"

"I love you!" Amy shouted, interrupting Ricky's proclamation as she reached the top of the mound

"You do?" Ricky answered, stepping into Amy's reach

Amy nodded her head

"I love you too! Every minute of every hour! Every second of every day!"

"You stole that from a movie!" She scolded, laughing

"But its true! I never want to be without you again Amy! Never ever again! I love you!"

"You love me" Amy whispered through tears, as she wrapped her arms around Ricky's neck.

He lowered his hands to her waist, pulling her into him. "I. Love. You"

The two stared at each other fiercely for a moment before slowly allowing their lips to meet as a third lightning strike lit up the stormy sky.

A/N Dear Readers,

I apologize for being so late to update. If you have read the final chapter of my story To Save A Life, you would know that over the summer, my computer lost all of its memory and the final chapter of this story and many others was lost. It took me a while to find the motivation to keep writing but I am back for good now and more excited than ever about what lies ahead.

I'd like to take this moment to thank you for your continuos support with not only this story but all of my writing. You have been nothing but supportive throughout this journey and if it wasn't for all the love and gratitude I receive, none of this would be worth it.

I hope you enjoyed reading Red as much as I enjoyed writing it and I hope that you can forgive me for my absence and welcome me with open arms as we enter this new year.

I look forward to posting new things for you very soon x

- Now and Forever

Riverbkstar