He had always wanted to grow up and be just like his father; no matter how much the man had hurt him or dictated to him. It was always his greatest ambition to grow up and make his father proud. They butted heads and fought, but Ry had always sought his approval, except when it came to me. To have him say that he wanted no part of it made me wonder what had happened between them. I desperately hoped I didn’t have anything to do with it; I didn’t know if I wanted to be responsible for his throwing his life away, and severing his relationship with his father.
Of course, the first odd comment he had made had been back at the school. I still wasn’t quite sure what he had meant, saying that I was more important than his father’s rules. I could take a wild guess and make the assumption my heart wanted me to, but that was foolish. I had a sinking sensation that all of his revelations tonight were connected somehow. Part of me couldn’t wait until Saturday night to find out what was going on with him. I needed to make sure everything was okay.
Before I knew it, we were winding down the canyon into the suburb where Wyn and I lived. I glanced up from the blackness of the window to look at the lights, their twinkling and shining dots looking like a million stars that had fallen from the sky.
Ryland reached out, grabbed my hand and squeezed, the action pulling me away from the lights. His eyes had a million questions behind them, a million thoughts, and a million words. I was lost in them, trying to figure out what he wanted to say to me.
He turned back to the road, his hand staying around mine, keeping them both in my lap. I knew why he was doing this; I couldn’t say anything to him with Wyn here. I couldn’t get my questions answered. I couldn’t tell him what I wanted to say.
Before I could stop myself, my fingertips had moved forward to trace the lines of our intertwined hands. My touch shocked him and he shivered, giving me a knowing glance. I looked away from him and down to continue running my fingertips over his skin.
“So, Wyn, where to?”
I looked up to Ryland as his loud voice boomed through the quiet car. My mind froze in place. I hadn’t thought about the time between Wyn’s house and my own. I was doomed. Luckily, Wyn came to my rescue.
“My brother is picking me up at Joclyn’s place,” she said, her eyes never leaving her phone.
I saw Ryland’s shoulders drop, while my heart eased just a bit. I wasn’t ready to talk yet.
Ryland squeezed my hand, conveying some form of sorrow that I wasn’t sure I reciprocated. In just a few minutes, he pulled into one of the few empty stalls at my apartment building. I looked up to the third floor where the obvious flicker of a television lit up the windows to my apartment. Ryland reluctantly let go of my hand as I exited so Wyn could climb out behind me.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Ryland asked. Suddenly, I was relieved I had already made plans.
“Actually, I’ll be at Wyn’s house all night.” My heart almost broke as his face fell.
I took off his hoodie and handed it back to him.
“What’s this for?” he asked.
“My mom won’t let me come over Saturday night if I walk in wearing a hoodie.”
Ryland smiled in understanding as he took the jacket from my hands.
“Then, I will see you tomorrow morning.” He smiled before bidding Wyn goodbye and sped off, leaving us staring after him.
Moments after he drove away, Wyn’s brother pulled up in a sleek black Mazda, his body stiff and tough, as if willing himself to only look straight ahead and not toward us.
“I changed my mind,” Wyn said as she climbed into the car.
“What?” I asked.
“He’s not your boyfriend; he’s your true love.” She smiled before Ilyan drove off, her door not even closed all the way.
All I could do was look after her, knowing full well my heart was beating erratically in my chest.
Twelve
Night of the Living Vampire turned out to be just as horrible and sucky as promised. It was full of teenage humor that mocked the vampire craze with a nice splattering of cheesy gore thrown in. Wyn and I sat on the long couch in her living room with a bowl of popcorn in between us, while Ilyan occupied the overstuffed lounge chair. He was trying very hard not to laugh at the stupid jokes and dirty humor, but every once in a while a laugh escaped anyway, which sent me into further pelts of laughter, while Wyn chose to glare at both of us.
I pulled my hands into Ryland’s bright blue hoodie that he had dropped off at school for me that morning and sank into the couch to watch the final fight scene of the movie. The lead vampire was running across a clearing after some girl he thought he was in love with; but instead, he decided she would make a better lunch. The whole thing was so over-the-top, it was ridiculous.
“Last minute, he decides not to eat her because he loves her, and they run away from the vampire horde together to live happily ever after.” Ilyan’s voice was bland, his accent rolling off his tongue.
“Ilyan!” Wyn shrieked, her hands going in the air. “You’re ruining it.”
“How am I ruining it? These things are so predictable. Besides, don’t you want them to end up together?”
“Well, yes. But, I wanted to discover that for myself!”
Ilyan just sighed at his little sister.
“Joclyn,” Wyn whined at me, “don’t you agree?”