“Yeah, but what about Jayden?” I asked. “He’s single.” I tilted my head to look at Ryder.
Ryder pouted thoughtfully and shrugged. Jayden was one of the guys on Ryder’s soccer team and Ryder’s closest friend. We’d had lunch a couple of times after practice the past couple of weeks. He was cool. I liked him. Unfortunately, he didn’t go to our school. Jayden could at least take her out a few times and then to the dance, maybe get her mind off Lincoln Andrews for a while.
“Jayden? Who’s Jayden? Is he hot? Is he sweet? Does he want a girlfriend? Can I meet him?” Indie asked a hundred miles an hour, her eyes shining bright like a star.
“One of Ryder’s friends. Yes, he’s hot, single, and looking for a girlfriend. We can introduce them, yeah, Jones?” I nudged him when I noticed he was frowning. His fingers had stopped trailing patterns on my skin. “What’s wrong?”
“You think Jayden’s hot?” he asked quietly, avoiding eye contact. Was he seriously jealous? I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to grab hold of that confidence I had slowly been building.
“Not as hot as you. No one compares to you,” I told him before pressing my lips to his.
“Oh look, Chace is coming this way,” Indie announced while my lips were still attached to Ryder’s. He didn’t respond at first, and I didn’t move. I kept my lips on his, ignoring Indie’s gagging sounds in the background. I finally felt Ryder’s mouth curl into a small smile and felt one arm wrap around my waist. His other hand grasped my shoulder and began pushing me backwards gently, until I was down on the grass and Ryder’s long body was pressed against my side.
“Ohhh…kay, I’m leaving now. This is getting rather uncomfortable. Call me when I can meet Jayden.” I heard her shuffling around to leave but didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, my fingers found their way into Ryder’s hair and pulled his mouth down to mine again when he broke the kiss.
“I wasn’t finished,” I mumbled against his mouth, earning a chuckle from him before I felt his tongue trace along my bottom lip. I immediately parted my lips, letting him deepen the kiss. I could feel eyes on us like someone was staring, and I was vaguely aware that we were in the schoolyard and remembered Indie announcing something about Chace, but I was too lost in Ryder’s kiss and the warmth of his large hand gripping my waist to care.
Finally, when we were both struggling for breath, Ryder pulled away slightly and, looking down at me, smiled. “Damn it, Bailey. That was some kiss.” I laughed at that and ran my thumb across his bottom lip, noticing how pink and swollen it looked from that intense kiss.
“It was,” I agreed. “You’re a mess, sorry.” I smoothed my hands over his hair to tame it.
“So are you, but I like this dishevelled just-been-kissed look on you.” He smirked. “Can’t wait to see the dishevelled just been fu—” I reached up and pinched his mouth shut with my fingers.
“Don’t finish that sentence.” I tried to sound stern and severe but was trying not to laugh at him at the same time. He sighed as I released my gag.
“Just saying that is definitely a look I want to see on you.” He winked.
“In your dreams, Jones,” I told him, slapping him on the chest as the warning bell rang.
“Every night,” he admitted, pushing himself up and helping me to stand. I was just about to respond when Ryder stiffened and looked over my shoulder. I turned to look in the direction he was staring and saw Chace standing there watching, mad as hell. “Chace,” Ryder growled.
“You didn’t know he was there?” I thought that was why he had pushed me down and kissed me like that.
“No, why?”
“That kiss. I thought you were trying to piss him off.”
“That kiss was all you, Bailey.”
Chapter Twelve
The rest of the day passed slowly. I found myself looking forward to our fake date on Friday night and didn’t know why. When class was over for the day, I made my way out to the parking lot to wait for Ryder. After ten minutes, I was beginning to worry. The school was almost empty, and he was nowhere to be seen. He was never late.
I pulled out my phone to call him when I suddenly caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked up to see Ryder walking toward me with blood running down his face.
“Ryder, what happened? Are you okay?” I rushed over to meet him. I reached up and gently touched the side of his face, inspecting the cut on his eyebrow and apologising when he winced in pain. It didn’t look too deep, but it would need to be cleaned. His cheek was red, and a bruise was starting to form under his eye.
“Sorry for making you wait, love. I’m okay now. Let’s just go home.” He wrapped one arm around my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my head despite the fact that he was the injured one. Shouldn’t I be kissing him better?
“Love?” I asked, putting my arm around his waist and leading him to his car.
“Yeah, you don’t like B unless the tool’s around, so I needed a name for you when no one is around.” And he chose love? He could call me Bailey. Love was a weird choice, but I liked it when it came from his lips.
“Okay,” I said, climbing into the car next to him. “Wanna tell me why you’re bruised and bleeding?”
“Chace. He jumped me from behind before I saw it coming,” he said, turning the car on and pulling out of the lot and heading in the direction of my house.
“He didn’t?” I gasped. I was angry at Chace for stooping that low, but I guessed he knew he wouldn’t have had a chance against Ryder if it was a fair fight.
“He did, but it’s fine. He’s a lot worse off than me anyway.” Ryder grinned, and I nodded. I was surprisingly glad that Chace was hurt more than Ryder. I’d never been one to condone violence, but Chace needed his arse kicked. How could I have ever loved him?
Loved? Not love. Loved? I don’t even like him anymore. In fact, I thoroughly despised him. Oh my God! I am over him. When did this happen?
“Bailey? Hey, are you listening?” Ryder was saying something, but I hadn’t heard him. My mind was focused on the fact that not only did I despise Chace, but I no longer loved him. I felt free. Like a weight had been lifted. It’s funny, I always thought that expression was stupid, but it was true. I felt lighter, happier, and no longer cared. “What’s wrong?” he asked.