It felt amazing to tell Chace where to go.
I was vaguely aware of Chace leaving, muttering something under his breath as he went, but I was too busy searching Ryder’s face for a clue.
After what seemed like forever, he tugged on my hand and pulled me around to the passenger side of the car. He pressed me against the door and caged me in with his arms.
“We should go,” he muttered as he leant in and pressed his lips to mine again. This time it was different. It was softer, sweeter, and not at all like the heated kisses we had shared before. It was almost emotional. Ryder ended the kiss first. He pulled away slightly, making me whimper.
Whimper? I freaking whimpered when he stopped kissing me. What the hell was that about?
I didn’t miss the cocky grin on his face as he helped me into my seat before he whistled a little tune and climbed into his side of the truck.
Chapter Fourteen
I looked up from my homework and peered over the stack of books in front of me on the counter as I heard the bell chime. Indie’s voice rang through the bookstore. “Well? Did you ask him?” I ducked back behind the books in front of me. I’d been avoiding her all weekend so I didn’t have to discuss the date with Ryder. It was a great night, and I’d enjoyed every moment of it. That was the problem. I had enjoyed our fake date more than I should have. Ryder made it too easy to forget that we were only pretending to be together.
“Where are you, Bailey?” she called out again, sounding closer. I couldn’t keep hiding. She’d see me eventually.
“Here.” I sat up straight so she could see me. Her eyes lit up, and an excited smile crossed her face.
“Well?”
“Hi, Indie. How are you? I’m great, thanks. Had a good weekend. You?” I asked sarcastically. She just looked at me, completely unimpressed. “No, I haven’t asked him yet. I haven’t spoken to him since Friday night.” I had been avoiding him all weekend. I was relying too much on him and how he made me feel—feelings I didn’t know what to do with. We were pretending, and it seemed better to keep our distance outside school before the lines blurred completely.
“You haven’t spoken to your boyfriend all weekend? Why? Did something happen?” She hoisted herself up and sat on the counter beside me with her eyebrows raised, waiting for a response. Yes, something had happened. We’d kissed for hours like a pair of horny teenagers in a relationship. Horny teenagers we were, but in a relationship we were not. Then I’d told Chace how I felt and that I was happy because of Ryder. And then I’d clearly freaked out all weekend about it and what it all meant.
I felt as though I’d crossed some fake relationship line or something, and I didn’t know what to say to him. There was no reason for either of us to act like that, even if Chace was there watching our every move. Ryder and I didn’t have to kiss that passionately or for that long. I didn’t know what to make of that comment about what I was doing to him and how he wanted to see me looking all messed up after we’d slept together. He was a flirt. I knew that. But it was still weird. It was too full on for a fake relationship, and it was confusing the hell out of me.
Ryder and I being together was beginning to feel second nature. Like we didn’t have to act anymore. It was like we really were in a relationship but without any of the romantic feelings. Only chemistry.
Lots of chemistry.
I’d never felt that physically attracted to anyone before. Not even Chace. I’d never had the world fade away when a boy looked at me. I’d had never had anyone make me feel so happy and confident. And none of it was real.
“Nothing happened. We’ve just been busy.” I decided not to tell her about it all since I would probably end up having to explain the fake relationship thing sooner or later anyway.
“Well, call him now and ask him,” she insisted.
“What’s the rush?” I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
“Linc’s a jerk, and I hate him, and I want to move on.”
“What did he do this time?”
I felt sorry for her. I did. Linc was gorgeous, and he knew it. He was two years older than us and lived down the street from Indie. He’d always been Indie’s knight in shining armour and looked out for her. Naturally, she developed an infatuation with him. Something that she’d had since before I moved to town.
“He’s got a date with Vanessa Parker next weekend.” She slumped onto the counter and sniffed. “Why can’t he like me?”
“I’m sorry, Indie. I am. But maybe it’s because he’s known you for so long. You’re his best mate’s little sister—”
“I’m not that little,” she said. “Not really.”
“I know that, but he probably sees you as a sister too. He always looks out for you.” It felt like deja vu. We’d had this exact conversation so many times that I’d lost count. Every time she got her hopes up that Linc had finally fallen in love with her, her dreams were crushed, and Christina and I were left to pick up the pieces.
I did hope that one day Linc would realise Indie had been in front of him the whole time.
“I know, and that’s why I need a date. A boyfriend. Anything. Just introduce me to Jayden. Call Ryder.”
“I think he’s…”
“I don’t care. Call him. If anyone can interrupt him, it’s you.” She glared at me.
I sighed. I wasn’t so sure he’d want me to interrupt him, but I pulled out my phone, searching for Ryder’s number before putting it to my ear.
“Hello, love.” He answered quickly, surprising me. My heart fluttered. He called me love.
“Ah, hi,” I said, caught off guard that he was acting like normal. Maybe I had read too much into things since Friday night. Maybe he didn’t notice his effect on me. Maybe he was even better at this than I thought.
“Miss me already?” I could hear the smirk in his voice. I looked up at Indie to see if she could hear him, but I was pretty sure she couldn’t. Yes, I missed him already.
I ignored his question. “Anyway, Indie is here, and she has been bugging me all weekend about—”
“Meeting Jayden?” Ryder interrupted.
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“I mentioned her to him yesterday at practice, which you missed by the way, and he’s been pissing me off all weekend too. Bring her to that party, and I’ll bring him,” he said, reminding me that there was a huge house party at Chace’s that everyone was going to. I hated parties.
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on going.”
“Of course you were. You’re my girlfriend. And it is at Chace’s, after all.”
“But after Friday, I don’t really—”
“It will be fine. A way to piss him off even more.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll bring her. I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. See you tomorrow, yeah?” I asked hopefully. I heard the bell above the door of the bookstore ring. “Ryder?”