13.

Holy shit.

Holy shit!!!!

What sort of cliché moment is this?

“Ryder…” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

He was standing there, casually leaning against the wall with that damn smirk plastered on his face. 

Ryder Caldwell, in all his glory. Dark hair that looked like he’d just run his fingers through it, sharp jawline, and those impossibly deep eyes that seemed to see right through me. He was wearing a fitted black T-shirt that clung to his toned chest and arms, paired with athletic shorts that showed off his ridiculously strong legs.

And those hands. God, those hands. They were shoved into his pockets, but I knew firsthand what they could do.

He wasn’t alone, either. A group of guys stood behind him, all dressed similarly, probably his teammates. They were laughing and talking, but I couldn’t hear a word of it. All I could focus on was Ryder.

“Evie,” he said, his voice smooth and low, the kind of voice that sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. “What are you doing here?”

His smirk deepened. “I could ask you the same thing. Didn’t think cheerleading was your thing.”

“Did she just bump into Ryder?”

“She’s so screwed.”

“Ryder doesn’t let anyone get that close.”

I ignored the murmurs, my eyes locked on his. “I was just leaving,” I said quickly, stepping back, but his arm shot out, blocking my path.

“Leaving already?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. “Did you try out?”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think I’m cut out for it,” I said, trying to sound confident, but my voice betrayed me.

“Is he stopping her?”

“Holy shit, she touched him.”

“Ryder’s going to snap.”

But Ryder didn’t snap. Instead, he leaned in, his lips curving into that infuriating smirk as he closed the space between us.

“Relax, Evie,” he said softly, his breath brushing against my ear. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shivered, my heart pounding. “I’m fine,” I lied, my voice shaky.

A low chuckle escaped him, and his hand dropped from the wall, but he didn’t step back. “You’ve got a lot of people talking,” he murmured, his tone teasing. “And you haven’t even started school yet. Are you sure you can keep our little secret?”

“Is he smiling at her?”

“No way.”

“Did they… know each other before?”

I could feel my cheeks burning as the whispers grew louder, but I refused to look away from him. “Yeah, I am very good at secrets besides there is nothing going on between you and I. Just ignore me,” I said, trying to sound tough.

“No,” he agreed, his eyes glinting with amusement. “But you make it hard not to notice you.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” he said, his voice dropping lower, “you’re trouble, Evie. The good kind.”

My stomach flipped, and I hated the way my body reacted to him, the way my pulse raced and my skin tingled under his gaze.

“Ryder,” I said, trying to find some semblance of control. “I should go.”

But instead of stepping aside, he leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “You looked really good right now. All worked up and face flushed. Makes me wonder how you’d look under me.”

My breath hitched, and I felt my knees go weak.

“Did he just whisper in her ear?”

“Who is this girl?”

“She’s either crazy or lucky.”

I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. My cheeks were on fire, and every nerve in my body felt like it was buzzing.

“See you around, Evie,” Ryder said, finally stepping back, his smirk firmly in place.

I blinked, my brain struggling to catch up as he turned and walked back to his group. They clapped him on the back, laughing and throwing glances my way, but he didn’t even look back.

I stood there for a moment, trying to collect myself, my heart racing. Then, without a word, I turned and walked away, my face burning and my mind spinning.

By the time I made it out of the gym, I was practically running. The cool air outside hit me like a splash of water, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

But all I could think about was Ryder’s voice, his words, and the way he made me feel like I was the only person in the room.

I was in big trouble.

****

“He did what?” Elara flipped, her hazel eyes lighting up with excitement.

I sighed, stirring the coffee in front of me, the spoon clinking against the ceramic mug. “Yeah. He did. In public. With everyone watching. It’s as if he wanted to devour me.”

Elara leaned over the counter, her elbows propped up as she stared at me like I’d just delivered the juiciest gossip of the year. “And everyone saw?”

“Of course they did,” I muttered, sinking further into my seat. “Everyone was looking, and I’m sure they’re already digging into my life, figuring out that we’re going to be step-siblings. That’s not how step-siblings are supposed to act, Elara!”

Elara snorted, grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter while still keeping her gaze locked on me. “Well, obviously not. But this isn’t exactly normal, is it? I mean, let’s be real Ryder Caldwell doesn’t do normal. He once dated a supermodel way older than him. I think 20 years older when he was 19.”

“Thats…ew.” 

“People said she groomed him. And his father destroyed the models life. Oopsie.”

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Why is this my life? Why?”

“Because the universe loves drama, and you’re the main character,” she said, grinning. “But seriously, you’ve got options.”

I peeked up at her through my fingers. “What options?”

Elara leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Option one: ignore him. Focus on school, get your degree, and pretend he doesn’t exist.”

“That sounds ideal,” I said, nodding.

“But boring,” she added, wagging her finger at me. “Option two: fuck him so hard he forgets his own name.”

“Elara!” I yelped, my eyes widening.

“What?” she said, laughing as she tossed the rag aside. “I’m just saying, if you’re going to be step-siblings anyway, you might as well get something out of it.”

I reached across the counter and smacked her hand, my cheeks burning. “You’re insane.”

“Insanely right,” she quipped, smirking. “Come on, Evie. He’s hot, you’re hot, and the tension is clearly there. Why fight it?”

“Because it’s wrong!” I hissed, glancing around the coffee shop to make sure no one was listening.

Elara shrugged, grabbing a bottle of syrup and refilling one of the dispensers. “Wrong is relative. Besides, it’s not like you share any DNA. It’s just… inconvenient.”

I groaned again, shaking my head. “I hate you.”

“No, you love me,” she said, flashing me a cheeky grin. “Now, what’s your real plan? Avoid him? Or…?”

I rolled my eyes. “Avoid him. Definitely avoid him.”

“Good luck with that,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Because something tells me Ryder’s not the type to let you ignore him.”

I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. She wasn’t wrong, and that was the worst part.

“So, what else is new?” Elara asked, changing the subject.

I hesitated, tapping my nails against the table. “Well… there’s the cheerleading thing.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Cheerleading? You?”

“Yes, me,” I said, glaring at her. “Apparently, my mum wants me to join the squad. Something about status and making connections.”

Elara snorted. “Sounds about right. Did you check them out?”

I groaned. “Yeah, and it was a disaster. They hate me already. Riley’s best friend is on the squad, and she basically promised to make my life a living hell.”

“Of course she did,” Elara said, rolling her eyes. “Riley’s the queen of petty. But forget her. You can totally do this.”

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered. “You’re not the one who has to deal with them.”

Elara grinned, leaning against the counter. “No, but I was a cheerleader, remember? I was the captain, Evie. I know how to handle girls like them.”

I looked at her, a flicker of hope sparking in my chest. “You were so good back then. Popular, confident… everyone loved you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I peaked in high school,” she said, waving me off. “But that’s not the point. The point is, I can teach you.”

I blinked. “You’d do that?”

She tilted her head, giving me a mock-offended look. “Evie, we’re best friends. You don’t have to beg. Of course I’ll help you.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice soft.

“Don’t mention it,” she said, smiling. “We’ll start with the basics confidence, poise, the perfect cheerleader smile. And then we’ll work on stunts and routines. You’ll be unstoppable by the time I’m done with you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I doubt that, but thanks for trying.”

“Hey,” she said, pointing a finger at me. “None of that self-doubt crap. Gosh I feel like I have repeated that a thousand times to you. You’ve got this, Evie. You just need to believe it.”

I nodded, her words sinking in. Maybe she was right. Maybe I could do this.

Maybe I don't need those mean girls to make me doubt myself. 

Just as I was about to say something, my phone pinged from the table

 I grabbed it, my eyes scanning the screen.

“What is it?” Elara asked.

I frowned as I read the message. 

 Let’s play a game. You send a boob pic, and I’ll guess which one is your left or right.

I showed Elara and she smirked. 

Another ping followed and her eyes widened. “Oh baby girl, I think your step brother is down bad for you.”

I turned the phone back to myself and my eyes widened. 

I hope you save the number this time.