There was an awkwardness that hung in the air between us. A lingering tension that neither of us knew how to address.Trying to gloss over it, I offered him something to drink. "Want a soda?" I asked, heading toward the kitchen as he hovered in the entryway."Yeah, sure," he replied, his eyes glancing over at the TV, which was still on."What are you watching?" he asked, walking toward the TV now."Just some show about conspiracy theories," I said, grabbing two sodas from the fridge.He chuckled. "Are you into that kind of thing?""Some of it is interesting," I admitted, handing him his soda. "I like hearing the theories. Obviously, I don't agree with everything they say, but some topics make me think, and I like that. What about you?" I asked as I took a swig of my drink."Not really my thing," he said, taking a sip. "I've got enough problems in my own life to worry about. Spending time wondering whether the government is listening in on our phone calls on top of that is just a littl
As I looked at Ryder, I could see the sincerity in his eyes. From what I could gauge, he genuinely seemed to want to fix things, and despite my lingering anger towards him, I couldn't deny that I still cared deeply for him.I decided to change the subject, not wanting to talk about my parents anymore."So, what are you up to today?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I brushed the final remnants of my tears away with the back of my hand.Ryder seemed to relax a bit, grateful for the shift in conversation. "Nothing really. Figured I'd clear my calendar to spend the day begging for forgiveness," he replied, his tone lighter now.We chatted for a while, catching up on lighter topics, until Ryder's phone rang.He glanced at the screen. "It's Ash. Do you mind if I take it?""Sure," I replied.I could hear the muffled voice on the other end, sounding urgent. Ryder listened for a moment before replying, "I'm kinda busy right now."The voice continued, the tone rising slightly. "Can't it wait
The club was dark and smelled like stale beer. I had no idea where I was or where I was going, but Ryder seemed to know his way around, ushering me down a long narrow passage.We emerged in yet another dark room, this one was also filled with the smell of stale beer, but also smoke and the floor felt sticky beneath my feet. Ryder urged me ahead towards the lights of the bar, before making a slight detour to one of the empty tables nearby."I'm going to go to the bathroom quick then I'm going to see if I can find Ash. You'll be okay, right?" he asked turning to go before I could even reply.I watched as he disappeared through the crowd that hovered at the bar with a feeling of dismay. Looking around, I felt a little out of my depth. I'd snuck into clubs with Jenna before, but when I was with her I felt invincible. Standing here at the table on my own in a room full of total strangers felt different. Alien.I stripped off my jacket, placing it on the table beside my purse as I fumbled f
Ryder’s friends exchanged confused glances at my introduction, but they greeted me in a friendly enough manner. One girl in particular, Juno, seemed especially interested in me. She greeted me with enthusiasm, her British accent adding a charming lilt to her words.“Oh, I absolutely love your hair!” Juno exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration.She had a wild, edgy look with cropped black hair, beautiful blue eyes and pale skin. She reminded me of Jenna in spirit, if not in appearance.“Thank you!” I replied, smiling at her as I absentmindedly ran my fingers through my hair.Ryder returned to the table, handing Ash and me our drinks as he addressed the rest of the group. “Hey guys, I guess you’ve all met Kate then.”They all nodded and Juno chimed in, “Yeah, Ash took care of the introductions. Just curious to know why you never mentioned her before?” There was no malice in her words, only curiosity.Ryder grinned, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “Because
I watched as Juno, Ash, and Cal made their way through the crowd toward the stage to set up. The energy in the club was electric and anticipation buzzed in the air.Ryder took the opportunity to wrap his arms around me from behind again, whispering in my ear, “I’m glad you came.”I turned my head slightly to look at him, feeling his warmth against me. “I’m glad too. I’m having a really good time,” I replied with a smile.He nodded with a satisfied grin on his face. “I’m going to the bar for another drink. Do you want one?”I shook my head. “No, thanks. I’m still working on this one.”Gizmo, who had been chatting with Ben, suddenly piped up. “I’m heading to the bathroom. Do you want to come, Kate?”“Sure, I’ll come,” I said, realizing that I'd better go now if I didn't want nature to call in the middle of Ash's set.Ryder and Ben headed off to the bar, and I followed Gizmo and Bailey to the bathroom. It was as one may have expected in a crowded nightclub. Grimey and unpleasant. But ne
The drive home seemed to go much faster than the drive there as Ryder and I laughed and joked together, talking about the gig and his friends as the energy from the evening still buzzed in the air between us."So," I began, unable to contain my curiosity any longer, "are Juno and Ash like a thing?" I asked.Ryder chuckled. "No, Juno is more into girls. She likes boys too. Mostly girls though."I was a little surprised. That definitely wasn't the answer I was anticipating, but it didn't faze me. She was cool regardless.I hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had really been burning in my mind. "So, what's the deal with Bailey? She didn't seem to be too pleased to meet me."Ryder sighed. "Uh... Bailey and I were together briefly, but nothing really came of it. It was a while ago."I nodded, having suspected as much but I was glad to hear it directly from him. It didn't change anything really.As we neared his house, I messaged my aunt to let her know that I was staying
(Ryder's POV)She'd agreed to stay over and I was brimming with excitement and anticipation.The drive back home was almost a blur, and the electricity between us lingered on, a sure sign that she'd forgiven me for being such a moron the night before."So," Kate began, her curiosity obvious, "are Juno and Ash like a thing?" she asked.I chuckled, glad for the distraction. "No, Juno is more into girls. She likes boys too, but mostly girls."Kate looked a little surprised initially, but she brushed it off quickly."So, what's the deal with Bailey? She didn't seem too pleased to meet me," she went on, her eyes focused on me as if she already knew the answer and just wanted to hear me admit it.I'd known the question was bound to pop up at some point. Bailey didn't exactly hide her feelings. She never had. We were what you might call 'friends with benefits', and there had been a time when there had been a lot of benefits, but she got clingy and possessive and I couldn't deal with it, so I
Morning came and for a moment, I hoped it had all been a bad dream. I was sorely disappointed when looked down and saw that I was still wearing the clothes I had worn the night before and felt that crusty, burning sensation of having slept with my makeup on. It was real. It had happened.I rolled over, pulling the covers over my head as I recalled the silent drive home with Tyler the night before. He'd been gentle and supportive, even though I had refused to tell him what was going on. He hadn't wanted to leave me, but I was pretty insistent, saying I just wanted to be alone.As I lay in my bed now, I listened to the birds chirping their happy little songs outside. I'd always found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that life went on for everyone else when you felt so depressed.I just wanted to stay in bed and sleep all day, but my bladder and grumbling stomach had other plans for me. I had to work myself up, giving myself a little pep talk to try and summon the energy neces