He led me back to the house in silence, as the rain came down endlessly. We stopped briefly to get our clothes. I don't remember dressing, but when I arrived at the house, I was wearing everything I'd come in, save for my shoes and socks. Ryder ushered me down the hallway towards his room, opening the door for me then leading me into the bathroom. He turned the water on while I shivered relentlessly, then helped me undress and gently urged me beneath the spray of hot water. "I'll be right back. Will you be okay?" he asked. "Yeah," I replied flatly. Slowly, the warmth of the water began to permeate my skin, defrosting me more and more the longer I stood beneath the cascading stream. Gradually, my dark mood began to lift slightly as my body fought off the icy chill of the rain. "All okay?" Ryder's voice echoed through the steamy air. "All okay," I confirmed with a nod, even though he probably couldn't see me through the frosted glass door. I stood there for a long time, allowing
He sighed, his guard dropping as he nodded.With gentle fingers he reached out for me, grabbing a fistful of the hoodie I was wearing as he tugged me towards him.I went along without complaint, grateful when he wrapped his arms around me more tightly this time. I buried myself against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and finding comfort in it.At least I had him.We stood like that for a long time and I felt absolute relief that I'd somehow managed to navigate this near disaster. I couldn't imagine him rejecting me. It almost felt like a heartbreaking inevitability with Tyler, but with Ryder... I think he was right... we were meant to be.I yawned against his chest and he chuckled as I snuggled against him."Are you tired?" he asked as he pressed a kiss to the top of my damp head."A little," I admitted, feeling guilty about it. It felt like I spent most of our time together sleeping lately."What about hungry?" he probed."I could eat," I confessed, acknowledging that the crois
I regretted the words almost immediately. It was too soon to say shit like that. I was going to freak him out and I wasn't even sure I meant them.He looked taken aback, surprised by the revelation. Panic surged through me and I felt like I'd fucked everything up again.His look softened and he kissed me again before resting his head on my chest. I held him there, wondering what to do. Should I apologize? Should I pretend it never happened? Should we talk about it?The silence stretched on and I realized the same thoughts were probably running through his head. I wanted to die of embarrassment. He hadn't said it back, which was almost as bad as the fact that I had said it at all.My fingers absentmindedly wound their way through his hair, despite my humiliating slip-up. It was as if I was determined to provide him with unsolicited affection, but I couldn't stop myself.He sighed and looked up at me, his chin resting on my chest now."You still hungry?" he asked, presumably trying to c
His expression softened when he saw that my intention was not to explicitly hurt his brother, but he still seemed mildly upset."You know that's a terrible idea, right?" he pressed, seemingly still on the defensive."Maybe... I don't want to get into it now though," I said, which was code for, 'I don't want to talk to you about it'.He sighed and wiped his hand over his face with frustration, but he didn't push me for any further details."You'd better let your aunt know that you're staying," he suggested, probably understanding that I might be waiting for quite a while."Good idea. Do you know where I left my phone?" I asked, looking around and feeling where I usually had pockets to tuck it away."Fuck... I think you said you left it in the car. I'll go get it for you," Ryder offered, already heading towards the door.The moment he left I collapsed back on the couch, groaning with self-loathing as I covered my eyes, trying to block out the rest of the world.I kept replaying the mome
At the top of the staircase was a dining area of sorts, which backed onto an open-plan kitchen. My fingers clutched Ryder's desperately as my anxiety levels peaked the further we wandered into what felt like an out-of-bounds area. We walked through a large archway into a cozy room that appeared to be some kind of hybrid between an office and a lounge. There was a large wooden desk and chairs for work, but then there were two well-worn brown leather couches facing a stone fireplace that seemed more for leisure. Ryder's dad sat at the desk while his mom hovered over him, pointing at something on the laptop screen as she squinted. Their focus shifted to us as soon as we stepped into the room. "Ah! Katelyn! How's your arm?" David asked, his voice brimming with concern as Liz straightened up. "I... It's much better, thanks," I hesitated, feeling my stomach twisting in knots. "Don't you two look adorable in your matching outfits," Liz said with a bright smile as her gaze darted betwee
I snuggled into him, glad he seemed to be a little less upset now. After a moment's silence, I piped up, "What exactly happens at a Lunar Eclipse Celebration?" I asked. "You didn't have those in Colorado?" he probed, seemingly surprised. "Well, we did, but I hadn't shifted yet when I attended the last one, and I'm just wondering whether there's anything I should be prepared for," I replied. "And maybe it's different here anyway..." "There's eating, drinking, socializing. Then everyone waits for the eclipse, some people shift, some don't, your preference really. Some like to run through the forest, some don't... Kind of a free for all, really. Of course, my dad will give some kind of speech..." he trailed off. "Sounds pretty standard," I replied with a shrug, recalling similar events from back home. He nodded, looking dejected. Then his eyes drifted up and settled on me as a serious look grew on his face before he added, "And sex. That's obviously also part of the celebration. Mat
We spent the rest of the afternoon casually making out and watching some comedy show on the TV. I somehow even managed to forget about my little slip-up, and things between us seemed good. Better than good actually.Maybe he felt better after airing his grievances during our little argument earlier, maybe it was the fact that I had professed my love for him, or maybe he was just happy he'd have company in his misery at the upcoming Lunar Eclipse Celebration. Whatever it was, he seemed to be more relaxed and calm now and I was grateful for it.The evening wore on, and we ate some snacks in the kitchen while I waited for Tyler to get home, but by 9PM my energy levels were at an all-time low. Ryder noticed my fading energy, "You sure you want to wait up for Tyler? It could be pretty late."I nodded, stubbornly clinging to the idea. "I really need to talk to him," I mumbled, leaning against the kitchen counter, barely keeping my eyes open.He frowned, looking concerned. "You wanna sleep
(Tyler's POV) The clock on my dashboard blazed in bright orange, 1:13 AM as I pulled into the driveway, the quiet hum of the engine cutting through the silence of the night. My muscles ached from the relentless physical training, the kind that drains every ounce of your energy but somehow leaves your mind racing. The house stood like a dark sentinel between the pine trees underneath the ever watchful moon. With a painful groan, I climbed out of my car and made my way to the front door, my steps light as I tried my best not to wake the entire household. The door creaked softly as I slipped inside and the familiar scent of home wrapped around me. My steps were light on the hard floor as I headed down the hallway to my bedroom. With annoyance, I noted that the door to my room was slightly open. Ryder, I thought with a sigh, my irritation flaring. I'd have to talk to him about this again. I hated it when he went into my room when I wasn't home. If he wasn't borrowing my shirts, he was u