Just a Little Crush(57)

Pressing my lips together to avoid smiling like a love-struck idiot, I stood and opened the dresser. “Yeah, we are.” I could sense Fallon watching me.

“So, uh, did you sleep at the hospital last night?’

I glanced at her.

She straightened. “Oh my God. I know that face. You had sex with him! Didn’t you?”

I grinned, not quite sure what face I’d made, and pulled jeans out of the drawer.

“You did, you slut!” She practically bounced off her bed in excitement.

My face warmed. “I never said we had sex.”

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “So, you’re trying to tell me you didn’t.”

I bit my lip. I was bursting to tell someone and she was the closest thing I had to a girlfriend. “Okay, we did.”

“I knew it! Details, please.”

I hugged my clothes to my chest and sank back on the bed. “It was amazing. Like, indescribable. Hot.”

“Wow. Not surprised. He pretty much screams hot fuck.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Definitely no false advertising.”

“Damn, girl. You’re making me jealous. So are you two, like, a thing now?”

“I think so.”

“Good. That boy’s been working his ass off for a piece of yours. He deserves it.” She settled back with her laptop. “I’m happy for y’all.”

“I’m happy too.” That was an understatement. The stress of Grandma in the hospital seemed bearable with him by my side. With Ryder around I felt cared for. Protected. Safe.

No, “happy” definitely wasn’t the right word. This was bigger than that. This feeling was huge.

After a quick shower, I dressed then waited for Ryder. When he texted that he was on his way, I headed down to meet him. I pushed through the front door and halted.

Ryder and Mason stood at the bottom of the steps.

With a clenched jaw, Ryder listened as Mason spoke, slowly pressing his thumb against each of his fingers, as if popping them one by one.

Shit. What the hell was Mason saying to him?

Neither guy noticed me as I rushed down the stairs. I paused a few steps away as their conversation became clear.

“You may have her fooled but you aren’t fooling me.” Mason crossed his arms. “I see the way you and every other fucking guy look at her. Like some sort of conquest.”

Ryder shook his head and started to say something but Mason cut him off.

“And don’t spout your bullshit to me. Three fucking years in high school, and did you so much as talk to her? But, of course, now you’re suddenly interested,” he scoffed. “Just remember, I was there before you, and I’ll be the one to piece things back together after you.”

“Look, you and I both want the same thing for her.”

“Don’t ever compare us. We are nothing alike, and you’ll never deserve her.” Mason pushed past Ryder, slamming his shoulder into him in the process.

Ryder spun toward him, finally losing his cool.

Aw crap. I took the last few steps toward Ryder.

A part of me wasn’t surprised Mason had finally blown off some steam, but another part of me was angry. No matter how many times I’d told him to let me do this my way, he’d never see past the guy he believed Ryder to be. Which wasn’t fair to anyone. But Mason was my best friend, and if the tables were turned, I’d probably also have a hard time standing back if I thought he was going to get hurt.

Ryder finally noticed me.

“Hey.” I tried for a casual tone, desperate to not let on I’d heard. “Was that Mason?”

He nodded, but his posture was rigid and he looked pissed.

“Everything okay?”

He took a deep breath, and relaxed a bit. “It’s fine. Ready to go?”

I slipped my hand in his. “Yeah.”

As we got into his car he tossed a glance my way. “So how much of that did you really hear?”

Shit.

I stared out the window. “Enough to know his heart’s in the right place”—I turned to Ryder—“and that he’s wrong.”

He was quiet for a moment, and I couldn’t tell if he was angry or thoughtful but then he reached over and slipped his fingers through mine. He raised my hand and pressed a kiss on my knuckles. “Well, he was definitely wrong about one thing.” He kept his eyes on the road, but a small smile finally ghosted across his lips. “For the record, I was interested in high school. But your burning hatred for me seemed a good reason to keep my distance.”

Fighting back a grin, I shook my head. “It wasn’t burning.”

With a sideways glance, he curved his mouth into the sexiest smile ever. “Yeah, I saw the way you looked at me, it kind of was.”