They shared smiles as she nudged his arm playfully. She’d only know him for a few weeks, but she felt like they were already good friends. She felt like she could be herself around him. Even in all her years with Jett, she never fully felt that way around him. She always felt like she had to put on some sort of act and fit some sort of role as his old lady. It certainly wasn’t like that with Ryder.
CHAPTER 11
Saturday was coming to a close and Stormy and Ryder had retired to his condo for her final night’s stay. Just as she’d expected, the day went by entirely too fast. Their morning was spent at the Santa Monica Pier, they had lunch at a little rooftop café nearby, and they walked Rodeo Drive that afternoon. Ryder even offered to buy her a new handbag, but she refused.
They settled in that evening on the deck of his condo, under the clear, starry sky. It was a cool seventy degrees and a light breeze tickled their faces. They sat side by side on the outdoor couch as they listened to the street symphony beneath them and the city lights lit their faces and made their eyes twinkle.
“I’ve had so much fun with you this weekend,” Stormy said as she turned to Ryder. “I needed this little break from reality.”
“Stormy, this is reality,” he said. “This is real life. This is right now. There’s nothing else besides this moment right now.”
She knew he had a valid point, but in her mind, her reality was back home in Coleville, alone in an empty trailer, hiding from all the local, gossiping townsfolk and avoiding Misty.
“You’re right,” she said. “But the moment I step on that plane tomorrow, this will all fade into oblivion.”
“It doesn’t have to though,” he said, turning to look her square in the eyes. “You can leave Coleville.”
“I have no money,” she said. “I couldn’t move out here without a job or a place to live. That’s ridiculous.”
Ryder laughed a frustrated laugh. “You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you?”
Stormy shook her head. She was dying to know what he was trying to get at with her.
“I will help you,” he said. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m going to take care of you? I owe it to Jett to take care of you.”
“You really feel that strongly about taking care of me?” she asked.
Ryder nodded, not saying much.
“Is that why you’re so good to me? Because it helps you not to feel so guilty about abandoning Jett?” she asked.
“No, not at all,” he insisted. “Believe me, if you were this horrible person, I would not have stayed all those days with you in Coleville, and I would not have flown you out to L.A. to spend the weekend here. I loved my brother, but a guy can only do so much.”
“Oh, okay,” Stormy said as she tried to hide her smile. “Makes sense.”
“So far everything Jett ever said about you has been right,” he said. “You’re a good girl, Stormy.”
He sunk back into the scratchy fabric of the outdoor loveseat and slipped his left arm behind her.
Stormy wondered if he could feel what was going on between them. There was some sort of magnetic pull, she was sure of it, and she was refusing to believe it was all in her imagination. She knew she had her own personal reservations about the timing of everything. It was still so soon since Jett’s passing, and this was his brother. It felt wrong, but the feelings were too strong for her to deny.
She tried to be nonchalant as she inched closer to him. She could feel the heat of his body radiating onto hers as she encroached into his space. She waited patiently, heart pounding, for him to make some sort of move or gesture, but he seemed to be just as frozen as she was.
“Would you ever really consider moving out here?” Ryder asked.
“If I could figure out the logistics I think so,” she replied. “It’s just a little scary.”
“I meant what I said about helping you get on your feet,” he said as he nudged her and inadvertently moved in closer to her. “You can stay with me until you find a job, and I’ll help you find somewhere to live.”
“You’re too good to me,” she said. “It’s really something I need to think about. I love the idea of it, but actually doing it is completely different.”
“Totally understand.”
Without even thinking too much about it, she leaned her head on his shoulder. By the time she realized what she’d done, she was too embarrassed to move so she just stayed in that position. The seconds that followed her cringe worthy move were agonizing until, without warning, he slipped his hand down from the back of the couch and rested it on her arm. He squeezed her closer towards him, but that was it. He made no other moves. He said nothing.