A Bad Boy's Brother (Book #2)

5. Texts

Author's Note: I think the song Start of Something Good by Daughtry goes well with this chapter, so yeah if you're interested, check it out.

Cain's P.O.V.

I looked to the front of the car as we drove; Kelsey and Jason were in the front, with Ryder and I in the back since Aiden had driven himself to the water park. Thinking of the last event before we had left made heat rush to my face again.

Ryder had screamed once she realized that her top was gone, and then immediately taken the towel and wrapped it around herself. Now, she was in her sweatshirt again, seeing as how her swimsuit top had actually broken rather than just falling off. Her head was leaning against the window of the car, and though her eyes were open, they were far away. I couldn't tell what she was thinking about; I hadn't been able to do that once since I met her.

Kelsey clicked through radio stations, sighing. "Ugh. Nothing good is on."

Ryder was quiet.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her quietly.

Her eyes returned to the present and she looked at me consideringly, taking her head off of the window. "I have no idea."

"What does that mean?"

She smiled a little. "I don't know the answer to that, either."

"So you're thinking, but you don't know what you're thinking about?"

"Kind of. It's more like spacing out, where you think of lots of things but nothing at the same time, and sometimes you just can't remember what you were thinking about after you stop thinking about it." Ryder laughed quietly, laying her head back against the window. "I'm kind of weird, if you haven't noticed."

I smiled. "In a good way, though."

She smiled back at me without really looking at me.

"You're thinking about Corey, aren't you?" I asked more quietly, so the people in the front couldn't hear.

"Honestly? No. I haven't thought about him all day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, a year ago today, he gave me Sky. It's been almost a year since he left. And..." she turned to look at me again. "I think I'm as over him as I'm going to get. I've been able to look in to other things recently, and I finally stopped checking my phone for messages from him about two months ago. If this is the best it's going to get, I can be happy with that."

"That's a very realistic way of looking at things."

"I try."

I smiled. "You're interesting, Ryder."

She looked at me, curious. "What do you mean."

"You're just...different."

"From what?"

"Everything."

* * * * *

I looked at my phone again. Ryder had given me her phone number, but I wasn't sure if I should text her, especially since I'd known her for a few days and already seen her basically naked.

She was really something.

When I had come back to live closer to my parents, I hadn't thought that I would meet someone like her. Someone so...just, different. Everything Corey had said was true. She was smart, and funny, and kind, even though she didn't realize that she was any of those things. Not to mention that she was realistic and strong. Just watching her deal with her feelings for Corey was enough to tell me that she was strong.

It actually made me kind of angry that she was so great. Because my moronic brother had just dropped her. I mean, yes, he had good reason to leave, but he didn't have a reason to stay away for a year. Away from her. Away from our parents.

im coming home soon. -sent at 9:12

I looked at the screen. Of course, I had known that he had plans of returning. And even though I was excited to see my brother again, it almost bothered me. He was going to impede the way I wanted to interact with Ryder. I had hopes of befriending her, but with someone that looked exactly like me tormenting her every day just by existing, it was very easily going to effect the way that she looked at me. That's how it had always been. Corey came, caused trouble, and then I was judged to be as guilty as he was just because I looked like him. It was incredibly frustrating. I wasn't him.

I met Ryder. She invited me to her birthday party today. I hit send.

she doesn't have parties. -sent at 9:13

Now she does. And she invited me.

geeze, calm down cain. I was just saying. she doesnt. -sent at 9:13

We went to the pool. I met her dog too the other day when she punched me in the stomach because she thought I was you. Did you know that she has really strong arms?

yeah I had an idea of that. -sent at 9:14

It was bothering me even further that he didn't seem to be interested in hearing about any of this. Why didn't he care? She was amazing. And he was completely oblivious to it. Even when I had told him that she wanted to punch him, he didn't react with any interest. All he wanted to do was tell me that I didn't know her and correct what I did know about her. But he was wrong. He had been away for a year. Maybe it was him that didn't know her anymore.

When are you coming home?

not sure. haven't decided yet. -sent at 9:16

Mom, dad, Emily, the twins and I are having Ryder over for dinner on Friday.

have fun.

Anger rose in my chest again. He truly didn't care.

He was my brother, and I loved him, but he wasn't good enough for Ryder. She needed someone kind, and someone that wouldn't leave her. She needed someone that was nothing like him in any way. She needed someone that wouldn't just pick up at any moment and leave her broken in the middle of her life.

She needed someone like me.