Don't Fall for Me

Part 34: A Picture Lasts Longer

"I need to go to the bathroom, so if you don't mind, could you get out?" Ryker said.

"Are you serious, Ryker! I was in here first, you can't just barge in here demanding me to leave!" I yelled as my towel slipped lower. I pulled it back up and was thankful for the shower curtain separating me from Ryker.

"Why are your clothes out here? Oh..." He realized.

"Get out!" I shouted.

His shadow loomed closer outside the curtain as his fingers peeked out behind it. I darted one hand out to stop him from moving the curtain. My broken arm held the towel up around me.

Ryker shoved his hand through and asked, "Need these?"

He dangled my underwear between his fingers. I snatched them away, letting go of the curtain. My towel slipped again as the curtain was whooshed open.

Ryker's eyes darkened as my towel dipped lower. He snatched his hand out and caught it, fingers resting against my collar bone. I sucked in a sharp breath.

His eyes roamed down the length of me, leaving a hot trail where his eyes scorched me.

"A picture lasts longer," I said, narrowing my eyebrows.

His eyes flashed back up to mine. He ran his tongue over his lip ring and raised one booted foot on the ledge of the shower, threatening to come closer.

"A picture couldn't capture how beautiful you are," he growled.

He shoved the towel against my chest and turned away. I caught it before it could fall off. Ryker slammed the door behind him and I jumped.

That was close. I caught my gaze in the mirror. The usually dull gray of my eyes seemed brighter and much larger.

Ryker had called me beautiful.

I hated him. He knew I wasn't beautiful. I mean, I guess you could say I was pretty, but definitely not beautiful. He was taunting me.

Right?

Because I didn't know what I'd do if he had been serious. It was easy to hate him.

I gasped when I realized something.

I loved to hate Ryker, and hated to love him.

He made me feel confused. Sometimes, I thought he liked me and that I even liked him. Except, each time I thought that, I was wrong.

There was nothing between us. There never would be.

Yet, my heart had skipped a beat when he had called me beautiful.

He must whisper the same in Hannah's ear while they made out. I got so mad that I threw on my clothes and brushed my hair fast, forgetting all about Ryker. I left the bathroom and turned the corner, walking right into him.

I whacked him with my cast and kept walking until I had locked my bedroom door behind me. He yelled, "Jeez, Angel. I was just going to use the bathroom."

It wasn't nearly time to go to sleep yet, so I went on YouTube and blasted All Time Low. I sang along, not caring if Ryker heard me. I jumped up and down on my bed, playing the air guitar, and whipping my hair all over the place. It reminded me of the time Ryker had recorded me and I was instantly put in a sour mood. I shut off the music and collapsed in my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It was the first day with Ryker as my "roommate" and I already couldn't take it. There was no way I'd be able to last.

My cellphone vibrated under my head and I pulled it out to see who it was. I had two unread text messages.

One was from my mom saying that they had landed safely in Mexico and that they were checking in to the hotel about two hours ago. The other was from Xander.

Is Ryker over?

I texted back, Yeah.

Hmm. I have an idea. I'll be right over.

What the hell? I texted him back asking what he was doing, but he never responded.

A knock on the door sounded a few minutes later and I ran downstairs. I swept the door open, letting Xander inside.

"Don't let him know I'm here," he whispered, handing me a few utensils that looked like markers.

"What's going on?" I asked, juggling the equipment.

He held a finger to his lips when we heard the door to the bathroom open upstairs. Xander jumped behind the couch, grabbing the markers from me, as Ryker yelled down, "Is someone here?"

"No!" I yelled back up. Ryker didn't respond, but came downstairs instead. It took everything I had not to look at the couch Xander was hiding behind.

Ryker sat down on the other couch and I let out a sigh of relief. He stretched out his long body with his head resting in the armrest and his feet dangling over the other armrest.

"Go to sleep," he demanded as he shut his eyes.

"Bossy much?" I said. He didn't think it was funny as he opened one eye to glare at me. I shrugged and when he closed his eye, I darted a glance at Xander. He was curled up in a small ball behind the couch and I motioned him out from behind it, keeping an eye on Ryker in case he opened his eyes again.

Xander dashed quietly out from behind the couch, clutching the markers and tiptoed upstairs with me on his heels. We made it to my room where I locked the door behind us.

"So, are you going to tell me what you're doing here and what's up with those weird markers now?" I asked, sitting down in my computer chair. I spun around in circles as Xander responded.

"We are going to give Ryker a new tattoo."

I whipped the chair around in his direction. He had a mischievous smile on his face and I couldn't help but mimic his expression.

This was the best idea Xander has ever had.

"You're a genius, X," I said, laughing.

He grinned even bigger and bowed, "Thanks."

When he straightened back up, I asked, "So what tattoo are we giving him?"

Xander pressed a finger to his lips and said, "It's a secret, but let's just say, he will be really pissed off."

Xander winked and I covered my mouth with my hand as I burst out laughing to try and stop myself from being so loud.

I couldn't wait to give Ryker a tattoo while he was sleeping.