Never the Same

Thirty-eight

"Only if you stop eyeing my girlfriend without pants on and a see through shirt," Ryder says and this peeps Carlos' interests but he loses interest fast.

"Nah, I'm good. She has a nice little body."

"Well take a good long look because that's the last you're gonna see of it," I say and stand up with help of Ryder's shoulders. I stand up to the front and gesture to my whole body. I turn around long enough for him. "Want to see more? You disgust me." I take my shirt off and gesture to my boobs. "Yeah, they're boobs. Every girl has a pair." I pick my shirt off the floor and slide it over my head again, not caring how dirty it is.

"Carlos. Go home. Now," Ryder yells at Carlos and Carlos... obeys? I flinched a little when he yelled but it's okay. "Your body is for my eyes and my eyes only. Do you understand? I don't want you flashing it about like you're some stripper. Never, ever do that again Aspen. You deserve respect and you sure as hell aren't gonna get it like that. Do you understand me baby? I love you too much to let you do that for yourself. Now, get dressed for babysitting Daniel. Clean up a little too. I'll be talking to Carlos about this later." Ryder presses his lips against mine softly, sending sparks through my body. Ryder gets up and sprints over to his house in his boxers. Damn do I love this boy.

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I knock on the Johnson's door, I hope that what I'm dressed like is okay. I decided to wear dark wash skinny jeans, a cream blouse, a light pink cardigan, a mint green scarf, and white vans. My hair was straightened for one and I only put concealer, eyeliner, an mascara on.

"Welcome. You can come in baby," Ryder greets me when he opens the door. I smile and slip through, into his house.

"I must say, you look-," I start to say but I was cut off by my favorite Johnson hugging my leg. Ryder looked fantastic though, his normal jeans, white v-neck, leather jacket and black vans.

"Aspen, help me pick out my outfit," Daniel says and drags me up the stairs. Ryder just shrugs and sits on the sofa.

"Here you go," I say and lay out the first outfit that I saw; jeans, a long sleeved batman shirt, and black vans. I spiked up his hair with some of Ryder's hair gel.

"You look fantastic. High five," I say and we high five. I pick him up and we go down the stairs to meet Ryder.

"Hey," Ryder says and kisses my cheek. I blush slightly and run a free hand through my hair.

"Where are we going?" Daniel is obviously interested now to know where we're going.

"The zoo." Ryder starts tickling Daniel, causing him to laugh the cutest laugh I have ever seen.

"Let's go then." We decided to take my car because it's not safe on Ryder's motorcycle. Ms. Johnson left Daniel's car seat in the garage. Me and Ryder load it into my silver infinity.

"No you buckle it like this," Ryder argued with me, there was the left strap left out on his method.

"No baby, it's like this," I say, unbuckling Ryder's mess and buckling it my way. The right strap was left out this time.

"Google it," we both say at the same time and grab our phones. You have to buckle the two at the top them the one at the bottom connects with the two of them. Daniel shakes his head.

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When we get to the zoo, Ryder pays and Daniel is hooked onto my hip. "Look at the Lemurs Daniel. Aren't they cute," I ask Daniel as we scrunch our faces on the glass.

"You're cute," Ryder says and wraps his arm around my waist.

"Excuse me, is he yours," this polite old women asks, pointing to Daniel. I giggle softly.

"We're only seniors in high school." I smile up at Ryder, he returns it.

"But he looks so much like you and she does so well with him."

"Daniel here is this young mans brother. I'm just... this young mans girlfriend and Daniel's babysitter," I say and kiss Daniel's cheek.

"Oh well. Good luck to you guys. I can tell love in the way you look at each other." I couldn't help but blush and look down at my feet.

When we get to the lions I ask Daniel, "What noise does a lion make?" He was still attached to my hip and at least five people have asked if I was his mom and Ryder was his dad.

"Rawr," Daniel says and claws my face, making a scary lion face.

"You know what lions do?" He shakes his head no and I smirk. "Eat little boys named Daniel Johnson." I pretend to eat his tummy while he laughs uncontrollably.

"Oh shoot," Ryder mumbles, hoping no one heard but I did.

"Something wrong baby?" I set Daniel down for a minute and look at Ryder.

"No, I just-." He wraps his arm around my waist protectively and clings onto me for dear life.

"Aspen," I hear someone call my name, Ryder's grip was now like steel as I turn around. Oh no, Carmen.

"What do you want," I ask impatiently as she walks over, noticing Ryder's hand on my waist.

"I just wanted to say hi." I laugh at this. Did she have bullshit for breakfast because that's what I'm smelling.

"I don't want to talk." Daniel was watching the lion and I needed to make sure he didn't get stolen.

"You're a slut, that's all I wanted to say." I was about to kill her if it wasn't for Ryder's iron grip. But Daniel went over and spit on her. BEST DATE OF MY LIFE.