It's Not Over Yet (the seventh book in the glee series)

Chapter 69: I Know What You're Going Through

On Wednesday morning, Ryder and Joyce set up for their busiest weekday together, in a very tense silence. They hadn't spoken much since the leaks after the gala and he knew that she knew many people believed them to be involved as more than friends as a result of their text messages.

After speaking to Sam two days earlier, all Ryder could think of was his advice to consider switching girlfriends. And he put it that way in his mind because it sounded awful and he needed it to sound awful. He needed to remind himself that having any type of feelings for Joyce, while in a relationship with Jackie, was awful.

But he did have those feelings. And as they washed dishes silently, those feelings were all he could think of.

"Can we discuss the elephant in the room?" Joyce finally spoke up, breaking their silence.

He was surprised she'd brought it up first." Um, yes," he nodded. "We can. We should. You start..?"

Joyce rolled her eyes and said, "I guess if you're not willing to. Sure. I can't go anywhere in this town without people thinking I'm homewrecking with you and the cook from across the street. And you know what? Maybe I am. Maybe I did flirt with you a little knowing you had a girlfriend. And maybe I do feel like there's something between us. But I'm not a fool. I know you're still with her and while that's true nothing will happen between us. And I guess I'm kind of dumb because I'm the one who pushed you to date her. I didn't think I was gonna end up liking you, too."

"Uh," Ryder said.

She continued, "I really didn't. I asked around about you when I started working here. To know who I was working for. And from the way people described you, I didn't think I'd like you. Clingy, whiny, weak."

"Wait, what?" Ryder frowned.

"But you're sweet," Joyce sighed. "And fun when you wanna be. And I like being around you. So I don't know... I guess what I'm saying is I like your stupid ass and if you like me, too, and you feel like breaking up with your girlfriend, I'll be around. And if not... I'll just go back to work, boss."

Ryder didn't respond. She waited a few seconds, giving him a chance, but he didn't have anything to say, at least not then.

"Perfect," she said. "Guess I know what to do. I'll go clean tables."

As Joyce walked away, Ryder wondered who she had asked about him. But that wasn't what he should be focusing on. He liked two women who both felt the same way. This was new territory for him and he didn't know how to handle it.

***

"Baby," Stefan walked into his bedroom and found Bree already ready for her day. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah," Bree nodded. "I still have so much work to do. The Met Gala is bigger than fashion week these days."

"But you've been working straight the last few days without a break," he said. "Don't you wanna... take a break?"

"I can't afford to," she shook her head. She searched for her phone around the bed.

"It fell yesterday, remember?" Stefan pointed her in the direction of the phone, which was just barely under the bed to the right of her feet.

Bree bent down for it, quickly thanking him and checking her screen. "It's about to die," she rolled her eyes. "Just what I needed on my way out."

As she grabbed her charger, she checked through her messages and came upon the one Unique had sent her the previous day. It had sat there, unread, for too long. 

"Holy shit," Bree said out loud.

Brow raised, Stefan responded, "Something wrong?"

"Uh..." Bree hesitantly rose to her feet. "I have to go. I'm really gonna need to take that break after today. I swear, the universe is testing me."