Little Red | ✔️

Let's Play

The Next Day

Ariana's P.O.V

Walking into the coffee shop, I see Ryder already sitting at our table. 'Our table'. To be honest, it's funny calling it 'our table'. A month ago I would have never thought we would share a table, much less even talk. Which reminded me of yesterday.

Oh God

Yesterday

Flashbacks of what occurred yesterday send shivers down my spine, bringing the feeling that Ryder gave me yesterday back again. Dear God, there the word is again.

Yesterday

Isn't it amazing how such a simple word can have a new meaning? Snap of your fingers or the blink of an eye and boom, the word 'yesterday' takes on a whole new meaning. And it scared me, to be honest. Because I never felt that way before except with my ex-boyfriend Christian. The feeling that I felt yesterday was familiar, yet so....foreign.

Dear God, there the word is again.

Yesterday

How could such a simple word be so daunting now?

Finally getting my shit together, I walk over towards Ryder and put my bag down.

"Two coffees today?" I ask, noticing two cups in front of him.

"One of them is for you, just the way you like it," he says, not taking his eyes off his phone.

"You ordered me a coffee?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I did. Didn't need you wasting time ordering on that long ass line when you could be having a conversation with my lovely self," he says pushing the cup towards my end of the table.

"Well thank you then. I didn't know you could be so kind," I say with a small laugh.

"You underestimate me, Little Red. Now are you going to just stand there, or are you going to sit down?" he asks.

Sitting down, I take a sip of my coffee, relishing its warmth.

"Did I get your coffee right?" he asks.

"You did," I say. "I never told you my order though. How in the hell did you get it?" I ask.

"I have my ways, Little Red," he says, putting his phone down.

"What did you do?" I ask.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he says with a smirk.

"Yes, I would very much like to know," I say.

"Little Red, clearly you're one of a kind. Because my charm works on everyone. That barista over there, Tori, she has your order engrained in her mind. So when a handsome man like myself asked her for it, she gave it up quite easily," he says.

"Wowza, using your looks to your advantage," I say, sipping my coffee once more.

"Our advantage," he says correcting me.

"Right," I say.

"So what book are we reading today?" he asks.

"The Outsider by Stephen King," I say, pulling it out of my bag.

"I see you with a lot of his books. You like his work don't you?" he asks.

"Well duh. He's my all-time favorite author ever," I say.

"You realize there is probably something wrong with that man to make him write the way he does, right? He's like seriously messed up," Ryder says.

"Well, maybe I'm seriously messed up too," I reply.

"Oh, Little Red. I know you're messed up in that pretty little head of yours. You rejected me when I asked you out," he says.

"I had valid reasons," I reply.

"You're reasons were that you weren't attracted to me in any way, shape, or form. But judging what happened yesterday after we left this little coffee shop, I'd like to think those aren't your reasons anymore," he says.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say.

"Little Red, you know I don't like being lied to," he replies.

"I'm not lying," I say. Jesus, is it me or is it getting hot in here?

"So you're saying I don't have any effect on you? None at all," he says.

"Nope. None whatsoever," I reply.

"Oh really?" he asks unconvinced.

"Yes really," I reply.

"Ok. Look me in the eyes then and tell me I have no effect on you," he says, moving his chair closer to mine.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I look him in the eyes and say, "You have no effect on me,"

"None?" he asks.

"None," I say, confirming.

"So you're trying to tell me that my hand running up and down your thigh oh so slowly isn't driving you mad? That my thumb playing with your bottom lip doesn't turn you on in the slightest?" he says. Running his hand up and down my right thigh while his left thumb pulled my bottom lip downwards slightly.

He was driving me insane, touching me like this. Part of me wanted to tell him to stop, but the other part of me wanted more.

"See how your body reacts to my touch, Little Red? You keep trying to deny it. To fight it. But deep down, you know you can't resist," he says.

That familiar, yet foreign feeling from yesterday was back. And with every growing second, it was intensifying immensely.

"Fucking hell, Ryder. What are you doing to me?" I breathe out.

"I'm proving my point that you keep fighting your body on what it wants. What it needs. And what it wants and needs is me. Just give in," he says kissing my jaw. How in the hell was no one seeing this? Because the shop is empty you dumbass. Oh, right.

"I can't," I say.

"Can't or won't?" he asks.

Won't. I won't give in. You have to stay strong Ariana. Don't fall for his schemes.

"I can't," I say again.

"And why is that?" he asks.

"I could never date a guy like you," I say.

"Oh, Little Red. I'll change your mind soon enough. In fact, this, right here, this is only the mere beginning," he replies with one last kiss on my jaw and then removes his hands from my body.

Good God, I can't even look at him anymore. My face is probably beet red. I wouldn't want him to see that.

"Is Little Red blushing?" he asks with a smile on his face.

"N-no," I stutter out.

"Little Red, I'll say it again. I don't like being lied to," he says, turning my beet-red face towards him.

"I'm going to be late for work again," I say, noticing the time.

"If you were with me you wouldn't have to work," he says.

"Ryder..." I start.

"I'm just saying," he says. "It does seem if we don't leave now, we will both be late for work, so let's get going,"

"Uh, yea, yea," I say, not knowing how exactly to respond. Grabbing our things, we walk out the door.

"I shall see you soon, Little Red," Ryder says, leaving me alone on the sidewalk.

Hopping into my car, I drive to work and park outside. Collecting myself, I walk in and help Jeremiah figure some more things out. But all day long, I couldn't get Ryder out of my head. It hadn't even been an hour yet and I already missed his touch.

What is happening to me?

Ryder's P.O.V

I told you, Little Red, you wanted to play, let's play.