Hope's POV:
He gives me his award winning smirk as I stare at him wide eyed from the leather couch. I had come to terms that I was never going to see him again, yet he came back into my life anyhow.
He greets everyone in the room, which consists of Kyle, Carter, Cole, and Dominic, before hugging me. I slowly wrap my arms around his body as he bends down towards me neck, "I missed you", he whispers softly. His pungent cologne is overwhelming, mixed with the slight scent of cigarettes and coffee - a habit he must have picked up while he was away.
"Why are you here?" I ask him curiously, my curious eyes burrowing deep into his brown orbs. He remains silent, unsure of how to respond.
"After I saw the footage, I remembered a place that Ryder and I used to go to on the borders of New York. He most likely wouldn't have been there but I figured it was worth a shot, so Dominic and I went there and sure enough, there was Ryder." Kyle answers for him while glancing in Ryder's direction with a look I couldn't comprehend, Ryder nods his head after a few seconds of silence, "yeah" he adds quietly, now staring at my shoes.
I look towards Ryder once more, before turning my gaze to Kyle. His eyes still remain on Ryder's chestnut hair, which glows under the bright, white lights of Kyle's apartment. From Kyle, I look at Dominic. He stands straight, with his arms crossed behind his back as he stares at the ground with no emotion, as usual. Carter sits in the singular cushioned chair in the corner of the room while focusing deeply on his phone in front of him, his elbows attached to either side of the armrests. He's completely oblivious to the tension in the room.
My stomach bursts with an unsure feeling, my gut is clearly telling me that something isn't right, yet my mind forces me to believe that Kyle would never lie to me.
Breaking the tense silence that floats around the room, with everyone's eyes straying away from me, Carter's phone rings out. "Sugar Crush!", a high pitched child's voice echoes through the room, everybody's heads snap towards Carter, including mine, as he jumps slightly before tackling his phone back into his pocket. I watch as Dominic glares at him, "sorry", Carter squeaks out, embarrassed at the fact that everybody in the room now knows he was playing Candy Crush.
Kyle breaks the silence following Carter's intrusion, "Ryder won't be in hiding from now on.", he turns his sight from Carter to me. I don't say anything but walk to my room.
Stern knocking sounds at the white wooden door to my bedroom, "Ryder?" I call out, clutching the photo frame in my hands. "It's not Ryder" a deep voice answers through the other side, I place the photo frame facedown on the bed before walking past the neat room and pulling open the door.
Dominic stands tall right in front of me, he smiles faintly at me before storming into the room, colliding with me lightly in the process. I shut the door closed and turn around to Dominic, who now sits on the bed.
"Can I help you?" I ask suspiciously at the muscular man on my bed, he doesn't reply to me but instead lifts the photo frame up and stares intensely at it. I storm towards him, holding my arm out in front of me as a gesture to collect the object.
Dominic's eyes rise to my hand, he holds the frame to me. I gather it but in the process our hands touch. A shock spreads through my fingers and I result in dropping the frame. It falls to the ground, smashing with shards of glass spreading across the room.
"Shit", I mumble beneath my breath as I bend down and begin collecting the pieces in my hand. "Hope, stop" he warns, I stop my actions and lift my head to his direction, he's now standing directly in front of me. "You're going to hurt yourself" he continues before bending down, our faces remain inches apart from each other.
He gathers a shard of glass in his own hand, "now you're going to hurt yourself" I chuckle at him. Our eyes connect, "I'm willing to do that", he whispers quietly. I couldn't bring myself to pull my gaze away from the forest that lives secretly in his eyes. Oddly enough, it wasn't uncomfortable. I felt peace for the first time in a long time, I felt at home.
"Hope" another voice growls out from the door frame, I practically jump out of my stare and snap my head towards the imposter. Ryder's eyes are filled with rage, "what are you doing?" He questions through his teeth. I stand up abruptly, "I dropped the uhh picture" I point towards the shattered photo frame on the ground with my index finger "and it broke and Dominic was helping me clean up" I continue. Ryder's eyes fall on the picture of us standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
He takes a step into the room, before Dominic stands up from behind me. Ryder stops in his tracks, "Kyle wanted to ask you something" he adds while glaring at Dominic with pure vengeance. "I'll be there in a bit", Dominic smirks at him. Ryder finally turns around and exits the room, leaving the door wide open.
I turn around, facing Dominic who stands closer than expected. I take a step back, "so, uh why did you come here in the first place?" I ask him, raking my hair back with my right hand's fingers as Dominic empties the remaining of glass shards into the trash can by my dresser. He turns back around and resumes to his original position.
"We're going out tonight and I want you to come" he responds, his eyes never leaving mine. "Where?" I ask him, planning my outfit out in my head according to the location. "The club, same one where we met" he smirks. Right, they still don't know the truth, they believe I still got too drunk.
"I don't know", I respond, afraid of a repetition. "Think about it" he forces a small smile as he turns around and begins pacing across the room, towards the open door, before stopping direction in front of my open closet's door and peering inside.
He reaches his hand in and grabs hold of a short, blue dress. "Wear this" he orders, placing the blue dress flat on my bed and shutting my closet door. "If I come" I add, standing in the exact same position as before. "If you come" he repeats with a genuine smile, before turning back around and leaving the room.
"You coming?" Kyle peeks his head into my room with his hand above his eyes. "I'm dressed dumbass", I call out, laughing at his fear of seeing something he really didn't want to - again. He pulls his hand away from his eyes and opens them, "yeah, I'm coming" I respond while standing up from the dresser's chair and slipping on a pair of sparkly heels. I had done my makeup in accordance to the dress Dominic had picked out for me, I decided to wear it after all. I pair it with a clutch that looks like a stack of dollars, and a sparkly chocker.
I step out of my room with Kyle by my side, to see Dominic, Ryder, and Carter all waiting for us in the living room. They were sitting on the leather chairs, mid conversation, when Kyle and I had stumbled in. All speaking tones had paused as they looked in our direction, yet my eyes were focused on only one person.
Dominic.
Dominic stares at me with a sort of lust hidden in his eyes and a slightly open mouth. He closes it and smiles instead, he looks good when he smiles. From what I've noticed, when Dominic smiles with his mouth then his eyes correspond as well - they brighten up and shine.
I broke out of my slumber stare that was aimed at Dominic when I feel a hand wraps
around my waist. "You look beautiful" Ryder whispers in my ear, his face rubs against my cheek, sending goosebumps down my spine. I turn my head to his extremely close face and give him a small smile before turning my sights back onto Dominic.
His smile was now gone and he was speaking to Carter who sat next to him, oh well.
The entire night, the tension between Dominic and Ryder was extremely clear. I would continuously catch them glaring at each other, or 'bumping' into each other as they walked by. For what reason? I don't know - but I believe it has something to do with the lack of space between Dominic and I in my room earlier today.
I decided it was best for me to not leave the VIP room this time. Ryder kept stealing glances at me, probably to make sure I was still here. However, the boys discussion was getting boring. So I got up from the blood coloured couch and head out to the balcony.
Upon entering the chilly, night's atmosphere, I take a deep breath in and begin to think through the past few months. My entire life has seemingly taken a turn since the day Nora and I decided to skip school and drive to New York instead.
Rubbing my arms with my hands, I remain in deep though until I feel the presence of another and footsteps. I snap my head around to identify the intruder, relaxing when I notice Ryder's familiar face.
He gives me a small, uncomfortable smile before walking towards me and placing his right hand on the small of my back. "You okay?" He asks, barely three inches away from my face in a whisper.
I nod my head in response and silence struck us once again. It was slightly uncomfortable, he clearly wanted to say something and I'm just waiting for him to tell me. Both our eyes were focused on the city that never sleeps beneath us.
Ryder turns his head towards me.
Ryder's POV:
I turn my head to her. She's gorgeous.
Hope is the most beautiful girl I have ever met. She has a heart of gold and everyone that meets her loves her. Even Dominic.
I analyse all her details. Her big lips coated in a shade of nude lipstick, her glistening grey eyes that glow in the reflection of the moon, her perfectly arched thick eyebrows that are made perfect for her face.
Her eyes are layered in a dark eyeshadow and black eyeliner.
The wind blows past us, forcing her dark hair over her tan face, she lifts up her hands that are perfected by long white acrylics and moves the hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
She's flawless.
I take my time to inspect her outfit. The blue dress hugging her curves in all the right areas. It suits her.
"I love you" I blurt out without thinking.
I was shocked at the words that had just escaped my lips. It certainly wasn't the first time I had told her that I love her but it's definitely been a while. "I never stopped loving you." I whisper.
Her eyes as she had turned her head towards me, digging deep through mine in an attempt to find a lie. "The time that I was away from you was the hardest time of my life." I continue.
Yet, she still doesn't say anything. I'm starting to get worried.
I turn around, head down, about to walk back through the open doors of the balcony and back to the VIP lounge before she grabs ahold of my wrist. I turn around speedily and feel her lips clash against mine
Hope's POV:
It was magical. It was just what I needed. I love Ryder, I always have and I probably always will. I missed him so much and I always blamed myself for his 'death'. I didn't know how I felt when I found out that he was still alive, but now I know that all I want is him.
"I'll never leave you again" he whispers in my ear as we walk out of the club.