When I wake up my head is pounding and I wonder if breakfast might have been a bad suggestion. If my hangover is this bad, I can't imagine how Ryder is feeling today. I almost feel bad for how we tricked him into taking more shots than us because we thought it would make it easier to get him to dance. I think I would actually feel bad if it worked but I only got him to dance to one song before he ran away to his little hideout.
One song dancing with Ryder was all I got last night yet the next day I can still feel his hands on me. He thinks he's a bad dancer but besides guys on my team who have been skating their whole lives I have never danced with someone as good as he was and that was him barely trying. I spent the rest of the night trying to mentally will him to rejoin me on the dance floor. Every time he shifted I thought he was coming over, only to be disappointed when he stayed planted in his spot.
Bray, Alex, and Maddie have all told me that Ryder never ever dances. Shit, apparently he used to not even party before I started coming, usually only showing face and having a few drinks before he would sneak away to his room. I take his new party attendance record as a win for Team Me but I am still determined to get him to dance with me for longer than a song. Bonus points if I can get him to do it willingly.
I stop thinking about Ryder's body pressed up against mine as we danced and focus on breakfast, which we are supposed to go to in 20 minutes. I start by making sure Ryder is alive before bothering to wake the twins.
Me: You alive?
Ryder: I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing.
Me: stop ripping off song lyrics, breakfast still on?
Ryder: Yeah I will pick you guys up at 10am.
Me: Perf, see you soon.
I heave myself off the bed after talking to Ryder to wake the gremlins. My brothers have never really been morning people, not like me and my parents who are up with the sun most days, but given all the alcohol consumed last night this will be even more difficult.
"Wakie, wakie twinnies." I crawl across the air mattress they're sharing and lay between them taping both their faces lightly.
"Go play with the rats, leave us alone."
"Ryder, come get her; she's annoying," Sal whines.
I want to be annoyed at my brothers but the relief outweighs everything else. I am so glad they like Ryder, not just as a hockey player but also as my friend. I had no idea in January he would become someone so important to my life but he is, I think he's more important to me than he even realizes. My whole life, my family never had much but we always had each other. We were picked on for never having the newest stuff or the latest version but we made it because we had each other to lean on. When all 3 of my brothers left for college I honestly considered being homeschooled because I didn't know if I could handle asshole teens without my support system. For the last 20 and a half years my brother's opinions meant everything to me. Of course we fought and disagreed but when it mattered we were a united force.
That is up until this Friday. I swore nothing ever could change that, but the second I introduced Ryder to my brothers I realized that Ryder had enough of a hold on me he could topple our united force. If my brothers didn't like him I think I would have fought for Ryder, because I know him just as well as he knows me. We may not know each others whole life story, but we understand each other better than anyone else does.
"Up lets go, we don't want to keep Ryder waiting."
"God forbid," Anthony's gasps and I smack him without hesitation.
"What does that mean?" Sal clearly feels he's in danger just for being near me and Anthony at the moment so he scoops up his stuff and hides in the bathroom.
"Nothing little. I truly think Ryder is awesome and I am glad you two are friends."
"But? Because it feels like there is a but coming."
"No but, it is actually really nice to know when you're so far from all of us someone like him has your back. Not that Luna and Maya and Parker and all your other friends aren't great but the way Ryder watches you, it is comforting for a big brother let's put it that way."
"He is a good friend."
"Just a friend?"
"Yes," I tell him sternly. Why is everyone reading so much into this?
"Fine, but just... don't let figure skating make you blind to other things. Okay?"
I nod and get up to get dressed leaving Anthony alone. Figure skating has shifted my priorities in the past but it has never made me blind to anything. I brush off Ants comments as nothing more than brotherly concern. Clearly he and Sal like Ryder and just like I want them to end up with good girls they want me to end up with a good guy. I can totally see how from an outside perspective Ryder checks all the boxes but neither of us have romantic feelings for each other.
Ryder sends me a text when he has arrived and I drag my cranky brothers out into the sub zero cold. They're screaming like cats thrown into water as I open the door and the cold and wind outside hits them. Four years in Florida has clearly made them both soft.
We all climb into Ryder's car, which thankfully is warm, and I look to see if he looks as bad as the rest of us. Both my brothers are in sweatpants and hoodies, I am in similar with my hair in a sloppy bun on the top of my head, and Ryder rounds out the sweatpants and hoodie clad group finishing his outfit off with a beanie instead of his usual hat.
"Different," I remark, adjusting his beanie on his head a little. He looks tired but amused as I try to decide if I like beanies or hats better on him. Both look really good on him but I think I prefer his signature hat look.
"Please tell me you also feel like death, man."
Ryder looks back at Sal whose hair is still sticking up at weird angles. "In the middle of the night I got up to pee and went back to sleep in my shower, so yeah."
We all try to cover our mouths and suppress our laughter at Ryder's expense but Anthony breaks and soon the entire car is filled with uncontrollable laughter. Even Ryder is laughing at himself.
When we pull up to the diner my brothers throw their door open and sprint inside cursing about the fucking cold, while Ryder and I follow behind them at a much more leisurely pace. It is cold but it is actually the warmest day we've had in weeks so neither of us mind too much.
"You don't look half bad for a guy who slept in a shower."
"Butt that sounded strangely close to what I would think a compliment would sound like."
"Don't let it go to your oversized head, that beanie is already fighting for its life." Ryder laughs and slugs his arm over my shoulder. The twins are already seated in the booth when we walk in so I slide in to the other side and Ryder scoots in next to me.
"Let me guess little is going to get french toast."
"No," I defend myself against Anthony's 100% correct assumption. Now because I don't want to admit how predictable I am I begin scanning the menu for something else.
"What are you getting?" I peak at Ryder who has set down his menu already after barely looking at it.
"My usual, the breakfast sampler with two eggs, toast, home fries, ham and bacon and then also a side of french toast. Except I can't decide if I want Nutella or just regular."
My mouth is literally watering at the thought of Nutella stuffed french toast. "I love Nutella french toast."
"Are you getting it? Since you love it?"
The twins aren't listening so I shake my head at him. "I can't let Ant be right. I am going to get an omelet with peppers, ham and cheese and a side of home fries."
"You need to stop treating everything like a competition and enjoy things because you enjoy them."
"Rich coming from the guy who literally raced Bray to the front door on Friday."
"Alex is rich, my family is just comfortable."
"Cheeseball," I grumble as the waitress comes over to take our orders. My brothers get what they get whenever we go out to breakfast at home, Ryder orders his with the Nutella french toast, and I order my boring omelet.
"When do you guys leave today?"
The twins tell Ryder about when they leave and then they get into a discussion about how their flight is during the Islanders game and that turns into a discussion about the entire season which leads to Ryder talking about himself on the team. I am nervous at first, of the turn the conversation is taking but Ryder seems comfortable with it so I don't interrupt.
I am too hungover and tired to follow their hockey conversation so I pull my hood up and sip my coffee while they talk. Ryder fits in so perfectly with them and I wonder what my dad and Joe would think about him. The three are exchanging stories like they're life long friends just catching up and it is really cool to watch.
When the food comes, conversation slows but never dies. In between bites they all continue talking. I eat my sad little omelete and regret being stubborn earlier. Ryders french toast looks so good I just keep staring at it wishing it was mine.
"I am kind of full, help me finish the french toast, Beck?"
"You are," I say in surprise because I have seen Ryder eat and he could easily finish his entire meal plus some.
"Hangover, not as hungry but I hate to waste food."
"Oh, well sure of course." Ryder puts one slice on my plate and keeps the other for himself. I cut a piece and pop it into my mouth, my eyes literally rolling back in my head at the soft deliciousness in my mouth. The guys continue to eat and talk while I savor my slice of french toast like it is my final meal.
When we are all finished and I have basically licked my plate clean of any remaining Nutella, I flag down the waitress. "Can we have the check?"
"It is paid for already, have a great day."
She walks off and I turn to Ryder who is sipping his coffee fringing innocence. "Ass," I scold and punch him in the shoulder.
"Yoo," both my brothers yell in alarm knowing that when I want to I can punch pretty hard. God forbid I boo boo their little hockey player.
"You're butt, butt, not me. I am Ryder."
"You didn't need to pay for breakfast, this was our thank you to you."
"I didn't. Trevor Ryder did and trust me he could spare it."
Ryder I know doesn't have a good relationship with his family but the way he spit out his dad's name sends chills down my spine. I never want to pry about his personal life so I am hoping one day he feels comfortable enough to want to open up.
My brothers thank Ryder as we all leave but I stay silent. I don't like people paying for me, then I feel like I owe them and usually when I owe people I can't deliver. The car ride home is more of the same hockey talk and when we return to my apartment Ryder comes up to spend even more time with the twins.
As I get ready for the week getting all my assignments together and celebrating the fact that next week is the last week of school before spring break, I can hear the guys laughing and playing video games in the living room. From the sounds of it Parker has joined them. I walk to the kitchen to grab a water and sure enough Parker has inserted himself into the middle of the mix playing some game I don't know with my brothers and Ryder.
Parker eventually leaves and I hear Ryder announce he has to go too. I am laying in bed so I roll off and begin to walk out into the living room to say bye but I stop as Anthony says something to Ryder.
"The french toast, you could have finished it on your own."
"Yeah, probably."
"No, you definitely could have," Sal says somewhat accusingly.
Ryder is silent and I inch closer to the living room. "Listen she is stubborn so thank you for doing that. She really enjoyed the french toast"
"Stubbornness isn't a bad thing," Ryder defends me to my own brothers.
They stay silent as he turns the corner and bumps into me in the hall. I try to play it cool, like I didn't just overhear what was said. "I am going to head out, hope you all had fun this weekend."
"It was amazing, thank you Ryder." I give him a quick hug before stepping back.
"Anytime Beck." He gives me a small smile before saying bye to the twins and leaving.
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Authors Note
I have decided to use my tik tok and instagram to post Double Booked stuff, my instagram will definitely occasionally have sneak peaks of chapters not posted yet. If you'd like to give those a follow they're both Tayhatesevery1 and I have already posted on both of them.