My cellphone vibrated from where I had left it on the nightstand next to my bed. I leaned over to grab it when tattoos streaked across my vision and the phone was gone. I darted my eyes to Ryker who was standing beside my bed with his head bent, looking at my phone.
I jumped up so I was taller than him while standing on my bed.
"Give that back!" I yelled, launching myself at him.
Ryker swiped his arm out and I was knocked back on my ass. His face was lit up from the brightness on my phone screen as he opened the text message. He smirked when he read it.
"Sebastian said he had a great night with you and wants to do it again sometime," he said, mockingly.
My cheeks flamed bright red. Thank God it was dark in my room so Ryker couldn't see. Before he was ready for me, I leaped off my bed and jumped right at him. We crashed down on my bed. I landed sprawled across his legs and he landed on his back, somehow with his head on my pillows.
Footsteps walked down the hallway outside my door and my doorknob turned. I shot a wild look at Ryker and swept the sheets over him. Then I laid down beside him and pulled the sheets up to my neck, pretending to be asleep. My bed was so small that every inch of the side of my body touched him. My whole side felt as if it was on fire.
My door creaked open, spilling in some light from the hallway. I held my breath, closing my eyes.
"Eve?" My mom mumbled sleepily, "I thought I heard something in here."
I picked my head up, squinting into the light.
"Mom-"
Ryker moved so subtly that there was no way my mom would have been able to see the movement. His hand laid on my thigh and squeezed. My breath caught in my throat.
"Mom," I tried again, "You woke me up." Then I faked a yawn to prove it.
Ryker's hand slid up higher and I shoved my arm under the sheets and punched his arm.
"Okay," my mom said, backing out of my room.
Ryker snorted.
My mom stepped back in the room.
"What's so funny?" She asked, half awake.
"Uh, um your hair is a mess," I said on the spot.
She rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her. Ryker's hand jumped to my hip and pulled me right up against him. His body was so warm and I shivered.
"You're such a jerk," I hissed with my back pressed against his solid chest.
His arms wrapped around me, immobilizing me. I squirmed in his embrace, trying to get away from him.
His lips grazed my ear as he whispered, "Angel."
I stiffened. The metal ring on his lip tickled my ear when he said my name.
Then he was up in a flash. The sudden absence of his heat made goosebumps break out over my arms. Ryker was already across my room, standing in front of the open window.
"I told Hannah I'd be back soon. She's probably wondering where I am," Ryker said with his eyes trained on me.
I flipped him off and threw my last pillow at him. He easily dodged it and it sailed out the window. I slammed my hand down on my bed as Ryker pulled himself out the window. His muscles bulged beneath the tight shirt he was wearing and I almost drooled. Almost.
But then I realized who I was checking out and stuck my tongue out at his back even though he couldn't see me. I was so mature.
Ryker tossed his head back, flipping his hair, and said, "I don't do this often, so listen closely. I'm not repeating myself if you miss it."
"Oh, I can't wait to hear what your arrogant mouth will spew-"
"Thank you. Two-Strings isn't breaking up anymore and I have a place to stay for some time now because of your offer. Well, I have a place to live until you fall in love with me, that is," he said with a wink and slipped the rest of the way out my window.
Right, he would leave when I "proved" my feelings for him. Which wasn't going to happen. Looks like Ryker would be here for a while, I sighed.
I fell back on my bed, devoid of pillows from throwing them all at Ryker. I pulled the sheets up to my face and took a deep breath.
The smell of Ryker's cologne wafted through my nose from when he had been in my bed. He smelled so good and I involuntarily curled my toes. Curse him. I shouldn't react to him this way.
Not wanting to think any more about Ryker, I fell back asleep without any pillows as Ryker's scent blanketed around me.
~*~*~*~
A few days later and it was Monday morning. I wouldn't be going to school today so I could drive my mom and Christopher to the airport for their honeymoon. For some reason, they were having it before they got married. It was probably better off that way.
They loaded my car with their suitcases and hopped inside. My mom sat next to me in the front and Christopher sat in the back. I talked to my mom the whole time about school and Xander's relationship.
"So, are you talking to any guys?" My mom popped the question. I told her about what had happened between me and Finn, so as far as she knew, I was single.
Ryker's face flashed across my vision with an annoying smirk plastered to his face. My fists clenched the steering wheel tighter.
Then I thought about Sebastian. The morning after Ryker had been in my room, I had texted Sebastian back saying that we should hang out this upcoming weekend. He had agreed. So why was it Ryker's face that I saw first?
I bit out, "I met this guy. His name is Sebastian and I'm going to hang out with him this weekend."
My mom was really enthusiastic about that. I didn't have much to say about him so I changed the topic until we arrived at the airport. I gave my mom a hug and a kiss goodbye, then she walked with Christopher inside hand in hand.
I watched them until I could no longer see them and left the parking lot to go home. I plugged in the aux cord to listen to music off my phone. I started belting out the lyrics before I realized what I was listening to.
Freaking Ryker was singing along with me, ruining my solo. He even got the words wrong to his own song.
I jabbed my finger at the skip button and a new song came on that wasn't by Two-Strings. This time, I sang with A Day to Remember as they sang Better Off This Way.
My music was cut off as my phone rang. I picked it up through Bluetooth without checking to see who was calling.
"Eve! Where are you? Posters are being put up around the school about a 'girls ask guys' dance. It looks really cool and Riley already asked me. She said she's known about it for a while even though the posters just went up. She bought me a box of chocolates with a note attached-"
"Woah, woah," I said, "Speak slower, will you?"
"Who are you going to ask?" He blurted.
"Who even said I was going?" I retorted.
"You have to go. This is the first time our school has done something like this and it will be so much fun. You can't miss it."
I sighed, "When is it?"
"In less than a month," Xander answered.
"Ugh, oh wait. I'll ask Sebastian to go with me. We kind of clicked at the party this weekend and we're planning on hanging out again next weekend," I said.
"Oh," Xander said.
"What?" I asked. I thought he would have been more enthusiastic.
"Nothing. I just thought you would ask someone else," he said.
"Like who?"
"Ryker."
"What?!" I yelled.
Xander coughed and said, "He told everyone that he's living at your house now so he's not going on tour anymore or whatever it was that he was going to do. I figured that you guys must be a thing now since you're living together. I'm surprised your mom is okay with it."
That jerk.
"She's not, and neither am I. Hey, X. I'll call you back," I said.
"Wait-" I hung up and dialed Ryker's number when I pulled off the road.
I sat there, drumming my hands on the steering wheel while I waited for him to pick up. He never did.
So, I left him a voicemail, "Hey asshole-"
"What do you want?" Ryker spat, interrupting my message.
A female moaned in the background.
"Wait a second, Hannah," he said.
"Go to hell," I said, grinding my teeth, "You told everyone about living at my house."
"And?"
"And now Xander thought we were dating! Everyone else must think the same thing!" I yelled, exasperated.
"Hannah doesn't think that. In fact, right now we're-"
I hung up.
A spark of jealousy ran through me when I thought about what he was doing with Hannah and I hated myself for it.
I hated Ryker.
He was going to pay for all of this and for how he made me feel.
And I knew just what to do to make him pay.
~*~*~*~
Wow! Over 3k reads now! Be sure to leave a vote and a comment to let me know how my story is so far or something that I should do differently. I would greatly appreciate it. :)