All eyes turned around to follow Ryker's gaze. I froze under the harsh glare of his fan girls as I felt my face flush and my jaw drop.
"She wasn't supposed to be here," Ryker stated, narrowing his eyes on me from all the way across the club.
I jumped out of my chair and pointed at my chest. "Me?" I asked, incredulously. "Piss off, assho-"
"Get up here, Angel."
I gawked at him. The crowd gave me murderous glares as I made my way to the stage. Xander gave me two huge thumbs up and I rolled my eyes.
I strode right up to Ryker who was sitting on a wooden stool on stage. He looked up at me and our eyes clashed as I put my hands on my hips.
"What?" I demanded. Ryker's fans held their breaths.
"Sit down," he said, patting his lap. The girls gasped and I heard someone whistle; stupid Xander.
My eyes bulged and I said, "No way."
In the blink of an eye, Ryker snatched his arms out and dropped me in his lap. I immediately started squirming until I felt the cold bite of his lip piercing resting against my ear.
"Relax, Angel," he whispered, involuntarily giving me goosebumps. I felt his sturdy chest against my back as he reached his arms around me to take the microphone off its stand.
He twisted me around so I was facing him and raised the microphone to his mouth, never once taking his eyes off of me.
And then he began to sing a song so unlike all of the other songs he's sung before.
"I don't wanna tell you that I long to see your face
I'm scared it might scare you away
And I don't wanna tell you that sometimes I think of you and smile
'Cause time with you is time enough for now
I don't know how long before it breaks me down inside
And all my strength has gone away, and it's too late before I say
I've fallen for you
I've fallen for you
Losing you is something that I'd never choose so I'll just have to wait
But it kills me everyday
I've fallen for you"
Everyone was silent. Without giving me the chance to say or even do anything, Ryker pressed his lips against mine. I didn't think it was possible for my eyes to grow any wider, but they did.
The crowd cheered in an uproar and I squeezed my eyes shut as I kissed him back. He smiled against my mouth, and it wasn't the usual smirk he always showed me. "Angel," he murmured with his hand cupping my head. I laid my hand on the feather tattooed on his neck as I kissed him.
"Ugh! Don't worry, Hannah. You're so much better than her," Fake Pumpkin said to her bitchy friend who was without a doubt crying over this whole scenario. Score one for me.
We broke away and just stared at each other. The crowd seemed to fade so far away into the background that it was like Ryker and I were in our own world.
"Let's get out of here," Ryker grinned, as he stood up and pulled on my wrist. I giggled as we jumped off the stage and ran to the exit with protests from the crowd. Xander winked at me as I dashed passed him and my face turned bright red.
"Ah!" I yelled when Ryker's tattooed arms scooped me off the ground right when we made it to the doors. He shoved them open and the cold, brisk air of the night made me shiver. He tightened his arms around me and took off down one of the isles in the parking lot to where he had parked his car. Opening the passenger side door, he gently placed me on the leather seat before shutting the door and getting in the driver's side.
"Where are we going?" I asked nervously strapping on my seatbelt.
"You'll see."
Ryker shot me a look out of the corner of his eye that made my heart stop. Damn, he was hot. As if he knew what I was thinking, he smirked but then chuckled to himself.
About 20 minutes later, we arrived at the beach that I've been going to since I was a kid. Actually, now that I think about it, I remember coming here with Ryker's family when we were kids. I was playing in the ocean, doing my own thing, when Ryker came along and shoved a bunch of seaweed down my bathing suit. I had run out of the ocean, bawling my eyes out because I had hated seaweed. Ryker had been doubled over in laughter, blue eyes sparkling with mischief when we were five or six years old.
Since it was nighttime now, we were the only ones here. Ryker parked his car right on the sand so I kicked my shoes off and got out, waiting for him to join me. As if it was the most natural thing to do, he came around to where I was standing and intertwined our fingers together. I looked down at our hands and thought about how my hand fit perfectly in his.
Beaming down at me, he said, "Remember when-"
"When you shoved seaweed down my bathing suit?" I asked, cutting him off.
He laughed and shook his head. "No, well that too, but I was gonna say remember when a huge wave came and knocked off your bottoms so I had to go swim after them?"
"Ryker! Shut up, that's so embarassing!" I said, hiding behind my cast. Ryker lowered my arm to look in my eyes. I thought he was about to say something romantic, but of course, I was wrong.
"Last one to the ocean is a rotten egg," he said as if he was a child. He took off down the beach, sand flying from his feet as he sprinted. I shook my head. There was no way I'd let Ryker beat me. So, I bolted right after him.
I skidded to a stop when my toes breached the ocean, bending over with my hands on my knees and breathed heavily.
"I win," I forced out.
"Not uh. I was here-"
I smacked my hand against the water, splashing Ryker because I was so mature like that. He jumped back in surprise before grinning deviously.
"You asked for it."
"No, wait. My cast can't get wet-"
Ryker completely ignored me as he sent both of his hands into the water and splashed me right back. When I had splashed him, I had barely gotten any water on him. However, when he splashed me, I got drenched. My clothes stuck to me and my hair was dripping down my back.
I splashed him again, actually soaking his clothes this time. He ran a hand through his hair, making the wet strands stick up. He ripped off his shirt and I stood there gawking at his abs.
"Like what you see, Angel?"
Ugh, he always catches me staring at him. I shrugged and continued splashing him as he splashed me back. Pretty soon, we were both soaking wet. Ryker waded over to me and lifted me out of the water. He wrapped my arm with the cast around his neck as he went deeper into the water. His skin was warm against mine despite the chilly waters.
When the water was up to his shoulders, he stopped walking. He held me up with one arm as he placed his fingers around my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"Angel, there's something I've been wanting to tell you," he said, rubbing circles on my back. I held my breath, waiting to see what he was going to say.
"The truth is, I haven't been honest with you or myself. I've had these feelings for you for the longest time now, but I was just too much of a coward to admit it to either of us."
"What are you saying, Ryker?" I asked a little breathlessly as I searched his eyes for an answer.
"I'm in love with you, Evangeline."
My heart fluttered at the sound of his voice saying my full name. Holy crap, Ryker Avery had just told me he was in love with me. Holy crap. Holy crap.
I swallowed once before I answered him. "I'm...in love with...you too."
Ryker smiled, displaying his straight white teeth. And then we were kissing again. I bit down on his lip piercing, making him moan. I smiled, enjoying the fact that I had this effect on him. "Angel," he breathed against my lips.
"Hm?"
"I just felt your tongue in my mouth," he said, smirking. I whacked his arm, remembering the time I had been grossed out when I had felt his tongue in my mouth. My cheeks flamed in embarrassment.
"Shut up." I wrapped my hand around his head, pulling his face back to mine. Lightly as a feather, I laid my lips against his. He groaned and deepened the kiss, making my toes curl. I didn't know how long we kissed until we had to stop for a breath.
"So..." He drawled.
"So what?"
"What does this make us now?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
My cheeks impossibly became another shade darker. I glanced away from him as I said, "Oh jeez, don't ask me. I'm not good with this whole relationship stuff."
"Who said we were in a relationship?"
I whipped my eyes back to his. I opened my mouth to say I don't even know what, when he said, "Just kidding. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded my head once.
"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get you home before you get sick." Ryker continued to carry me out of the water and once we were at the shore, I offered to walk. He shrugged and wordlessly strung his abandoned t-shirt over his shoulder.
He tucked me inside his car, not even caring about the fact that I was getting the leather seats all wet, and drove me home. As I was about to get out of the car, Ryker's eyes darkened and he growled low in his throat before sealing my lips with a single, hard kiss.
"I'll see you later," he said with a smile that made my heart melt.
"See you," I said, getting out of his car on shaky legs.
When I was almost at the front door, Ryker rolled down his window and shoved his head through it. "Wait, I need your help."
I turned around with my hand on the doorknob. "With what?"
"I think I've fallen hard for you."
***********
How did you like this chapter? How do you feel about Ryker and Eve's relationship? Let me know! :)
FYI the song that Ryker sang is called "I'm Falling For You" by Chester See. (I just changed a few of the lyrics) I've attached the lyric video!