I slumped in my desk the next day in class before anyone got there. Mr. Duncan gave me a weird look like he couldn't believe I was one of the first students there. I gave him a thumbs up and he frowned, walking out of the classroom. Well, there went my one attempt of being nice for the day.
The chair next to mine scraped across the ground and I raised my head a little to see Xander sitting there with a worried look on his face.
"What happened with you know who after I left?" He asked, leaning forward on his knees in the isle between our desks. I lifted my head the rest of the way up and tucked my bags behind my ears before I answered him.
"That's a great question. I'm not really sure what happened, but he ended up making out with Hannah."
Xander's jaw dropped. "What the hell..."
I shrugged. I had wasted enough tears on Ryker last night that I refused to shed any more over him. "Yeah, he's a jerk and I hate him so I don't really care-"
"Uh, Eve-"
"-if he dumped me or whatever he did-"
"Eve! You need-" Xander tried to say, but once I was on a rant, there was absolutely no stopping me.
"-because he's an ignorant, infuriating, lying-"
"Eve..." Xander warned, slicing his hand across his throat, but I wouldn't have it.
"-cocky, mean, ugly, cheating assho-"
My chair tipped back on two legs and I scrambled to sit forward and put it back down on four legs. It wouldn't budge. Xander's eyes left my face and flew upwards as they widened.
"Cheating? That goes both ways, Angel," a deep voice rumbled as something cold and metallic scraped against my ear. I stiffened.
Damn. I had a big mouth, didn't I?
Xander opened his mouth. "Come on, man-"
My chair suddenly fell forward and smacked against the ground. I caught myself on my desk so I wouldn't topple over. Xander reached out a hand to steady me, earning a growl from the jerk-wad standing behind me.
I twisted around in my chair and met the electric gaze of Ryker's blue eyes. He ran his tongue over his lip piercing, raising an eyebrow as if he was daring me to say something.
Which I so totally was.
"So..." I drawled just as Hannah and her pumpkin friend walked in the room. "Back for more?" I winked seductively, making his eyes darken.
"I had plenty last night," he said, voice husky.
"Oh is that so? Did she slobber all over you like you claimed she does?" I asked, crossing my forearms on the back of my seat.
He glared at me and crossed his arms. As Hannah walked by him to get to her seat, he slinked his arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. Right. In. Front. Of. Me.
She moaned and arched her neck higher to give him more access. He smirked and pressed a kiss right under her jaw.
If he thought he could make me jealous, then he had another thing coming.
"Can you not? I'm not trying to be sick before first period if you don't mind," I said, disgusted.
"I don't mind that at all," Ryker mumbled, resting his hands literally right on Hannah's ass as he continued to lay kisses farther down her neck. I clenched my fists when he reached the collar of her shirt and easily plucked it out of his way to drop another kiss on her bare shoulder.
"Well, I mind," my best friend interrupted.
Xander grabbed my arm, pulling me towards him. My eyes widened as his hand went around my neck and pressed against my head, drawing me closer. When I was just inches away, Xander crushed his lips to mine and squeezed his eyes shut.
"That's how you treat a girl you love," he said, looking directly at Ryker when he broke away, "I'm sorry, but I won't let you have her if you go behind her back with some slu-"
I slapped a hand over his mouth to stop him from saying something he'd regret. He gave me a serious look and lowered my hand off of his mouth.
"And I regret ever saying that you two should be together while I knew that you'd just hurt her in the end. I thought that was a good thing at first so then Eve would come to me, but now I realize her pain isn't worth that. I was selfish and it was wrong of me. So Ryker, if you don't take her back right now, then I will."
I gaped at my best friend. Xander Nash has never been this serious in his life. He was always the funny, happy, goofy kid who cheered me up. I shot my gaze to Ryker whose eyes flared in anger.
My heart beat rapidly in my chest as I waited for Ryker to respond. For reasons I don't even know, I felt myself wanting him to say he needed me. Sure, he was a complete asshole more often than not, but when he showed me his soft side, I knew that was the real him. At times like that, I knew I loved him and it'd be hard for me to forget him.
So when Ryker said, "Take her," I didn't think; I just acted.
I swung my cast in a clean arc over my head as I aimed for my target. Hannah squealed and ducked out of the way, leaving Ryker vulnerable. My cast whacked harmlessly against his muscular chest and my cheeks turned a bright shade of red as he mockingly raised his eyebrows.
"What is your problem?" I asked, incredulously as Hannah openly glared at me while I ignored her.
Xander latched his hand around my wrist and said, "Eve, let's go."
I shook my head and stood up, slamming my hand against the desk in front of me.
"No. I honestly don't understand what's going on with you all of a sudden-" I began.
"I'm not good for you."
"Bullshit. That's so cliché and you know it."
"Xander will take better care of you," he said.
"Oh, so that's what this is all about? You think you're no good for me and that Xander won't hurt me. Come on, Ryker. At least come up with an excuse that hasn't been used thousands of times and tell me what's really going on here."
"Isn't it clear? Ryker isn't in love with you; he's in love with me," Hannah sneered.
"Is that true, Ryker?" I demanded.
The bell rang right as I finished my sentence and Mr. Duncan entered the room, demanding that we all take our seats. Ryker sat down beside me with Hannah behind him.
Like always, I couldn't pay attention to Mr. Duncan's boring lecture. I had much more important matters on my mind.
Xander kept shooting me worried glances and I'd try to give him a weak smile to let him know I was okay, but I knew it looked more like a grimace.
Near the end of class, a note was dropped on my desk by a tattooed arm and Hannah snickered. I rolled my eyes, uncrumpled the note, and read the feminine handwriting.
Take a hint, bitch.
I snatched my pencil off the desk and hastily scribbled out a response. I twisted around to plop it on Hannah's desk when Mr. Duncan suddenly said, "Evangeline, would you mind sharing to the class what you wrote on that piece of paper?"
All eyes turned to me as I slowly turned back around in my seat. I cleared my throat, shaking my head. "Uh..." I stalled.
I could do one of two things. One, I could read the note and get away with slight embarrassment. Or two, I could refuse to read the note and possibly get a detention or suspension.
Knowing I couldn't afford a suspension, I chose option one.
I unfolded the note I had written and read, "Mr. Duncan is the best teacher ever." I gave him a huge smile and thumbs up as the class chuckled.
"Now tell me what it really says, Ms. Cross," Mr. Duncan said, not buying my lie.
"You can have Ryker and make mini devil babies with him."
The class erupted in laughter as Mr. Duncan's face turned an unhealthy shade of red. He opened his mouth to say something when the bell rang.
"Eve, wait-" Xander said, trying to grab my arm.
I shoved all my books in my backpack and said over my shoulder, "I'm sorry, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really gotta go."
"Not so fast," a deep voice muttered right before my body was snatched backwards against a solid chest. I looked down to see myself sitting on a dark jean clad lap.
"Let go of me, jerk-"
Ryker twisted me around so I was trapped in between him and the desk as he raised a finger to my lips, silencing me. "You and I need to talk."
"About..?" I prompted against his finger.
"Us."
I slapped his hand away and in the heat of the moment, I said, "There is no us."
For a fraction of a second, something like hurt flashed through his eyes, but was quickly replaced by anger. "Hmm, guess we don't have to talk after all."
Ryker moved his hands to my hips as he plucked me out of his lap and placed me on the floor. By now, the entire class had cleared out, including Xander and Mr. Duncan.
"So that's it? You're ready to just give up on the two of us over one stupid argument?" I asked.
"I'm ready if you are," he said nonchalantly, as if we weren't talking about our relationship.
My initial reaction was to say forget all this and walk out of the classroom, ending our relationship. But I knew I'd regret it later and that wasn't what I wanted.
"Well, I'm not ready just yet. I have one last thing I have to do."
Ryker flicked his head, flipping the dark hair out of his eyes and said, "Which is?"
"This."
I took a step forward to where he was still seated and grabbed the collar of his shirt. His eyes narrowed on me, suspicious of what I was about to do since I had just whacked him with my cast and all.
Like Xander would say, before I could "chicken out", I closed the distance between us and sealed our lips together. Ryker's arms came up around me, hands running through my hair as he kissed me back harder. He lifted me back in his lap, leaving his hands to rest on my hips.
"Are you ready now?" I asked against his lips, biting his lip piercing.
"Ready for what?" He murmured.
I smiled. He had completely forgotten about saying he was ready to give up on us if I was. "Nevermind," I said, deepening the kiss. Ryker groaned and when I felt his tongue in my mouth this time, I didn't say anything.
I gently removed my lips from his as I looked down at him, my hair fanning out around us. I laid my forehead against his and his hands tightened around my waist.
"Dammit, Angel. I should never have acted that way. I honestly don't know what got into me. I'm sorry," he apologized.
"I think it's called jealousy," I smirked, earning an eye roll. "Trust me, I know all about it."
Well, he was an idiot if he thought an apology would be enough to get me to forgive him. He had taken things too far by being dramatic and overreactting, and now he would have to pay up for it. But he didn't have to know that just yet.
********
Is Eve going to forgive Ryker easily or is she planning something? Should she forgive him or just move on? Let me know!!