Page 88

“How do you know that?” I demanded. Only Ryder would know the answer to my strange question.

“I don’t know. Read it somewhere, I guess.”

I snorted out an amused laugh. “I love you; you can be such a dork.”

Still grinning and shaking my head a moment later, my own words echoed back to me. Smiling at falling flat, I risked a cautious glance across the room where Ryder had grown uncomfortably quiet.

Finally, I pulled in a breath and asked, “Did I just say what I think I said?”

“Yeah,” he huffed. “You just called me a dork.”

My shoulders loosened, glad he wasn’t going to zero in on the L-word I’d just thrown out there. “Well, I’m a nerd,” I explained. “So, honestly, we complement each other nicely.”

“Hmm.”

I exhaled, relieved we weren’t going to discuss the rest of my ill-timed comment.

Until he said, “You don’t really have a choice about loving me, you know. Thing is, I don’t do the unrequited thing and since I fell for you a long time ago, you were sort of just dragged into it, whether you liked me or not.”

I arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

“I’m serious.” He sounded sure of himself. “I think it has something to do with my big green eyes.”

I laughed. “Is that so?”

“My mom curses them all the time. Says she never can yell at me properly whenever I do something wrong, because I just look at her with my big green gaze and she melts every time. She claims that’s why I’m so spoiled.”

“I believe her.”

“So that’s why we’re stuck being in love with each other. I dragged you into it.”

“With your big green eyes?”

“Exactly.”

Snorting out another laugh, I retorted, “Well, at least now I know how you did it.”

“I figured you were curious.”

My insides glowed. I was surprised the pleasure didn’t soak through my skin and light up the entire room. But seriously. Ryder Yates loved me and I loved him. It was one of the best moments of my life. I felt so alive and jittery, like I could throw off the covers, spring from the bed and simply start dancing.

Ryder must’ve been equally alert, and in an especially chatty mood to boot, because he talked on, teasing and making jokes until I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing too loud. It was after eleven thirty when he groaned and muttered, “I think my painkillers are wearing off.”

Remembering where his mom had set the medicine on his nightstand by the bed, I sat up. “Do you want more pills?”

“Na.” His voice slurred. “I think I’ll just sleep it off.” A big yawn followed.

“Good night,” I murmured, lying back down.

“Night.” He shifted on the couch.

I felt guilty for stealing his nice, comfortable bed, especially since he was in pain. But I knew he’d turn me down if I tried to trade him. With a sigh, I once again stared up at the ceiling, listening to his breathing change as he fell asleep. A while later, I followed him into oblivion, happier than I’d been in a long, long time.

Chapter 24

The ringing of a phone woke me. Stirring under the tangle of blankets on top of me, I shifted in the warm bed, irritated the annoying sound had roused me. The ring came again, and then finally, thankfully, stopped. I was almost out when I heard the voice.

“Hello.” Pause. “Yes, Ryder lives here. I’m his mother.”