Page 74 of I Don't Need Your Love

Addie laughs. “That has to be a record.” When I don’t join in her laughter, she says, “You okay?”

I wipe my mouth. “Yeah. I’m just thinking…”

“About?”

“The routine. I can’t help but feel that no matter how hard we try, it won’t be enough.”

“Carly, the routine is fire. We just have to perfect it and we’re gold.”

I twist my lips, not sure I believe her. There’s just something we’re missing.

“I’m going to get more water,” I tell her.

I head to the water cooler and refill my bottle. When I turn around, I nearly collide with the person standing before me.

Ryder.

He smiles and waves. “Hey.”

“Why do you look so good even when you’re all sweaty?” The words jet out of my mouth before I can control them, and my cheeks heat up. It’s the truth, though. He really does look great even with the front of his hair matted to his forehead and the back sticking up. And you can see those muscles underneath his drenched gym shirt.

He gets this pleased smile on his face, but before he can say anything, I blurt, “It wasn’t me who said that.”

He raises his brow before bending to look behind me and then turning his head in all different directions. “No one’s here.”

“Of course people are here. They’re just invisible. That’s who you heard.”

“So I heard an invisible person?”

“Yep. Maybe a ghost that roams the school.”

He chuckles. “All right. If that’s what you’re going with.” He walks past me to fill up a cup of water, brushing his shoulder against my arm. Goosebumps pop up all over my body. I’m about to move away, but he leans forward and murmurs. “Forthe record, you look good when you’re sweaty, too.” He winks and walks away.

I stare after him, my thoughts going haywire. Did he just say I look good when I’m sweaty, too?

Oh my gosh, am I dissecting his words again? Maybe he just wanted to throw me a compliment because we’re friends now. Or maybe he’s just returning the compliment. But Ryder wouldn’t say something like that unless he meant it. He’s not one to BS too much.

Ugh, I’m doing it again.

“Why do you look like you’re having a stroke?” Naya asks as she puts her water bottle under the water cooler’s spout.

“What?” I blink at her. “Oh, sorry. Just, um…”

She gives me a knowing smile. “Ryder again? You guys should just kiss already.”

Unintelligible drivel shoots out of my lips.

Naya giggles. “I’m just teasing you. So did Ryder tick you off?”

“No, he complimented me.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“There’s no problem.” Just the fact that I like when he compliments me like that? And I wish he would do it again?

Naya sighs. “Seems like life will only get more complicated the older I get, especially when it comes to romance. Yippee.”

I laugh, and together, we join the rest of our teammates just as Coach Moreno calls that break is over. We once again practice until our lungs burst, but when I glance at Moreno, I find her watching us with a frown. For a second, I wonder if she doesn’t like the routine, which doesn’t make sense because she told me she loves it, but I realize that she’s frowning because of something she’s thinking about.