Page 113 of Jerk

“Now you don’t have to.” My eyes settle on his, hearing unsaid words. He wants me here. "Who the fuck knows when she’ll be back, so might as well make use of it. It still needs somerenovating, but it shouldn’t impede your process. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You’ve already gotten me back into SBU,” I remind him.

“You said it would take much more than your favourite pastries.”

“Ryung Rowen, I’ve dated some impressive men.” Rye takes a step toward me when I say that. And in one swoop, he presses me against the wall. “But none of them have done anything this romantic.”

“Dated?” He gives me that intense look. But he doesn’t fight it. After my last foray into The Hill’s dating pool, I never thought I’d be this freakin’ sprung for one of the most ineligible bachelors here. Like, what a cliche. But with Rye, it just fits. “Let’s be clear, I’m not the other fucks who came before me. But, Hannah, this was inevitable.”

“Okay, he talked me into it.” Krystal enters the room, chin held high. “I’m ready to be your first model.” She walks past us, standing on the wooden podium in the corner of the room. She places her hands on her hips like she spent all afternoon working up the nerve.

I laugh. “Actually, I think it’ll be good for Saint Bons to see you owning it.”

Rye wraps an arm around me, and even though his sister cut our convo short, I think I got the gist.

This was inevitable.

This would be a Hallmark movie if he weren’t whispering dirty things into my ear. Or his dick wasn’t hard against my ass. It makes it hard to keep my attention on Krystal, but something tells me that’s his plan.

“I welcome the encouragement, but it's misguided,” I tell them. “I’m going to need more than one model if this is going to work.”

“That won’t be a problem.” Rye pulls out his phone, not at all caring that I can see his screen. The ID says ‘Minion 1.' Is that Mac? Gray?

Ryung: you can come in now

“What’s happening?” Looking over at Krystal, she shrugs.

Before I turn to ask him again, Marisol, Chloe, and Zurie walk through the doors, all wearing red robes.

“I know some people who owe you," Rye says as they stand in front of Krystal in a row. Their heads hang like they’re ashamed of what happened over the semester. And that definitely brings a smile to my face.

Turning around to meet Rye, I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Your apologies are working.”

“I right my wrongs.”

A groan comes from the door next. “I didn’t know this was a Posse Party." Ember. “Hannah, I told you I don’t wanna join.”

Breaking my Rye-trance, I turn to her, blinking. “Then what are you doing here?”

Her eyes move to Rye. “Rye said you might want some help with darker designs?"

I slap his arm, but I’m actually happy she’s here. “I don’t need your help to bedarker.” I spit back. “But I’m happy to show what I’m working on and to be honest, if I’m doing this?—”

“Which you are,” Rye interrupts.

I move towards the door, ignoring him. “If I’m doing this, I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

A smile spreads across Ember’s face. “Show me what you got.”

I tell the room to give me a second to fish out one of my sketchbooks. When I’m back, I lay out the plan. I have fivepieces that I know will kill with the theme. It just needs a little tweaking.

It comes naturally to delegate tasks before taking measurements of all the girls. Even Ember decides to model. Working with the posse again feels familiar, but different. It’s like knowing how quickly they turned on me took away a lot of what I thought about them. I thought they’d be by my side no matter what. But looking at Rye, Ember, and Krystal tells me I no longer need them.

“Rowen and Alfonso are throwing a party together?” Mac’s chuckle comes from the door. "Never thought I'd see the day."

When my gaze moves to him, prepping a sassy response, my eyes land on something else instead. “What the fuck, Mac?”

A crimson casket sits in front of the door, shining under the lights with gold handles.