Ryder

nine

I was a stupid fool for not realizing it any sooner.

For not realizing it at all.

Alyssa and Michael were getting married. The same Michael who she'd broken up with exactly a year ago. The very same Michael who she'd had a thing with for almost three years. Three years until--

"Long time no see, Alice." Michael peeked his head in from the opened balcony doors before stepping inside and joining me outside.

I froze like a statue and my eyes instinctively darted towards the doors--the only exit--which Michael was quite efficiently blocking with his tall stature and broad shoulders.

"Hey." I mustered up a soft, polite smile even though my heart was pounding like one of a caged hummingbird.

He stepped closer and joined beside me near the railing, smiling and stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets. "So...how's it been going? Alyssa told me about your university. Sharlton University, wasn't it?"

I took a tiny step away from him so at least there was a bit of space between us. I glanced back at the doors and realized he was looking at me. Waiting for an answer.

Where had Ryder gone off to? He'd mentioned something about a phone call and hadn't returned yet. He'd quite literally disappeared.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Um, yeah."

"Nice." He grinned and pressed his back into the railing, tipping his head up to the sky and exposing the pale column of his throat. "That's great. Gosh, time really does fly, doesn't it? I remember when you were just about to start high school. Alyssa and I were two years above you before you guys changed houses and moved here."

That was also the time when he and Alyssa had broken up. I remembered it all too well. Mom and my stepdad too busy packing boxes and boxes of our stuff while Alyssa had been curled up on my bed, crying because she hadn't known how to break the news to everyone else that she'd broken up with him. With Michael. After being with him for three entire years.

I was the first person she'd broken the news to. And I think that had been kind of accidental on her part since I'd been too busy chewing her head off with questions about this dress I'd needed to borrow from her--which had ended with her breaking down and sobbing right in front of me. I'd been so mortified at that time. I hadn't known how to comfort her.

Anxiously twisting the elastic band around my wrist--the one I'd snagged from the kitchen--I pulled my sleeve over my fingers when I felt Michael looking at me.

Laughter resounded from inside the house and I found myself wondering again why Ryder was taking so long. Had he left already? Surely he'd at least tell me before leaving. God, what must my mother think if he left just like that?

"Alice--"

"Michael." I noticed how wobbly my voice came out. "I've got a boyfriend."

Just as quickly as those words left my mouth, I felt heat crawling up my neck and my face. It was embarrassing. Why had I even said that out of all the things I could've said to him?

Michael seemed confused but only for a few seconds before he was grinning again. Only this time it didn't look so friendly.

"Oh, yeah. I've been hearing his name around. Soren, right?" He straightened from his leaning position and ran a hand through his perfectly combed hair. He tsked, looking at me. "I must admit, I thought your type was more towards the less...brooding ones."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "I should probably go."

Michael grabbed my wrist as I stepped towards the doors and the instinct was natural, pure and natural when I snatched my hand away from his grasp. It burned where he'd touched me just for the smallest of seconds and not...not in a good way. A wave of nausea curled up my gut.