A Tragic Hero

Chapter 26

"Because you're going to dinner with me."
Sky stared motionlessly at Ryder.
Go to dinner with him? That's why he had come out here looking for her and why he was oh so sharply dressed beside her?
"Is that a demand?"
She watched in amusement as Ryder squirmed with unease.
"Well ah, no."
"Then it's a request, but one that you are demanding?"
"No. I just thought," he averted his gaze as he rubbed the back of his stiff neck nervously.
"I just thought it would be nice to go out-"
"When I'm at my weakest."
She couldn't help finishing his sentence, even though she knew that was not what he had been going to say. This fidgeting, unsure side of him was fantastic, very alluring and adorable to watch.
"No!"
Ryder's shaking hands flew out in front of him as he began to wave them frantically.
"No, no, no Sky, it's not like that. I'm not like that!"
"Well, I am pretty vulnerable right now and here you are, sounding very demanding that I go out and have dinner with you."
Sky tried to give him her most disappointed expression and was rewarded by an even more agonized looking Ryder.
"Sky, I promise you, I'm not trying to take advantage of you. I just thought that-"
"You know what Ryder?"
She changed her expression to total seriousness. She even crossed her arms to seal the deal.
"Please Sky, I was just-"
"I'd love to have dinner with you."
Ryder froze at her sudden acceptance. His eyes locked with hers and she gave him the biggest smile she could muster.
"What...what did you say?" He stuttered with his words, utterly surprised.
"I said sure, I'd love to have dinner with you. I was just messing with you."
A mischievous grin began to spring up on Ryder's now playful face.
"Well, that wasn't very nice Sky."
She laughed at his saddened tone. She leaned back into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"You'll be just fine, you big baby."
"I'll be fine, but you won't."
Sky gazed back at Ryder's face, confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I don't take people messing with me that lightly. You must pay for your wrong doings."
She watched as a very enticing grin plastered onto Ryder's face. He was staring again directly into her eyes, searching. Then, he stopped searching and spoke.
"I'll give you to the count of 10. 1,2,3."
She yanked away from him, finally seeing the point of his little game. She laughed hysterically as she dashed from him into the trees surrounding them.
"4,5,6."
She was still too close to him but she knew she would get caught eventually.
"7,8,9."
She stopped her laughter and tried to hide.
"10."
Sky ducked down behind a massive tree trunk, still giggling some. She couldn't see Ryder anymore but she was pretty sure he knew exactly where she was. She shuffled her feet, the excitement of a once childish game being reborn into something new. Where had he gone?
She crept back to look around the tree again when she heard him.
"You know, the point of the game is to stay quiet and not be detected."
She spun around and came face to face with one spiffy looking Ryder. She almost cried out in alarm, but after seeing the wild gleam in his eyes, she stopped her yelp and dogged his lunge for her.
They were both laughing now as she sprinted away from him, he being just steps away.
Then, Ryder reached out and caught her. She laughed richly as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around with ease. She let her head hang back, the tears that were falling now being from pure joy and nothing else. She felt exhilarated, like a child once more.
But when she was pulled close by Ryder after their laughter had died down and the spinning had ceased, she realized she was not a child, but a grown woman. A grown woman who was begin tenderly held by a grown man. A very attractive grown man named Ryder Clinton who had been rousing something deep within her since the day she had first laid eyes on him.
She couldn't look away from Ryder's sparkling blue eyes, his strong jaw line, his black tussled hair, his tempting lips. The same lips that had touched her cheek lightly last night. The same lips that she wished would maybe...
No.
This feeling...it felt wrong all of a sudden. Did she even have the right to be thinking about Ryder like that?! It was time to end this game.
Sky pulled herself together and shook free from Ryder's lovely embrace, her mind spinning.
"Sky?"
Confusion shone in Ryder's familiar eyes. She couldn't look at him anymore with out feeling uncomfortable, so she turned around.
"Hey, what's the matter?"
She felt him approach and couldn't stop the shivers that over came her body.
Sky loved him. She really loved him. Nothing else made any sense on why she would be feeling like this than that explanation.
"Are you...crying?"
Ryder stood close now, probably looking over her shoulder at that very moment. She shut her eyes, still not able to meet his.
"Did I...did I hurt you?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Then what's wrong?"
She stayed planted, being as still as she possibly could.
"Sky."
Her ear burned as she felt Ryder's heated breath skim over it.
"Sky, please look at me."
She couldn't. She couldn't shake her feelings off either and that terrified her.
"Please."
The deepness of Ryder's tone made her melt. She needed to face him. Needed to look him straight in the eyes and tell him.
Ryder's hands rested on her arms, urging her to turn around.
She did.
She hesitantly spun around, keeping her eyes leveled with Ryder's collar bone.
"I'm scared,"she whispered, her lips quivering as she took in uneven breaths.
Ryder let his hands travel down her arms to her empty hands.
"Of what?"
Sky didn't answer him back. She didn't have to.
"Oh, Sky."
Ryder drew closer and she let him. He placed his forehead on hers, the contact alone sending a shock wave through her, their lips centimeters apart from each other.
"You don't have to be scared."
Sky allowed herself to wrap her arms around his loose body. He felt- solid. He was a strong tower after all. Her strong tower.
He began to lightly chuckle, his top lip brushing against hers.
"Everything is gonna be just fine. God works in mysterious ways, so just let Him do his job."
Sky felt herself smile despite her fear.
Then, Ryder kissed her. So softly, so tenderly, she forgot about anything and everything. His lips were smooth against hers, kissing her with just enough power to make her know that he really did mean what he said. Not like she had doubted him before he had started kissing her. She returned his heart felt kiss with her own, pulling him closer when they finally did end their blissful connection.
"I'm hungry," She stated after a few minutes of peaceful silence, still absorbing Ryder's ever present warmth.
"Well then,"Ryder said, planting another kiss on her lips when she finally lifted her eyes to take in his chiseled face glowing with happiness.
"Let's get on with that dinner I promised."