Reckless Play | ✓

22. Talks & Confessions

"About the other day..." He trailed off.

I turned to him. "Yes?"

"It's not what you think." 

My brow crinkled, "How do you know what I think?"

"I don't." He stated. "But you've been ignoring me..."

I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off.

"And don't try and tell me that you haven't because I know you have."

I shut my mouth. He took that as confirmation.

"Right." He said. "So I don't know what I did or what made you do that, but I don't like this." He gestured at the air between us.

"You were with Emily." I pointed out.

"Yeah, so?" He didn't deny.

"So?" I repeated incredulous. 

"Yeah Kalley. I was with Emily, so?"

I turned to face him. "Are you serious right now?"

"Yes, I'm serious. What's wrong with me being with Emily? She's a friend."

"Right, a friend." I say moodily. I didn't have to think much in order for those images to rush back into my head.

"What does that mean?" Ryan squared his jaw.

"What?" I asked.

"Your tone. I don't like it."

"You were with Emily in the middle of the hallway Ryan." I reminded him.

"I know. And I already told you she's a friend of mine."

"Friends don't touch each other the way you two did."

I watched as the lines on his face hardened and he broke eye contact with me to look through the windshield. Not that there was much to look at. Outside everything was dark.

He seemed to battle with himself for a while.

"We have history." He finally admitted. "Emily and I."

I turned my gaze to look out the window. "Right." I already knew that. And even if I didn't I wasn't stupid. From what I'd seen it was obvious for every passing eye that they were more than friends. Maybe they weren't now, but they had been at some point.

The seat made a noise as Ryan shifted his body my way. "We have history, but we aren't together. We never were and will never be."

I didn't answer. He could fool himself into thinking that, but he couldn't fool me.

"We've been friends for a long while and then one night things changed." He started to explain. I didn't knew if I wanted to hear what he had to say.

"It didn't take long for me to realize my mistake and set things right with her. I made it clear I saw her as a friend and nothing else. She knows that and she was fine with it."

Of course she was. She probably thought staying friends was the only chance she had at charming his pants again.

"That was a year ago." He finished.

When I didn't say anything he added, "Nothing happened since."

That was a lie and I knew just as I knew the back of my hand that the red lipstick covering Ryan's mouth that first day at the cafeteria was Emily's. So how did that lipstick got there? He had been playing professional make up artist? I don't think so.

I pressed my lips together. There was one thing I hated and that was being lied to.

"That's a lie and you know it." I blurted before I could stop myself.