Get to me (8th sin series, book 1)

Rekindle

Sophie sits down on her bed. "What time is this party?"

I tease the front of my hair before running my fingers through it. "It's Finn's birthday party. It starts at three."

She drops back on her pillows, her blonde hair falling over her eyes. "Do I have to go?"

"I would like you to. This way my dad will refrain from biting my head off."

She looks at me. "He still hasn't cut you off. I don't think he is going to do anything."

I shrug, putting the hairspray down. My hair feels as lazy as I do today, and I start work in two days. I slip on my black flats and take one more look in the mirror.

"Do you have tape?" Sophie ignores me, going about her business, leaving me to struggle through her drawers for tape and scissors. "Did I tell you I ran into Ryker the other day when I bought a skateboard for Finn?"

Sophie knows everything there is to know about the friendship Ryker and I had. So I am not surprised when she sits up. "There is no way you saw Ryker."

I shake my head. "Well, I did. He signed this skateboard."

She slips off the bed looking over the skateboard.

"They call him Ryker 'the jet' Sosa." I raise an eyebrow. I still can't believe Ryker has become an even bigger deal than he was when we were kids.

She slips her phone from her pocket and goes quiet.

I struggle to wrap the skateboard and finally settle on a bow.

"He has a pretty impressive skateboarding career. How come you never knew this?" She hands me her phone.

He was named Rookie of the year, the first pro skater to be sponsored by a big company--not to mention winning gold in the X games several years in a row. I'm not sure what all of that means but I know enough to know he is a big deal.

"After the accident I never saw him again." I carve a hand through my hair. "I didn't even know if he was alive. It took my parents a whole month to tell me his parents shipped him off."

Sophie frowns. "That was a scary year."

I nod. I almost died. And my parents blamed Ryker. Ever since, they never had a good thing to say about him--ever. I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Thank God, I didn't have any permanent injuries. And that was all that mattered to me. I never blamed Ryker for the crash.

"He was so into you." Sophie twirls a strand of blonde hair around her finger and nods when I disagree. "Yes, he was."

"He was dating Lana Steingrass." Lana was the head cheerleader. She snatched Ryker up the moment she saw him. There wasn't anyone at school that didn't take an interest in Ryker.

"Because you were dating Beau the douchebag." Sophie raises an eyebrow. "And Ryker was so cute."

I can't argue that one. The big brown eyes, shaggy head of dark brown hair and the backwards baseball hats, and that smile he was always shooting in my direction. Once you saw it, you never forgot it.

I gather my things. "I have to go. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Sophie shakes her head. "I'd rather stay here and watch housewives argue about Botox."

I shake my head and head for the door.

***

I wave at my aunt and uncle coming into the backyard. There is a table for the presents and another table with finger foods and drinks. I set my present and card down and go for the finger food instead of saying hello to my parents. I don't want another confrontation with them about my life choices.