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I’d left Hillsburg to move to the Twilight Zone. I mean, honestly. Two boys—two very popular, well-dressed, nice-looking, easy-to-talk-to boys—were expressing interest in me in the space of one day.
Unreal.
Something fishy had to be going on. A girl didn’t live through sixteen years of life without any boy ever asking her out to suddenly having two best friends fighting over her. Okay, fine, Todd and Ryder weren’t fighting. But there was definite tension oozing off Ryder in waves.
Though inside I was flipping out with excitement, outwardly I stepped back and snorted, glancing away. “So, what? That puts me in the same category as Kiera. I’ll pass.”
“Hey,” he muttered, clearly insulted even though he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away with a guilty frown. Then he admitted, “Kiera’s not my usual type.”
Well, at least that was something. Kiera was selfish, vindictive, and two-faced; I was relieved he didn’t classify me in the same category.
So why was he with her?
As if he’d read my mind—or maybe I’d asked aloud—he glanced down at the toe of his shoe and muttered, “I was feeling insecure about some photographer from Hillsburg blowing me off. When she…when Kiera flirted with me after that game, telling me what I good job I’d done, I really needed a good dose of confidence, so…” He shrugged, letting me know the rest was history.
I’d rebuffed him and he’d turned to Evil Cheerleader Barbie for an ego boost. I felt sick about being partly responsible for fixing them up.
He lifted his face and sent me a half smile. “But you know what? I’m glad I’m with her. She is fun and peppy and makes me happy. And she’s interested.” He gave a nonchalant shrug that didn’t look so nonchalant. “It’s not like you’d actually go out with me if I dumped her and tried with you again anyway.”
“No,” I agreed quietly, because, well, wow. I had no idea what to say. His words totally blew me away. “I wouldn’t.”
Was he asking me out? Was Ryder Yates offering to dump his fun, perky, she-makes-me-happy cheerleader? For me?
“Of course not,” he agreed, nodding. He turned and started off, only to stop a few steps later. Slowly, he turned back, looking pained as he winced. “For the sake of curiosity, though, why?”
“Why?” I repeated in a small voice.
He nodded, his eyes intent. “Why would you reject me? Why did you? What did I do that turned you off so much?”
Oh, boy. How was I supposed to answer that question? I had no idea what the answer was. Actually, I knew I’d be thrilled to boot Kiera out the way and take her place. Something inside me knew him, knew he was everything I would ever want in a boyfriend. But the things I’d learned about him in the past twenty-four hours kept me hesitant.
Wanting to avoid the true issue, I scowled and set my hands on my hips. “You know, technically, you never asked me out, so actually, I never turned you down.”
He laughed. “Oh, come on. We all know I was working my way into asking you out.”
Inwardly, I groaned. He just had to go and shoot down my crafty attempt at avoidance.
“I didn’t know you,” I grumbled, hoping I could use the same line on him that I’d used on Todd. “You were from the opposing team?”
Hadn’t worked on Todd; I should’ve known it wouldn’t work on Ryder either.
He arched a brow. “You didn’t know you’d be moving to Southeast at that point?”
My face heated with color.
His features fell with disappointment. “Oh. I see.”
“I didn’t know you,” I repeated a little more desperately this time.
“Okay, then. You said no because you didn’t know me at the time. But you’ve been to my house, played on my Wii, talked to me on Facebook. Geez, we even took a picture of a glove together. And you’d still say no? What’s so wrong with me?”
His green eyes filled with such vulnerability, I choked. I’d hurt his feelings. It made me want to hug him and tell him I still thought he was the most beautiful boy I’d ever met.
“N—Nothing’s wrong with you. I…I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
“Oh, my God, Grace,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. “How pathetic do I have to get? I’m asking why you don’t like me.”
“I never said I didn’t like you.”
