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Carly chuckles. “Which one?”
Was there more than one?
“Umm. The first.”
“I agree.” She winks. “All in favor of a horror film theme, raise your hand.”
I’m not sure how many hands go up, but I know mine does.
“And all in favor of aThe Nightmare Before Christmastheme, raise your hand.”
Shit. Scar would kill me if she knew that was an option and I didn’t vote for it. She’s obsessed with Jack and whoever that chick is. Once again, my hand goes up.
Melody sneers as she lowers my hand. “You can only vote once, Riley.”
Sticking my hand back in the air, I scoff at Melody. “Well, I'll change my vote.”
“No changes either.” She lowers it again, and this girl is really grating on my nerves. My chair slides back abruptly and I step up to her. “Do you have a problem, Melody?”
“Whoa, girls.” Carly steps between us, arms spread wide, and she leads us both back a step. “This is a planning committee. If you want to duke it out, I suggest y'all visit the mud pit for that.”
Melody crosses her arms over her chest, taking care to push up that sliver of cleavage she has. “I’m down.”
“Well, then I’m down, too.” I have no idea what mud pit Carly is referring to, but I’m in a mood right now, and I’d love nothing more than to take some aggression out on Melody.
“All right then,” Carly singsongs in her southern accent. “Tomorrow. I guess we have our Monday night plans. Say, dusk?”
My forehead creases. “Like in the dark?”
“Oh, there'll be plenty of light, darling. Don’t worry your pretty little face.”
I’ve always liked Carly, but something tells me after tomorrow, I won’t be her biggest fan. Then again, if it involves shoving Melody’s face in a pit of mud, Carly might be my new favorite person.
“This was good, ladies. We’ve decided on a horror films theme and we’ll start decorating campus next week. Meet back here Wednesday at six o’clock. Until then, I’ll see y'all at the pit behind Delta Chi.” Her brows waggle in my direction. “May the best girl win.”
Fucking hell. This is some sorority shit. What in the world did I just agree to?
Everyone disperses and I’m dragging my feet toward the door when it comes back open. Carly slithers out, just as Ridge comes in.
I backstep, surprised to see him here.
I go to speak, not even sure what I was going to say, but he holds a hand up. “Me first.”
Nodding, I allow him that courtesy, even if I’m not sure he deserves it.
He points at the meeting table. “Can we?”
Turning around, I pull out a chair and drop down on it. I knew I’d face him again eventually; I just hoped I'd have more time to sort through the array of emotions I’m feeling—hate, anger, disbelief, fear…curiosity, lust, attraction.
Ridge sits down right beside me, his body mirroring mine. “I suck at this shit, Angel. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve and assumed if someone could see it, they’d wanna keep it. I realized last night that’s not the case with you. I got so tired of loving you from afar that I approached too soon. Probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t any longer.”
“Do you love me, Ridge?” The words spill out of my mouth with no thought process behind them and now that they’re out, I wish I could take them back.Once I know, I’ll never forget.
“More than anything in this entire world. I remember the first time your heart called to me, unknowingly. It was like a song in the wind. I laid eyes on you and all hope for myself was lost because I knew I’d do anything in this fucked-up world to keep you safe, even if it meant slowly killing myself in the process.”
“Why me?” My two-worded question comes out abrasive, but words mean nothing without actions to back them up.
He speaks like a poet,
