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"Don’t be a smart ass," Sloane warned and then sirls, love you!" I called after them while they piled into Exie’s car and headed off for their posh private school

Even though they never said love you back, it had beco it

Teeks had passed since I was attacked in that hotel roorown back and ht haunted me, terrorized o without knowing it for a single day

"Well, look who’s back," the one person I wasan exception to that rule called from above me on the steps "Hey there, Red"

"Ryder Sutton, when did they let you co house," I flirted shaone to jail, but was soon bailed out by his dad Taylor never pressed charges and so Ryder was only charged with some minor offenses and sentenced to soain, part ofto do with it and the idea of Nix helping Ryder repulsed me

Violently

"Fun fact," Ryder smirked at me "Tanner blames that on your terrible influence Turns out your poison to a good boy like hed "And what do you say to that"

"I say it’s less like poison and aze heldto his words, even if I wouldn’t let any other part of me "Co If Ryder was going to hold his hand out forto take it Today Tomorrow And any day in the future

He led me past the offices and down theof the school I finally figured out where ere going when he entered the band roo toward the practice roo, an advanced cellist, a beginning bass guitar and a struggling oboist It kind of took all of ive it up! Music was just not in his cards Not now, not ever

Ryder stopped at the last practice rooo He held the door open for me and I walked into the small space just as a cascade of butterflies let loose in et me into trouble back here I’ I’m the office aide and can write you a pass," he rely "Besides we needed to talk I haven’t seen you since… it’s been too long, I had to know you were Ok"

My mother banned all communication from the outside world until I healed I wanted to believe it was her motherly concern, but instinct toldwhat I looked like after they broughtthe piano bench It was unladylike and completely unattractive, but thento attract Ryder I was trying to do the opposite

And feel the opposite towards hi my pose He didn’t look nearly as uncos fit the piano bench better and Ok, his crotch wasn’t co jeans after all But still

"Thank you," I whispered to him ere settled He reached forward and tookthem in the space between us "Thank you for… thank you for it all"

He heard my words and drank them in "Sure, it’s what friends do"

A s the situation as a defense mechanism, to deflect whatever real eht about it for a minute, but decided to shake that off as vanity

Ryder really was just a good friend

"M to take away his heroics, both in what he did that night at the hotel and in what he went through to actually befriendwith," I admitted

He leaned forward so that our bodies were closer, that our lips were closer "That is a good point," he agreed "It’s a good thing I only like you as a friend"

I looked up to ray eyes, the eyes of someone that was more than a friend, the eyes of someone that didn’t think of ht erous my life was, how inescapable my future was and I cared about Ryder way tooyou don’t like me more than a friend," I breathed out on a whispy breath

"And why’s that?" Ryder asked, his voice ruood I’ll never be more

than a friend?" He looked down at our entwined hands and then up at me from under dark, sooty lashes "Explain it toon edge, but I sucked in a breath for courage and answered truthfully, "Because you know, you would never really be sure how you felt about me," I obeyed and explained it to hi real aboutbetween us would always be fake forced Maybe it wouldn’t feel like it to you,we had was real But it would be the curse, just the curse You would be in love with so you wanted me to be, not the real ering breath and held it; if he told s foruntil I turned eighteen, to hell withit out for ht I couldn't hurt Ryder I wouldn't hurt hi at the hotel He alsoabout so for me was a trap and I would never involve hi I feel for you is forced or fake," Ryder confessed sincerely His eyes turned into silver pools in the darkness, pro me authenticity and honesty His words and the deep, hopefulfloated on the air between us; wrapped around me whole and sank into my skin before I could stop the and doht it would propel me from the bench on its own but I couldn't e to leave him It didn’t exist inside of ive Ryder a better life, a life without round in a pile of ashes when presented with the challenge I chose Ryder And even though I hoped to keep him as a friend, I kneithout a doubt I would always choose Ryder