In that same store where I'd been searching for the bubble bath, Ryder had asked my name. I'd been so flustered, I'd accidentally replied,"Oh, fudge"instead of answering his actual question.
And he'd remembered.
And for some reason, I found that to be incredibly sweet.And yes, just a little silly.I smiled. "I love it!"
When he smiled back, some of my tension eased. There were so many things I couldn't wait to tell him – and not only about the non-brawl at the bike shop.
Earlier today, I'd been planning to tell him about baking those cookies and sending some to Griff. But the timing had never felt right.
I wasn't even sure why I'd held back.Was I worried he'd be angry that I'd ruined his prank?
Or was it a matter of fairness?Like…if I sent cookies to Griff, why hadn't I given any to Ryder?
If my parents had pulled that with me and Delaney, she would've blown a gasket – not that I could blame her.
But Ryder wasn't a child, and neither was I.So why did this feel so complicated?
Without thinking, I blurted out, "I owe you cookies."
"You do?"
"Definitely. I mean…I made some for Griff, so…"
His brow furrowed. "Griff?"
"Yeah, you know…to balance the karma."
"What karma?"
"Of those raisin bagel-bombs." I cringed just a little. "Sorry. I probably ruined your prank."
Finally, his expression cleared. "Oh, that?" He let out a quiet laugh. "That was foryou, not him."
I didn't get it. "You mean…the bagels were for me?"
"Nah," he said. "At the coffee shop, you looked like you needed a laugh."
"So?"
"So I figured doing the raisin thing would cheer you up, give you a reason to smile."
Warmth flooded my chest – and then my face as I realized how badly I'd handled that moment. I'd been a terrible sport about the whole thing.
Now, I wasreallycringing. "That was for me? And allIdid was get mad at you for it? Gosh, I'mreallysorry."
"Me, too," he said. "I've been off bagels ever since."
I laughed. "I'm serious."
"Me, too." He spread his arms nice and wide. "You see any bagels on me now?"
"No. But it's not like you'd be carrying them around."
"Eh, give it time."
"I don't even know what that means."
"Me neither," he said. "But I still made you smile."
