Chapter Four
Ash
I stretched my limbs, a yawn falling from my lips despite literally just waking up. Rider had woken me up sometime in the middle of the night so we could shower and clean the dried cum and lube off our bodies, but that hadn’t really mattered since we’d been unable to keep our hands off each other once we crawled back into his bed and round two had commenced. But shit, it’d beensoworth it. Being with Rider like that was otherworldly, and it was even better that hetrulydid not care what my body could offer him. He wanted me forme, and it was a dream come true.
Pushing myself into a sitting position, I rubbed at my eyes, then tossed the blankets aside so I could go in search of Rider. No doubt, he was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat. The man acted like he was starving ninety percent of the time, but I knew that was mostly due to him being an athlete. Athletes apparently had nearly insatiable appetites, if Rider was anyone to base my ideas off of. Sometimes, I swore he had a tapeworm or something.
Sure enough, when I made it from the hallway and could see into the kitchen, Rider was scarfing down a Pop Tart, which was definitely not on the recommended food list his nutritionist had given him. Hearing me, he lifted his gaze and smiled, his eyes warming. My cheeks flushed, and I reached up to rub the back of my neck, suddenly nervous.
“Sleep well?” he asked. “I’d have stayed in bed with you, but my stomach wouldn’t stop growling.” He winked at me, making my cheeks burn an even brighter red. “I worked up quite the appetite last night.”
“Oh, myGod,” I groaned, palming my face. His laugh was low and warm, sending heat sparking through my veins. I’d never really realized how masculine a laugh could sound until I’d heard Rider laugh for the first time. It always did funny things to my insides.
I headed into the kitchen and grabbed the carton of eggs from the fridge, along with diced ham, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, and some shredded cheese. “Finish that Pop Tart while I make you something you’reactuallysupposed to eat.”
He hopped onto the counter like he always did when I was cooking and he wanted to keep me company. Didn’t matter that my parents had spent a few hundred dollars buying too-expensive barstools because they “matched my aesthetic”, whatever the fuck that meant. Rider hardly ever used them unless we both happened to be eating and that was where I wanted to sit.
My phone began ringing from where I’d left it on the counter the night before. Rider grabbed it for me, then announced, “It’s your mom,” before answering it. “Hey, Mrs. Trent,” Rider greeted, sounding way too cheery for—I glanced at the clock on the stove—ten in the morning on a Friday. Thankfully, neither of us had classes on Fridays, so sleeping in wasn’t an issue. And Rider didn’t have practice until later in the evening.
“Hi, honey!” Mom gushed, always happy to talk to Rider. “We watched your game last night.”
My eyes widened, and they snapped to Rider’s so fast, I was surprised I didn’t give my eyeballs whiplash.Could eyeballs get whiplash? Wait, no, never mind about that—did my parents see that kiss?
Rider rolled his lips into his mouth, but there was no hiding the amusement in his eyes. Now that we’d talked through everything, Rider wasn’t the least bit concerned that thousands of fans had seen himkissme on national television. Fuck, he wasn’t even concerned that myparentsmight have seen him kiss me.
“Oh, you did?” Rider asked. “What’d you think?”
“Well, I was thinking of when you two were planning to tell me you were in a relationship,” Mom drawled, and I groaned. “But you played spectacularly, Rider, as always.”
“Well, thank you,” he replied, smiling from ear-to-ear. Rider knew he was a god on the court, but he still loved the praise. “But we just confessed our feelings last night. I kind of sprung that kiss on him. Wasn’t my brightest moment, but I’m a romantic. Grand gestures are kind of my thing.”
I scoffed. That was much more than a damn grand gesture. Didn’t knowwhatI’d call that kiss last night, but it wasdefinitelymore thanthat.
“I’m happy for the two of you,” Mom said. “Ash needs someone to take care of him because he’s always holed up in that apartment, studying too much, or too busy trying to take care of the rest of the world. You’re good for him, Rider. I’ve been waiting since the two of you met for you two to become a thing.Everyonecould see it but you two, apparently.”
“Can we not discuss my love life?” I asked as I folded Rider’s omelet.
Rider grinned at me and hopped off the counter, heading for the living room. “Don’t listen to him,” Rider told Mom. “We can talk about mine and Ash’s relationship all we want.”
I huffed. “You both get on my nerves!” I called over my shoulder, hoping Mom heard me, too. I loved my parents dearly, but jeez, they werenosy.
I finished making Rider’s breakfast, and by the time I finished cooking, he was off the phone and hadESPNon, where the commentators were talking about yesterday’s game and the upcoming games for the day. I handed him his omelet, and he leaned up, cupping the back of my neck to pull me in for a kiss. “Make sure you eat something, too,” he gently commanded, his lips rubbing mine as he spoke.
I groaned. “I’m not hungry.”
He shrugged. “Not up for debate, baby. You need to eat, even if I have to make you something.” He arched his brow at me, and my nose screwed up in distaste. Rider couldn’t cook to save his life. He got too distracted and managed to turn even something as simple as warming up soup on the stove into burned soup.
“I’ll go make something,” I said.
He grinned and tapped my nose. “Thank you.”
I rolled my eyes. “One day, your eyeballs are going to get stuck in the back of your head,” Rider told me as I headed back to the kitchen. I gave him my middle finger over my shoulder, and he barked out a laugh. “Let me know when and where, baby!”
My belly swooped. This had somehow become my life literally overnight. My only friend, who was also my roommate, was now my boyfriend. It was a little mind-blowing, but also… it was an incredible feeling to know someone as popular and well-known as Rider Justice wantedme.
By the time I settled on the couch with scrambled eggs, Rider was done eating and playing a game on his phone. Still, as I sat beside him, he wrapped an arm around me, tugging me against his side and hugging me to him as he immediately went back to playing his game. And that was how we spent our Friday until he had to leave for practice—snuggled up on the couch, watchingCollege GameDay, playing on our phones, and occasionally making out because it was almost impossible to keep our hands off each other after pining for each other for so long.
Epilogue
