We stroll up to the little barbecue stand outside the gates. We stand in line, waiting for our turn to order, and read the menu they have propped against the table. They have smoked chicken quarters and an array of sides. I opt for the chicken and macaroni and cheese. The line moved pretty quickly, so after we placed our orders and the man called our names to pick up our trays, I was dumbfounded by how full the plates were.
Ryder held both plates in the palm of his large hand and led me, fingers laced, to a quiet area on a hill. I was a little confused at first, until he stripped out of his leather jacket, leaving his black t-shirt, and spread it on the warm summer grass.
“Sit,” he gestured to the jacket.
I sit, legs criss-crossed, and he sets the plate in my lap,taking the spot next to me in the grass. He sits with his knees to his chest and his arms draped around them, clasping a wrist with his other hand. Appearing to be lost in thought as he watches the star-thronged sky above us. I pluck off a chunk of the chicken and plop it into my mouth, savoring the tender, juicy burst of flavor. A sound resembling a moan rumbles from my throat. Ryder slowly turns his head towards me, his brows and the corners of his lips lift in amusement.
“That good, huh?”
“You should really try it,” I say through a mouthful of food. Hearing Ryder’s laugh is like a burst of fresh air. It’s rare to hear such a sound coming from this dark and mysterious man. I offer him a bite of the chicken, and he hesitates before taking the chicken from my fingers with his teeth. A deep rumble vibrates from his chest, “See! It’s amazing!”
“Almost as amazing as you,” He winks.
I forget how to swallow, the chicken stuck at the top of my throat, leaving me awkwardly bobbing my head, trying to remember how to swallow correctly. Ryder hands me a bottle of water, and I take it, taking a big gulp to help rinse it all down.
“Better?”
“Uh huh.” I stare blankly ahead, as his words come back to me again. How can he go from fire and ice to warm and cozy? I chance a look back in his direction to find him staring back up at the stars, so I join him. They’re beautiful. Sometimes I sit and wonder what it’d be like to be a star.Just there, floating in space without any worries. When I was younger, my dad would take me outside, and we’d lie on the roof of the car counting stars. It’s what he would do when I would struggle to fall asleep, and it worked every time. I miss my parents. I never thought I’d say that. Even after a year at State, I never said that. I guess after that trauma, I’m feeling a tad bit sentimental.
We continued to sit in silence, star gazing for what felt like hours, but when I checked the time, it had only been less than an hour. I yawn, stretching my arms high above my head, my back arching off the jacket. Ryder fell asleep, and he looked the most peaceful I’ve ever seen him. His head turned facing me, as if he had fallen asleep watching me. I really need to be careful and not fall for him, just because he’s showing me kindness this past week. Everyone has been treating me differently, so his mood could switch back to asshole soon enough.
Hickory Speedway has completely cleared out, leaving just Ryder and me to ourselves. The only sounds are the crickets chirping and owls hooting. Nothing compares to North Carolina summers. The friendly small towns, where everyone knows your name, and you pass them by at least three times a week. It’s the perfect seasonal mix, too. However, we tend to have all four seasons in one day sometimes, especially when seasons start changing.
“Ryder,” I whisper his name in a failed attempt to wake him.
I opt to nudge his shoulder this time. “Wake up.”
He grumbles, rolling onto his back. His eyes flutteropen before rolling his head back towards me. “How long was I out for?”
“Mm, about an hour.”
He slowly stands, then offers his hand to help me up. On the walk to the gate, there’s a subtle breeze that causes a chill to wash over me, and Ryder takes notice, wrapping me in his heavy leather jacket. It carries his scent—cedarwood and leather. I inhale sharply, savoring his smell. It makes me feel warm inside and like this is exactly where I’m meant to be. Yet, the thought still feels a little strange to me, and my heart is scared to be broken again if I fall too hard, too soon.
“Fuck, the gate’s locked.”
“We can just hop the fence,” I shrug.
I’ll never get tired of his smile. “Good idea, I’ll help you over.”
“I think I’ve gotten pretty skilled in jumping over things. I got this.”
I brace one hand on the top of the fence and hook the toe of my Vans in the diamond hole on the fence. Giving myself a little hop to boost the jump, I swing my other leg over the top and land with ease.
“See.”
“I never doubted you.” He proceeds to jump over without any preparation, but in my defense, he has at least a foot and a half in height on me. I stand in front of him, gawking.
“A fly’s gonna get trapped in there.”
My teeth snap shut. “That wouldn’t happen.”
“They say humans eat approximately two pounds of bugs each year… Accidentally.”
My lips pull into a disgusted frown, “EW! I could’ve lived the rest of my life without that knowledge.”
He chuckles dark and smoky, “Yum!”
I fight back the urge to gag, reevaluating all my life’s choices to pinpoint when I’ve consumed two pounds worth of bugs.
