And it was time to do something about it.
***
After watching Shaneliterally run away from her—again—Krista barged through the main doors and out onto the street, needing some serious big air to steady her nerves.
Ryan took her hand and gave it a little squeeze.
“Everything, okay?” he asked.
Could he really be that oblivious to the chaos running through her?
“No, it’s not okay,” she snapped. For one, she was still so angry about how things had gone down with Shane just now. And for two, her hand in Ryan’s. She removed her fingers from his. “That feels weird.”
“Weird?”
“Yes, weird.” Her annoyance opened the floodgate. “So freaking weird that every fiber in my body is screaming,No.”
“Jeez, Kris, don’t hold back on my account.”
And there was another thing, too...
“You shouldn’t have kissed me like that in front of everyone the other day,” she said, fighting against the memory of Ryan’s wet lips against hers.What if Shane really had seen him kiss her?“You acted like I was your property. There for the taking.”
“But that was my grand gesture!” Ryan stared at her, looking stricken. He ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re not sounding like yourself, Kris. You’ve changed.”
Damn right she had.
“What do you expect? That I just accept you brushing me off for Zoey and come running back? You knew how I felt about you. You knew I wanted us to be together. But you always came up with a reason not to.”
“Okay, I screwed up. I’m sorry. You know how stressed out I’ve been with Mom and—”
“Yeah, and if Zoey had listened to your troubles, you’d be taking her out for a meal tonight instead of me.”
She’d said it flippantly, but she knew immediately she was correct. “That’s why you didn’t take it further with her, isn’t it?” Krista said. “Zoey wasn’t interested in your problems, huh?”
Something uncomfortable flickered in Ryan’s eyes moments before he looked to the ground.So she was right. But what was the point in trudging through all this now? Krista had a whole list of why she and Ryan were wrong for each other. And although she’d seen a different angle to him, this wasn’t the only reason she wasn’t jumping feet first into a relationship with him.
She wanted Shane.
And, god, how she wished she could’ve run into his arms just now!
But that wasn’t Ryan’s fault.
“Look, Ry, let’s just be friends, okay? We were good as friends.”
“Friends? Wow, cool.” Sarcasm dripped off his words. He dug his hands into his pockets and looked to his feet.
Cocking her head, Krista studied his sullen face. “You know, I realized last week that I’ve been chasing the wrong dream. And that’s what I think you’re doing too.”
“Now I’m a wrong dream? Gee, this romantic evening I had planned is just getting better and better.”
“Aw, c’mon Ryan.” She couldn’t help but laugh, which seemed to deflate him even more.Man, he was good at sulking. “You don’t want romance with me. Be honest, it’s never worked that way between us. That’s why we’re having this discussion instead of wild sex with each other.”
His head snapped up, his eyebrows wrinkled.Wild sex? Eh?She could practically see her words in a thought bubble above his head.
“I never saw you as the wild sex kinda gal.”
“Exactly. The two of us having sex of any kind hasn’t ever entered your mind, has it?” And she knew she was right when he looked to his feet again. “Doesn’t that tell you something about us?”
