9
Ryder - Sweet Stolen Moments
“So, has anyone heard from Denise this week? Is she still sick?” It’s family dinner Sunday at Alex and Connor’s and I haven’t heard from Denise since last week when I told her how I feel about her. I’ve sent a few texts, but she hasn’t responded at all and I’m a little worried. I’m so close to going right to her place and checking on her, despite the fact that I’ve been trying to give her some space since my confession.
Alex glances over at Connor before answering me. “Uh, yeah. She’s still not feeling very well. She might be sick for a while from the sounds of it.”
Damn it. She hasn’t called me to look after her like I told her to. I don’t like the thought of her having to look after herself when she’s sick. I know she’s more than capable, but I want to take care of her. If I hadn’t screwed it up by telling her about my stupid feelings, I wonder if she would have taken me up on my offer?
“Have you been to see her, Alex?” I ask. “Does she need anything?”
“I think she’s OK for now, Ryder. She said she’d try to make it for dinner today though, so you probably can ask her yourself.” Alex looks at me with a sad smile. She guessed how I felt about Denise back before I was on my best behaviour. Well, Alex didn’t know me when I was really bad, so all she’s seen is a little partying. I’m practically reformed now, considering I drink mostly at home by myself. And I’m going to the gym too, so I’m pretty much a model citizen.
“Why are you so concerned anyway, man? You’re not normally concerned with anything other than the next party and the next chick.” Johnny laughs at me. Fucker.
“Hey Johnny? Shut up.” Connor says in my defence. I can’t even hide the look of shock on my face. “Ryder’s been working on that, in case you haven’t noticed, so leave him alone.”
Just then Devon and Travis walk in carrying pizza boxes.
“Dinner is served,” Devon says, before placing the boxes onto the dining room table. He looks over at Connor. “Tino says you’re still a sketchy fuck. Sorry, dude.”
Everyone at the table bursts out laughing. Tino owns the place where we always get our pizza now, and he has also known Alex for years. When Connor was trying to track down Alex a couple of months ago, Tino saw him creeping around the neighbourhood. Then he decided Connor was a sketchy fuck because he’d gone into the pizza place and asked for her information. Tino is way too protective of Alex for that to go over well, and he’s been calling Connor a sketchy fuck ever since.
We all think it’s hilarious. Connor? Not so much. He’s been trying to change Tino’s mind with little to no success.
“What the fuck.” Connor looks over at Alex. “I thought you were going to talk to him for me?”
“I tried.” Alex tries to suppress a laugh. “But he says he doesn’t trust my judgment anymore since my boyfriend is such a sketchy fuck.” She barely gets it out before a hysterical laugh breaks free from her mouth. Everyone else at the table joins in, all of us laughing at Connor’s expense.
“What’s so funny?” Denise asks from the entry to the dining room.
She’s here. And that fucker, Andrew, is with her. What the hell?
“Oh. Hi Denise.” Alex stops laughing and greets her, glancing at me when she notices Andrew is with her. “We’re just teasing Connor because Tino at the pizza place still calls him a sketchy fuck.”
“Ha! Classic.” Denise chuckles a little, and Andrew doesn’t even smile.
“Hi Andrew,” I say, “Why are you here?”
“Ummm-” he doesn’t say much before Denise interrupts.
“Ryder, can I talk to you in the kitchen for a second?” She widens her eyes and jerks her head toward the kitchen before leaving Andrew standing there and walking away.
“Have a seat, Andrew,” Alex tells him while I get up and follow Denise into the kitchen. “Help yourself to some pizza. We have a wide variety. I’m sure there is something here that is up to your exacting standards.”
I laugh as I move out of earshot. That was definitely a dig against Andrews’ distaste for all of Denise’s friends. She must’ve told Alex about it at some point.
What I really want to know is why that asshole is here? Denise seemed pretty confident that she didn’t need a boyfriend who viewed her as a renovation project. So what changed her mind?
“Ryder.” Denise is standing on the far side of the kitchen, but she is still keeping her voice low. “Please don’t get after Andrew tonight.”
Denise is wearing a fucking flowy pink dress with low heels. Her makeup is soft, and she looks very different from her usual bad ass self. This must be the kind of look that Andrew approves of. She looks beautiful, as always, but from what she told me the other day I know she based this change on what Andrew wants.
I don’t want to worry about keeping my voice down. “Let’s talk outside,” I tell her as I walk to the door to the deck. I open it and hold it for her as she walks through, stumbling a little on nothing.
“Fucking shoes,” she mumbles.
“I’m sorry.” Denise doesn’t even wait for the door to close behind me before she begins. “I need you to be nice to Andrew. Try to forget that he doesn’t like you guys.”
