Page 200 of Tag

Had it been a good weekend? I nodded to myself before I remembered he couldn’t see it. It had been more than good. It would have been everything if I had ignored all this Hunt drama. It was effortless in a way that almost hurt. Being with Ryder was easy. There was no awkwardness or weirdness.

Last night, things felt more surreal than the pool house had. I told him what I wanted. What to do. I’d pleaded for more with a voice I didn’t recognize, and he listened. He hadn’t just touched my body, he answered it. Never in a million years would I have thought Ryder Voss would go down on me. That had been a far-fetched fantasy until now. I felt like I was getting a far better deal than he was, though. He wouldn’t let me return the favor.

Now I was sitting there, my legs tangled in the sheets we’d ruined, talking to the boy I was supposed to be with. The one I was still technically dating, who had never made me unravel with a single look. The one who’d never made me feel safe or seen in the way Ryder did. I couldn’t consider Ashton without inevitably thinking of Brooke. I wasn’t sure how I was going to deal with all this back on campus.

“I had a nice weekend,” I answered.

“Good, Sanj. I’m glad. You really think the video was fake?”

“You still think it’s real?”

He sighed loudly. “I don’t know. I guess I was more worried about you. You weren’t with the others last night, and you’re usually all thick as thieves.”

My brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”

“Ellie’s party.”

“Ellie Newton?”

“Yeah. You didn’t know about it? All your guys were there—and so was Arianna. Olivia too. No Roxxi or Cloe.”

So that’s what Ryder meant by out.

This was why I heard him and Cade mention Ellie the night we got back. They must’ve been planning to go all along.

“You were there too? I thought you said you’d be at your dad's for the weekend.”

“I was,” he said. “Headed back yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t at the party, I just saw people going live, reels about it. Looked packed.”

I could’ve sworn he told me he wouldn’t be back until later that night, but plans changed. They always did. My phone buzzed with a new text.

Rye????

Good morning. Will see you soon.

“Hey, I should go,” I said gently.

“Me too. Thanks for not laughing at me. About the video.”

“I wouldn’t laugh at you for being scared,” I said softly. “It was disturbing. You weren’t wrong to be. Next time, try to remember I’m not white or blonde. And I know it’s easier said than done, I’m struggling with it too, but they’re going to try to get inside our heads any way they can.”

That earned a quiet huff of a laugh from his end. “Definitely easier said than done. We’ve got a handful of hours before the countdown is off, and the Huntsmen are already five steps ahead.”

“Then maybe we need to start thinking ten steps ahead.” I ran a hand through my hair.

“I’ll take your directive on that then,” he joked. “You’re coming back today, right? Do you want to meet up? I miss you.”

I forced a small smile, even though he couldn’t see it. “I’m sorry, I need to get home and finish my paper due tomorrow.”

That wasn’t a lie. I had to get this damn assignment done before midnight.

“Oh.” The disappointment in his voice was there, clear as day.

“I mean, I’ll see you in the morning too, but… that doesn’t count,” I said, the words coming out quicker than I meant.

“Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?”

“We’re still on.” I was trying not to dwell on that too much, because I knew what this outing meant for us.

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