Page 83 of Tag

Rye????

Did they make you smile?

Of course.

Rye????

That’s why.

I bit my lip, the smile in question still tugging stubbornly at my mouth. He always did this, found ways to show up for me without making it a giant spectacle where he stole the spotlight.

I looked at the flowers again, at the card tucked inside, and wondered, not for the first time, how I was supposed to keep pretending that what we had was just friendship. It was getting harder to keep repeating the same lie, especially to myself.

The rest of the class passed in a blur, my focus split between Miss Prescott’s lecture and the vase of flowers. Every time I leaned forward, the scent of lilies and roses drifted up. Whenthe professor finally dismissed us, I pulled up the group chat with the girls to check where we were all meeting, then carefully packed my things and cradled the vase in my arms like it was something sacred. Kellan’s tall form fell into step beside me as we moved through the now-crowded halls, students pouring out of lecture rooms in waves. A few people glanced at the flowers. One girl I didn’t recognize did a double-take.

“Someone’s got a secret admirer,” a passing guy teased with a smirk.

We rounded a corner, and I adjusted the vase in my arms, careful not to crush a petal.

“Why haven’t you and Ryder gotten together yet?” Kellan asked bluntly.

I nearly tripped over my own feet. “What?”

“I’ve been watching you two for over a year now. That man’s downbadfor you, Sanj.”

I suppressed a sigh. Ryder and I were so obvious it was almost embarrassing to keep up the charade.

“He has a girlfriend,” I said flatly, my go-to defense that was rapidly losing traction.

The look Kellan shot at me made it clear he wasn’t buying a word of it. I’m sure others wouldn’t either.

Just like I knew, this sweet little gesture wouldn’t stay quiet. At Crowsfell, secrets had expiration dates, and this one came with a time stamp and social proof. If someone hadn’t already snapped a pic or whipped their phone out to record, it was only a matter of time. What was I supposed to say to his girlfriend?

“Sorry, your boyfriend sent me flowers in front of an entire lecture hall. I didn’t mean to make you collateral in our twisted, never-ending game of will-they-won’t-they and my slowly crumbling denial.”

Ashton, too. He’d have an opinion. It didn’t matter that Ryder hadn’t technically done anything wrong. When didfeelings ever play by rules or reason? As we rounded the corner into the main lobby, the girls came into view, clustered near the trophy wall, minus Layla. She texted earlier with a vague apology and a request to talk after practice, and I agreed. Roxxi would never use her position as cheer captain against her, but that had nothing to do with her potentially throat-punching the poor girl on sight, and I preferred dealing with one fire at a time.

I smiled as I approached them, the polished gold plaques where they stood catching in the light. I knew where all my favorites were, hanging a few rows down from their parents’, legacy carved in brass.

Ryder Voss. Cade Voss. Damon Carter.

Aiden Carter. Nick Blackwell. Xander Aether.

Roxxi’s eyes lit up the second she saw me. “Well, well. Someone’s extra special today,” she teased, nodding at the flowers in my arms.

I grinned, heat creeping up my neck. “It’s just flowers.”

Ari laughed softly. “That smile says otherwise. Ryder did good.”

“How do you know they weren’t from Ashton?”

Kellan shook his head. “Same way I did.”

Roxxi waved my question off altogether with a flutter of her red, polished nails. “Please. Who else treats you like the queen you are? Besides us, obviously.”

Ari sighed. “He’s so in love with you.”

“Someone’s been reading too many romance novels.”

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