Page 65 of No Rhyme or Roughing
“You have to promise me something.” I gripped his chin, forcing him to meet my gaze.
“Anything.”
“Promise you won’t fall in love with me.”
He laughed softly.
“I mean it, Ryder. Don’t forget who I am.The destroyer of worlds.And if I crush you, I couldn’t live with myself.”
He pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on my head. “Don’t worry, Syd. I’m not sure I can fall for anyone anymore.”
My heart ached for him, for what he’d been through with Sam and Sullivan.
And for me.
Because as much as I knew what I did to people in the end, the thought of never touching him again, even after just one night, made my heart ache for myself too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
RYDER
I’d never been one for social media. It just didn’t make sense to me. People posted the most random things about their lives. I wasn’t sure why I was supposed to care about what they had for dinner or their political opinions, especially if I didn’t even know them.
Yet, here I was, sitting in the locker room, staring at the tiny number in the bottom corner of my video. The views. Sydney said the key was to keep posting, to not give up, and I wanted to believe her. She seemed so sure of herself, so sure of me. But doubt had crept in.
What if all I did was make a giant fool of myself and nothing good came of it?
But did you have fun?she’d asked.
I had. Despite everything, I couldn’t help seeing the grin on my face in the video.
Then, even if it doesn’t work, it still meant something.
I didn’t know how she could be so positive, so sure of me.
The bench in front of my locker shifted as Teddy threw himself down onto it and leaned against my shoulder. “I love that video.” He laughed, wrapping his arms around me like a clingy kid. “You just look so sexy out there, shaking your ass.”
I shoved him off me and put my phone away. “Don’t be a dick.”
Teddy’s normal easygoing personality had included a bit more bite since Thanksgiving. He tried to hide it and refused to talk about it, but it was there, hovering under the surface.
“You’re going to do it again, aren’t you?” He gave me a pensive look, like he couldn’t quite figure me out. That was new.
I only shrugged.
“I don’t get it. Youhateattention.” He paused, his eyes narrowing as if a lightbulb had gone off. “Did my sister put you up to this? It’s exactly something she’d do. What did she offer you? Is this for her stupid social media account?” He stood, anger rising, but I yanked him back down.
“This isn’t about Sydney.”
Maybe it had been at first. This was her idea, and I’d desperately wanted to be the man she saw when she looked at me. But there was more to it now.
I glanced to each side to make sure the rest of ourteammates were occupied then leaned in, dropping my voice. “The team is being sold.”
“What!” he yelled, before wincing. “Sorry. Mr. Mac wouldn’t do that.”
“He doesn’t have a choice. There are minority owners, investors. Without filling the building, the team is losing too much money. He’s not getting any younger, Ted.”
“You think all your shimmies and shakes will fix that?”
