Page 9 of Loathing Ryan
My eyebrows furrowed as soon as she finished. The group started shouting off what they thought the lie was. Most people thought that she had never been to Bali before, but I wasn’t convinced.
“You don’t like to swim?” I asked, still watching her thoughtfully.
She pressed her lips together and looked at me. Though she appeared unsure, she slowly nodded her head.
“Ryan, you’re supposed to guess thelie,” one of the other girls teased and shoved my shoulder playfully. My attention was still stuck on Izabel, though.
Her lips twitched sideways, and finally, she dropped her gaze from mine. “I’ve never been to Bali, though I really want to go someday.”
My stomach sank as realization flooded through me. She didn’t like to swim or like the water. Was that because of me? My memory flashed back to just last summer when I shoved her into the lake. I can still remember the sound she made when she broke the surface and struggled to the shore.
Izabel’s eyes darted up to me once more, but she quickly looked away when she noticed my attention was still on her. She cleared her throat and clasped her hands together. “Okay, who’s next?”
I was still pondering this new revelation as the next person went in our group. We finished the game and moved on to the next.
This one was called ‘Question Jenga,’ where we used regular Jenga blocks that had icebreaker questions scrawled on them. Whichever block we pulled from the tower, we had to answer.
I decided to go first this time. I tenderly pulled out my block without knocking over the whole tower. Holding it up, I read off the question, “What is your best scar story?” I glanced around the circle and gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Well, that’s a little personal.” Everyone laughed with me except Izabel.
Thinking about the question for a second, I then lifted my leg and pointed at the large gash down the side of my calf. “I got this while playing street hockey in a parking lot. I wasn’t paying attention and flipped over a curb. Not that badass of a story, but it’s a cool scar.”
I dropped my block into the pile and looked expectantly at the group. Nahla went next and pulled the block right off the top. “The zombie apocalypse is coming; who are the three people you’d want on your team? That’s easy. I’ll take Todd ’cause he’s got the brawn, Brianna ’cause she’s got the brains, and Ryan ’cause he’s sexy.”
I tried to keep my face expressionless. I had zero interest in Nahla. In fact, I found her persistence to be a major turn-off, but that never stopped her. She would likely be fawning over me the entire few weeks we’d be there, no matter how apparent I made my disinterest.
Izabel rolled her eyes at her classmate and leaned over to grab her block. The tower wobbled but didn’t fall, and she breathed out a relieved sigh. Settling back in her seat, she read the question on her block. “If you were on a deserted island with either your worst enemy or no one, which would you choose?” Todd snickered right as Izabel looked up and locked eyes with me.
I leaned forward on my elbows, waiting with bated breath to hear her answer.
As if taking my challenge, she held my gaze steady with her striking blue eyes. Not once breaking eye contact, she leaned forward and threw her block into the pile, maybe a little too forcefully. “No one. I’d rather be alone for the rest of my life than be stuck anywhere with him.”
A deathly silence fell over our small group until Nahla snorted and looked between Izabel and me. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, would you two please just hook up already so we can all move on from whatever this is?”
I glanced at Nahla, wishing she wouldn’t continuously choose to put salt in a fresh wound. That was just her MO, though; she loved to stir the pot whenever possible. I turned to Izabel to gauge her reaction. I wouldn’t be terribly opposed to the suggestion—in fact, maybe it would be exactly what we both needed to end this summer off on a high note.
Izabel crossed her arms and continued to glare daggers back at me. “No, thank you.”
I couldn’t fight the smirk that threatened to form on my lips. She made this too easy. I, too, leaned back but kept staring at her. “If you say so.”
Izabel narrowed her eyes on mine. “What does that mean?”
I shot her a grin and shrugged my shoulders. “Whatever you want it to mean. We both know you’ve been harboring a secret crush on me all these years. But it’s fine. It can be our little secret.”
I didn’t know what possessed me to say that, but the flare of fire in Izabel’s eyes was almost worth it if not for the sick feeling that flooded my stomach right after. She stood up with a huff and stormed away from our little group. I watched after her, feeling a wave of regret roll over me. What the fuck was the matter with me? Why did I always have to push her too far?
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Nahla felt the need to add. I tore my eyes from Izabel’s retreating form and looked over to the girl who was examining her manicure. “She’s probably been in love with you this whole time.”
Todd laughed, and I reached over and punched his arm, though Nahla’s words caused an unusual fluttering in my stomach. I wondered if I was hungry, or maybe my breakfast wasn’t settling. “Enough. Nahla, mind your own fucking business.”
She shrugged, completely unbothered by my tone. I stood up, too, and left the game. I could hear Liam trailing after me, calling my name, but I didn’t stop.
Once I was outside, he caught up to me. With a hand on my shoulder, he pulled me to a halt. I turned to face him with a blank expression.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
I rubbed my hands over my face and groaned. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
He fell silent for a moment, but then said, “Look, man, no one’s expecting you to keep playing this game if you don’t want to, you know? I think it’s run its course. Maybe it’s time to drop the vendetta.”
