Page 108 of What are the Risks
I braced myself for the inevitable onslaught of questions, but they didn’t come. I had stunned my friends into silence. That was a first.
“What the fuck, Ruby!” Jaz eventually shouted. “Why the hell are you only just telling us now? That was two weeks ago.”
“I technically kissed him a few weekends before that too,” I ruefully admitted.
Bri threw a dishcloth at me. “Way to break fucking girl code, Ruby. That’s rule 101. When you hook up with your hot guy best friend, you’re bound to disclose all the juicy details to your girls within twenty-four hours.”
Laughing, I went back to the beginning and told them everything, starting with Ryker seeing the photo Bri had mistakenly sent, to our kiss, then his radio silence, and ending with the agreement we’d struck at breakfast... after I’d washed his cum off my stomach.
Just thinking about hooking up with him again had me feeling giddy, and the thought of having sex with him – having him inside me – caused my skin to break out with goose bumps.
Forgetting my reservations about the damage this could do to our friendship was much easier when I wanted him this badly. Desire was clouding my judgement, and I was going with it.
“When are you seeing him next?” Daisy asked. “I need more.”
“I don’t know. He asked me to come this weekend, but I’m working tonight, so the earliest I could get there is midday tomorrow.”
“Then do that,” Bri said, as if it was a no-brainer. “I am officially living vicariously through you. I’ve been shipping you as a couple ever since I saw the picture of him on your nightstand in freshman year.”
“We’re not dating,” I reminded her. “We’re experimenting.”
She scoffed. “Okay, Ruby. I’ll be sure to quote that at your wedding.”
*
Bri had hassled me every opportunity she got overnight. Each time we passed in the corridors or in the break room, she’d check whether I’d booked my ticket yet.
Just after six a.m., I caved.
And that’s how I ended up in the back of Brady’s car, my eyes heavy from over twenty-four hours without sleep. But it would all be worth it... at least I hoped. When Ryker had called last night during my tea break, he’d said he missed me. So here’s hoping he’d be excited.
Our Friday nights couldn’t have been further apart. While I’d been in the staff room, munching on carrot sticks and avoiding my rounds, he was at a frat party, surrounded by booze and glow sticks. But unlike Noah, who never called while he was out, Ryker had walked down the street and away from the party, just so he could hear me.
I no longer felt a crushing sadness when thinking about Noah. There were parts of our relationship I missed, but moving on without him had been surprisingly easy. It’s not like he’d been a huge part of my Ohio life anyway.
I guess I had long distance to thank for something.
Having Ryker around didn’t hurt either. Everything I used to text Noah about, I sent to Ryker instead. We’d always talked a lot, but it had definitely amped up lately. I couldn’t even begin to count thenumber of messages, Snapchats, reels, and memes we exchanged throughout the day.
“So... are you going to tell us?” Tori asked, peering over the headrest at me.
My heavy eyes burnt as I widened them. “Tell you what?”
“What it was like hooking up with Evan.”
“Oh. I didn’t sleep with Evan.”
Tori’s gelled eyebrows lowered in disappointment. “You didn’t?”
“Nope. I crashed in his room because I thought Ryker had Gretchen in his. That’s all.”
With a dramatic sigh, she slumped in her seat. “Boring.”
Judging by her reaction, I was guessing Ryker hadn’t mentioned anything to his friends. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told mine either. I hadn’t stopped to consider if he wanted to keep this between us.
Just as Brady turned onto their street, my phone lit up with an incoming FaceTime.
“It’s Ryker.”
