Page 78 of What are the Risks
If that’s what he wanted, I was willing to forget it as well. I’d already lost one of the most important people to me. I wasn’t willing to risk losing Ryker over a kiss.
It was just a kiss, Ruby. Time to let it go and move on.
As the intercom went off again, I paused my music. The attendant seated behind the desk didn’t look like she was about to deliver good news.
“An announcement for those travelling on fight AA439 to Philadelphia. Unfortunately it has been cancelled and–”
I didn’t bother listening to the rest.
A collective groan swept through the crowd as travellers swarmed the desk, like the poor attendant could summon a plane and put us all on it.
Ruby: My flight is cancelled. I’m sorry! It’s my fault for booking the cheapest airline. :(
Ryker: There’s a Delta flight taking off in 25 mins.
Ruby: They’re on the other side of the airport. I doubt I’d make it in time.
Not to mention a last-minute ticket would be super expensive. I was in a graduate nursing year. While I wasn’t scraping the bottom of the barrel, I wasn’t exactly rolling around in large pay checks either.
As I was typing out a lengthy text apologising for missing his birthday, an image came through of a boarding pass with my name on it.
Ryker: Start moving. Boarding closes in 8 minutes.
He’d rebooked my flight? It was such a Ryker thing to do.
I’ll bet he’d been researching airlines ever since the first delay over three hours ago. That was a productive use of time, unlike the Taylor Swift pity party I’d wasted mine on.
Ryker: Sorry for the back row. It’s all that was left.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he would have done this beforethe kiss.I’d already forgotten how our friendship worked up until that moment.
Ryker: You better be running, Rubz.
Knowing time wasn’t on my side, I hauled myself to my feet, wrapped my fingers around the handle of my suitcase, and started running for the first time since high school.
Ryker was the only person I’d willingly break my no cardio rule for.
*
Because I’d landed much later than planned, Ryker hadn’t been able to collect me from the airport. He’d sent an Uber in his place, which was waiting for me right by the doors when I walked outside.
He was being awfully thoughtful. Beforethe kiss, would he have–
Stop! You’re moving on, Ruby. Remember?
Even though the football season had ended, the guys were still expected to attend all athletic requirements for the remainder of the school year. They were stuck in a team meeting, which meant the house was dead quiet when I used the spare key left beneath the doormat to let myself in.
This was the first time I’d been entirely alone in the football house. Sometimes the guys would be out, but Tori was usually around. The stillness was kind of eerie, so I headed straight for Ryker’s bedroom.
After entering the security code on his lock – my birthday – I pushed open the door. Just like always, he’d cleaned up before Iarrived. Vacuum lines streaked the carpet, and the bedspread looked crisp, as if it had come straight from the dryer.
Setting down my bag, I noticed a large bouquet on his dresser. It was beautiful, with every colour of the rainbow and countless types of flowers. A bunch like this wouldn’t have come cheap.
Walking towards them, I tried to nosily snoop, but there was no accompanying card or note. I didn’t want to assume they were for me, but why else would they be here? I doubt someone would have sent him birthday flowers. It wasn’t exactly a manly gift.
Before I could obsess over it, the doorbell sounded. I ignored it at first – given it wasn’t my house and answering the door felt strange – until it went off another two times.
It was probably just a delivery driver. Knowing how frustrating it was when they took the parcel with them, I reluctantly headed back downstairs. Whoever this package belonged to owed me.
