Ryder
This little shit. I was just seconds from strangling him. Who wakes up this early on a Saturday. And why did he have to take me with him?
"Would you tell me why you had me out of bed this early?"
"Dude, it's almost noon," he said and I glared at him.
"Exactly," I said and he laughed. "And where the hell are you taking me?"
"Don't worry you'll love it."
"The way you said that was weird," I said but that only prompted him to laugh and where he finally said we'd arrived the only thing I could do was smack the back of his head.
"Ow!? What was that for?" He said and I gave him a pointed look. "Come on, you'll like it."
"An amusement park?"
"You might be a fun deficit but I'm not. Let's make some new friends or old ones," he said with a skip and I followed begrudgingly. I might as well get under his skin all day, I thought but that was before we came across her.. I mean them.
Okay, who am I kidding? This girl had my attention more than anyone had in such a long time. Crazy thing is it's not just about her being attractive. She was a looker, I'd give her that. Big brown eyes that triggered a certain possessiveness I had never felt, curves in the right places, softest and silkiest milk chocolate skin I'd ever see. Let alone that she was the gutsiest girl I've ever met. And despite how cliche it might sound, the fact that she could talk back to me had to be the most refreshing bit of life at the moment, I thought before letting my gaze settle on the two.
"Aww, don't be like that," Ethan whined clutching his shin.
"I learnt that when I was four. I believe the punchline was for when someone touched me in a way I didn't like," she said proud and confident and I chuckled under my breath. She was definitely something.
"Isn't she a ray of sunshine?" Ethan said sarcastically but I could hear the teasing tone in his voice as she glanced at me briefly smiling before she looked away and towards the girl beside her who still had her eyes fixated on me.
"You know what, you're absolutely right. I'm an idiot," she said and I looked at her confused. "So how about, I let him be my problem today?"
"I won't mind being your problem," Ethan flirted when she grabbed his arm and I rolled my eyes. This guy just didn't know when to stop.
"Am I allowed to smack him?"
"Yes," we both answered simultaneously and she turned to me with a smile that reached her eyes.
"Would you look at that, both my first loves are ruining my chances with my future girlfriend?" He said and I rolled my eyes. "Alice you still love me, don't you?"
"Tough luck buddy," Alice said pulling him away.
"You think they'll be alright?"
"Ethan is practically harmless, a huge flirt but harmless."
"Actually I'm more worried about him. Alice...well, I can pretty much guess how w fight between them would end," she said and I smiled. I might have never conversed with her friend before, but I couldn't tell she didn't exactly take to bullshit well.
"You mean she's a less meaner version of you," I said and she grinned at me.
"I'd really like to take credit for that but she's naturally vicious which is weird given the fact she's a cheerleader. Mm, I suppose that explains itself on its own," she mused out loud and l laughed before she beamed a smile at me. "Nevertheless, you're stuck me with me, grumpy."
"Grumpy?"
"You're still grumpier than on the day I met you," she said and I pouted, knowing it was probably true...no it was actually true but only because Ethan dragged me out of bed and for other reasons. "Hold this for me please."
She said handing me the bag on her shoulder before she ducked in the car and came out... holding a baby and I gave her a questioning look.
"What?" She asked as I stepped towards her.
"Yours?" I teased and her face scrunched up making me laugh.
"No. I am way too young to have kids."
"I wouldn't exactly say that," I muttered under my breath but the look she told me well and clear she'd heard me not that I intended her not to anyway as I threw a wink her way and she rolled her eyes at me.
"And you keep pushing your luck," she said but I only smiled taking Alyson from her.
Strange. The fact that I found it almost natural I mean as she gladly climbed into my arms. Ethan like the lazy tart he was usually brought her around to Kaylee when he was supposed to be babysitting, which was still a bad idea since we still ended up being at the receiving end of it. But I have to hand it to the kid, she's cute.
"What?" I asked when I noticed her gaze on me.
"Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Umm, carrying a baby in my arms? I didn't think it could get more complicated than that," I said and she scowled at me. It was clear now, she looked cute when she was mad and the crazy thing was I liked seeing and making her mad and flustered.
"You are treading on a thin line mister."
"See you still have your dark impulses. You have to be the most violent person I've ever met."
"I told you, they are not dark impulses. I'm simply stating what's on my mind. No matter how crude and rude it sounds," she said as we started walking into the park.
"Yet I've never heard you curse. You want to tell me your impulses are preppy and sweet."
"Did you just call me preppy? That's wrong and besides if I didn't sugar-coat most things I say, I might end up in lock up," she said in a hushed whisper making me laugh.
"Don't worry, I'll break you out."
"Big words Stone. How sure are you, you don't belong in the lock up with me?"
"Because princess, without me you would be just a plain mound of boring."
"And without her, you'd be just a mass of broken limbs and skin," she said and I watched her amused.
"And you say you're not violent."
"I didn't exactly deny the notion.'
"But you didn't agree either. So where does that leave you?"
"The epitome of perfect. Neither too violent nor less violent. But I'm warning you I'm violent when I have to be."
"Feisty yet frosty," I said and she turned to me and eyebrow quirked in question.
"Are you always such a huge flirt?"
"Only when I make to get what I really want," I said and I could see the faint blush color her cheeks and I grinned seeing the playfulness in her eyes.
"If you're done undressing me with your eyes, we can go now. But saying, you might have had a better chance if you were doing it with your teeth," she said with a shrug and I looked at her shocked. "But we can't all be winners."
Well fuck, there goes the last bit of any rational thinking.