Chapter Nine
The day of our date couldn’t come fast enough. I was desperate to spend more time with Ryder and it didn’t even matter what we did. Anything would have been wonderful as long as I was with him. I was sitting on the edge of the small twin bed I’d been sleeping in, fiddling anxiously with my phone and waiting for Ryder to text or call.
Instead, there was a loud knock at the door and I jumped up, running out of my room and throwing the door open. The old woman was out and I was alone. Ryder stood in the door wearing jeans that clung to all the right places and a white button down shirt. The first few buttons on his shirt were undone and it left me breathless.
“Oh-” I said stupidly, unable to form a complete sentence.
He smiled and looked me up and down. “That dress is perfect. It fits you like a glove.”
I blushed and tucked some hair behind my ear, regaining my composure. “You don’t look half bad yourself,” I murmured.
He chuckled and took my hand, pulling me toward his bike. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“I can’t tell you or it would ruin the surprise.”
“Ruin the surprise?” I asked, cocking a brow. “You got something big planned?”
“You could say that,” he said mysteriously.
We got on the bike and he drove for well over a half hour. When he finally parked, we were at a mall and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “A mall? Aren’t we a little over dressed?”
“Not at all. Besides, we’re not going to the mall”
He led me to the doors of a place attached to the mall that was called Dave and Buster’s. I was a bit suspicious but followed him inside. Once we came through the doors the sounds of the arcade overwhelmed me and I had to stop for a minute, looking around.
“An arcade?”
He grinned and pulled me inside. “You didn’t seem like the fancy restaurant and a movie type of girl.”
The grin that spread over my face lit up the room and I threw my arms around him. “This looks amazing!” I gasped.
He handed me a card that had our “tokens” on it and grinned. “We shouldn’t waste any time.”
I giggled and ran right over to the air hockey table, waving him over. It turned out that we had the same competitive nature and it didn’t stop at pool. We played game after game, collecting massive amounts of tickets and trading wins in everything from shooting games to pinball. No matter what we played, we had a blast and I loved to see him laugh.
We ate junk food all night and when it was finally time to cash in our tickets, we bought nothing but candy and took it with us to the hotel across the street, which just happened to be the Opry Hotel. The inside was grand, complete with a river running through it. There were lights strung up and fountains dancing with colors, and all of the foliage was green. It was like something out of a fairy tale.
We managed to catch the last boat of the night and when he put his arm around me, I melted into him.
“This was a really amazing night,” I whispered.
“It was, but there are some things I still want to know about you,” he said, looking down at me.
“Like what?” I asked, not liking where this might lead.
“You’re so guarded,” he said softly. “I feel like you’re only letting me see glimpses of you.”
“What do you mean? I’m really not all that mysterious,” I said a bit defensively.”
“Yeah, but there’s a wall that you put up. I want to get to know the real you.”
I stiffened at the comment and sighed. “It’s how I’ve always had to be in order to protect myself. I grew up dirt poor. Mom was a drug addict and all the other parents would tell their kids to stay away from me. That’s heartbreaking, you know?” I whispered, closing my eyes and sighing.
He frowned and nodded, staying silent and allowing me to speak. “I had to protect myself. I didn’t want kids to stare or try and make fun of me, so I just acted kind of mean and tough,” I said with a shrug. “If they were scared of me, they would just leave me alone. That was my logic,” I finished, feeling exposed. I’d never shared this much about myself with anyone before.
Ryder wrapped his arms around me. “That doesn’t make you a bad or cold person. But it’s time for you to drop that,” he whispered, putting his fingers under my chin and raising my gaze to meet his. “I’d like to be a part of a new chapter of your life, if you’ll let me.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he pressed his lips to mine and silenced me effectively. Other than the driver, we were the only ones on the boat. The kiss took my breath away and I saw stars explode behind my eyes. My entire body was on fire when he finally pulled away and smiled, stroking my hair.
I was lost in his gaze and the words that feel from my lips came without hesitation or thought. “I don’t want tonight to end.”
Ryder turned towards the hotel balconies and grinned. “It doesn’t have to.”