Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
You win
Ruby
I rifled through my hurriedly packed suitcase, trying to find an outfit for dinner. Between visiting Ryker and Noah so often, I was a professional at packing a weekend’s worth of outfits into my carry-on nowadays.
Ryker was lying on his bed, tossing a sock at his ceiling fan. He overshot, the sock landing on the carpet beside my feet. As I reached down to pick it up, my eyes caught on his one and only indoor plant, Warren – and yes, the plant had a name.
I’d bought it as a gift the first time I’d visited Ryker at Phil-U. As the most competitive person I knew, he’d taken my snide remark about it dying within a week as a challenge – and, to both our surprise, he’d kept Warren alive and thriving for nearly four years.
“Warren’s looking thirsty.”
“Don’t try throwing me, Rubz. My mantra of treat Warren mean and keep him green has worked. I’ll water him when I feel like it.”
Chuckling, I laid a pair of black jeans over the foot of the bed. Ryker shuffled his leg to make room.
“So...” He cleared his throat. “How’s Noah?”
I didn’t miss the hint of uncertainty, and I felt guilty that it was only there because of my reaction the last time he mentioned Noah.
I forced a smile. “He’s fine. He actually–”
I sighed. I’d always been honest with Ryker. Why stop now?
“Honestly, we’re both reaching our limit with long distance. He got stroppy when he found out I was coming here.”
“Why? You haven’t visited me at college for over a month.”
“And I haven’t been to Miami for longer than that. It’s just so far and–”
“You don’t like it,” Ryker finished.
I tossed the sock to him before turning back to my suitcase. “I don’t not like it, it’s just not my favourite place.”
I located a knitted turtleneck in my suitcase that I’d forgotten I’d packed. I could probably make this outfit work if Tori had a pair of boots I could borrow.
“What about you?” I asked, holding the knit against my chest. “I can’t believe this is your final ever college home game.”
“Tell me about it. It’s like I blinked and college was over.”
“Slow your roll, Wheels. You still have four months left.”
“Of school. Not of football.”
While the regular season was coming to a close, Ryker still had the post-season after Christmas break.
But I understood what he was getting at.
A big part of his life was ending, and with that came an even bigger chapter next year – one he rarely spoke about because he was too humble to acknowledge he was about to join the same league as the best of the best.
“I’m assuming you’re not drinking at dinner tonight,” I said.
“I’m never drinking again. Period. I had the hangover from hell Thursday.”
My jaw dropped in disbelief. “Drinking on a Wednesday, Wheels? You finally loosened the reins and gave yourself a night off? Good for you!”
“I drink,” he argued defensively.
Ryker knew how to party and have fun, but he was a sucker for a two-day hangover. So during football season, his drunken nights were few and far between.
“Did the guys force you to go out?”
“No. I went to Lastlings with the hockey captain.”
“That Holloway guy? I thought you hated him.”
“I do. I mean, I did. It’s a long story. We were both kind of into the same girl for a while there.”
Forgetting my outfit, I climbed onto the bed beside Ryker and gave him my full attention. “Give me the long story, Wheels. Is this the same girl from Halloween?”
Ryker readied his arm, but the sock fell short. “If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t judge me.”
“Why would I judge you?”
“Because Holloway and I made a bet... and she was the wager.”
“Ryker.”
He grimaced at the disappointment in my tone. “I know it wasn’t my finest moment, Rubz. It was arrogant and disrespectful. I wish I hadn’t suggested it.”
I could see the regret on Ryker’s face, so I decided to let it drop. For now.
Man, guys could be assholes. I was so glad I wasn’t single. If two guys secretly made a bet about me, I’d castrate them – especially someone like Ryker.
I loved my best friend, but he could be so na?ve to what life was like for us average people – those who weren’t blessed with popularity, talent on the football field and near-perfect looks.
Next year he’d sign a contract, one that meant he’d never need to worry about money again.
Not to mention he’d be idolised for the rest of his life.
I appreciated different pressures would come with that, but he’d automatically skip so many life challenges and hurdles that everyday people had to deal with.
“And now you’re hung up on this girl,” I surmised, scrunching up the sock and aiming for the ceiling fan.
It momentarily settled on a blade before rolling off and falling against Ryker’s stomach.
“I’m not hung up on her. I’m hung up on the idea of her.”
“What do you mean?”
He threw the sock and missed. “You’ll tease me, Rubz.”
“I won’t, Wheels. I promise. Lay your girl drama on me.”
He fell silent for a beat, mulling it over. After a few more unsuccessful throws, he caved and levelled with me.
“I liked the idea of having a girlfriend.”
Ryker had never had a serious relationship in all the years we’d been friends – aka forever.
There had been girls around for longer periods of time, but that generally only meant hooking up with the same person more than once.
No girls he’d introduced as his girlfriend, or brought to meet his parents, or God forbid, fallen in love with.
“There was just something about her that, I don’t know, I could’ve fallen for. With how insane next year will be, the thought of having someone beside me was... nice.”
As I rolled onto my side to face Ryker, he continued to throw the sock in the air, trying and failing to land it.
“Out of curiosity,” I guardedly began. “Why have you never had a serious girlfriend?”
“I’ve never needed one when I have you.”
I shoved his arm, sending the sock way off target. “Be real with me, Wheels.”
“I am. Whenever I need to talk something through, I call you. If I see a funny reel, you’re the one I think to send it to.
When I’m needing advice, I turn to you.” He casually shrugged, as if it was obvious.
“That’s a girlfriend, Rubz. You’ve always been there to give me everything I’ve ever needed.
” He grinned at me, his dimple appearing. “Except sex.”
We were in uncharted territory. Ryker and I didn’t dig into the depths of each other’s intimate relationships, which is partly why him mentioning Noah over Thanksgiving had been so unexpected.
I obviously knew the basics, and I’d heard rumours about that part of his life, but for some reason, it had always been a line we’d never crossed.
Though now that he’d mentioned sex, part of me wanted to test how far I could push this. To ask how many girls he’d slept with, or when the last girl was in his bed, for no reason other than curiosity. But I knew if I did, I’d open a door we couldn’t close. I wasn’t willing to risk new territory.
Snatching the sock from his hand, I rolled onto my back and squared off against the ceiling fan. After letting the sock fly, Ryker and I each held our breaths as it teetered on the edge for a moment before settling on the blade.
With a dimpled grin, Ryker knocked his knee against mine. “You win, Rubz.”
Somebody banged on the door, startling us both. For a moment, it felt like we were back in his childhood bedroom, with no roommates around to interrupt.
“Leaving in five,” Brady shouted from the other side.
Shit. I needed to keep getting ready.
I partially sat up, hovering on my elbow to glance down at Ryker. “For what it’s worth, Wheels. I think you’ll make a great boyfriend to someone someday.”