Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
You’ll just have to trust me
Ryker
My arm was beginning to cramp from tossing this godforsaken sock at my godforsaken fan more times than I’d ever thrown a godforsaken football in my godforsaken life.
Taking a break, I glanced at the empty spot beside me – the spot I’d hoped Ruby would be when I woke up. I’d stayed up much later than I’d wanted to, watching Evan’s closed door like it was a defensive end, but it had never opened.
It was a safe bet assuming it’s where Ruby had crashed. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions about what had happened between them, since it wasn’t my place or business. That didn’t mean it wasn’t eating away at me.
Evan had never just slept beside a girl, and Ruby had never had a one-night stand. One of them must have broken their track record, and I knew which one I was hoping for.
The thought of Noah with Ruby had never phased me, but the thought of her with Evan stirred up so much fucking bitterness I could barely think straight. Jealousy was a new feeling to me, and I wasn’t a fan – not one bit.
When my clock finally ticked over to seven a.m., I considered it a reasonable enough time to get up and make noise – enough that it’d hopefully wake the rest of the house. Maybe I’d start vacuuming the hall right outside of Evan’s room... because that was totally normal at this hour.
I slipped into a pair of sweats and threw open my bedroom door, just as Ruby quietly opened Evan’s. His room was across the hall from mine, so there was nowhere for her to hide.
The outfit she’d worn last night was draped over her arm, hanging loosely at her side. I pointedly ran my gaze along her bare legs until I reached the bottom of an oversized tee that belonged to Evan.
Speak of the devil... he appeared behind her, clad in nothing but a pair of boxers.
Between sharing a hotel room with him at away games and after practice showers, I’d seen him naked countless times.
But knowing he’d spent the night with Ruby.
.. I clutched the doorhandle so tightly my forearm trembled.
Hurting a friend was something I’d never thought I’d be capable of... until now. The overwhelming surge of jealousy made it impossible for me to even look at him. If I did, I might erase that satisfied expression from his smug face – and him from this universe.
“Sup, man,” he said, his hand closing over Ruby’s shoulder and rubbing gently.
I studied it like a game tape, trying to figure out the play. The worst part? Ruby didn’t brush it off.
When her eyes accidentally met mine, she shrunk like she’d been caught doing the walk of shame. I guess she had.
I cleared the lump in my throat. “Good night?”
“Great night,” Evan answered.
With heated cheeks, Ruby gestured behind me. “Is, ugh, Gretchen still sleeping?”
I opened my mouth, planning to say that Gretchen had left last night, once we both realised she wasn’t the girl I wanted. But that wasn’t what came out.
“No.”
Ruby peered at Evan over her shoulder. “I’m going to take a shower then.”
When he pressed a kiss to her forehead, I clenched my jaw so hard I was sure I could taste blood. Thank the heavens she hadn’t kissed him back, because even that PG gesture had turned the furnace within me up a few degrees.
I wondered how they’d both react if I tackled Evan to the ground. If only we’d played at different colleges, then I would’ve had an excuse.
I stepped aside so that Ruby could pass through my doorway. The moment she was safely back on my turf, I broadened my shoulders like a pathetic bouncer.
Evan shall not pass.
Once we both heard my bathroom door click shut, Evan lazily leant in his own doorframe, getting comfortable. He eyed me patiently, one eyebrow raised in challenge.
“Is there something you want to say to me?”
“No.”
“Sure there is. You’re pouting.”
“I’m not.”
He grunted. “Just ask, man.”
As much as I didn’t want to play into his hand, I couldn’t fight my curiosity. I had to know. And something told me he’d be less embarrassed to admit the truth than Ruby.
“Did you hook up with Ruby last night?”
He nodded. “I did.”
Well, fuck.
Any other girl, I’d probably congratulate him. He’d been vying for Ruby’s attention for years. But she was mine, not his. I didn’t care how possessive that sounded.
“Are you mad about that?” he asked, his head tilted with curiosity.
Mad? No. Livid? Hell fucking yeah.
I’d known Ruby my entire life. If she was going to satisfy someone’s crush, it should have been mine.
“You didn’t think about talking to me before hooking up with her? There are certain rules, man.”
“About exes and sisters,” he easily countered. “Last I checked, she’s neither of those.”
He had me, and he knew it. I’d been fucking loopholed. I couldn’t even argue by saying Ruby was like a sister to me, because the way I’d been thinking about her lately was definitely not fucking sisterly.
“Look, Ruby’s a grown up. It’s not up to you to decide who she can and can’t hook up with. So if you’ve got a problem with it for a specific reason, man up and tell me now. Otherwise, stay the hell out of it.”
He’d just given me an opportunity on a silver platter. To admit I was starting to feel something for her and I’d be thankful if he stayed the fuck away while I figured it out.
But he wasn’t the person I needed to have that conversation with. Ruby deserved to hear it from me first, before anyone else.
Taking my silence as a blessing, he slipped back into his room, shutting the door with a smug and arrogant smirk.
*
Ruby took a long sip of her Coke before lounging back in the booth. We were at the local diner, grabbing a greasy bite to eat.
I hadn’t had a chance to speak to her alone. Tori had waltzed into my room just as Ruby was getting out of the shower, demanding we get food to cure her hangover. She was too far gone though. She’d only managed two bites of her burger before pushing the plate away.
Brady gently rubbed his hand along her back – the ever perfect boyfriend – while Kyler subtly eyed off her leftovers. He’d finished his food within minutes, woofing it down like a true athlete.
Pat hadn’t emerged from his room before we left, and Evan had decided not to come, which I was grateful for. I’m not sure how Ruby felt about that though.
She was acting normal, like last night had been any ordinary night.
But to me, it was so far from it that I couldn’t keep up the act.
I was unusually grumpy, which everyone seemed to have picked up on.
I’d blamed it on being hungover. Clearly everyone else had been too drunk to notice I went to bed sober.
“Did you have a good night?” Tori asked me.
At least I assumed she was looking my way. It was hard to tell since she was wearing her sunglasses, despite being indoors.
“It was great,” I lied. “Thank you for organising all of it.”
She wasn’t to blame for everything that had gone wrong last night. That was on me. And Evan.
“How was your birthday sex?” Kyler snickered, trying to distract everyone as he snuck some fries from Tori’s plate.
“Non-existent,” I told him.
“What do you mean?” Brady asked. “I saw you go upstairs with Gretchen.”
“To end things,” I clarified. “Not that there was anything to end. But long story short, that’s done.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I tried catching Ruby’s reaction, hoping she looked at least a little relieved – anything that might suggest there may still be a shred of hope for me – but all she seemed interested in was her food.
“Looks like Ruby picked up your slack,” Kyler teased, nudging Ruby. “I might’ve been drunk, but I do recall you disappearing with Evan.”
With a light smile, Ruby shook her head. “Evan let me crash in his room because I didn’t want to cockblock Wheels. That’s all.”
So that’s how she was going to play it? Lying. If we weren’t in front of my friends, I would’ve called her out on it. Evan had already told me they’d hooked up. There was no point denying it.
Brady’s brow furrowed, clearly as unconvinced as me. “Are we really supposed to believe Evan let you sleep in his room without making a move?”
Ruby laughed as she reached for her drink. “That’s fair. I guess you’ll just have to take my word that nothing happened. He was a perfect gentleman.”
That drew a sharp laugh from my cousin. “Evan and gentleman don’t go together.”
“Neither does Ruby and one-night stand,” she returned, subtly glancing at me. “Looks like you’ll just have to trust me.”