Chapter 6 #2
But they were all here. Ryker had already checked.
Hollis and Esti were dressed in airy garments meant to combat the heat, clearly not realizing they were high up in the mountains and the weather forecast said it’d be chilly within the hour.
Penn Augustine, the son of Izan, another of Ryker’s dad’s close confidants, was wearing fancy hiking gear. It would have been laughable considering they weren’t planning on being out for long, except Ishleen was dressed much the same way.
The rest of them had opted for boots and jeans.
“Let’s go!” Ellery led the way, really taking charge, but Ryker didn’t mind.
Better Ell than him.
Everyone fell into small talk as they walked, heading around the side of the lodge toward the east side. The pool was massive, water clear and glittering beneath the sunlight, and they paused long enough for the girls to test the temperature with their hands, seemingly pleased afterward.
A few of them made plans to swim after dinner, but Ryker’s attention had moved on, eyes on the back of Rue’s head.
He was at the front of the group, talking with Bowie, the two awfully close as they moved on the path. Every now and again, their shoulders would bump, but the contact never disrupted the flow of conversation between them.
Ryker’s hands balled into fists at his sides as jealousy swept through him. He hated it. Hated that he could still feel this strongly for a person who had treated him like garbage, and yet no matter how hard he tried to shake this desire for Rue, he couldn’t.
The library hadn’t helped.
It’d meant to be a punishment. A warning. The plan had been to go in there and beat the shit out of him.
But then Ryker had seen how scared Rue had been. How weepy.
For some reason, he’d shifted gears.
Made things…sexual.
He inwardly cursed and ran his fingers through his dark hair.
“You messed it up.” Ishleen, who’d been walking quietly at his side, lifted a hand toward his head. “Here.”
Ryker was about to turn her down, but he caught sight of Rue turning out of the corner of his eye and ended up dipping lower, making it easier for her instead.
She combed through the thick strands of his hair and then gave him a coquettish smile. “Better.”
“Thanks.” Ryker looked forward just in time to see Rue quickly glance away.
* * *
At some point, Rue wandered away from the rest of the group.
Ryker overheard him mention to his friends that he was going to find a spot to relieve himself, and Ryk broke off around a bend so they wouldn’t see him follow.
He kept his distance at first, keeping Rue in his line of sight as the other man crunched his way through the forest, eyes on his feet. His fear of tripping over something was going to come back to bite him in the ass; there was no way Rue was going to remember the way back.
He’d always had a terrible sense of direction, ever since they were kids.
One time, Ryker had even lost him at the grocery store, eventually finding Rue waiting by the watermelons, looking like a sad puppy.
When asked why he’d chosen there of all places, he’d explained his reasoning as knowing it was Ryker’s favorite fruit.
After some time, Rue found a spot he was comfortable with, and Ryker turned to give him some modicum of privacy, almost laughing at how ridiculous this all was.
How he was stalking his old flame through the forest, standing there waiting while he pissed on some bushes.
Rue signaled he was finished when his steps picked up again, and sure enough, he only made it a few feet before pausing. He turned Ryker’s way, and Ryker quickly dodged, hiding behind a tree. When he peered out again, Rue was nibbling on his bottom lip, doubt creeping in.
His eyes would be blue right now for sure.
Blue for sadness and distress.
Green for more positive emotions, or when he was turned on.
Brown for fear or pain.
Ryker had always found his mood eyes fascinating. Had gone out of his way to try and get them to change, sometimes even pushing Rue too far. Ryder had been worse, had mentioned more than once how blue was his favorite color.
Green was better. Especially when they were as bright as fresh grass, or leaves when the sunlight hit them. He’d only seen Rue’s eyes change that particular shade once, and it’d been dark.
Rue spun in a slow circle, growing more unnerved with each passing second.
Ryker bent down and picked up a small stone, waiting for Rue to be facing away before he tossed it to the left.
As soon as Rue gasped and turned toward the sound, Ryker shot out of his hiding place. He was on Rue before he could fully turn and see who was coming, hand capturing him by the throat and pinning him to a thick tree. A knee slipped between Rue’s legs, thigh pressing against him.
“Ryker,” Rue sounded breathy, both hands gripping his wrist tightly. His eyes were wide, a light shade of blue right now, and his pulse was quickening.
“Lost, little brother?” he practically purred, grinning.
It made no sense—he’d been in a bad mood all week, and it was very much thanks to the man currently trembling before him—and yet now that they were touching, now that he could smell that familiar scent and see the color blooming in Rue’s irises, the heavy weight in the center of his chest seemed to ease.
“Ryker.” Either Rue didn’t know what to say, or he’d been carrying their encounter at the library, same as he had.
He hummed in acknowledgment. “Should I help you?” Ryker’s voice dropped to a mere whisper, leaning in close so the words were practically breathed against his slightly parted lips. “Should I help you find your way back to me?”
What the hell was he saying?
Where was the anger?
He needed that. Needed to remember it and call upon it now before he—
Rue shoved forward, pushing off the tree. He didn’t have to go far, sealing their mouths together with that one small move. He wasn’t tentative about it either, lips pressing almost pleadingly against Ryker’s, tongue flicking out to lick across the seam and request entrance.
Initially, Ryker kissed him back. His mind overwhelmed by need, the monster inside of him, the one that’d been raging and missing him, reacting before logic could break through and remind him of all the reasons this was wrong.
He got there eventually though.
Thinking of Ryder.
With a growl, he shoved Rue off of him and retreated a couple of steps, rubbing at his mouth as though to remove the taste and feel of him.
To his credit, Rue looked just as shocked as he was by his own actions.
“Is that how you accidentally ended up dating my brother?” Ryker demanded. “You jump him like this?”
“We weren’t dating,” Rue said, sounding small despite the bold move he’d just made.
Which somehow only made it worse, because Ryker couldn’t tell anymore, which was the real version and which was the fake.
The Rue that he knew, the one that he’d fallen for, was shy and quiet. Not weak, he’d always been capable of standing up for himself if need be, but not exactly the manipulative or overtly clever type. He didn’t scheme, that was for sure.
But the Rue Uriel had told him about…the one that had confirmed he had in fact slept with Ryder…Ryker didn’t know that Rue.
He didn’t want to.
“So you’re saying you left me behind for a guy you weren’t even serious about?” When Rue looked away, Ryker was torn all over again.
On the one hand, a part of him was relieved to hear that it didn’t sound like Rue had been invested in Ryder.
On the other…didn’t that make the whole abandonment thing worse?
If he didn’t care about Ryder but he’d left after their disagreement that day, that had to mean he thought even less of Ryker and his feelings.
Feelings he did in fact have, unlike many of the other Black Harts.
He took a pointed step away, noting the second Rue realized what was about to happen when threads of brown colored over the blue in his eyes.
“Let’s see how you like being left behind.” Ryker took off, speeding through the trees, ignoring Rue’s calls after him. He weaved through the thick trunks, disappearing among the foliage.
It took him ten whole minutes to catch up with the others, bursting out onto the path, startling most of them.
Bowie took one look and then frowned and turned the way he’d come. “Where’s Rue?”
It must have been obvious the two of them were together after all this time.
Ryker grunted and pushed past him, headed back to the lodge. His shoulder connected with the other man’s hard enough to jostle him.
“You want him so bad,” he stated, “go find him.”
With any luck, they’d both get lost in the wilderness and get eaten by something.
Then Ryker could finally put these insufferable feelings to bed.