Where is all the juice? I snicker under my breath at my desire for sorry, broken-hearted people to experience more misfortune just for the sake of my entertainment. What a cruel world.
A brisk knock at the door demands my attention before I’m able to make it to the shower. I slink into my bathrobe and answer it, internally cursing myself when I’m greeted with his handsome face. “Ryder…hey.”
“Hey.” He looks cautious. He’s wearing his work uniform, and his usual scruff looks cleaner shaven than it did at the diner yesterday. “I don’t mean to come by unexpectedly like this, but uh…” He rakes a hand through his hair and his eyes dart from left to right. “There’s something I wanted to say yesterday that I didn’t get the chance to say, and it’s better face to face.”
I cross my arms over my chest and wait.
“See, I didn’t come to the diner yesterday with Nate.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“We both kind of showed up at the same time and just…bumped into one another out front, as we were walking in. So, we decided to get a table together.”
“Okay…”
“I came to see you. To give you my number and ask you out again. But he was there to see you, too.”
“Yeah, I know. He wants me to go shopping with him today for a birthday present for Natalie.” I turn to glance back at the clock in the kitchen. “I’m getting ready to meet him now, actually, so…”
Ryder’s half smile springs up as he shakes his head thoughtfully. “Yeah, about that…so uh, I think he’s into you.”
“What?” I snort, raising my brows. This is not a conversation I want to have with Ryder. This is not a conversation I want to have at all. “Ryder, I don’t think—”
“Just hear me out.” He casually lifts his hands to stop me. “It’s your business, I get it. But as far as I know, he and Natalie are together and I just thought…” His voice trails off and he sounds frustrated, like he either can’t get the words out or he isn’t sure what to say at all.
I study him with narrowed eyes. “What are you getting at, Ryder?”
He straightens and seems to steel himself, taking a deep breath. With another quick rake of his hair, he just comes out with it. “I want you, Elise.”
My fingernails dig into my arms and they cross tighter against my chest.
“I mean, I think I made that pretty clear the other night, and I’m almost positive that every man in this town wants you, because…well fuck, I’m not blind to the way they look at you. But you’re not up for it right now, I guess, and that’s fine. I’m not here to pressure you or make an idiot out of myself. I’m just here to say that if you’re available, and you’re interested…don’t fuck around with Nate. Come have Thanksgiving dinner with me. Get to know me, not him. He’s not right for you.”
The world spins. I feel it beneath my feet, and I feel it in the air. The awkwardness between the three of us at the diner yesterday suddenly makes sense. “You’re…you’re inviting me to have Thanksgiving dinner with you?”
“I am.” He nods seriously, like a man who knows exactly what he wants.
I feel a smile teasing my lips and I avert my gaze from his, trying to figure out how to navigate this thing. It’s been years since I’ve spent a holiday with anyone. Jay always offers for me to eat with his family, but I always decline. Thanksgiving usually consists of me in my PJs and a bag of greasy, processed food in front of the TV. There are no phone calls to family, no knocks on the door. Just me, waiting for the day to pass, so there are no more reminders of how truly alone I am.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
My eyes find their way back to his, and something passes between us. I want to say thanks, but hell no. I want to tell him to run along and find another beautiful blonde with tattoos in unmentionable places to pester, because surely, all he’s looking for is a quick fuck. I’m just an
A brisk knock at the door demands my attention before I’m able to make it to the shower. I slink into my bathrobe and answer it, internally cursing myself when I’m greeted with his handsome face. “Ryder…hey.”
“Hey.” He looks cautious. He’s wearing his work uniform, and his usual scruff looks cleaner shaven than it did at the diner yesterday. “I don’t mean to come by unexpectedly like this, but uh…” He rakes a hand through his hair and his eyes dart from left to right. “There’s something I wanted to say yesterday that I didn’t get the chance to say, and it’s better face to face.”
I cross my arms over my chest and wait.
“See, I didn’t come to the diner yesterday with Nate.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“We both kind of showed up at the same time and just…bumped into one another out front, as we were walking in. So, we decided to get a table together.”
“Okay…”
“I came to see you. To give you my number and ask you out again. But he was there to see you, too.”
“Yeah, I know. He wants me to go shopping with him today for a birthday present for Natalie.” I turn to glance back at the clock in the kitchen. “I’m getting ready to meet him now, actually, so…”
Ryder’s half smile springs up as he shakes his head thoughtfully. “Yeah, about that…so uh, I think he’s into you.”
“What?” I snort, raising my brows. This is not a conversation I want to have with Ryder. This is not a conversation I want to have at all. “Ryder, I don’t think—”
“Just hear me out.” He casually lifts his hands to stop me. “It’s your business, I get it. But as far as I know, he and Natalie are together and I just thought…” His voice trails off and he sounds frustrated, like he either can’t get the words out or he isn’t sure what to say at all.
I study him with narrowed eyes. “What are you getting at, Ryder?”
He straightens and seems to steel himself, taking a deep breath. With another quick rake of his hair, he just comes out with it. “I want you, Elise.”
My fingernails dig into my arms and they cross tighter against my chest.
“I mean, I think I made that pretty clear the other night, and I’m almost positive that every man in this town wants you, because…well fuck, I’m not blind to the way they look at you. But you’re not up for it right now, I guess, and that’s fine. I’m not here to pressure you or make an idiot out of myself. I’m just here to say that if you’re available, and you’re interested…don’t fuck around with Nate. Come have Thanksgiving dinner with me. Get to know me, not him. He’s not right for you.”
The world spins. I feel it beneath my feet, and I feel it in the air. The awkwardness between the three of us at the diner yesterday suddenly makes sense. “You’re…you’re inviting me to have Thanksgiving dinner with you?”
“I am.” He nods seriously, like a man who knows exactly what he wants.
I feel a smile teasing my lips and I avert my gaze from his, trying to figure out how to navigate this thing. It’s been years since I’ve spent a holiday with anyone. Jay always offers for me to eat with his family, but I always decline. Thanksgiving usually consists of me in my PJs and a bag of greasy, processed food in front of the TV. There are no phone calls to family, no knocks on the door. Just me, waiting for the day to pass, so there are no more reminders of how truly alone I am.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
My eyes find their way back to his, and something passes between us. I want to say thanks, but hell no. I want to tell him to run along and find another beautiful blonde with tattoos in unmentionable places to pester, because surely, all he’s looking for is a quick fuck. I’m just an
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