Just a Little Crush (Crush #1) (10 page)

My phone wasn’t broken. I’d checked. I’d even borrowed Fallon’s phone to ensure mine worked. But Ryder hadn’t called since leaving my place the night before.

When it finally rang, a sense of happy excitement settled over me until I saw it wasn’t him.

“Hello.”

“Hey,” Mason said. “I just got out of work and I’m starving. Want to grab dinner?”

“Sure.”

“Meet me downstairs in ten?”

“Yeah.” I hung up and slipped on my shoes. “I’m going to eat with Mason.”

Fallon didn’t look up from her laptop. “Okay.”

Since Mason had lied about their hooking up, she’d seemingly lost interest in him. It was good and bad. I didn’t really want them together, but at the same time I hated that Mason’s drunk stupidity had given Fallon such a bad impression of him.

I headed downstairs and found Mason already waiting.

A guy in a crisp white polo leaned against the wall near the elevators. He said something to his friend, who turned, stared at me, then nodded. The one in the polo smiled.

I forced a smile in return. He was average-looking, but something about his grin seemed predatory. Like he already had me mentally undressed.

Mason, busy texting someone, didn’t notice. “Hey.” He typed something, then shoved his phone in his pocket. “Ready?”

The guy still watched me and I scooted closer to Mason. “Yep.”

“Where do you want to eat?” He held the door open and I slipped past.

“You choose.” The lack of a phone call from a certain someone was holding my appetite at bay.

“Amy’s Pho?”

I shrugged. “Sure.”

We made our way to the restaurant, which sat on the strip adjacent to campus, ordered at the counter, then slid into a booth. When the waiter delivered the bowls, he did a double take. He stared at me a few seconds longer than comfortably acceptable.

I was starting to get a complex. Mason would tell me if something was on my face, right? When the guy walked away, I said, “Be right back.”

I darted into the bathroom and checked my hair, my teeth, even made sure my clothes weren’t inside out. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Mason was already halfway through his bowl of pho when I returned. How did he eat so fast?

“So what’s up?” he asked, his mouth full of noodles.

“Not much.” This was one of those moments a girl best friend would come in handy. I wanted to share what had happened between Ryder and me but there was no way I could tell Mason any of that. “How about you?”

Mason started talking about his study group and a cute girl who had recently joined. I listened but my mind kept drifting to Ryder. And Paige. Who was she? And why did Ryder go to her last night?

“Isn’t that Noah?” Mason asked.

My head snapped up and I glanced around.

Sure enough, Noah stood near the entrance, speaking with the waiter who’d brought us our food. Noah smiled and laughed, then the guy nodded in my direction, causing Noah and me to make eye contact. His smile faded and his gaze dropped.

“That’s weird,” Mason said. “Must be pissed about you and Ryder.”

“I guess.” My face grew warm. How much did Noah really know? Would Ryder have told him about last night? I stared into my noodle bowl.

“Well, at least you don’t have to deal with him asking you out anymore.”

“Yeah,” I said again, taking a bite and changing the subject. “So what are your plans this weekend?”

“Not sure. Want to hang out?”

It was weird he felt the need to ask considering only a few weeks ago it was implied we’d do something together. I didn’t know what to make of our growing apart.

Before I could answer, Mason said, “Ryder just walked in…with a girl.”

My head spun as I looked over to where Noah stood. Paige. The girl from the picture on Ryder’s phone. I turned back to Mason and let my hair drop, covering my face. A mixture of jealousy, anger and hurt somersaulted in my chest. Technically, Ryder and I weren’t exclusive—heck, we weren’t even dating—but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him with someone else. “Maybe he won’t notice me.”

“What’s going on?” Mason straightened his shoulders and glared at Ryder.

“Nothing.”

“He’s staring at you. They all are. And Ryder looks like he wants to kill someone.”

I peeked back. The waiter had his hands up in a defensive gesture. Ryder towered over Noah, who only smirked in return. Ryder shoved him.

Paige jumped between them. She placed a hand on each guy’s chest then shifted toward Ryder. He glanced at me, shook his head and slammed the door open. He stomped out as Paige said something to Noah. She pointed at the door and gave him a nudge in that direction and followed him out. The waiter, looking relieved, shook his head and turned to the kitchen.

“What the hell was that about?” Mason asked.

“I dunno,” I mumbled. What had that been? And why did it seem to somehow involve me, yet no one had said two words to me.

“I’m going to find out.” Mason slid out of the booth.

“No,” I yelped. I lowered my voice. “No, please. Just sit back down. It’s nothing, I’m sure.” With my hand on his arm, I stared at him, imploring him not to make a scene.

He glanced at my hand, then slumped in his seat and grumbled, “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

Ryder and Noah stood on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. The large glass windows comprising the storefront left the whole argument visible, and even without sound, it was clearly a heated one. If they turned my way, they’d bust me watching, but I couldn’t look away.

Noah shrugged, smirked and walked away. Ryder started to storm after him but Paige stepped in front of him. She placed her palm against his cheek and his shoulders dropped. He looked defeated, or maybe calmed by her touch. It was weird, whatever it was. She looked up, her eyes wide, and said something. He shook his head, then she wrapped her arms around him and he rested his chin on her head. She pulled back, squeezed his shoulders and gestured toward me as she spoke. Ryder lowered his head and nodded, never once looking my way. She crossed her arms, glared at him and pointed at me again. He shook his head before walking off.

What the hell?

“Nothing, huh?” Mason scoffed. “What the hell’s going on, Brinley?”

My throat tightened and my eyes stung a little. I grabbed my Diet Coke and took a sip. “I honestly have no idea,” I finally managed. Settling back in the booth, I pushed my bowl away, having lost all appetite. “Here, you can have it.” Mason had long since inhaled his food but he wavered.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Eat it.”

“Not about your damn food. I mean with Ryder. Is there something I should know?” He grabbed my bowl and raised a spoonful of noodles. “Did something happen between you two?” He shoved the bite in his mouth.

“Not really. We hung out last night, but that’s it.”

He swallowed, his eyes bulged. “You hung out? What does that mean? And when did you plan to tell me?”

I rolled my eyes. “ ‘We hung out’ means we hung out. And I didn’t know I was supposed to turn a logbook in to you. Geez, Mason, I can
hang out
with other people.”

“This is Ryder we’re talking about. I don’t think he hangs out merely for the benefit of your pleasant company.” He shoveled in another bite.

He’d been drunk, but he didn’t try for sex. Regardless of what Mason thought. “You hang out with me for my company. Why can’t other guys?”

“Let’s just get this straight. One, I’ve known you forever. You tolerate me and we’re friends. But two, if you let me…I’d totally have sex with you.”

“Mason!” I crossed my arms.

He laughed. “Come on, Brinley. You know you’re hot. I’ve told you so a million times. I’m a guy. That’s pretty much all we think about. Don’t act surprised.”

“But you’re my friend.”

“And I always will be. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t f—”

“Stop.” I glared. “Don’t talk like that. You’re ruining everything.”

“What?” He laughed. “How in the world does that ruin
everything
? This isn’t new information.”

“Because you were only joking. It’s a joke. You didn’t mean it.”

“Oh, I meant it, but yeah, sure, I like to tease you about it. Why are you getting so weird about it now?”

Because he’d kissed me. Of course that was why. He’d crossed the friendship boundary and pushed right on over into the not-a-joke territory. “I’d like to think a guy can hang out with me and not be thinking about how to get into my pants.”

“Again…have you seen your ass in those jeans?”

I tried not to smile but it broke free. “I hate you.”

“No, you love me.” He finished off the last of my noodles with one big bite. “I’m not trying to get you into bed.” He grabbed my hand and helped me up. “The floor would do just fine.”

I pulled my hand free and shoved him. He laughed and draped his arm over my shoulder. “Now, is there anything I need to know? Be honest.”

Did he need to know Ryder had given me my first orgasm? “No. Trust me, there’s not.”

When I returned to my dorm room, Fallon informed me we were going out. Girls night.

“Mason’s forbidden. Got that?” She gave me a pointed stare. “You can’t invite him. No boys at all.”

“But won’t there be boys at the party?” I asked.

“Well, duh. Of course. And that’s why we go alone. So we are free to pick and choose.” She dug around in her closet. “Look, I’m glad you and Mason have patched things up but you need to branch out. And honestly, I’m tired of you moping around about Ryder.”

She didn’t know about his late-night visit. And after what had happened at lunch, it was probably for the best. When it was just Ryder and me, everything seemed perfect, but then things like today happened and I was back to not knowing what to think about us. “I’m not moping.”

She rolled her eyes and shoved a dress at me. “ ‘Will you call my phone? Is it working? Why hasn’t it rung?’ Blegh.” She stuck her tongue out. “No guy is worth that. Not even someone as insanely fuckable as Ryder Briggs. Try that on.” She gestured to the dress I held against my chest.

I tossed it onto the bed and peeled off my shirt, slipped the dress on, then dropped my jeans from under it.

Her face pinched on the side as she twisted her lips and studied me. “Nope.” She spun back to her closet and pulled out a blue dress. “Here.”

“This is like three sizes too small,” I pointed out.

“It stretches. Put it on.”

I yanked off the first dress and forced the other over my boobs and down my body. “Oh my God. I don’t think I can breathe.”

“It’s spandex. You can breathe, it just feels tight. Get used to it. You’re wearing it.”

“What? Are you kidding me? I feel like a sausage on a stick.”

“Well, you look like sex on a stick, all tan skin, blue eyes, long legs. Guys will go crazy. You’re wearing it. Trust me, I don’t like the idea of you looking so damn hot in my dress either, but if you can meet someone to get your mind off Ryder, it’s worth it.”

I glanced in the full-length mirror. Every single curve of my body, down to my hip bones, was visible through the skintight, strapless dress. I shook my head. “Um, no. No way in hell. I’m not wearing this.”

“Oh, please, you have a hot body. Quit acting like you don’t know that. And show it off already.”

“I might as well be naked. Or shit, just paint a dress on me. It’s the same thing.”

“Not really. If it were paint I’d be able to see a lot more. This is quite modest compared to body paint. For Halloween, I…”

I shook my head and tuned her out. I headed to the bed and picked up my favorite jeans. According to Mason, they made my ass look good. That was something, right?

She yanked them out of my hands. “No way. So help me God, I will shred these if you try to wear them instead of that sexy-as-fucking
-hell dress.”

I yelled, “No! I love those jeans.”

“Then wear the dress.”

“I feel like a—”

“Like a what? What does wearing
my
dress make you feel like?” She crossed her arms.

“Not like myself.”

“Exactly.” She pulled out a tiny pair of shorts and a top for herself. “Now put some makeup on. It’s almost time to go.”

Some mascara, lip gloss and two shots of tequila later, she’d persuaded me to leave wearing the might-as-well-b
e-body-paint dress.