Resisting Ryder

by Blakeley Wilde

  On the inside she was half-elated and half-confused. For a split second, she thought about leaning over and kissing him. It felt right in that moment, but she decided against it. If she was misreading their chemistry, she couldn’t risk having an awkward weekend the rest of her stay. She took a deep breath, tried to fight back her urges, and closed her eyes.

  When she woke up, it was morning, and Ryder was sound asleep right next to her on the other side of the pillow fortress, lying on top of the covers.

  CHAPTER 10

  Stormy crawled off the bed as slowly and quietly as she could and tiptoed her way to Ryder’s bathroom. As soon as she got inside, she realized her suitcase was still out by the front door, where he had left it the day before. She snuck out the door and down the hall and wheeled her bag back as silently as possible, but the uneven wheels clicked loudly against the concrete floors and Ryder popped up the moment she re-entered the room.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  Ryder stared at her, groggy-eyed, and leaned back down onto the pillow. He climbed under the covers and pulled them over his face as the sun shined in through a break in the curtains. Stormy wondered if he had intentionally fallen asleep next to her or if they had both just passed out at the same time. She tried not to read too much into it, but she couldn’t help it.

  Ryder’s bathroom was palatial. It was probably almost the same size as his bedroom, which was easily the size of her entire trailer back in Coleville. A marble whirlpool rested in the corner while double sinks with gold faucets and limitless cabinetry lined one wall. A walk in, tiled shower was nestled into another corner of the room, and off from the shower was an entry into an enormous walk in closet with custom shelving. Everything was meticulously organized.

  One thing was certain – Ryder was big time. Whatever he was doing was making him filthy rich. She wondered why, then, if his MC was so substantial what beef would they have with Jett’s small town, small time MC?

  She stripped down and stepped into the tile shower. There were several different showerheads that did numerous different things, but she figured out how to turn on the rain shower head above her and made the water about as hot as she could stand. The falling water trickled down her long hair and dripped down her body. It was one of the most relaxing experiences she’d ever experienced. She couldn’t believe this was Ryder’s life. He got to live this every single day.

  Stormy thought about the house she grew up in with her family. They had one shower in the house, which was tucked away in a moldy basement bathroom. She rarely used it, opting to use the bathtub on the main floor instead. Even the shower in her trailer was a plain, white acrylic tub and shower combo. This was pure, unadulterated luxury.

  She grabbed a bottle of Ryder’s men’s shampoo and lathered up her hair. She loved the cedar and musk smell that filled the steamy air around her. She breathed the hot air into her lungs as she grabbed a bar of some sort of homemade-looking soap and smoothed it over her body. She was used to drugstore brand everything, but she was beginning to enjoy seeing how the other-half lived. There was something to be said about high end bath products, and she wasn’t quite sure she’d ever be able to go back to the cheap stuff.

  She conditioned her hair and let it steam in the hot water before rinsing off and stepping out. She had never felt so rejuvenated and relaxed in her entire life, and for the first time, she had gone more than twenty-minutes without thinking about Jett and the downward spiral she was trying to avoid.

  She stepped out and wrapped a fluffy towel around her body. The room was filled with steam, and she could hardly see where she was going at first. She felt her way towards the vanity and used her hand to wipe the mirror so she could see her reflection.

  Her fingers traced the marble countertops as she stood and simply admired the beauty that was Ryder’s bathroom. She took her time applying her makeup and diffusing her curly hair. She tousled her curls into loose waves and slicked on some red lipstick. She not only wanted to look pretty that day, she wanted to feel pretty.

  She exited the bathroom fully washed, dressed, and ready for the day, and saw that Ryder’s king sized bed was completely empty and made. She trekked down the hall to the living room area where Ryder was sitting on the couch on his laptop.

  “Good morning, kid,” he said as he didn’t look up once.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked. “Inquiring minds want to know.”

  “Oh,” she laughed as she remembered all the beer she had downed the night before. “Actually, I feel completely fine. That Gatorade really helped I think.”

  “Ha. I’m surprised you remember,” he said with a smile on his face.

  “I was drunk, I admit,” she huffed. “But I wasn’t that drunk.”

  “Sure,” he said as he looked up and winked. “I’m going to hop into the shower. We can go do stuff in a little bit. Help yourself whatever you want in the kitchen.”

  He shut his laptop lid and sat it carefully on the coffee table next to his phone as he popped up and walked back to his bedroom. She heard his bathroom door shut and the sound of the shower turning on. She felt weird rummaging through his kitchen like she owned the place, but her stomach was growling and she was starving.

  She opened cabinet after cabinet until she found where the cereal was stored. She saw box upon box of fruity flavored cereal in brightly colored boxes with cartoon characters on them.

  Those have to be Zander’s, she thought to herself. She dared not touch them.

  She found a loaf of bread, a toaster, and some peanut butter and made herself some toast. She wanted something that would stick to her ribs and keep her full that day. She had no idea what the plan was, but she didn’t want to be too hungry that day.

  As she munched on the crunchy toast, she heard a door open and saw Zander, in nothing but boxer-briefs, stumble down the hall towards the kitchen. His abs were ripped and his torso was covered in even more tattoos than his neck. He grunted some sort of greeting as he clinked and clamored with dishes and bowls and silverware and poured himself an enormous bowl of Froot Loops. He took a seat on a bar stool and engulfed his entire bowl before Stormy was even done with her second piece of toast.

  “So did you have a good time last night?” he asked. He was suddenly alive and coherent after ingesting all that sugary cereal.

  “Uh, yeah,” she said. “I did.”

  “Everyone thought you were pretty cool, so…”

  “That’s nice,” she said. She didn’t know what more to say, but she was glad to hear she didn’t make a complete fool out of herself.

  “What are you and Ryder doing today?”

  “I have no idea. Any suggestions?”

  Zander shook his head ‘no’ and hopped off the bar stool. He rinsed his dish and placed it in the dishwasher.

  “Knowing Ryder, I’m sure he’s got something up his sleeve,” he said. “He’s sort of a control freak, but don’t tell him I said that.”

  Zander said nothing else as he walked back to his bedroom and shut the door.

  He’s definitely a wild card, Stormy chuckled to herself. And he’d be perfect for Brooklyn.

  She took a seat over on the silk couch as she waited for Ryder to emerge from his room ready to hit the town. She stared out the window at all the hundreds of cars below and the bumper to bumper traffic. She heard the faint sound of honking car horns and saw random groups of gorgeous, leggy blondes, transsexuals, and thugs walking side by side on the sidewalks. In so many ways, she was on an entirely different planet, but she was beginning to like it.

  She heard a buzz and happened to see Ryder’s phone light up out of the corner of her eye. She glanced around really quickly to see if anyone was watching before reaching down and snapping it up. He had a text from Veronica. His phone was locked, but the text was nothing but question marks.

  She seems bat shit crazy, Stormy thought as she rolled her e
yes and sat the phone right back where it was.

  Within seconds, footsteps echoed from the hallway as Ryder made his way towards the living room. His hair was neatly combed and slicked back with brill cream once again, and he was wearing a cerulean blue polo and light, faded slim cut jeans. His generous arms filled out the polo and the jeans flattered his perfect stature. Stormy couldn’t help but stare at the gorgeous man standing before her.

  “Did you get something to eat?” he asked.

  “I did, thanks.” She still couldn’t stop staring. She noticed a tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve and wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before.

  “What do you want to do today?” he inquired. “We can do anything you want.”

  “I am fine with whatever. This is your city. Show it to me,” she replied.

  “I was thinking maybe the Santa Monica Pier?” he said with squinty eyes. “It’s a tad bit touristy, but it’s so much fun and you can’t beat the people watching there.”

  “Sounds fun.” Stormy smiled.

  As Ryder and Stormy road to Santa Monica on that beautiful day, she tried her best to take in all the various sights and sounds of the city. There were so many people, so many fancy cars, and so many palm trees. She felt like she was in some sort of far off, exotic place that she’d only ever seen in movies. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to leave on Sunday.

  Ryder rode around for a bit looking for a place to park before finally finding one several blocks from the pier.

  “We’re going to have a bit of a walk,” he warned her. “This place is nuts, especially on Saturdays.”

  “No problem,” she said as she followed him.

  They strolled down to the pier where people on rollerblades whizzed past them and hot dog and cotton candy vendors lined up every twenty feet or so. The peaceful rush of the ocean waves in the distance provided the most beautiful backdrop against the crazy chaos that was the pier.

  “What do you think so far?” Ryder asked with a mischievous smile. “Pretty crazy, huh?”

  “I’m just fascinated,” she said. “So much to take in.”

  A man rollerblading in bright yellow short shorts glided past them with his little wiener dog trailing behind him. Up ahead, a woman wrangled her five small children who were trying to go every which way. Next to them, a sweet couple sat together on a park bench, holding hands and sharing a stick of pale pink cotton candy. There were joggers, power walkers, and musicians singing for change. She had never seen so many different types of people all in one place, and she loved it.

  After a few minutes, they happened upon an empty park bench and quickly grabbed it up.

  “Are you ready for the most amazing people watching experience you’ll ever have in your entire life?” Ryder teased.

  He leaned back and placed one arm on the back of the bench, behind Stormy. She breathed in the salty sea air as she took in the overabundance of sights, sounds, and people that surrounded them.

  “This is so different from Coleville,” she observed. “But in a good way. I’m glad I came out here.”

  She turned towards him and smiled.

  “Thanks for making me come out here,” she added.

  “Whoa, you came out here on your own free will,” he joked. “I didn’t make you do anything.”

  Stormy blushed as she realized he was right. It was her idea to come visit, though he had been the one to extend the invitation and plant the seed.

  “I’m glad you came out too,” he said as he tried to clear the awkwardness he had just created. “I wish you were staying longer actually.”

  Butterflies ruffled around her tummy as he said those words. She wondered if she was reading too much into everything or if she was just drawn to him because of his stark resemblance to her dead husband. She didn’t know much, but she knew she was enjoying his company and she didn’t want it to end either.

  “Maybe I’ll come out again soon,” she suggested. “I’d invite you back to Coleville, but that would just be punishment for you.”

  Ryder laughed and looked down at her. She could tell he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to say it.

  “If you ever need me to come out to Coleville, you know I would,” he said. “It’s not exactly Aruba or anyplace I’d want to vacation, but I’d go if I had to.”

  “Thanks, I think?” Stormy chuckled.

  “That came out wrong,” he said. His cheeks flushed for the first time ever. It took a lot to embarrass him. “I just mean, Coleville is pretty lame, but if you needed me for something, I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

  She smiled as her heart warmed over. It was nice having someone to protect her and care about her well-being. She had her parents and Brooklyn, but there was something special about having a guy who cared about her when he really didn’t have to.

  “I’m a pretty independent girl,” she said. “But my door is always open for you, Ryder. I hope you know that. If you ever get sick of these palm trees and watching dolphins swim in the ocean and riding your bike down the Pacific Highway, Coleville is just a quick plane ride away.”

  They shared smiles as she nudged his arm playfully. She’d only know him for a few weeks, but she felt like they were already good friends. She felt like she could be herself around him. Even in all her years with Jett, she never fully felt that way around him. She always felt like she had to put on some sort of act and fit some sort of role as his old lady. It certainly wasn’t like that with Ryder.

  CHAPTER 11

  Saturday was coming to a close and Stormy and Ryder had retired to his condo for her final night’s stay. Just as she’d expected, the day went by entirely too fast. Their morning was spent at the Santa Monica Pier, they had lunch at a little rooftop café nearby, and they walked Rodeo Drive that afternoon. Ryder even offered to buy her a new handbag, but she refused.

  They settled in that evening on the deck of his condo, under the clear, starry sky. It was a cool seventy degrees and a light breeze tickled their faces. They sat side by side on the outdoor couch as they listened to the street symphony beneath them and the city lights lit their faces and made their eyes twinkle.

  “I’ve had so much fun with you this weekend,” Stormy said as she turned to Ryder. “I needed this little break from reality.”

  “Stormy, this is reality,” he said. “This is real life. This is right now. There’s nothing else besides this moment right now.”

  She knew he had a valid point, but in her mind, her reality was back home in Coleville, alone in an empty trailer, hiding from all the local, gossiping townsfolk and avoiding Misty.

  “You’re right,” she said. “But the moment I step on that plane tomorrow, this will all fade into oblivion.”

  “It doesn’t have to though,” he said, turning to look her square in the eyes. “You can leave Coleville.”

  “I have no money,” she said. “I couldn’t move out here without a job or a place to live. That’s ridiculous.”

  Ryder laughed a frustrated laugh. “You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you?”

  Stormy shook her head. She was dying to know what he was trying to get at with her.

  “I will help you,” he said. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m going to take care of you? I owe it to Jett to take care of you.”

  “You really feel that strongly about taking care of me?” she asked.

  Ryder nodded, not saying much.

  “Is that why you’re so good to me? Because it helps you not to feel so guilty about abandoning Jett?” she asked.

  “No, not at all,” he insisted. “Believe me, if you were this horrible person, I would not have stayed all those days with you in Coleville, and I would not have flown you out to L.A. to spend the weekend here. I loved my brother, but a guy can only do so much.”

  “Oh, okay,” Stormy said as she tried to hide her smile. “Makes sense.”

  “So far everything Jett ever said about you has been right,” he said. “You’re a good girl, S
tormy.”

  He sunk back into the scratchy fabric of the outdoor loveseat and slipped his left arm behind her.

  Stormy wondered if he could feel what was going on between them. There was some sort of magnetic pull, she was sure of it, and she was refusing to believe it was all in her imagination. She knew she had her own personal reservations about the timing of everything. It was still so soon since Jett’s passing, and this was his brother. It felt wrong, but the feelings were too strong for her to deny.

  She tried to be nonchalant as she inched closer to him. She could feel the heat of his body radiating onto hers as she encroached into his space. She waited patiently, heart pounding, for him to make some sort of move or gesture, but he seemed to be just as frozen as she was.

  “Would you ever really consider moving out here?” Ryder asked.

  “If I could figure out the logistics I think so,” she replied. “It’s just a little scary.”

  “I meant what I said about helping you get on your feet,” he said as he nudged her and inadvertently moved in closer to her. “You can stay with me until you find a job, and I’ll help you find somewhere to live.”

  “You’re too good to me,” she said. “It’s really something I need to think about. I love the idea of it, but actually doing it is completely different.”

  “Totally understand.”

  Without even thinking too much about it, she leaned her head on his shoulder. By the time she realized what she’d done, she was too embarrassed to move so she just stayed in that position. The seconds that followed her cringe worthy move were agonizing until, without warning, he slipped his hand down from the back of the couch and rested it on her arm. He squeezed her closer towards him, but that was it. He made no other moves. He said nothing.

  Stormy didn’t want that moment to end. She didn’t want to go to bed. She didn’t want to wake up. She didn’t want to drive to the airport. She didn’t want to go back home to Coleville where her real life was waiting for her. Ryder had painted such a beautiful portrait of the life she could have if only she tried, but she wasn’t sure things would pan out the way he promised. If there was anything she had learned in her almost twenty-three years, it was that life never goes as planned.