“Exactly like New York City or Las Vegas. Any place as long as the town never sleeps. I get so tired of listening to the cicadas and the coyotes in the middle of the night. I want to hear horns honking and people yelling.”
“That can be annoying too,” I add. Even though I love the city and wouldn’t want to live any place else, there is something to say for the solitude of a small town.
Ryan turns and looks at me, his arms resting on the wall. If I was brave, I’d stand and walk up to him and live out one of the many fantasies I’ve started to have about him, but I’m not there yet. Ryan pushes off the wall and comes back over to the chaise we’ve been sharing, albeit for a few brief minutes. He sits, his legs touching mine. He places his hand down on the cushion, centimeters from my bare leg and looks at me.
“I’ve never met someone famous before. Why are you spending the night out here with me when you could be inside with your fans?”
CHAPTER 7
Ryan
I don’t know where this small bit of confidence came from, but watching her sit there, the way the moonlight is shining off of her, makes me want to be next to her. Never have I had the notion to sit this close to a girl. No, that’s not right, Hadley is anything but a girl. She’s a woman and she wants to talk to me. For the life of me I can’t fathom why.
Someone like Hadley Carter can have anyone she wants. She’s having this after-party and yet she’s out here on her balcony keeping someone like me company. For all I know she’s taking pity on me because I was alone and about to leave. I suppose leaving her party would’ve made her look like a fool.
I’m close to her, so close that I can touch her if I wanted. I could move my fingers slightly and let her skin light mine on fire. I want to ask her what it feels like for her when we touch because for me it’s as if her skin is full of electricity and my body wants to know what it’s like to be touched by her repeatedly.
Hadley shifts, her knee brushing lightly against my fingers. I don’t move, afraid that she’ll notice. There is a light tingling sensation coursing from her to me. I look down, briefly. She moves closer.
“I shouldn’t tell you this since we just met, but when I saw you across the room I knew I had to know you.”
“Is that a line you use to pick up people?” I blurt this out without thinking. Talking to a beautiful woman is all new to me. I know I’ve offended her when she pulls away from me, making sure we are no longer touching. Hadley adjusts herself so she’s turned away from me. I can no longer see her soulful brown eyes, just her golden hair, which is pulled tight into a ponytail.
“I’m sorry,” I say, hoping to diffuse the situation. Normally my response would be to clam up and ignore the person next to me. Find something to tinker with or just look away. But with Hadley, for some reason I hate knowing that I’ve upset her and I don’t even know her. It’s not like I’ll see her after tonight.
“It’s okay. I’m sure that is what a lot of people think of celebrities.” She turns back, gracing me once again with her beauty. “But no, Ryan, it wasn’t a line. I don’t show emotion because a lot of people want to take advantage of that weakness. I’ve never done a lot of the things I’ve done tonight.”
“Like what?” I’m asking purely out of curiosity.
“Like throw a party so I could get to know someone.” Hadley adjusts so her leg is touching my fingers again. They twitch when her skin touches mine. If she notices, she doesn’t say anything. I swallow hard.
“Is that what you did tonight?”
Hadley nods, leaning closer. “I wanted to talk to you away from everyone else. Earlier, you were in the corner and we were pressed for time, so I decided to have this party. The only problem is I only wanted to invite you, but that would’ve looked awkward. Would you have come?”
“No.” I shake my head.
“Why not?”
I run my hand through the back of my hair. I’m not really sure how to answer her without hurting her feelings. “I came here with Dylan.” This is the answer I give her, which is apparently the wrong one because we’re no longer touching.
“I didn’t realize Dylan was your girlfriend. I thought she said she was your friend.”
I move closer, determined to keep touching her. “She’s my best friend, but we aren’t dating or anything like that. I don’t have a girlfriend, never have.”
I wish I hadn’t said that because the look on her face is definitely one of pity. Her eyes study me, likely curious as to why I would say something stupid like that. I turn away, only to have her fingertips pull my chin toward her. I should’ve told her that I haven’t found anyone interesting enough to spend time with aside from Dylan and she’s the only one becau
se she made the effort. The rest of the girls just look at you, wondering if you’re going to be the one that they end up with after a prom night mishap.
“I don’t care that you’ve never had a girlfriend.”
I have to turn away so she doesn’t see me blush. She laughs quietly, which in turn makes me laugh. For having just met her, I’m feeling like I’ve known her for years.
“Are you a good boy, Ryan, or is there a bit of bad boy hiding in there?”
This question takes me by surprise and I play with the hem of my shorts thinking about how I’m going to answer. I look at her and try not to smile, but have a feeling I’m failing terribly.
“I’m a good boy. I do as I’m told.”