I scrambled up from the floor and moved myself away from him as quickly as I could. I brushed the leaves and dirt off me and scowled at him.
“What the fuck is it with you? Are you stalking me now? Jesus, make your mind up. One day you’re scaring me away, the next you’re following me in the woods like a creeper.”
“Aren’t you glad that I did? Otherwise, your man Lockwood over there would’ve had you right where he wanted you.” The way he glared at me made me go cold.
“Chase is not my man. He never will be,” I spat back.
“Good.” He folded his arms over his chest and I faltered in my argument. I wasn’t expecting that answer.
“Second,” I said, still frowning from his last response. “You’ve already told me to fuck off. So, why did we get invited here, today? Why the one-eighty?”
“I meant every word I said last Saturday. You didn’t belong in that room, watching men kick the shit out of each other, with all the blood and filth. That’s not you.” His face had softened slightly, and he took a few steps towards me.
“How do you know what’s me? We’ve barely ever spoken. You might’ve been Danny’s friend, but you know fuck all about me.”
“I know enough,” he said, staring straight into my eyes like he needed me to understand him, to believe what he was saying.
“You know what you want to know; see what you want to see. Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m the weak little girl you accused me of being last Saturday.”
“Did I say that?” He scrunched his face up in confusion.
Yes, asshat. Yes, you did.
“I’ve never seen weakness in you, Emily. But I know what I do see. I see you better than anyone.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. He saw me? What did that even mean? The guy was full of bullshit. Did he think I couldn’t smell it from a mile off?
“If you see me better than anyone, then tell me, what do you see?”
I couldn’t wait to hear his response. I was calling his bluff.
“I see a girl who hates who she is… To other people. I also see a girl desperate to be herself. To live her life the way she wants to. To have just a fraction of the freedom that we have. Me, Brandon,
Finn, Zak; we have a life you can only dream of, but you want it. You want in so badly you’ll do anything to get it. At least, I think you will. Question is… How far are you willing to go, Emily? How far would you go to have it all?”
“You’re really good at talking in riddles, aren’t you, Ryan? What makes you think I want to be like you?” I shook my head and turned to walk away.
“You are like us.” He spoke with such conviction I could almost believe him. Almost.
“No. I’m not.” I spun back around and stood my ground.
“I think you are. In fact, I know you are.” He was so sure of himself. And me? I was getting more confused by the minute, but I wouldn’t ever show him that.
“I’ve had enough of this. I need to get out of here.”
I turned my back on him and started climbing a steeper incline at the edge of the woods.
“Don’t do that,” Ryan shouted after me. “Don’t go up there.”
“Why not? Why should I ever listen to you?”
“Because that’s where the quarry is. Shit, you really don’t know your way around these woods, do you?” He was marching over to me now and looked pissed off. “Get your fucking ass back down here.”
I didn’t like giving him the upper-hand, but I was fucked. I had no clue where I was or how to get back to Liv and Effy. So, reluctantly, I shuffled my way back down the incline.
“Come on. Take my hand and I’ll get you back to your friends,” he said, climbing up the incline to get to me.
“I can follow you just fine, I don’t need to take…” I missed my footing and skidded down the slope, doing the splits as my legs slid all over the wet leaves. Ryan reached out and grabbed my arm, stopping me from falling flat on my ass.