“Just talking,” Ryder reiterated, holding his hands up as if to show us that there was nothing in them, including any of Sloane’s body parts. They did have quite a bit of space between them.
“I’m not accusing anyone of anything,” Lucah said.
“Neither am I. You were just gone for a long time and the movie ended and we came to see what you were doing. That’s all. No judgment.” I mirrored Ryder’s gesture.
“There is a lot of tension in this room and there doesn’t need to be,” Sloane said. “Okay, I think it’s time to call it a night, yes?” Everyone else agreed so the Blythe brothers and I trooped back to our place.
“So you’re not going to give me the third degree?” Ryder said the second the door closed.
“No, I wasn’t planning on it. Do I need to?” Lucah said, leaning against the kitchen counter as Ryder went and hopped over the back of the couch.
“Nope. I kept my hands to myself and everything. Do I get a gold star?”
“How old are you?” Lucah said.
Ryder didn’t answer, he just turned on the television. I thought about calling it a night and heading for the shower, but instead I went and stood next to the couch and motioned for Ryder to move his feet so I could sit down.
He raised an eyebrow, and I was reminded so much of Lucah I almost started to laugh, but he did move his feet and I sat down.
“Whatcha watching?” He shrugged and kept flipping the channels. He never seemed to want to pick something and stay on it. “Well the first step of watching something is picking something to watch.”
“I know how to use a remote, thank you,” he said.
“Well, clearly, you don’t,” I said, diving forward and snatching the remote from his hand.
“Hey!”
“Uh, my remote, my television. I win.” I waved the remote in front of him and he just glared.
“Let her have this. Women are unbearable when they lose control of the remote,” Lucah said, and I was reminded of a conversation we had that very first night we spent together. Back when I thought I could get him out of my system in one night. What an idiot I’d been back then. I would never get him out of my system, and I didn’t want to. He was the one disease I’d want to suffer from.
“Hey now. No ganging up on Rory,” I said glaring at the pair of them. It was fun when Ryder and I ganged up on Lucah, but it was the opposite when the boys ganged up on me.
“Wow, I didn’t think you were ever going to take your head out of her ass,” Ryder said to Lucah.
“What?” Lucah and I said at the same time. I forgot about the remote.
“Whoa, calm down. I’m only stating fact. I can’t point out the fact that you are so fucking whipped that you have a fucking ottoman in your house. And throw pillows and all this girly shit around.” Ryder gestured to the apartment. Honestly, things were a lot more girly when I lived with Sloane. We had JUST been in her place. Had he not looked around?
“So what if I’m fucking whipped? What is so wrong with that? That I love the woman I’m with? You have some fucked up values, Ryder.” Lucah shook his head.
“Nothing wrong with it, nothing at all.” His tone left a lot to be desired in the sincerity department. Lucah went from pissed one minute to smirking the next.
“Just wait, Ryder. Just wait.”
“And see,” I added, which made Lucah smile even more.
“Exactly.”
“You two freak me out sometimes. I’m going to bed.” With that he was off the couch again and heading to his room.
“Well, that was a good way to get him to leave,” Lucah said, taking Ryder’s vacated seat. “Also, I’m whipped and I’m not ashamed of it. At all.” He growled and dove at me, which made me squeal.
“Keep it down!” Ryder yelled from his room.
“Put on some headphones,” Lucah yelled back. “I’m with my girl, and I don’t care who knows it. I want to tell the whole world.” I stared up into his intense eyes, and the mood shifted from playful to serious.
“I’d want to tell the whole world about you.”