Faking the Play (Hot Mess Harems #2)

9. Amelia

Chapter nine

Amelia

T he rest of the week hadn’t been great, but I had tonight to look forward to, so I’d gotten through it. Now, as I waited for Ryan to pick me up, I was torn between anxiety about Megan showing up before I left and a whole different kind of anxiety about going on a date with Ryan Thompson. One of my childhood best friends…who was now one of Colorado State University’s hottest bachelors.

“Stop freaking yourself out,” I whispered as I checked my dress for the millionth time, as if I was worried that it might morph from a cute little blue sundress with white daises into something hideous.

The knock at my door made me jump and let out an embarrassing squeak. My hands fluttered as I rushed over and yanked the door open…then stood, gaping at Ryan like an idiot.

“Are—am I early?” Ryan glanced around. “Is something wrong?”

I snapped my jaw shut and shook my head. “No. Sorry. You look really nice.”

He smiled, and it was the soft, sweet smile that I remembered from when we were kids. “Thank you. And so do you.” He chuckled, a low rumble that was definitely not what he sounded like when we were kids. “Actually, that’s not true. You look fucking amazing.”

I blushed and grabbed for my purse, needing to do something with my hands. “Thank you. And you’re right on time.”

“Good.” He held out his hand. “I thought we’d start simple. A movie and then dinner. I was thinking maybe that new action flick with the Hemsworth brothers.”

“Hot Australians blowing things up? Yes, please.” I took his hand, warmth curling in my stomach as I threaded my fingers between his.

The two of us had gotten quite a few looks every time we were seen together on campus over the past week, but nothing compared to the shock on people’s faces when they saw us dressed up and holding hands, without a textbook in sight. The four of us had already discussed how we wanted to handle the attention we were sure to receive when we were spotted, so that was what Ryan and I did now. We ignored everyone but each other.

“Do you remember finding out that Gale from The Hunger Games and Thor were brothers?” Ryan asked.

I laughed as the memory came to me. “I tried to convince Mr. Yardley to let me do my science project on family genetics and use them as an illustration of shared and different physical characteristics.”

“I think that’s when we all realized just how much smarter than everyone else you were,” Ryan said.

“You guys might’ve thought that, but Mr. Yardley was convinced that I’d stolen it from a high schooler.” I shook my head. “He actually asked Mrs. Carney which of her students was doing a project on genetics.”

“Didn’t she twist it around on him and made him sound like he thought a girl couldn’t come up with something like that?”

“She did.” I smiled. “I haven’t thought of that in ages.”

We spent the drive to the theater and the wait before the movie started bringing up more memories from our shared past, things I’d forgotten or hadn’t wanted to look at because they were too painful. Now that the guys were back in my life, I found myself enjoying the nostalgia.

As soon as the theater lights began to dim, Ryan and I fell silent. We’d never had any problem being quiet around each other before, and this was no different. We sat with our arms pressed together on the single armrest between us, the heat from his body a welcome warmth in the air-conditioned theater.

The first time Jason and I had gone to the movies, I was so nervous that I couldn’t remember anything about what we watched. I’d been too busy analyzing everything. With Ryan, however, I could just let it all go. Let us be us and not worry about what he was thinking or if I was reading too much into a touch or a look.

I found the difference to be refreshing, to say the least.

Once the movie was done, it felt natural to take his hand again, so I did, and my stomach flipped at the pleased surprise that flashed across his face.

It suddenly occurred to me that I’d never heard anyone talk about Ryan with a girlfriend. Women flirted with him all the time, and there were a few times over the years when I’d seen him with a woman, but never the same one. Sure, we hadn’t been friends, but I heard enough gossip about the other two that I should’ve heard more about him if it had been there.

“Is there somewhere specific you want to go eat?” he asked as we left the theater. “You said you didn’t want fancy, so I didn’t make any reservations anywhere.”

“Let’s just go somewhere we can walk to.” A restaurant across the street looked promising. Not fast food, but not somewhere we’d feel underdressed either. “How about there?”

“Looks good to me,” Ryan agreed. As we walked toward it, he asked, “What did you think about the movie?”

“I enjoyed it,” I said. “After this past week, I needed something that wasn’t going to get my emotions in knots. That was the perfect balance of adrenaline and plot.”

“Plus, shirtless Hemsworths are never a bad thing, right?” Ryan teased.

I fanned myself with my free hand. “I’m only human, and those guys are hot.”

“Wow. Sounds like I have some competition,” he joked.

I liked this side of him. He was such a serious guy most of the time, I’d always loved being able to draw him out.

“There’s no comparison,” I assured him, squeezing his hand. “They’re a fantasy. You’re better because you’re real.”

I caught a glimpse of surprise in his eyes, but then we were at the doors to the restaurant and the moment was gone. We were given a table almost immediately and then it was all about figuring out what we wanted to order. Once we did that, our conversation turned back to the movie, and we spent several minutes discussing it before I started to wonder if Ryan was just humoring me.

“You know how you said you guys were going to help me with not being so awkward?” I changed the subject. “Maybe we can start with conversation. I mean, we’ve been talking about the movie for nearly a quarter of an hour. It has to be getting old, right? How do I get better at this?”

“You don’t need conversation lessons,” he said. “Because it’s not just up to you. If a guy isn’t hanging on your every word, or not carrying his side of things, that’s on him. You’re perfect.”

The last two words hung between us as warmth spread throughout my body, a combination of embarrassment and pleasure at the compliment, and a whole lot of arousal.

After letting that linger between us for a few seconds, he smiled at me. “But, I do have some other ‘lessons’ in mind for later on.”

Before I could ask what he meant by that cryptic statement, the server appeared with our food and the conversation shifted again. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I remembered he hadn’t expounded on what he’d meant about future lessons.

He held the door open for me, and as I passed by him, I said, “I’d like some more details about those lessons you promised me.”

Without missing a beat, he fell in step next to me, putting his hand on the small of my back. Bending down closer to allow me to hear him, he murmured, “First, you’ll have to tell me if you’re a good girl…or a bad girl.”

I shivered despite the evening’s warmth, my brain scrambling to decide on the best way to respond to that question.

“Amelia?”

That voice made me freeze mid-step, my mouth falling open as a pair of people stepped into my line of sight. One was my roommate and best friend, Megan, and the other was a guy with sandy brown curls and green eyes.

Jason.

My ex-boyfriend.

“Well, damn,” Jason said with a loud laugh. “This is awkward.”

I saw now what I’d missed before. His arm was around Megan’s waist, hand resting possessively on her hip the way he’d always done it with me.

“And you are?” Ryan asked, pulling me against his side, as if he needed me in a place where he could put himself between me and danger if need be.

“Jason, Megan, meet Ryan.” My voice sounded strange in my ears. “Ryan, meet Jason and Megan.”

He squeezed my hand, but spoke to Jason. “Oh, you’re the ex.”

Megan’s eyes went wide as she realized who Ryan was, then narrowed as she focused on our joined hands. She put a hand on Jason’s chest, then slid it down his stomach.

What the hell? She would’ve been more subtle about marking her territory if she’d slapped a “Hands Off” sign on him. My stomach churned and I clenched my jaw to keep myself from saying something I’d regret. I could feel that edge to my emotions that meant they were getting closer to the surface than I liked.

“Aren’t you Amelia’s roommate?” Ryan asked Megan. “Her friend?”

The too-familiar burn of tears had returned, but I held them back through sheer willpower. I’d be damned if I let these two see how much this hurt me.

“The heart wants what the heart wants,” Jason said before leaning over and kissing Megan’s temple. She let out a giggle and leaned into him even more, making his hand slip from her hip to her ass.

I felt like I was in some weird movie where two couples were trying to one-up each other by getting more and more physical with their partner in some sort of weird competition.

“I know what you mean,” Ryan said, surprising me.

But what happened next surprised me even more.

Cupping my chin, Ryan tipped my head up and lowered his lips to mine. I went stiff for a moment, my brain screaming RYAN KISSES RYAN KISSES. Then the rest of me caught up and I kissed him back, my mouth eagerly moving with his. The tip of his tongue swiped along my bottom lip and I made a soft sound, my hands immediately going to his chest, the muscles firm under my palms. I parted my lips and touched my tongue to his.

A loud crash broke us apart and I saw my own surprise reflected on Ryan’s face. He pushed it away before turning to Jason, who was now standing next to a tipped over garbage can.

“Problem?” Ryan asked.

“You can’t—she—don’t—what the hell?!” Jason sputtered.

“You fucked up,” Ryan said easily. “She’s not coming back to you. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from my girl.”

Then Ryan took my hand and pulled me after him.

His girl.

Even though I knew it was part of our plan, I liked the way those words sounded.