Only With You (32 page)

“Oh,”
Kirsten said, looking down. “I’m sorry I kissed you. I just thought . . .”

She didn’t finish her thought,
and I thought she might cry, but when she looked back up at me, her eyes started to narrow until her face settled into a glare. And then I was firmly in Jake’s camp. I just wanted the girls to leave.

I started to get up from the table. “I
’m going to the bathroom,” I told Jake, needing to just walk away so I could calm down all the way. I didn’t think I’d be able to do that with Kirsten sitting in front of me, the reminder of her kiss still lingering on my lips and that glare fixed on her face as if I’d done something wrong. “If the waitress comes by, order me a cheeseburger and fries.”

“Yeah, you got it,” Jake
said, hopefully getting my silent message. I hoped by the time I came back, Kirsten and Kyla would be gone.

“He’s mad at me, isn’t he,” I heard
Kirsten say as I walked away.

Well, no shit.

I fought to keep walking and not give into my urge to turn around and lay into her.

“Yeah, probably,” Jake said, and I just shook my head.

I took my time in the bathroom, leaning against the sink and taking deep breaths. I reached into my back pocket for my phone so I could look at a picture I
had saved of Syd making a kissing face at the camera. It always made me smile, and in that moment, I needed to calm down. I knew she’d be the one to do it. But I realized I’d left my phone on the table, so I took a few deep breaths and figured I’d head back outside.

God, I missed her. She had two days off after her show
on Sunday night in Wichita, and she was supposed to shoot some print campaign back in L.A. one of the days, and then she had an interview with a magazine before heading to Omaha for her next show. Even if I had enough money to fly to L.A. to see her, I couldn’t miss my classes. Summer semester was brutal, so I was shit outta luck.

When I got back to the table, the girls were thankfully gone.

“You okay, dude?” Jake asked.

I shrugged as I slumped down in my chair. “Whatever,” I said, downing the rest of my beer, suddenly fearful that
Kirsten had spit in it.

“You want to talk about it?”

I looked up at him. “No.”

“Good deal. I ordered you a cheeseburger.”

“Thanks.”

The rest of the night was strained, and we focused our attention on the baseball game playing on a nearby TV. It was more than enough stimulation after the day I’d had.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

Sydney

Reports of my break-up with Dillon were all over the gossip shows and the Internet and would probably be gracing the covers of magazines the
following week. From what I knew of what Laurie had shared, we’d split amicably and vowed to remain friends. Of course speculation of the real cause of the break-up was why the buzz was flowing so rapidly. Everything from me finding out Dillon was gay, to Dillon ending things because he was jealous of my friendship with Ryder, to reports that I flat-out cheated on Dillon with Ryder, to Dylan cheating on me with Meredith, which really wasn’t new speculation.

It had
only been two days since Laurie had released the information that we’d split up, but news traveled fast. And on Tuesday I had an interview with a fashion magazine who wanted to put me on the cover of their October issue that would come out in early September. It was a long way off, but I figured I would address the break-up head-on in that article to show that there wasn’t anything more to it than what Laurie had shared.

No one needed to worry about me not being able to be in the same room as Dillon, and we’d show them all that at the charity event we were hosting in August, then again at the Teen Choice Awards and the VMAs. Hopefully once everyone saw that, they’d be satisfied with the break-up being a mutual decision based on our collective work schedules.

I leaned my head back against the seat of the Town Car I was riding in as I headed to the airport. I was taking the red-eye back to L.A. since I was scheduled for a photo shoot the next afternoon and had the magazine interview the next day before I was due back on tour. I was exhausted, especially after I’d stayed up late the night before talking to Ryder. I was looking forward to sleeping on the plane.

My cell phone rang, forcing me to open my eyes. I figured it might be Ryder, but it was Chris.

“Hey Chris,” I said around a yawn when I answered.

“Hey Syd. Listen, change of plans. We had to reschedule the shoot for tomorrow
since the photographer had a family emergency. You’re actually going to get the day off.”

“I love you, Chris,” I said
probably a little too vehemently, and he chuckled.

“Just enjoy the time off. You deserve it.”

That was probably the best news I’d heard in weeks since I couldn’t remember the last full day off I’d had. I envisioned myself sleeping late and then spending a few hours on the beach behind my house. If only Ryder could come out to L.A. to visit, it would make the day perfect. What I wouldn’t give to see him.

I sat up straight then. Why couldn’t I see Ryder? He couldn’t come to me, but I could go to him.

“Thanks,” I told Chris. “Hey, so I think I’m actually going to head to Florida instead.”

It was a spur of the moment decision, but it was genius.

“Florida? But the interviewer is meeting you at that café near your house on Tuesday.”

“I can do the interview
over the phone,” I offered. “Or she can come down to Gainesville.”

“Syd, it’s a little late in the game to be changing plans
like this.”

I knew I was about to pull a full on diva request, but I was desperate and knew plans could change if I asked them to be changed. It was a shameless use of the power I knew I had.

“Please, Chris. I have to see him. This is important.”

I was sure he could hear the desperation in my voice, because his tone softened. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you! You’re the best!”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll have Bianca call the pilot and rearrange your flight for tonight. It’ll be all set by the time you get to the airport.”

“Love you. Seriously, best manager ever!”

He laughed. “You know I’ve got a soft spot for you, Syd.”

I smiled. “Well, I did get you that platinum record you’d always dreamed about,” I said, remembering the look of pure elation on his face when we found out my first album had done better than expected.

“Yeah, like nine times over,” he agreed. “Have fun with Ryder. Tell him I said hi.”

“Will do. Bye Chris.”

My stomach was fluttering as we pulled up to the airport and went through all the security check-points to get to the tarmac where the private plane I’d chartered was waiting. I didn’t do that often, but when I needed to fly places at weird times, it was convenient. Plus, with the media buzz I was experiencing at the moment, I preferred to lay low.

When I was settled on the plane, I debated calling Ryder to tell him my plans, but then I figured a surprise would be better. He’d likely be asleep by the time I got to his house, so I hoped he’d answer the phone when I called. If not, I figured I could always call Jake. He’d let me in so I could wake Ryder up properly.

As we took off, I closed my eyes so I could get a little sleep, knowing I’d be up half the night once I got to Gainesville.

* * *

“Hello?” Ryder said groggily as I drove through the relatively silent town
where he went to school.

I’d opted not to draw attention to myself and hire a car service, so I was driving toward campus in a
black Dodge Charger with heavily tinted windows. I hoped it would make me look like every other college student as I drove around for the next two days. The last thing I wanted was to bring the media or my fans out in droves, especially since they’d connect the dots to where I was and who lived there.

I was fairly certain the woman at the rental car place didn’t have a clue who I was. She was in her late fifties, and I’d venture to guess she wasn’t a fan of my music. Just a hunch, but I considered myself fortunate. It might have been a different story had a college student been working behind the counter. Even though I was wearing a trucker hat, had relatively no make-up on and was dressed down, I knew I was still recognizable.

“Hey baby,” I said, just wanting to sink into Ryder’s peaceful life of relative anonymity for a little while.

“Hey,” he said, as he started to wake up, his tone softening. “Did you get in okay?”

It was just before four in the morning, and his sleep-soaked voice was just what I needed to hear. He’d told me to call him when I landed, so I was doing just that. Of course he thought I was landing in L.A. and was about to get the surprise of his life when he saw me in a few minutes.

“Yeah, I did,” I said, fighting to hide the pure elation coursing through me.

It had been four weeks since I’d seen him. I’d been busy, which had helped a little bit, but not having the constant contact and being able to touch him was something I’d missed so much.

“Mmm, that’s good.”

“Don’t go back to sleep, Ry,” I told him softly.

“I’m tired,” he sighed.

“I know, but talk to me until I get there.”

“Okay.”

He was so out of it. He hadn’t even registered what I was saying. I figured I needed to try a little harder.

“The campus is really pretty at night.”

“What campus?” he mumbled, and I imaging him lying there, the phone held to his ear, his head on his pillow and his eyes closed, waging a war between slipping back into sleep and talking to me.

“Your campus.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Sure.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing at him. He was so out of it.

“Ry?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you take me to Dragonfly for dinner?”

“Sure,” he sighed when I referenced the sushi place he’d raved about on multiple occasions.

“Can we go tonight?”

He chuckled. “Do you know how much I’d love that?”

“I can imagine.” This was fun. “But, I’m being serious.”

He chuckled again, and I ventured to guess his eyes were still closed. He was so cute when he slept, and soon I was going to get to see him looking all rumpled and peaceful and sexy.

“Yeah, okay. Sounds great. I’ll meet you there at eight.”

I sighed. This wasn’t working. I was turning onto campus, and in a few minutes I’d be on Frat Row.

“I’d rather you pick me up. It wouldn’t be a very good date if I had to meet you there.”

“Okay, so I’ll just hope on my private jet that’s parked out back, and I’ll fly to L.A., get you, then we’ll go to Dragonfly.
After that, just for kicks, we can have dessert in Paris.”

I laughed. “I could make that happen if you want.”

“I have to go to class,” he said glumly.

“Yeah, I know. I figure while you’re in class, I’ll go check into my hotel.”

“What hotel? What are you talking about? You have a house on the beach. Are you being a celebrity diva again?” he teased, and I knew he was waking up. He was able to string sentences together.

Then
I figured I’d have to be blunt since I was parking in the near empty lot that all the fraternity houses shared. I was able to slide in right next to Ryder’s gray Honda Civic he’d driven since high school.

“
I’m talking about my hotel in Gainesville.”

“What?
” he was fully awake now, and I imagined him having bolted upright in bed at my latest statement.

“Open your front door,” I told him as I got out of the car.

“Are you here?!”

“Open your front door, Ryder,” I commanded softly. “And you’ll find out.”

“Holy shit!”

I heard scrambling noises, and
I laughed at his cuteness, giddy with the fact that I’d see him in seconds.

“Just stay there. Don’t leave. I’m on my way down,” Ryder said, making me laugh again.

“Why would I leave?”

“I don’t know. I can’t think right now. I can’t believe you’re here. Holy shit.”

“What the fuck is going on?” I heard Jake mumble.

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

“Be quiet and turn the light off, asshole,” Jake muttered, and then I heard a door close.

I looked up at the house before I stepped onto the porch
. I’d seen the light go on in Ryder’s room when he’d flipped the switch a few seconds before, and I’d imagined him inside clumsily pulling on his shorts. It made me smile, especially since I planned to take those shorts right off of him in a few minutes.

I could hear him running down the stairs, and a
few seconds later, the door was yanked open, and a wide smile spread across my face. There stood Ryder, his phone to his ear, wearing nothing but a pair of khaki cargo shorts. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, and he looked so incredibly sexy that I couldn’t hold back. I threw myself into his arms and took a few seconds to inhale his familiar scent that I’d missed so much. His strong arms wrapped around me, as if he never wanted to let me go, and I’d guess he never did.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, still holding me against him.

“My photo shoot got cancelled, and I have two days off from touring, so I decided to take advantage of them.”

I felt him bury his nose in my hair and inhale deeply. Then his lips landed on my neck. “So I’m not dreaming. Tell me I’m not still asleep, because I’m going to be seriously pissed if I am.”

I pulled back and looked at him as my smile widened. “You’re not sleeping. I promise.”

His hand reached up and flipped my hat backwards before he leaned forward and closed the distance between us, kissing me long and deep, as I relished in the comforting feel of his lips against mine. I never wanted to kiss anyone else ever again.

I pulled back reluctantly after a few minutes, well-aware of the fact that the door to the house was wide open, and we were in a very public area. It was the middle of the night, but if any of his brothers wandered downstairs, they’d see us.

“Let’s go upstairs,” I suggested.

Ryder pulled me close again, wrapping his arm around me as he started to walk toward the stairs. I huddled against his side as we walked in tandem to the second floor and down the hallway that led to his room.

When he let us inside, he locked the door behind us and turned to face me. “This is the best surprise of my life,” he said, stalking toward me.

I saw the look in his eyes, and it made me giggle. He smirked back at me.

“Not so asleep now, are you?”

He shook his head. “I’m never sleeping again.”

“Dude, what the hell are you–? Oh, hey Sydney,” Jake suddenly said.

I looked down at where his head was peeking out from the curtains of his cave.

“Hi Jake. I came to visit. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Good to see you. My boy’s been a little mopey for the past few days, so I’m glad you’re here to cheer him up.”

Wordlessly, Ryder put his hands on my waist and lifted me so I was sitting on the platform. Then he stepped between my legs, closing the distance between us.

Without looking at him, he said, “Jake, go sleep downstairs.”