Chapter 10

Ryder

The night has come for mine and Jayden’s first official holiday party that we had initially agreed on. I hold her hand in mine as we walk down the short sidewalk and take in the winter wonderland surrounding us. Asher's new place is decked out in twinkling lights that reflect off what must be fake snow, because it certainly hasn’t snowed anywhere close to the beach. His place looks like a scene ripped straight from those holiday cards nobody sends anymore.

"Damn, they didn't hold back with the decorations," I mutter.

"Looks magical, doesn't it?" Her voice dances with that ever-present lilt of wonderment. She's all wide-eyed and giddy with excitement.

Inside, the warmth hits us like a welcome embrace. The scent of pine and cinnamon floats through the air, mingling with the laughter and chatter of my teammates. Elle, Asher’s girlfriend, hands us each a glass of something bubbly and crimson.

"Ryder! Jayden! So glad you could make it!" Asher booms, clasping me on the shoulder in that brotherly way of his. I nod, sipping the drink to avoid too much small talk.

Jayden's hand finds mine under the guise of needing stability on the polished hardwood floors, but her fingers linger, sending silent messages I'm still learning to decipher.

We weave through bodies, the night unfolding in a blur of forced festivities. I play my part, the stoic defenseman, while Jayden shines like the beauty she is.

When the evening winds down, and the last of the couples start retrieving their coats, I’m reluctant to let go of the night. I turn to my date for the evening, who's now looking at me expectantly.

"Want to come back to my place?" The question feels loaded, like I'm not just asking her to walk through the front door, but also to step into the reality that could be if we just let it happen.

She smiles, seeming like she understands more than she lets on. "I'd love to."

We step back into the cool night and make our way to my truck.

"Did you have a good time?" I ask.

"Of course," she replies. "But I'm thinking the night could still get better."

Her suggestion hangs there, tangible as the crispness surrounding us, and I unlock the truck, feeling a strange sense of anticipation knotting in my chest. We climb in, and I start the engine.

Maybe it's the season, or maybe it's Jayden, but tonight, I crave the connection I've too often pushed away, the closeness I've convinced myself I don't need.

I tap the steering wheel, each beat a silent admission of the chaos brewing inside me. The black Jeep eats up the road back to Pawleys Island.

"Jayden," I start, glancing over at her, "there's something I gotta say."

"Shoot," she says, her attention fixed on the moonlit ocean in the distance.

"Alright." I clear my throat, feeling like a damn amateur at this feelings crap. "It's about us."

"Us?" Her eyebrow quirks up, and she turns to face me.

"Yeah, us." My grip on the steering wheel tightens as I wrack my brain for the right way to do this.

By the time we pull into the driveway of the beach house, the idea slams into me, making me chuckle.

"Stay here," I tell her, popping the door open and stepping out into the salty air.

"Where are you going?" She tilt’s her head to look at me.

"Back in a sec," I promise, leaving her with a wink.

I run up to my bedroom to find my old guitar case. It feels like holding a part of myself that's been quiet a little too long lately. I flip it open, and there she is—my six-string confidant. I pluck a string, and the sound vibrates through the space.

"God, I feel like a sap," I mutter under my breath, shaking my head. This is so not me.

Guitar in hand, I stride back to Jayden. Her eyes widen as I sit on the front bumper of my Jeep. I position the guitar, take a deep breath, and start playing. Not some sappy love ballad, but a heavy metal riff that's all fire and brimstone—because if I'm going to pour my heart out, it's going to be on my terms.

"Ryder,” she says as she gets out of the jeep and comes in front of me. “What are you—" she starts, but I cut her off with a raised hand and keep playing, the notes tearing into the night.

When the last chord dies away, I look up at her, feeling exposed, raw. "So, uh, that's new for me."

"Playing your feelings instead of saying them?" Her lips twitch.

"Something like that," I admit.

"Ah, so I'm your muse now?" She slides off the truck, standing before me with that smile that punches straight through my armor.

"Looks like it." I hop off my Jeep and close the distance.

"Behind all that sarcasm..." She reaches up, stroking my face so soft that the tenderness feels like it's etching directly onto my soul. "I see you—the real you. And I'm falling pretty damn hard."

Her admission catches me off guard me—in a good way. Heat rushes to my cheeks, and that's not something that happens often. I’m used to throwing body checks, not catching feelings. However, with this woman, everything's upside down.

"Jayden," I breathe out. "I'm not good at this... feeling stuff. At some point though, you got under my skin, and hell if I don't want you there—all the time."

She smiles in return, and we stand there, just looking at each other.

"Does this mean we're doing this? Like really doing this?" Jayden asks.

"Yeah." I nod, surprised at how much I mean it. "We're doing this, Jayden. For real."

Then, I'm leaning in, and she's rising on her toes, and our lips meet in a kiss that's all heat and promise. A kiss that says we're more than just a fling, more than late-night texts and casual dates. This is the real deal.

Without breaking the kiss, I scoop Jayden up, one arm under her knees, the other around her back. She gasps against my mouth, making her laughing.

"Ryder Raines, what are you doing?" she manages between breaths.

"Something I should've done a long time ago," I say.

With Jayden hoisted over my shoulder, her red hair flying around, I stride toward my bedroom. Each step is filled with a newfound certainty. I'm Ryder Raines, and I'm no longer alone. I've got a fiery, five-foot-four reason to believe in something more.

"Welcome to the cave, babe," I tease, kicking open the door to my room.