Page 24 of The Downside of Love
Not one text.
Not one phone call.
I know I was the one who left that morning without a word, but I’m also the one who drew the short end of the stick when it came to our future in the Air Force.
I should be with Colby . . . flying. Even though I didn't want it when I was younger, I do want it now.
But I also know how much Colby wishes he was here now with Rory, and I can't hold that against him.
I can't change the way things happened with flight school, but I guess my shitty life isn’t as bad as I thought it was. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself.
I’m almost positive Rory still has feelings for Colby.
Glancing at me through her eyelashes, shy and a little wary, Rory says, “I don’t think it will be an issue. Do you, Stryder?”
An issue? Sarcastically I think,not a problem at all.I’m just head over dick in love with you and want nothing more than to feel your lips on mine.But in all honesty, even though it’s going to be absolute torture being close to her and not able to do anything about my feelings, it’s also an opportunity, a chance to get to know her better.
To put her at ease, I say, “Nah, we’ll be good.” I take another bite of my pancake, letting the syrup melt over my tongue.
This living situation might not be so bad after all.
Chapter Seven
STRYDER
I’m just going to say it.
Ryan is a slob.
And I’m not as anal as Colby, insisting everything needs to be in its place, but come on, bras and thongs don’t have to be hanging fromeverywhere. Is she trying to make sure I know she has a set in every color of the rainbow?
Noted, she has a lot of lingerie.
Hearing the oven beep, I make my way out of the bathroom, past her makeup lineup and pile of laundry. She’s sitting on the couch filing her nails, polish spread over the table, a chick flick playing on the TV, and bags of open chips in front of her with copious amounts of crumbs scattered everywhere. And to top it off, the girl isn’t wearing a damn bra again. Would it kill her to grab one from the multiple hanging places and put it on?
Christ, her nipples are hard as rocks, pebbling against the fabric of her shirt. I’m a man, and I can only take so much before I get fucking horny.
I take my frozen pizza out of the oven and set it on a trivet, letting it cool before I break into it. I asked Ryan if she wanted some, but she shook her head and said she had her chips. Chips for dinner doesn’t seem filling to me, but hey, she’s a grown-ass woman and can do what she wants.
Which brings me to my burning question for the week: is this what living with a woman is like?
I grew up with brothers, and given that my mom isn’t really the strong confident type, I’ve never experienced living with an opinionated and self-assured woman.
It’s kind of insane and a fucking shock.
I have to wake up extra early so I can get a shower in before Ryan. The amount of beauty products this girl has is crazy. There is cream for shaving her legs, “coochy cream” for, well, I read the label on that one and you can only guess what it’s for. Then there is night face cream, morning face cream, sunscreen . . . how can she keep track of it all?
I use a bar of soap and shampoo. I keep it simple. When I want to, I wear cologne, but that’s it.
Should I have some sort of cream in my life?
I shake my head.Don’t even go there, man.
Once my pizza has cooled, I slice it up and put a few pieces on my plate with the intention to go back for more.
Taking a seat next to Ryan, I look at her as she’s examining her nails. “Sure you don’t want any?”
“I’m good. Thank you, though.” She nods toward the TV. “Have you seen this movie? It’s so funny.”
