Page 107 of Shy Girls Can't Date Rockstars
“Our practices get intense,” he admits. “This showcase is all or nothing for us.”
“Exactly why you should get back in there and practice.”
Ryder frowns. “I don’t want to be away from you.” His fingers brush against my wrist. “I don’t want to practice without you around.”
My eyebrow arches. “You can’t expect me to be around them.”
He clasps my hand and tugs me further down the hall. “No, but I can buy some more time with you.”
“Ryder.” A splutter of giggles escapes me. “They’ll be so peeved with you.”
“Let ’em,” he replies. “The band’s not going anywhere without me.”
I tug on his hand, halting his pace as we pass the staircase. “You need to work on your nerves, boy. You deserve better than carrying those two.”
He squeezes my hand. “Maybe after more time with you, I’ll be able to handle it.”
I wince. “Don’t put it all on me. I’m always two-seconds from crumbling.”
Ryder’s arms wrap around me. “You don’t have to worry about holding it together.” He gives my hair a gentle stroke. “I just like your quiet. I’ll protect you from everybody else’s noise.”
“Why would you do that?” My head rests against his chest, and I listen to the rhythmic thumping of his heart. “I’m not worth aligning with. I’ll only ruin the connections you’ve made.”
“You had a bad start here because of me. I’ll rewrite it for you.”
“I don’t want you to defend me. I don’t want people to know why I moved here. People are awful, and I won’t have them make rumors about my parents.”
“I won’t let them, Ally.”
“Once it’s said, you can’t erase it.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“Ugh.” I step back, taking a beat. “It’s not about you.”
“Alice, I’m trying to make this about you.”
I wince and shake my head. “Maybe you should just practice. It’s not worth making them mad.”
“You’re worth spending time with.”
I give him a weak smile. “It’s been a long day. I think I need to lie down.”
He gives me a dubious look. “Are you sure?”
“We’ve spent so much time together. It’s the most social interaction I’ve had in weeks. Believe me, I’m sure.”
Frowning, he nods. “Okay. But can we talk later?”
“Sure, at some point.”
“I’ll knock on your door after practice.”
“Okay.” I turn to leave toward my bedroom. “Break a leg in there.”
Reluctantly, he turns back toward the practice room. “Thanks.”
I move into my bedroom and find my phone on my bed. Getting past the tremor in my hand, I open my message chain with Jill and type a long-awaited reply.“Hi, I’m still alive. Sorry, life is just hard right now.”
