Page 88 of Shy Girls Can't Date Rockstars
“Alice, wake up!” Dad’s voice comes from the back seat, but when I look in the rearview mirror, he’s not there anymore. Neither of them are there anymore. I’m alone in the van, careening toward disaster, and—
I jolt awake with a strangled cry, my heart hammering against my ribs as I struggle to understand where I am. The room isdim, lit only by the glow of a television screen, and nothing looks familiar. Plush furniture, plastered walls, the scent of something woodsy that definitely isn’t my bedroom.
Panic floods my system as I piece together how I got here. Why am I lying on an unfamiliar couch? Why does my mouth taste like I’ve been crying?
“Alice? Hey, it’s okay.”
The voice comes from across the room, followed by the sound of movement. I turn toward the sound, and a figure emerges from what looks like a bedroom, moving toward me in the low light.
“You’re okay,” the voice says again, and I recognize it now. “You’re safe. You had a nightmare.”
As Ryder gets closer, my vision adjusts enough to see him clearly, and my breath catches in my throat. He’s shirtless, wearing only a pair of dark pajama pants that hang low on his hips. His dark hair is mussed from sleep, sticking up at odd angles, and there’s genuine concern written across his features.
“I don’t—where am I?” I stammer, my breathing still rapid and shallow from the nightmare.
“You’re in my room,” Ryder whispers, settling onto the edge of the coffee table, the two chains around his neck gently swinging against his chest. “You fell asleep before the episode finished, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
The memory races back. The fight with Miranda, crying in Ryder’s arms, and watching Cook-Out Champs together.
“Oh gosh,” I murmur, heat flooding my cheeks as I realize I’ve been sleeping in his room. “I’m so sorry. I should have gone back to my own room. I shouldn’t have...”
“Hey,” Ryder interrupts softly. “It’s fine. You needed to rest, and you looked peaceful for the first time since I’ve known you.”
I try to sit up, tangled underneath a weighted blanket, but my head spins with the sudden movement.
“Whoa,” Ryder says, reaching out to steady me as I sway. “Take it easy.”
“I should go back to my room,” I say, but my voice lacks conviction. The thought of walking through Miranda’s dark hallways and lying in that cold bedroom surrounded by twisted tree paintings makes my stomach clench with anxiety.
“You don’t have to,” Ryder says, and there’s something in his tone that suggests he understands my reluctance. “Why don’t you take the bed? You’ll be more comfortable, and I can sleep out here.”
“Ryder, I can’t take your bed. Why don’t you go back there? You don’t need to sit here and watch me.”
Ryder’s chin settles on his palm, and his dark eyes fix on me. “It’s just… you look so sad.”
My breath hitches.
“From the moment you got here, you’ve looked sad.” He sighs. “And before you got here, I was just...”
He pauses for a beat too long, causing me to sit up. “Just, what? Sad too?”
His expression hardens. “Angry.”
The bitterness in his voice scares me, and I tug at the blanket for comfort.
“Alice, I need to apologize for how I reacted when you... when my equipment got damaged.” He runs a hand through his floppy hair. “I was cruel to you, and you didn’t deserve it.”
I slump against the chaise lounge, surprised by the changing direction of this conversation. “Ryder, you already…”
“I knew it was an accident when it was happening. But all I could think about was...” He trails off, staring at his hands.
“What?” I ask gently.
“How my parents worked so hard to pay for my gear.” The words come out like a confession. “All the extra shifts my dadpulled at the factory. Both my parents have made so many sacrifices for me. I just don’t think it’s been worth it.”
Something in his voice causes my chest to tighten. “What do you mean?”
Ryder is quiet for a long moment, and when he speaks again, his voice is barely above a whisper. “My parents aren’t like the rich snobs here. My dad has worked at a manufacturing plant for twenty years. My mom was going back to nursing school, but when I...”
