Paradise Bound (bxb)

Chapter 4

"Is that everything?" My mom asks as we set the last box down in my dorm room. My roommate, whom I have yet to meet, is currently out of the room but his stuff is already unpacked.

"Yeppers" I reply to her and she begins to sniffle, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Aww ma, I'm going to be home more often than you think with visiting you, Jace and bringing Amber to the appointments" I reassured her, wrapping my arms around her in a squeezing hug.

"I know but it's just...my baby is all grown up now" she blubbers into my hair. Dad gives me a sad smile. He's not as emotional as mom but I can tell not having me in the house will effect both of them.

"I can come by and keep you guys company too" Jace chirps from my new bed.

Mom laughs "That would be lovely Jace"

We walk my parents down to their truck and say our goodbyes. Jace is staying for the weekend at Ryder's new apartment, so we can do more sight seeing and just hang out before school actually starts.

"Alright, now you get to lead us to his place" I tell him after waving to the truck leaving down the road. Jace grabbed his phone out and googled the address before we started our walk to his place.

"It says it's about 5 minutes away" he confirms while watching both the phone and the sidewalk. "So, have you thought about when you're going to tell him?"

"Yes, I want to get settled in before throwing a potential relationship in the mix" I told him while we walked by a café. The smell of coffee and baked items waft into my nose.

"Let's grab coffee and something to snack on, we'll grab something for him too" I say while grabbing Jace's arm and pulling him into the small café. Around the place has small little two person tables along with booths to sit four people. The decor is Paris themed with black and white photos against the walls. It's a nice, quaint establishment.

"Hello welcome to oh la la café, what can I get you today?" the cheery blond behind the counter greeted as we stepped up to the counter. She sported a visor hat, with the cafe's name on it, her hair up in a messy bun and bright blue eyes. She's very pretty.

"Uhm, we will get the berry white mocha, a hazelnut latte and a caramel macchiato"

"Awww how adorable you remember our drinks" Jace cooed and I rolled my eyes giving the girl my card.

"Oh, could you add a couple croissants and eclairs?"

"Sure thing!" She tapped a few buttons before telling me the total.

"Okay, your order will be right up" she smiled, giving back my card then turned to make the drinks with her coworker. We stood off to the side by the pick up counter. Jace played on his phone leaving me to my thoughts. The last two weeks I was busy hanging out with Jace and began to think about Ryder. I know he is attractive but I wondered if I was sexually attracted to him.

Who was I kidding, if I said no, that'd be a flat out lie because sleeping next to him majority of the road trip was pure torture. The scent of him alone is able to send tingles southbound so having him sleeping a foot away. I had to keep myself from reaching out to him, wrapping my arms around him and ravishing him.

"Matt" the cashier lady called out, interrupting my thoughts. She smiled while placing the three drinks on the pick up counter.

"Thank you, have a great day" I told her while grabbing Ryder and my drink. She beamed at us.

"You too!" She called back as we exited to store. We got back on track walking down the sidewalk.

"So what are our Halloween plans?" He asked.

"Uhhh, I don't know. I can see if there are any parties on campus" I told him and he squealed in excitement.

"Yaaaas, that would be so fun"

I laughed "You sure you're trio will like you going to a college party?" I teased.

He scoffed "I'm an adult, plus I could always get Dakota to come with" he shrugged.

"Probably a good idea, lord knows they'd have a heart attack if they couldn't keep an eye on you around alcohol and horny college students"

"Are you saying that you wouldn't be sufficient enough to keep an eye on me?"

"No, but you know what happened the last time it was just you and me" I said sadly, glancing at the dull scar running up his forearm. He stopped and frowned at me.

"The accident wasn't your fault Matt, you need to stop thinking it was" he said.

"Yeah but I wasn't able to protect you" I retorted.

"Love that you would want to Mattsy, but it's not your job to protect me" he smiled and nudged my arm before he continued on the walk then steering us to a buildings double doors.

"Best friends should protect each other as much as possible" I stated pursing my lips.

"True but that was out of either of our hands" he skimmed the names on the buzzer box and once he found Ryder's he buzzed it. It took a couple seconds for the door to click, signaling us to go through. We entered the complex and was met with a simple designed lobby. The mailboxes were on the walls next to the elevators.

Jace hit the up button on the elevator and we entered, hitting the sixth floor button. I expected elevator music to be playing but surprisingly, it was silent.

"It's not as pretentious as I thought it'd be" I mumbled making Jace chuckle.

"I have to agree but rent around here is outrageous, I think he said this one was like $2,150 a month for a one bedroom" my mouth dropped open.

"Holy shit, I'm glad I live on campus" I shook my head in disbelief.

"What if you moved in?" Jace asked.

"Pfft I could not afford to pay half of the rent" I exasperated.

"He may not ask you to" he slyly said.

"I would not allow him to do that" I muttered "and we aren't even dating yet!" I exclaimed.

"Yet" Jace stated with a wink and I rolled my eyes as the doors opened.

"A relationship needs to be established before talking future like that" I said, sticking out my tongue. We meandered down the hall until he stopped us at the door. He knocked and we waited patiently. The clicks of the locks sounded then the door swung open to a shirtless Ryder.

"Hey Ryder" Jace chirped.

My eyes scanned Ryder's body. He was wearing grey sweatpants that were loosely fit on his hips, the elastic band of his Calvin Klein boxer briefs was visible. My eyes traveled on to his hip bones. I don't know why but I find hip bones and collarbones very appealing to the eye. Up his smooth flat stomach, his chest and to his face where a smirk is formed.

"Matthew" he greeted. I felt my cheeks begin to burn from being caught checking him out.

"Hi" I meekly said.

"Come on in" he turned leaving the door open, my eyes catching the new addition to his smooth back. A black and white tattoo of a snow leopard climbing up a snowy mountain side. The tail curling down his side by his ribs.

"When did you get that?" I asked. He turned back towards us as Jace shut the door. He had a thoughtful look on his face before answering.

"About a week and a half ago"

"It looks amazing" I told him and he gave me a smile.

"Thank you, I've been wanting a tattoo for a while but didn't know what to get but then when we were talking about our favorite animals, I thought, why not a snow leopard" he told us.

"Oh, I bought a coffee for you" I said remembering the cup in my hands.

"We also got croissants and eclairs too" Jace piped in.

"Cool, thank you" he said as he took his cup from me and set the bag of treats on the kitchen counter. He took a sip of the coffee and hummed. "Mmm my favorite"

"Yeah, Matt remembered" Jace cooed, my cheeks flaming up again while Ryder snickered.

"Anyway, so this is the kitchen" he gestured to the space around us. It was a small kitchen but it was decent enough for one person. There was a small little dining table across the room from the kitchen that could hold four people. "The living room obviously" he walked over and gestured around the living room. The theme was so Ryder, black and white with blue accents here and there. There were two futons, a couple side tables, a fireplace with a TV hanging above it and then a door to the patio.

"It's a very small patio" Ryder shrugged as he showed us the small area. You could literally fit a chair on each side of the door and that's it. He then led us to the hallway where there was a door to his bathroom that had a tub/shower then his bedroom where his king bed was already made, black night stands, a black dresser and a closet.

"And that's about it" he said before leading us back out to the living room. He grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and we sat on the futons.

"I haven't even unpacked yet" I sighed.

"I didn't unpack, my dad had people do it for me" Ryder chuckled.

"Pfft lucky" which made him laugh more

"I could help you unpack Matthew" he suggested taking a bite from the apple. He pulled it away and my eyes zeroed in on the juice from the apple, glistening on his pink lips. Fuck, I want to lick it off him.

"I wouldn't mind" he stated with the smirk and I looked at him my eyes widening in horror. Jace was laughing hysterically.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes" Jace said while he died of laughter.

"I'm going to go die in a hole now" I mumbled wishing the ground would open up and swallow me. My cheeks will be a permanent red color by the end of this visit.

"It's okay, Matthew" Ryder smiled his perfect smile at me. "Maybe one day" he winked. I cleared my throat.

"Anyway, I wouldn't mind your help unpacking" I said, changing topics.

"Cool, I can throw on a shirt and we can go" he said, getting up from the futon and disappearing into his bedroom.

"Should've just got up and kissed him" Jace teased and I pushed his shoulder playfully.

"Shut up, he still doesn't know Amber and I broke up" I whispered.

"Should tell him" he sang quietly. Ryder reappeared with a black shirt on. Of course, cause the man only wears black, white or blue. I should buy him different colored clothes.

"Alright, let's go" he said and ushered us out the door while he locked it up. "Oh, I made extra keys for emergencies" he held out a key to me and Jace.

"So I can't use this for a weekend getaway and sex up your apartment?"Jace asked wiggling his eyebrows. Ryder gave him a flat look.

"Yeah, no" he stated firmly and Jace laughed.

"I'm kidding broski" he nudged his arm before taking one of the keys.

"You can use it whenever you want Matthew" he commented while I took the other key, sliding it on to my key ring.

"I would hate to intrude with whenever" I told him shyly. Like I would hate to walk in and see a half naked or fully naked dude in your kitchen. I thought to myself. Stop it Matt.

"We're friends, so whenever is fine. Get in a fight with your roommate? Need a study area? anytime" he reassured.

"Well, uh, thank you" I smiled at him and Jace gave me a look. I poked Jaces side making him squeak as we made our way into the elevator.

"Are you getting a job while going to school?" Jace asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah, gotta help pay my tuition somehow. I'm thinking maybe that café we stopped at on our way here" I said.

"Oooh yeah, that'd be a nice place to work at. Ryder could visit you" he said cheekily and I narrowed my eyes at him. He gave me an innocent smile.

"Which place?" Ryder asked as the elevator opened to the lobby.

"The oh la la café around the corner from here" Jace told him and he nodded.

"I seen that place when we were apartment hunting. They do have good coffee" he said holding up his cup like he was toasting.

We chatted while we walked to my dorm room. Ryder had mentioned he couldn't bring his bike and it made him quite sad since he loves to ride as much as possible before winter came.

We arrived at my dorm room and my roommate was sitting on his bed as we walked into the dorm. He was tall, I'd say about as tall as Dakota, so six feet. He had dirty blond hair, short on the sides and long on the top. He has brown eyes and looks like he works out due to the muscle he's sporting under his t shirt.

"Hey" he greeted eyeing the three of us.

"Hey, I'm Matt your roommate" I said, holding out my hand.

"Hayden" he said while shaking my hand.

"That's my best friend Jace and Ryder" I gestured to the men beside me.

"Nice to meet you" he smiled at them. "Are you guys going to school here too?" He asked.

"Oh no, well not me but Ryder is" Jace replied.

"You'll probably be seeing a lot of me" Ryder said with smile on his face.

"Where are you from?" I asked as I started opening one of the boxes that accompanied my bed.

"Nebraska" Hayden replied.

"Cool"

"You still have my sweater" Ryder commented as I unpacked the box in front of me. I looked down at the sweater he was talking about. A dark grey Under Armour sweater.

"I was wondering where I got it from, I didn't think it was Jace's" I said holding it up.

"Yeah, from the night at the hospital" he informed.

"Oh" I said and held it out for him to take back.

"Nah, you can have it. I haven't missed it" he simply said pushing it back toward me.

"Thanks" I said quietly with a smile.

"So, where are you guys from?" Hayden asked, eyeing Ryder and I. Shit, I hope he isn't a homophobe or anything.

"Pennsylvania" I answered. "Would you guys grab us some drinks from the vending machines?" I asked Jace and Ryder and they nodded. "Want anything?" I directed it to Hayden.

"Nah, thanks I got my mini fridge" he pointed to the mini fridge in the corner if his side of the room. Jace and Ryder shuffled out of the room and I turned to Hayden.

"Are you okay with gays?" I asked bluntly and he looked at me stunned.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine with it" he held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay" I nodded "My best friend is and I just didn't want to have any issues"

"Isn't that Ryder guy your boyfriend?" He asked and I blushed.

"Uhh, no. Well maybe soon" I scratched my head "Long story" I finished.

"Well since we are roomies, we will get to know each other quite well" he smiled and I smiled back as Jace and Ryder reappeared in the room.

We all chatted as Jace, Ryder and I unboxed my things and put them where I wanted them. We learned that Hayden was majoring in Physical Therapy. By the end of it, we decided to go out for pizza and invited Hayden to go with us. He seems like a very nice guy and I look forward to getting to know him better. Maybe he could become part of our friend group. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comment. Vote. Show some love<3