Dive into Temptation [ManxBoy]

33. Ryan's House

A/N: Remember to leave comments throughout if you are enjoying or hating whats happening! Your feedback helps me write!

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The ride to Ryans house was unbearably awkward with Ryans dad shooting me inquisitive glances in the rear view mirror. I wasn't a stranger to him, I had been to his house countless times with Ryan. But I guess the chaos of Dominic had shaken him slightly. Soon enough we got to Ryans house and I was thankful that Dom had never driven me there. If he knew Ryans address, he would have surely come after me.

Once inside, Ryan beelined to his room where he fell face first into his bed. I sat down on the edge, wondering what I should say. There was still an air of awkwardness between us, the kiss likely at the back of both our minds. We still hadn't addressed it. And Ryan hadn't said a single word to me on the drive to his house. I wondered if maybe he regret inviting me over, and I started to feel as if I were imposing.

Then, in a swift move, Ryan rolled onto his side, eyes locked on me. I couldn't handle the intensity, my gaze darting away, fingers twitching over my phone. I resisted the urge to power it on, knowing there'd be an avalanche of Dom's messages. Ryan's gaze felt heavy, and I could sense a twinge of judgment, leaving me with a sense of unease.

"So, um... what happened at the concert..." I hesitated, not sure how to approach the question. What did the kiss mean?

"Forget about it. You have enough on your plate," Ryan replied, avoiding my gaze.

He had a point, but I couldn't just let it go. My eyes wandered over his body, realizing for the first time that Ryan was actually quite attractive. He was wearing a black t-shirt and some shorts that looked like sweatpants material. My eyes scanned his long legs, and I felt weirdly intrigued by them. I always knew Ryan was fit, since we both worked in a fitness center, but I guess I never really took the time to appreciate his fit physique. How had I never paid attention to this before? Maybe our friendship had kept me from seeing it, as a way to not allow myself to feel for someone who I thought was straight. I wondered then just how many cues I had missed from him, if any.

I thought back to our kiss. It felt intense, like there was longing from him behind it. Did I imagine that? If Ryan truly had feelings for me, why hadn't he made any advances before? And why was he avoiding talking about it now? Despite everything happening with Dom, I wanted to understand. But it seemed like we were both going to have to forget it.

Ryan got up then, heading to his closet to grab some blankets. It was our usual routine when I stayed over - we'd make a cozy bed of blankets on the floor and hang out there together before he'd go back to his bed and I'd sleep on the floor. There were a few times when Ryan fell asleep on the floor with me, but we had never both slept in his bed.

I watched as he arranged the blankets just the way I liked. I felt strangely touched by his thoughtfulness. He settled into his spot on the floor, turning on the TV and pulling out his weed pen. He looked at me, expecting me to join him on the floor. I felt a bit weird as I got up and settled beside him. Everything felt different now, wondering if he liked me, if he had liked me all this time. But I tried to push those thoughts away, just like he asked. He passed me the weed pen and I took a much-needed hit, exhaling my worries.

"Atta' boy," he said with a nod of approval, and I couldn't help but blush.

His eyes briefly glanced at the hickey on my neck, lingering there for a moment before quickly looking away.

"It doesn't mean anything," I said, meeting his gaze. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if he could trust me. "He forced it on me, so you wouldn't... um... kiss me again."