Bastiana has a loving family, two amazing best friends, and a secret.
Over summer vacation, Bastiana and her besties do their best to focus on their bucket list in order to distract them from all the secrets they're keeping from one another. When a...
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"What was his excuse this time?" Ry rolls his eyes from his spot on my bed as I finish getting ready. "'Too far out of his way'?" He mutters.
"Nico told her that he was pregaming with his team." I sigh and shake my head.
"And he didn't even bother to invite her?" He asks.
"Nope. Not that she would have gone, anyway." I shrug. "She hates hanging out with his team. All they do is ogle her and he never says anything about it." My jaw clenches at the thought of Nico letting his friends make Tiana feel so uncomfortable. "Besides, this way we get to take her to the dance and if history is any indicator, she'll leave with us, too." I add with a smirk as I sit down in my desk chair to put on my shoes.
"Good." Ry nods. "She's happier when she's with us. They've been fighting more lately and I hate to see her so upset when she deserves so much better than that tool." I notice his fists clenching where they rest on his thighs.
"You're right." I sigh as I sit up and look at him. "She deserves to be loved and appreciated by someone who really sees her. Someone like you, Ry." I say quietly.
"Or you." He whispers without looking up at me.
"But until she realizes that for herself, all we can do is be there for her, to pick up the pieces." I say after a beat of tense silence. "So." I stand up and reach for my suit jacket. "Until that happens, let's just take our girl to the dance and make sure she has an amazing night, because you and I know that she deserves that." I smile encouragingly at him as I slip my jacket on and straighten the front as I step up to the mirror.
"That's um... You look..." Ry stutters. I look over at him and see his cheeks are tinted pink with a blush as he rubs the back of his neck nervously. I wait patiently for him to find his words as his eyes roam up and down my body. "You look nice tonight, Ash." He says softly after a moment.
"Thank you, Ry." I say with a gentle smile. Over the last few months, it's become more than obvious that Ry finds me physically appealing, though we still haven't talked about his feelings or what he wants. More and more frequently, I catch him checking me out. I don't mind it, sometimes I even like the way his attention feels. When he looks at me, it's not ogling; I never feel uncomfortable under his gaze. When he looks at me, it feels more like he's appreciating my body and admiring me. I feel my face heat with a blush as his eyes continue to scan my body.
"Your tie is a bit crooked though." He says, slowly standing from the bed. "Do you mind if I fix it?" He points at my tie and takes a tentative step towards me. I can see the apprehension in his eyes.
"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Ry." I smile softly at him.
He closes the remaining distance between us with a few slow, cautious steps and carefully reaches out to take my tie in his hands. His eyes drop from my face to his hands as they work over the blue linen.
