Bookmarked - A Rodrick x Reader Fan Fiction

Chapter 23 - State of Mind

As you and Rodrick walk back to the van, your mind wanders to him. Could you actually like Rodrick? Really like him?

Yes, what you two were doing was about a bet or an agreement whatever you wanted to call it. But even if this was some kind of rebellion, could he be right? That you would fall for him first?

He brought you all the way to New York City for crying out loud! It's only an hour away from Plainview, but it was something to consider. Should you even let him get close? Could you let him get close or would it be all too cruel. You knew that all of this would be over the minute your parents welcomed you back home, but you also were growing suspicious that they might never call you. That you would be stuck with the Jefferson's all three months and then go back to school. You knew you had three months because you could be back in the dorms again. You should have just done summer school to stay on campus, what were you thinking?

You knew Dr. Leto and the team would ask what happened with your parents as they all knew what was going on. What could you tell them? What would the outcome be? A loving family once more or would you be broken forever?

"Are you lost?" A voice pierces your ears, waking you from your thoughts.

"What?" You ask, blinking rapidly. Does that work, blinking quickly? Does it really rouse someone from their inner voice and back into reality? You thought it might be working, but even now, you weren't sure who asked.

"In your head?" Rodrick clinks his pointer finger to your temple. "You looked like you're thinking really hard." As his fingers falls from your temple, it finds itself among your hair, tucking a strand behind your ear.

"Oh, um, yeah. Sorry." Can't even come up with a lame excuse, [Y/N]? Now he's gonna have to be concerned for you.

"It's fine. I think you look cute when you're thinking. You scrunch your eyebrows together. Very focused." He uses his whole hand to point forward, towards the pavement you have been walking on. At least Rodrick was a good sport about this all. You hated when people would ask a billion times if something was wrong. You were always one to either keep it bottled inside because why burden everyone with your shit? Or you would tell them what's wrong, crying incoherently about whatever your problem was.

"Mhm," is all you say, mumble really.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks, and there it is. Do you shut up or cry?

"Can we go to one more place? I've always wanted to visit the Empire State Building. Like in Percy Jackson!" You feign excitement. While it would be cool to visit something you read about in a book, you also were unsure of things now.

You thought this bet with Rodrick would be straightforward. You were rebelling and never have had sex, so fuck it, you were doing it with someone. But here he was, making things complicated, being nice to you. You had never been on a real date and this was proving almost too much for you. He showed genuine interest in you. Not many had done that who weren't already related to you.

But Rodrick, the guy he is, takes your hand and pulls you towards the right, heading down yet another street. How he knows this city so well without using his GPS was astonishing to you. You felt like you got lost in the neighborhood you grew up in.

As you stood in front of the building, the immense power of it all made you shiver. Or maybe it was the decreasing temperature as the night wore on.

As you both rode the elevator up to the observation deck, you felt consumed by your thoughts once more. Why was this so difficult for you? Was it Rodrick? Was it you?

Did you want to keep things casual? Or did this date change your mind? Did he?

Rodrick was not the type of guy you bring home to your family. In fact, he'd be the guy you'd bring home to piss them off. You knew even now, that if you brought Rodrick home to the Jeffersons, Rowley wouldn't forgive you.