A Bad Boy's Worst Nightmare (Book 1)

22. Another Birthday

I stared at the puppy. It was beautiful. Not a husky mix as far as I could tell, but beautiful nonetheless.

"This is Sky," he repeated, holding the puppy toward me a little more. It seemed very calm for such a young puppy.

I took it in to my arms. It was a bit heavy, but extremely soft, and it started licking my neck.

"Stupid mutt already made more progress than I have," Corey said, shaking his head.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I forced them away, doing my best to support the puppy in one arm as I wrapped my other arm hard around Corey. "Thank you so much," I said, pressing my face against his neck. "I love it."

"It's a girl," he said when I released him from my death grip.

I knelt on the ground and set her down so that she could stand up.

"Great. She's been here four seconds and already licked your neck and got you on your knees. What the hell does that say about me?" Corey joked.

I rolled my eyes at him then looked at the puppy, who was sitting in the grass with her ears pricked and her head tilted to the left. "Hi, Sky," I said quietly, mesmerized by her eyes. "You are such a pretty girl, you know that? You are the most beautiful dog I've ever seen." I pulled her to me again hugging her against my chest. She was so soft. "I love her," I said, looking up at Corey.

Corey bent down on one knee so that he could pet her too. "I thought she was the prettiest of the litter, and she was the only one that wasn't barking at me. So I thought that she would be the safest one to pic--"

I kissed him hard.

He looked surprised when I pulled back. "Okay. Um. If that's the reaction I'm gonna get, I'm gonna go back and get the rest of them."

"She's perfect," I said, looking down at the puppy in my arms. "Thank you so much, Corey."

"I hope you don't mind that I named her," he said awkwardly. "I couldn't help it. She's been at my house for a few days and everyone kept calling her 'Sky' so it just kind of stuck. On the bright side I think she's smart, 'cause she's already starting to respond to the name."

I kissed her on the top of her furry head, and she looked up and licked my neck again. It tickled and I giggled, wiping off the saliva from my neck. "Dorky little dog," I said affectionately.

"I told Kelsey that I got you a dog, so she cancelled the date to let you spend more time with her."

"That's even better."

He snorted. "You don't want to spend a date with the man that just bought you a dog?"

"I'd rather just spend time with him," I said simply. "Dates are overrated. Money spending, dressing up, going places. We have enough fun just being together as it is, in my opinion."

"Honestly, I couldn't agree more."

Picking up Sky as I stood up, I offered my other hand to Corey. "Come on, let's go inside."

And we walked inside, the weird little family we were.

* * * * *

"So...eighteen, huh?" he said randomly.

I nodded. "Yep."

"That's...a big number. You're, like, hella old now."

"I'm younger than you," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yes, but me being nineteen is sexy."

I couldn't hold back my snort. "Weirdo."

We were on the couch in what had become a normal position for us, where he laid on his back and I wedged myself between him and the couch on my side while my left arm and leg were across his body. Except now, Sky was laying on his stomach with her nose almost to my face. She wasn't very big, even when she stretched out; just a bit heavily built. I turned and pressed my lips to his shoulder.

Corey tensed a little bit. "You really shouldn't tempt me."

"Oh really?" I asked, kissing him again. "Why is that?"

"Because now it would be completely legal to roll over and rip off your clothes."

I ignored the blush flooding my cheeks. "If I gave consent," I said simply.

He groaned. "You are truly the most evil woman I've ever met, Ryder."

"Too bad."

With a sigh, he looked at the movie on the screen. "The hell are we even watching?"

"Titanic."

"Great. A movie about a horrible tragedy turned in to a sappy romance where the dude dies."

"Yep. My birthday, my house, my rules."

He sighed quietly again and turned to the screen, where Jack was dying. "I would do that," he said eventually as Jack slid in to the water lifelessly.

"What?"

"If there was a piece of wood floating in the ocean and you were going to die if you weren't on it, I'd let you be on it," he clarified. "Even though the wood in the movie is clearly big enough to support both of them if they get on it more carefully. I'd still do that for you."

"Sappy dork," I murmured quietly.

"Mean woman that won't accept kindness," he shot back.

I snorted.

Corey stroked my hair quietly, and we laid there watching the movie quietly for a long time. All I could hear was Corey's heartbeat and the sound of faint, adorable snoring coming from Sky. This moment was completely perfect. And then...

"I'm in love with you, Ryder."

Shock coursed through my body, both icy and fire hot as I tried to form words with my mouth. The best I could manage was, "What?"

"I am in love with you," he repeated more slowly.

I moved backward so that I could look in to his eyes.

He was serious.

"I...I um..."

"You don't have to say it back," he said, analyzing my face. "You don't have to say it until you feel it. But I feel it right now. So I said it."

"If I can't say it back, what do you want me to say?"

He laughed. "I don't know, actually. You could say 'thank you' I guess."

"Then...um...thanks, Corey."

"No problem, Ryder," he said, going back to stroking my hair.

What the hell? You love me? Are you serious? Can someone like me even be loved? Especially by someone as...well...amazing as you are?  I laid my head back down on his chest, my heart pounding in my chest. Well...he wouldn't joke about it...and his eyes were completely honest when he said it...but...

"Don't overthink this, Ryder," he murmured.

"I'm not," I lied.

"Yes, you are. I can damn near hear it."

"Shut up."

"Tell that to yourself."

I took a deep breath to steady myself and taking comfort in his scent. "How...will I know when to say it back to you?"

"That's different for everyone."

"Thanks for the help."

He snorted. "I can't tell you when you're ready to tell someone you're in love with them, Ryder. That's completely up to you. The timing of it is completely on you, and you have to have a reason for saying it."

"What was your reason?"

"The fact that it's true."

I looked off in to nowhere, my head against his chest.

That was a really good reason.