Poison Ivy

Chapter 8

Ryder's Point of View

I was running on energy drinks and a  few hours sleep. All week I had been on graveyard. Starting at eleven at  night and knocking off at six in the morning. I'd get home sleep till  eight, and then go to school.

My life was on repeat and it was boring.

Especially because Ivy had decided to completely ignore me. Not in person though.

She hadn't come to school in over a week.

I had messaged her. Hell I even had gone to the trouble of getting another phone and a new number, so I could message her.

It was the first thing I did after I left her place.

Couldn't  exactly message her on my number because she thought that number was  Ty. Which brought up another question, how the hell can she just wipe  off 100k? To a guy, she wasn't even in a relationship with.

I  thought she had lied about him not being her boyfriend, when I read that  message. But she told me, she didn't love him. And I believed her when  she said that.

So I had been right when I thought their relationship was just physical.

She said she used men for sex. I never thought I'd find a woman just like me. But she was my match.

So I was frustrated when she ignored my messages and disappeared from school.

I was so tempted to go to her house.

But I think that would enter stalking. And I didn't want that. As much as I wanted to talk to her.

I sat down in maths, next to Dana and Jack. I knew I needed to focus on maths. It was important. But my brain was exhausted.

I  may have also scored myself the graveyard shift for the rest of the  month till the gun deal went down and I smiled at this. Cause I took out  the Maddison's port security.

I was considering it pay back for the apprentice taking out my men.

What  even made me smile more, was I heard the apprentice was being forced to  retrain the men taking over. And till that was done, he was being  forced to baby sit the port, in case anyone showed up while they waited  for their pseudoephedrine shipment.

I smirked. Knowing he was  suffering, made my day better. I thought my day was going to get as good  as it gets, till I spotted her storm in.

Ivy.

She was  wearing something I had never seen her in, a dress, and it showed off  that flawless figure of hers. You could tell she worked for her body. It  was that indescribable how she moved so fluently.

I got up immediately.

"Where are you going?" Dana said and then spotted Ivy. "Oh. Never mind."

I  moved through the class, normally she always sat in the middle of the  class, but this time she was sitting at the front. Like she wanted to  make sure there was more distance behind us.

"Hey?" I pulled out the seat next to her. "I thought you had disappeared completely."

She  dragged her eyes off her open textbook and looked me in the eye. God  she looked as tired as I felt. There were shadows under her eyes. And  she wasn't wearing makeup to attempt to cover it up.

"You looked exhausted? Is the weather still keeping you up?" I couldn't help myself but ask. The weather had been miserable.

She scoffed and then looked back down at her textbook.

Why was she making it seem like it was my fault she wasn't sleeping?

Her  body language was screaming defensive. I just couldn't understand why. I  thought we had left things on a good note. I sure as hell hoped she was  starting to feel something for me, the way I was feeling something for  her.

"So you're back then?" I said. "Back at school I mean?"

"By  force yes." She muttered and started working on a fraction. What was  with that tone in her voice? Like the last place she wanted to be was  here. I thought she wanted to further her education?

"So you tried to leave?" I just had a strong feeling that's why she had been missing all week.

She glanced up, a fire burning in her eyes. "Let's just say, I'm not allowed to leave."

"Why would you want to? You are the one on about furthering your education and getting smarter?"

"Yeah you aren't the only one reminding me of that."

I  arched my eyebrows at her. "So you just woke up one morning and thought  fuck it, I'll drop out of my final year?" I couldn't stop the  disapproval leak into my voice. I didn't mean for it to sound like I was  giving her a lecture but I couldn't stop it.

She was smart. Extremely smart. Why would she just turn her back on that?

"Piss off Ryder." She turned back to her books.

I put my hand over the textbook she wanted to read so badly. "Answer the question. What made you want to drop out?"

I heard her grind her teeth. "Piss off Ryder."

"Clearly your lack of sleep is effecting your thinking."

"And whose fault with that be!" She snapped. Like it was my fault. "Piss off Ryder. I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Pity cause I am."

She groaned. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

I wish I could. "Nope. You've been driving me crazy." And that was an understatement.

"Ryder.  Can I ask something of you?" She turned looking deadly serious. Her  voice had even changed, like what she was about to ask me was important.

I frowned. "Sure."

"Leave. Me. Alone." She looked me in the eye. "Please."

I shrugged well I knew the answer to that. "No."

She  groaned. "Why! Why must you take a interest in me? Don't you get it.  I'm all wrong for you! I'm don't do friendships. I don't do  relationships."

Well first I had to address the why question.  "Because I like you and as for not doing a friendship or a relationship,  we can work on it."

She shook her head. "If you only knew me,  then you wouldn't be bothering with me." She looked at me determined.  "It is in your best interest, if you leave me alone."

She said she  didn't judge people. But I had a strong feeling she had judged me- like  she had taken a long hard look at my life, and really didn't like what  she saw.

"This is because of my family isn't it?" My words coming  out hard. She said she didn't fucking judge! But I knew it was my family  holding her back from speaking to me. From wanting a friendship with  me.

If she couldn't accept my family, she could never accept me.  It was a bitter taste, knowing she really was out of league. Never once  had I wished I had a different family, but knowing it was going to keep  Ivy out of my league, well for one time in my life- I wished my family  was normal.

Then that thought wiped quickly. I wouldn't change my blood.

"Well I'll leave you alone then." I got up, taking her silence as a yes.

I slumped back in my seat between Jack and Dana.

Somehow this attraction I had for Ivy, had to end. I just wasn't sure how to do it.