10:53 [calum hood]

06

➸ r i l e y

"Let me get this straight. You went with Calum to the City at midnight and you cuddled with him on the steps in front of Times Square?" Dani squealed through the phone.

"Yeah," I said sheepishly, trying to tidy up my room.

Dani 'aww'ed loudly. "How romantic! He totally likes you!"

I shook my head before realizing that she couldn't see me. "No he doesn't. He told me he liked someone with a boyfriend, and I don't have a boyfriend."

I could mentally see Dani rolling her eyes on the other line as she scoffed. "Well you have Luke, and that's close enough. He's just hiding the fact that he wants you. Who else would take someone to New York in the dead of the night just to cuddle? Face it, Ry, he wants you. He wants you bad."

"Shut up, Dan. I doubt it. He wouldn't like someone like me anyway. Who would?"

"Luke would," she pointed out. As much as I hated to admit it, Dani had a convincing argument. Maybe she was right. Maybe Calum did like me, and I could end whatever Luke was planning before it got too out of hand.

"I don't know, I want to wait until I know he likes me for sure before doing anything groundbreaking," I said cautiously.

Dani let out an exasperated sigh and I pictured her pacing back and forth across her room. "But we do know for sure!"

"Look, Dan, I'll call you back later. I need some time to think," I blurted out before hanging up, not giving her the chance to reply. I felt like a shitty friend, but I hated the pressure she was putting me under after our two hour long conversation on boys.

I sent a quick text to Luke telling him I was coming over. I ran downstairs and waved goodbye to my mom, who had her eyes glued to the TV watching Criminal Minds. Since it was Sunday, it meant that my mom was home for most of the day, and it was one of the only times I saw her all week.

I've never had a dad in my life. Mom had told me stories of how my dad was just some guy she had met at a party in college. They had hooked up once, and as soon as he heard that she was pregnant he ran.

My mom tells me this story because she makes me swear that I'll never do anything reckless, especially unprotected sex at a random college party. She tells me that once I find the right guy then I'll know, and that I should keep him for as long as I can.

✿❀✿❀✿❀

I knocked on Luke's door, shivering as the wind gusted around me. Liz, Luke's mom, answered the door and welcomed me in, and I gladly escaped the cold arctic air.

"I was just making some ravioli, would you like some?" Liz asked politely, leading me into the kitchen as I plopped down on a stool.

"No thanks, Liz," I said politely, giving her a toothy smile. I heard footsteps pounding down the stairs and looked over to see none other than the devil himself.

"Hey, Ry," Luke smirked. His hair was styled into a quiff and he was wearing his signature ripped skinny jeans paired with a dark blue singlet.

What's with boys and wearing singlets in the middle of winter?

"Hi," I replied as he took my arm and dragged me upstairs. We entered his room and he collapsed onto his bed with a deep sigh.

"So I heard about you and Calum," Luke started as I slowly made my way over to the bed.

I sat down on the bed, only for him to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me down next to him so that our faces were inches apart.

"What about us?" I whispered, examining his beautiful face. His baby blue eyes were sparkling and his lip ring did a funny dance every time he spoke.