Reaching for Rebecca

Chapter 71

REBECCA'S POV

We entered school and I was shocked at how many people took this whole dress up thing seriously. Today was cowboy/girl day which I didn't really care about missing, but everybody else seemed to be getting into it. Multiple students wore cowboy hats and boots, a few wore overalls, and one guy was even dressed as one of those inflatable horses that looks like it has a cowboy on its back! Landon rolled his eyes next to me and Ryan chuckled at my gaping mouth.

"Becca!" Kate's squeal brings me back to when we were drunk at my first party... we'd have to do that again when things die down. "I'm so excited to have you come over!!! I need a girls' night so bad, especially since Mel and Izzy ditched me – not that I'm complaining." She grabbed my arms and started jumping up and down. "Well Ryan's giving me a weird look now but here's my house key. Landon can hang out with you until I get home."

"I've only been to your house twice, Kate," Landon mentions from somewhere behind me. She shot him a look.

"Well you know where the front door is right? My parents are out of town anyway and my sister's at school so you can do whatever." I giggled at her sassiness towards 'badass' Landon. I've come to learn that the only people who fell for Landon's façade were the people who never actually spoke to him; his friends talked to him like they would anybody else. His response towards Kate's attitude was a shrug and nod of his head while he strode off to his locker.

"Let's go babe." Ryan was soon tugging me in the direction of our locker so we could grab our things and head to Chemistry. It'd been a while since I've focused on school and my grades were starting to show it. Today was a lecture day and Mr. Monty wasted no time getting started. I was fervently trying to pay attention but Ryan's hand intertwined with mine was a distraction. I wasn't going to complain about it because I loved the way his fingers played with my own instead of taking notes, but then something else occurred to me. I quickly scribbled a message on the top of the page and slid it close enough for Ryan to read.

Trying to seem sweet by holding my hand won't make me forget that you just want me to take notes for you... Not so sneak Bradley!

Ryan chuckled but instead of releasing my hand to take notes – as I expected – he did something entirely different. He had let go of my hand, but his long arms easily allowed him to reach my thigh under the table and start running his hand up and down lazily. Blushing, I tried to shoot him an evil glare but he pretended to be focused on Monty's PowerPoint. Taking things into my own hands, I dug my nails into his forearm until he finally turned toward me.

I have to pay attention – my grades are already starting to slip :(

His hand finally left my thigh but only to take the pen and notebook from me. Instead of writing me back, he starting taking notes that Mr. Monty was erasing just as fast as he was writing them. The PowerPoints were mostly pictures so if you missed something you were screwed. Ryan paused to grasp my hand and set it on his thigh before returning to the task of taking notes for me. I honestly did my best to pay attention to the lecture but there was no way that would happen with Ryan sitting next to me... it's a welcome distraction though.

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"We'll go over the chapters later tonight Becs, it'll be fine!" Ryan's hand clutched mine tightly as we wound through the halls after Chemistry class.

"But Ryan, I can't take a test on this stuff in two days! I know nothing!" I knew I was falling behind in my advanced classes – particularly chemistry – but needing to take a test on this would be fail and I couldn't stop worrying about it.

"Babe," he stopped me outside of Ms. Jacqueline's door and lifted my chin. "Stop worrying. You're incredibly smart and will catch on quick; you just need a little refresher that's all... now I have to get to class. I love you beautiful." He pecked my lips and looked in my eyes until I returned the words.