Decoding You *Watty Awards 2012*

Chapter 11

When I wake up the spot I'm laying in is oddly warm, and I realize that I'm missing someone laying next to me.

When I sit up I wince from a pain in my shoulder and neck and look over at the hanging mirror on the wall next to my closet. I gasp when I see a big bruise. Ryder was going to flip.

As if on purpose I hear him turn the water on in the bathroom. That's where he had gone. I slip down into the covers and roll over where I have my arm under my bruised neck. When he comes back out a minute later he crawls onto the bed.

"Rory baby you awake?"

I don't make a noise until he runs his hands up my back, "Come on, there's no way you could look so cute and still be asleep," he murmurs kissing my right shoulder.

I groan and he chuckles, "There's my girl."

I peek at him, "What time is it?"

"Eleven."

His lips brush across my cheek as I say, "That's too early."

"You need to eat."

I pout, "I rather stay in bed."

He sighs and kisses my shoulder again, "I know. I'd stay here all day if I had the option. But it's either go down or have them come looking for you again."

"Again?" I groan.

He nods, "Carter came to wake you up. He wasn't too happy that I was still here in bed with you."

I smirk, "You're lucky he didn't kill you."

He grins and places a kiss on my shoulder, "It might be worth it, if I had done something."

"Done something? Like what?" I tease.

He grins and starts placing kisses across my collarbone, "Like this?" he kisses me again, "Or this?" He continues the teasing kisses all the way across to my left shoulder. Then he lifts my hair and gasps.

"Who the hell did that to you?"

My mouth goes dry, "I don't-"

"Don't you dare tell me you don't know. Who the hell gave you that bruise?" he snaps.

I bite my lip and he sits me up in his lap, "What do you think?" I ask quietly.

He tilts my chin up, "I think it was Dan."

I bite my lip and watch as his eyes travel across my face, "You'd be right."

He gulps, "Are there more bruises?"

I shrug, "I don't now."

He takes my hand and drags me out of bed, "Come on."

I frown, "What are you doing?"

He doesn't answer, instead he leads me down the stairs to the kitchen where my mom, his mom, Carter, and Harper sit.

"Where the hell is Dan?" he asks through clenched teeth.

Our mothers frown, "Ryder what's wrong?" his mom asks.

He moves behind me wrapping one arm around my waist holding me firmly against his chest and uses his other hand to life up my hair as I wince, "This is what's wrong. Where the hell is he?"

Carter stands up, "I'm gonna kill him."

"Not if I get to him first," Ryder growls.

My mom shakes her head, "Rory Dan would not have done that."

Carter looks at our mother, "Are you fucking kidding me? That guy is capable of anything. He got in a fight with me, what makes you so sure he wouldn't hurt Rory?!"