Masked Facade

Chapter 26: Naked Truth

Ryan's POV

Six years ago...

Hollow. I didn't know I was even capable of feeling it. The routines didn't help me with the building tension in my body. During the daytime, it's like the pent-up frustration needed to be released in one way or other. That I felt the need to let it dissipate with every strike, every hit and every blow delivered in the name of practice. And when night rolled on, my body refused to shut down. With my other body parts wearied out, it was just my conscience and my brain.

They kept reminding me that it was for good that she left. Without telling me, that is.

The pumping monster got excited with her memories in a constant rate. The voices were loud and clear, repeating the same set of words again and again.

I missed her. I, Ryan Rodriguez, did miss her.

The last time I saw her, I voiced out stuff that wasn't meant for her. The moment I sat beside her, the way her body reacted to my proximity, the same body of hers that denied and despised the same aspect of mine at the very first moment we collided, it spoke for her. She was putting up a show for me.

When I had the chance to chicken out, I word vomited like crazy. The part where she attracted trouble was so much true and ironic in its own way.

After the incident at that God forsaken party, Zach and her friend, Stacy gave me lessons on how to pull my shit together with those fucking twins around me in the school or any random place. Because that's what Alice would have wanted. So, I had to maintain some distance between me and her.

She confused me and solved me, both at the same time. I freaking hated myself. Contradicting with my own decisions was never my forte. I was letting her in for as long as I could remember. How she became a mandatory score to a part of my routine was beyond my imagination.

On Monday, when I couldn't get hold of her, I lost my mind. I craved space from her but the consequences it inflicted afterwards, I wasn't prepared for that. And frankly speaking, I didn't think I would never be. Then it snapped to me that how those words would have affected her while she was showcasing her act.

I was aware the charade would go on and on until and unless I thought of a way to let me into her life and let her see what she was feeling. There was no point in hiding the truth, the way each other's presence brought insane kind of peace.

The game didn't start for another twenty minutes, and instead of being with my team, here I was. Shamelessly gawking at the only person that mattered to me. She wasn't oblivious to my intense stare as I sensed her frozen posture, her gaze never shifting its focus from me.

Holding her gaze, I took long strides, climbed up the stairs, and moved past the cheerleaders to where she was standing. The rise and fall of her chest was quite evident and I almost lost my mind by the way she struggled to breathe some damn air into her lungs. Fifteen steps away, her fingers knotting against her jacket in a firm grip. Twelve steps more, the thumping of my pumping monster louder than the cheers and hollering around me. Seven more steps to go, my arms already desperately reaching out to hold her.

Three. Two. One...

It was the first time I'd been this close to her willingly without any sexual domination and she didn't even try to push me away. I was a complete mess compared to her appearance but that didn't matter to me. To us.

Snaking an arm around her waist, I flushed her body against mine. Instinctively, her hands shot out to hold onto my shoulders.

Blue orbs looked up at me with fascination, anxiety, and content (which I never expected). It was as if she's done playing games. She wanted something real from me and no way in hell was I denying her of it.