Thirty Reasons Not to Date a Player

10. He Has Questionable Motives

I take a deep breath and the dance begins. I remind myself that I just have to blend in. There are multiple other couples dancing, so chances are, I'm not the center of attention. I breathe steadily and mentally keep track of my step. The dance is slow and almost bearable...until Ryder opens his mouth. 

"Are you feeling okay?" 

Why, do I look like there's something wrong with me? Out loud I say, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You haven't made one snide remark to me since we got here." 

"I haven't talked to you at all since we got here," I tell him, flatly. I was with Rachel most of the time, and she made it a point to be around her step brother as little as possible. 

"And why is that?"

"Because I don't like you." Despite the fact that we're hand in hand and only inches apart, the tension between us is as thick as ever. 

"Damn," he says, "and I thought we were staring to get along." 

I don't bother answering him. He's not worth the effort. 

I glace over to Rachel and her partner, who are smiling at each other rather awkwardly. They look like old friends and I wonder how long they've known each other. Rachel told me that he's got a girlfriend, but I can tell from the look in his eyes that maybe he still feels something for her. 

I wonder what that must be like. 

"Do you ship them?" Ryder asks, when he realizes what I'm looking at. 

"Huh?" 

"Do you think they look good together?" I instantly remember Rachel saying something similar about me and Ryder earlier that evening. I mentally shudder in disgust. 

"Yeah, sure," I say, realizing that he is asking about his step-sister. "But that guy shouldn't be flirting with her like that if he's seeing someone else." 

"How do you know he's seeing someone?" Ryder asks, causing me to avert my attention back to him. 

"Rachel told me," I say simply. There's nothing more to it. 

"And how does she know?" 

He's beginning to frustrate me. "Why are you asking so many questions?" 

"I'm making a point," Ryder tells me, "girls always think they know everything about a guy." 

That's not true. Not for all girls, at least. I know more than enough about the few guys that I do talk to, Ryder being one of them. I'm just not interested in learning more, God forbid I dig too deep and end up being aware of who he hooked up with last weekend or if he has any STDs. In cases like these, ignorance is bliss. 

"And you think they don't?" It comes out sounding more like a statement than a question. 

Ryder smirks. "I know they don't." 

I can't tell if he's subtly hinting at one of April's qualities, or if he's just sharing his opinion. Either way, I don't like his condescending attitude. 

"Nobody knows anything about anyone these days," I say aloud. "Guys like you make sure of that." 

"Guys like me?" He wrinkles his eyebrows for a moment, as if to look genuinely confused. 

"Guys like you." I say, pausing after each word for effect. "Guys like you are experts when it comes to lies and deception. You could probably make a living off of flirting. And you don't actually care about anyone but yourself, while you use your clever remarks and that killer smile to make everyone think differently. It's amazing how easily you can charm a girl right out of her dress and don't even care to ask what her name is. You break people, Ryder, and you don't feel an ounce of guilt."