Free Me From the Wolves

[11] Nervous

"You're ridiculous," I told Ryder. We had driven to the next city over and were ice skating of all things. Now, we were holding hands while he skated backwards, pulling me with him to skate forwards. "We're ice skating in the summer."

He shrugged. "I thought of it as a way to break the ice."

I playfully rolled my eyes and thought to him about how breaking the ice in this place wasn't exactly a good thing in a literal sense.

"Hey, you're the one I remember calling me to ask for a cheesy date," Ryder recollected. I blushed and felt like it was so long ago, but in actuality, it may have been a few weeks ago. I thought that this date would suffice given the fact that he tried all of the lame date tricks like holding hands or "falling" and bringing me down with him. But it was nice to see him smile so much at something so simple. We were having pure fun.

"So," Ryder began maybe two hours later while we ate at the Cheesecake Factory and were sitting about three feet from each other in a curved booth with my legs propped up on his lap because my feet were sore and used to the feeling of skating. I looked over at Ryder's gorgeous face and felt...nervous. "You're going out for the track team."

"In the spring," I confirmed. He nodded. "But don't feel like you have to go to the meets or anything. I wouldn't wish it on anyone." Watching people run around and around in circles was the definition of boring. And given the fact that there were hundreds of people and a loud field, the support was useless to me in all honesty. "But I will certainly be at your games if you want me to be."

He smiled politely and gazed at me with ease. "You don't have to do that," he said. "Okay...maybe the important games."

"Important games being...?"

At the question, he looked up for answers, but then replied with: "Homecoming is the only one really," he revealed and laughed. "I don't know how Florida was, but Homecoming is big around here."

"And you expect me to go with you?" I asked, amused.

"Yes," he laughed, but I felt his own nervousness. "I might even make some grand asking of it and overreact to your dress and—"

"Maybe I just want a dance," I laughed.

"Now that I might have to disappoint you with," he said, taking a drink of his water.

"You don't dance?" I asked. Our eyes locked and again I felt lesser sitting across from such an attractive boy.

"No," he smiled sadly. "No, I don't dance."

"Then what's the point—"

"Hi, I'm Brittnee—hey, I remember you two," the waitress presented herself. I smiled up at her because I recognized her, but the memory of the last time we were here wasn't all that great at first seeing as Ryder was in a funk about me meeting the pack the night before. But being stubborn to him about it seemed to be better because we moved past it, had some dessert, and promised to focus on our relationship rather than pack business. "Are you having dessert first again, or—"

"No, I think—"

"Yes," Ryder answered and preceded by ordering me a slice of cheesecake much like I had forced upon him on our first date, only it was a different flavor. After one glance from him, I did the same for him. Brittnee could only write it down and smile innocently in her exit of our table.

"I can order for myself," I mocked because he said that to me the first time.

"Good. So can I," he returned perfectly. We laughed and then I remembered what we were talking about.