Group Therapy

36 - Blue.

Ryder says a quick goodbye to all of us before leaving the house.

This sleepover has honestly been the best thing I've experienced in a few years now. As annoying as it was that l couldn't get back at Ryder when he flipped me upside down in the pool twice, l wouldn't trade this morning for anything.

I got to see a new side of Ryder that l bet no one has seen before, the playful and goofy side of him.

"Alright, you ready?" Alex asks, picking up Trixie in his arms.

I nod as and grab our bags.

We both say our goodbyes before making our way out and back to my car.

"You drive." l toss Alex my keys and hop in the passenger seat.

He carefully hands me Trixie before getting in and starting the car.

"By the way, l still don't forgive you for not helping me when Ryder threw me into the pool."

"Oh come on, that was hilarious!" he laughs in response, remembering the incident.

"Screw you."

"Fine, if l give you that movie night you wanted will you forgive me?"

"Deal." l nod.

"Alright then." he waits for the gates to open before speeding out of Blair's property.

° ° ° °

I unlock my front door and step inside after dropping off Alex at his house.

I'm greeted by Hunter running to hide behind me while Aella tries to catch him as the both giggle uncontrollably.

"Well hey guys." l smile, ruffling Hunter's hair.

"Laynie help me!!" Hunter giggles in response and Aella tries to pull him out from behind me but he dodges her.

Before l can reply to that he makes a run for his room and Aella goes right after him.

"Well okay then." I slip off my shoes and head for my room.

I step inside and close the door, ready to change into my stay-at-home clothes.

Before I can even sit down, someone knocks on the door and l assume it's either Ace or his parents since my family and Aella never knock.

I put on a fake smile and say "Come in."

To my surprise, it's Ace. Looking very attractive as always.

I swear there's something in the water he drinks.

I shake the thoughts away and say "Ace, what's up?"

"Hey um Hannah wanted me to tell you that lunch is ready." he says, eyeing my guitar in corner.

"Oh alright, thanks."

"You play?" he smiles.

"Uhh yeah, I used to for a while." I smile back.

"Cool," he takes a step inside. "Can l try it?" he pointes to the guitar.

"Sure, let me just tune it for you." l grab my old Acoustic and pull out my phone, once I'm done tuning it l carefully hand it to him making sure I don't hit it against anything in the process.

He takes it and sits down on a chair beside my desk before placing the instrument on his lap and starting to mess around with it.

I chuckle at his attempt to play a C chord "The c chord is a tough one for beginners, not the best idea to start with it," l stand up and walk over to him "Here why don't we start with a simple chord, E." l place his fingers on the right spots "There you go, now strum." l take a step back.

He strums once and the guitar buzzes, making an awful noise.

He gives me and awkward apologetic look and l chuckle once again "Hey its alright, it does that sometimes, you just have to place your fingers on exactly the right spots." l move his fingers slightly to the left "There, now try it."

He strums the guitar and the chord rings out perfectly.

"There you go!"

He smiles and mumbles a small thank you before handing the instrument back to me. "We should get to lunch now."

As we silently make our way out of my room into the dining room lbsay "lf you want, after lunch l can teach you some more chords."

"Yeah that sounds great." he smiles and l nod as we awkwardly take two seats next to each other and everyone starts digging in.

"So sweetie, how did your sleepover go?" my mom asks, sounding oddly nice.

I toss my food around with a fork to pass the time "It was good, we ate cookies and watched movies."

"That sounds like fun, why don't you take Ace with you next time?" she asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll like my friends."

The tension between us, l could cut it with a knife.

Lunch goes by rather quickly and l wash my plate before going back into my room, a few minutes later, Ace follows.

"Hey." l sit up as he enters the room.

"Actually, I'm not here for the guitar." he points out.

"Okay well, what is it?" l ask.

"Just to hang out, thought we should get to know each other." he shrugs.

"Yeah, that seems reasonable." l let out a nervous giggle.

I try not to panic as everything grows silent, socializing was never my thing.

"So umm what do you like to do for fun?" he asks me.

"Okay quit the small talk, l hate small talk. Let's talk about something else." l reply, already feeling awkward enough.

"You're sort of something else."

"l take that as a compliment, thank you." I smile.

"Anytime."

"Take a look around if you want, it'll help break the ice." l offer.

"Sure," he mumbles and starts to look around my room.

He scans my room, occasionally focusing on certain details before eventually sitting back down on the chair he was on earlier.

Then l remembered Ryder and Blair's conversation about Ace, so l decide to ask Ace himself.

"Quick question, what's your full name?" 

"Ace Luke Dankworth, why?" he asks.

How the fuck is Ryder somehow linked to everything and everyone I know?

"Just wondering if you have a weird name like mine." I lie.

He chuckles "Laynie isn't a weird name."

"That's because my name isn't technically Laynie, it's Delaynie Blue Williams."

"Wow alright, l actually like it. It's unique." he smiles.

"Thank you."

"From now on I'm calling you blue."

I smile back "Sounds good to me."

Then it's awkward silence again.

"So what's life like in Michigan?" he asks, running his fingers through his hair.

"Well it gets ridiculously cold almost right after Thanksgiving, I'd say that's the only thing you have to worry about."