You're Not Enough

Chapter 70

I walk over to Ryder, who is still standing in the corner. "Where have you been? Did you not see my calls?" I ask.

"I turned my phone off," he says blandly.

"Why? Where did you go?"

"You ask a lot of questions. You know that?" he scorns me.

"I really don't care. Where were you? Your mother was worried!"

He lets out a small laugh. "She was, was she?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "Of course, she was."

He pushes his hair back with his hand. "Sure," he says with anger in his voice.

I would ask him again where he was, but I really don't care. I need to ask him about tomorrow, but he's in one of his moods. Maybe I should wait. No, I can't wait; I need to ask him now before my father says something to him about tomorrow.

"Look, I know you're in a mood, and this is probably not the best time." My heart is pounding, and my palms are sweaty. "I know we are not friends, and you don't owe me anything. You're probably going to curse me out for just asking you. But if there any kindness in your heart---"

"Jayda! Just spit it out." He growls.

"Okay. Tomorrow I have this really important thing to go to. I can't tell my parents about it. I had to lie to them to get out of what they wanted me to do." I ramble. "Anyway, I told them that I was going to be with you. Specifically, I told them I lost a bet, and I have to take you out for lunch." I flash him a fake smile.

"That sounds like a Jayda problem,"

I sigh and lose my smile. "Ryder, I need your help. We have to pretend to go out tomorrow."

"I don't have to do anything," he says.

"Oh my God, please," I groan. "It's really important that I go where I'm going tomorrow. If there's any goodness in your heart, you'll help me."

He doesn't immediately say no. He hesitates. I guess this is a good thing.

"Whatever." He says.

"Really?" I squeal.

"Calm down before I change my mind."

I give him a smile, a real one. Hm, maybe Blair was right. Perhaps he really is changing this time. He looks past me at something, and then his face tenses up.

"How is it that you look even more beautiful today than you did yesterday?" A familiar voice asks.

I turn around to see Alexander, wearing a black with a blue tie. "What are you doing here?" I ask him, trying to hide my excitement.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood, and I heard about the opening, so I decided to check it out. I had no idea you were going to be here," he says, lying. I narrow my eyes at him smiling.

"I wish that's what I could say. The truth is, I wanted to see you again. I knew you were going to be here, so I decided to come." He looks me up and down. "I'm glad I did."

"How long have you been here?" I ask him.

"Long enough that I heard beautiful words fall from the lips of a beautiful girl." He says. I give him a warm smile. My cheeks warm, and my body tingles at his words. Ryder comes from behind me and moves beside me.

"Champagne?" The waiter asks us. Alexander takes two off the tray and hands one to me. I take it from him, and then Ryder snatches it out of my hand.

"She's 17," he says with a straight face.

"So, you didn't drink when you were 17?" Alexander questions him.