Alive For The First Time

Chapter 10

We both jumped away from each other. Ryder let his arms drop from being wrapped around me. We looked over at the door to see a group of giggling girls walking over to the fire pit. I said a prayer to the heavens that it wasn't Ty that came out and caught us kissing. I dropped my head, hoping that no one recognized me.

"Hey Ry, we were wondering where you went. Why are you out here? The party's inside." One of the very obviously drunk girls flirted with Ryder. I guess I was invisible. Afraid of his response, I turned towards the house and starting walking across the lawn.

"Lily, wait!" I heard his footsteps behind me but I just kept going towards the house. Whatever happened between us could not go any further. What was I thinking? I felt lightheaded as I reached the back steps and barged through the backdoor. What I saw when I stepped inside stopped me in my tracks. On the other side of the kitchen, my brother stood with his back to me talking to Justin who went wide-eyed when Ryder followed me in.

Ryder's POV

She ran away from me. I stood there in shock as I watched her literally run out of the kitchen, into the hallway towards the staircase. All of sudden, Justin was in my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tyler standing a few feet away leaning on the wall. He was in deep conversation with some girl. I guess that's why Lily ran. Fuck, this was complicated.

"Bro did you just hear anything I said?" I turned my attention back to Justin who was apparently talking to me.

"Sorry, what did you say?" He rolled his eyes and pushed me into the hallway.

"I said you need to stay the fuck away from Tyler's sister. Whatever game you are playing to piss him off is going to end up really hurting her. She's a really sweet girl. She doesn't deserve that." I wanted to be pissed that he thought so little of me but after all the shit I've pulled, I couldn't really blame him.

"I'm not trying to piss Tyler off, I swear! Did it ever occur to you that maybe I actually like Lily?" I more than liked her. I couldn't stop thinking about her.

"What the fuck Ryder? She's a freshman. Three months ago she was still in high school. She's the sister of your mortal enemy who also happens to be your roommate. Don't mess with her. I could probably find a few girls here that would love to hook up with you. Lily is off-limits and you know it." He looked angry now. He was right. After what she told me outside, Lily did not need me and my fucking issues in her life.

"Chill bro! I wasn't going to do anything." That was a lie. I already did something and I didn't regret it. Not even a little bit. But I wouldn't let it happen again. For Lily's sake.

"Damn Justin, worry about your own life. Go visit your girlfriend and get laid. I think you need it." I may have stopped drinking but I'm still an asshole. He rolled his eyes again and just walked away. After being my friend and roommate for over three years, Justin knew not to take anything I say personally.

I walked into the living room and took a look around. People were wasted and my house was a mess. Man, drunk people are pathetic. I didn't want to be here anymore. It's really not fun being the only sober person at the party. There was a big part of me that wanted to sneak upstairs and finish what I started in the backyard. But I knew I couldn't.

I decided I needed to get out of here. After grabbing my keys from my room, I went out the back door to my truck. I didn't know where I was going. I just needed to be anywhere but that house.

I drove around aimlessly for a while just lost in my thoughts. I kept replaying what happened with Lily and the kiss over and over in my head. And how I wanted to do so much more. She was beautiful. And she didn't even realize how beautiful she was. Which made her so much more attractive. When I saw her in that dress tonight, I just couldn't help but go to her and put my arm around her. I didn't want any other guy seeing her the way I saw her. I wanted her all to myself. Of course, the fuckhead Justin knew what I was doing and scared her off.

Honestly, the only reason I was making an appearance at the party was because I wanted to see her again. When I found her in the kitchen last night dancing around in her pajamas, I started seeing her in a different light. And then for some reason, I told her my secret about being sober. I don't know what made me trust her. I just felt like I could tell her anything. She was so understanding and insightful about the whole thing. And then she goes and makes breakfast for everyone this morning. Who does that? She was fucking perfect.

Tonight, I just couldn't resist going to find her after Justin scared her away. I wanted to be around her. I wanted to talk to her and get to know her better. I had never felt this way about a girl before. After she told me about her parents, all I could think about was making it better for her. She was crying and I had to hold her and shield her from all the pain. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes and I couldn't help but kiss her perfect mouth. And it was better than I thought it could be. When she leaned into me, I was gone. I knew she was into me. I saw the way she looked at me and the effect my touch had on her. But when she kissed me back, I nearly lost all self-control.

Just when things were getting good, those fucking girls interrupted us. I didn't even know them. They are Shane's friends. But I guess it was good we stopped. If Tyler had caught us, I would be dead by now. Overprotective is an understatement when it comes to Tyler and his baby sister. I guess I understand where he's coming from now that I know their family history. What was I going to do? I wanted Lily. And not just for a hook up. I wanted more than that. There's just no way it'll ever work. So I'll just keep my distance. She'll go back to her dorm tomorrow and then I'll only see her when she visits her brother. I can totally do this.

A/N: Hello new readers! Hope you are enjoying my story! This is the first time I attempted a male POV. I think it turned out ok. Leave me your thoughts! 💙