Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 104745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Stella blinks. “Sooo…what did he tell you?”
I love that she’s asking all the questions I want to ask so I don’t have to ask them.
“He said when he got there, she kept trying to get him to go inside, and he refused. She even put her hands on him. Then she started talking about her feelings for him, and he told her he had none, and he had told her from the beginning of their…arrangement…that it would never be anything other than…” She falters, clearly not wanting to say the phrase “other than sex.”
I nod, so she goes on.
“Well, that’s when she got upset, and she brought you up, so she obviously knows he’s dating you now, which makes it worse, you know. I’m sure she was home lying in bed last night wondering why he chose you and not her and the whole, ‘what does she have that I don’t’ and ‘what did I do wrong,’ as if there were anything she could have changed.”
“The truth is, you can’t. When a guy meets you, he puts you in one of two categories: someone he wants to date, for real. Or someone he wants to sleep with, period. And unfortunately for Shannon, she got put in the sex box, and unfortunately, it’s a box that’s hard to crawl out of. Especially with a guy like Drake.”
“What do you mean, a guy like Drake?”
“I mean—Drake. And Dallas and Drew and Duke for that matter, do not like social climbers. And too bad for Shannon, that’s what she is. He might have slept with her.” Ryann cringes. “But he was never going to fall in love with her or honestly, since we’re among friends…he has no respect for someone like that.”
Ryann adjusts her position on the bed. “He respects the shit out of you, Daisy. The same way Dallas respects me and Duke respects Posey, and men like that are loyal to their core.”
Loyal to their core.
I shiver, liking the sound of that.
The permanency.
“Dallas is my ride or die.” She goes on. “And I’m his. The sports industry is hella fucked up. Everyone wants a piece of you including the people you think are your friends, so the circle of trust is this small.” She makes an O by cupping her hands, thumbs and index finger touching. “If they let you in, it’s because they trust you.”
I’m quiet for a few seconds, mulling over this information, every bit of it playing with the strings of my heart.
“But I’m not sure I can deal with girls like that. Yesterday was awful and embarrassing.”
“Listen. That will probably never happen again—and she knew exactly what she was doing, and I swear to god, if I could force those betches to move, I would. In fact, I’d love to bulldoze the house down, but that would be frowned upon.”
“How do you do it?”
She shrugs. “I just do. Because I love Dallas, and sure, it’s annoying having so many thirst traps drooling over him, but at the end of the day, I trust him. They are all the same, but there is only one of me.” Ryann gives us a sweet smile. “And there’s only one of you but hundreds of women like Shannon.”
“That isn’t giving me a good, confident feeling.” I laugh, jokingly, feeling better about the situation already. “I need to hear it from him.”
“You’re ready to talk to him?”
“Yes.”
Ryann looks relieved, and Stella puts a hand on my thigh in a show of support.
“How is he?” I ask Ryann, suddenly feeling guilty for refusing to see him and ignoring his texts and calls.
“He’s fine. You know how he is, macho and all that bullshit. He was up all night ranting to Drew. I had to sleep with a pillow over my head to drown out the sound of his voice.”
The amusement in her voice makes me smile.
I’m glad they seem to get along. From what Drake has told me, Ryann is awesome and really likes her. Sounds like she feels the same.
“Once this blows over and things go back to normal, I’m hoping we can hang out,” Ryann says, sliding off the bed.
“Oh, that would be awesome. We’d love that.” Stella laughs. “I’ll clear my schedule.”
Ryann is at the edge of the bed now, looking back at me. I have my back pressed against the wall, leaning against it in a sitting position.
“Is there anything you want me to tell him when I get home?”
“No. Nothing I can’t tell him myself.” I scoot so I’m at the edge of the bed, too, then hug Ryann while I tell her, “Thank you.”
“It’s no less than Posey did for me when I started dating Dallas. It’s like—paying it forward. And if Drew starts dating anyone anytime soon, we can ambush her together.”
Ha.
“It was nice meeting you,” I tell her as she slips into her sneakers. “Thank you for coming. I needed it.”