Chapter 17
1128 Words
Skylar's POV
Everyone was still buzzing when I turned, and honestly I should have known the universe wasn’t done humiliating me. Because right there, standing like she owned the entire field, was none other than Sienna. Yes, that Sienna. And to make it worse, Liam was walking toward her like he was a Disney prince on a mission to save his princess. His face softened, his shoulders loosened, and he looked like he might actually wag his tail if he had one.
And me? I was just standing there holding a damn water bottle like the i***t side character who never got the memo she wasn’t in the scene.
Mila followed my line of sight and gasped so loud heads turned. “Oh my God. Sky, that’s her. That’s literally the witch herself.”
“I see her, Mila. My eyeballs work, you made me do this ,” I muttered, gripping the bottle harder. Liam bent his head down to hear whatever Sienna was saying and then…of course…he smiled. Sweetly. Like the kind of smile he used to give me before I found out he was a world-class liar with terrible taste in morals.
“Oh my God, he’s actually…like….gentle with her,” Mila said, clutching my arm. “This is disrespectful to women everywhere. We need to alert the council.”
“There’s no council, Mila.”
“Then let’s form one. Because I refuse to sit here and watch Mr. Cheaterpants look at Miss Perfect Eyelashes like she hung the stars.”
I almost laughed but then I didn’t, because the sting in my chest was real. It wasn’t just that Liam was sweet to her it was that he had never been that soft with me in public. With me it was always teasing, sarcasm, acting too cool to care. With her? He looked like he wanted to write poetry about her laugh.
Before I could spiral too hard, a shadow fell over me. I looked up and, of course, it was Ryder. Because my life is apparently a sitcom where the writers decided to throw every old flame into one sports field just to watch me combust.
Ryder’s hand shot out casually, palm open. “Water.”
My grip tightened like the bottle was suddenly my only friend in the world. “Buy your own,” I snapped, turning slightly away from him.
But Ryder wasn’t the type to take no for an answer. He leaned in, smirking, and before I could react he wrapped his fingers around mine, forcing my hand to tilt the bottle. The cap twisted under his grip, the seal breaking with a snap, and then he lifted it effortlessly and took a long, slow drink right from my hand.
I froze. My body actually forgot how to move. He was close enough that I caught the faint scent of his cologne mixed with sweat, and his throat moved as he swallowed, and all I could think was: why the hell does he still look so good doing absolutely nothing?
When he finally lowered the bottle, he let go like nothing happened, like he hadn’t just used me as his personal waiter. “Thanks,” he said, tossing me the ghost of a grin before strolling back toward Liam.
And Liam because of course clapped him on the back like they were brothers in arms. The two of them stood together, heads bent, laughing about something, while my stomach twisted itself into a full-blown knot.
Behind me, Mila made a strangled sound. “Did that…did that just happen? Did he just…Sky, he literally…oh my God. That was assault by hydration.”
I shot her a look, but she was already gearing up.
“No, seriously,” she said, throwing her hands up. “You said no. And he just…..he just commandeered your hand like it was property of Team Ryder. I should report him to the hydration authorities. This is outrageous.”
I groaned and shoved the bottle back into my bag, trying to ignore the weird heat crawling up my neck. Because sure, Ryder was arrogant and infuriating and probably allergic to boundaries, but my body was doing this annoying thing where it remembered. And I hated that.
Before I could reply, Sienna’s gaze flicked over from where she was still standing near Liam. She rolled her eyes, sharp and dismissive, and turned back to him with a smile that made me want to scream.
“Oh no she didn’t,” Mila hissed. “She did not just roll her eyes at you like you’re some random seat filler. Uh-uh. Not on my watch.” She straightened, puffing her chest out like she was about to march across the field and start World War III.
I grabbed her arm. “Sit down. Seriously. She didn’t even say anything.”
“She didn’t have to! That eye-roll was violence, Sky. Straight-up violence. And I am not letting you fight this witch alone.”
“There’s no battle or witch shut up!” I said, but my voice cracked halfway through. Mila narrowed her eyes at me like she knew better.
“Mm-hmm,” she said slowly, then turned back toward Sienna with her arms crossed like she was guarding me from invisible arrows.
I sighed, trying to focus on the actual hockey game, but then I noticed something. It wasn’t just that Sienna was hanging on Liam like they were about to announce an engagement. It was the way she kept stealing glances at Ryder. Quick, sharp, almost hungry. And Ryder? He didn’t look back at her, but something about the tension in his jaw told me he noticed.
My stomach flipped again, but this time it wasn’t just anger it was confusion. Why would Sienna look at Ryder like that? And why did Ryder not even blink?
Mila caught it too, of course, because Mila notices everything. She leaned in close, lowering her voice dramatically. “Sky… did you see that? Miss Perfect Eyelashes has her sights on Ryder. Oh my god. Oh my god, what if…”
“No,” I cut her off quickly. “Don’t even say it. Don’t even breathe it.”
“Fine,” she whispered, grinning wickedly. “But if this turns into some twisted triangle…or, like, square…just know I called it first.”
I groaned again and shoved her lightly, but my eyes betrayed me because they went right back to Ryder. He was standing with Liam, laughing, shoulders relaxed, completely unbothered. Meanwhile I was over here trying not to look like my heart was playing dodgeball in my chest.
And Sienna? She smirked at him when Liam wasn’t looking. A tiny, secret smile. The kind of smile that meant trouble.
- Writer
