Chapter 5: Ryker Is Back
1634 Words
[DAPHNE]
Oh my God. Out of all the awkward situations in the world, this had to be the worst. And, of course, it had to be Dad who walked in at the exact moment Damon’s arms were stretched past me.
“Hey, what’s going on here?” Dad’s raised eyebrow burned into my soul.
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words tangled in my throat. “Dad, I—”
“Oh, here it is,” Damon interrupted smoothly, holding up a bottle of wine as though it had just appeared from thin air.
What? Was there a bottle of wine behind me this whole time?
Damon walked to dad like nothing happened, handing him the wine. “Seems someone placed the wine bottle on the counter. Thanks to Daphne, I found it,” Damon said with a plastered smile that could have won an Oscar for Best Performance in a Crisis.
And just like that, he left the kitchen leaving just Dad and me. I stood there like an i***t with a container of salt clutched to my chest.
Dad’s gaze lingered on me. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I let out a nervous laugh, shaking the salt shaker for emphasis. “Finally refilled it,” I mumbled before practically bolting from the kitchen.
---
Finally settling at the table, I offered everyone a nervous smile and placed the salt container in the center, as if that could erase the shame from earlier.
Damon’s eyes caught mine, and the heat of embarrassment flushed my cheeks. His gaze never left mine, even as he casually took bites of his food. Oh, please, Damon. Act normal.
Dad returned with glasses and the wine Damon had so-conveniently “found.” He poured the deep red liquid into each glass and raised his own. “A toast to a wonderful holiday,” he said, turning to Mom with a look of pure adoration. “And to our kids, who are on their way to new beginnings in love.”
The warm smile Mom gave him nearly shattered me. They were so happy about my relationship, and it was all based on a lie.
We clinked glasses, and I couldn’t help sneaking another glance at Damon. His eyes lingered on mine, but this time there was something different; an intensity that made my pulse quicken.
“You okay?” Zach’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. His hand rested lightly on my thigh, and I jumped slightly at the touch.
“Y-yeah. Why?”
He leaned closer, his voice low. “Because you’re not following the script, Daph. Act natural.”
Panic spiked as I noticed Nicki watching us from across the table. I forced a nervous laugh and turned to Zach, giving him my best lovesick gaze. “Of course, darling,” I said sweetly, picking up my fork and holding a bite out for him.
Zach played his part perfectly, leaning in to take the bite with a grin that would have fooled anyone.
“Awww, aren’t you two adorable?” Mom drawled, her smile wide and approving.
I chuckled weakly, my stomach twisting. The rest of dinner felt like a performance on a stage I wanted to escape.
---
Later that night, I stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying my hair. The sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks.
Zach laid by the side of the bed casually pressing his phone. He was.. shirtless and..tattoos. I mean tattoos covered his arms, up to his chest in perfectly crafted designs that made my mouth go dry.
I bit my lip, trying not to let my gaze linger, but my eyes betrayed me. I hadn't prepared for the thought that I needed to share a bed with Zach in this whole arrangement. I stood still, appreciating his abs, strong arms, and my eyes followed the trace of the tattoo lines, and I gulped. How was I going to sleep on the same bed with this man without soaking the mattress with my wetness?
“Hey, you okay? I could take the couch if you're not comfortable with this, of course.."
"Uh... I... I... I mean, it's fine." Damn, I couldn't even form a meaningful statement because my mind had already imagined all sorts of things about Zach's body just from the sight.
Zach sat up, giving me a concerned look. "You seem to zone out a bit. What's going through your mind?"
Only if you know how I want to lick every inch of that chest line and abs. I shook my head. "Nothing, just the whole arrangement getting to me."
He nodded slowly. “Fair enough.”
Finally, I slipped into bed, and the hairs on my skin stood up immediately. Zach lay beside me, and despite the distance between us, I could feel the heat emanating from his body, as if I were wrapped around him.
"Goodnight, Daphne, we did good today," he said.
I smiled. "Yeah... goodnight, Zach.”
---
Morning came far too quickly. I headed to the kitchen, desperate for caffeine, only to find Nicki already there.
The look on her face said it all. She was pissed. But I didn't care. Now she knows how it feels having your dream man with another woman.
I completely ignored her as I made my coffee.
"Daphne, what was that all about?"
I sighed, reaching for the sugar. "What?"
"Don't play dumb on me. You know what I'm talking about. You just got a guy that hot out of the blue. What are you playing at?"
I scoffed and shook my head. "So what? Are you jealous I didn't mention my boyfriend to you? Are you now, Mum, questioning my life?"
Nicki slammed her mug down, her lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re hiding something.”
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “And you’re not entitled to know every detail of my life. Get over it.”
Her face flushed red, and without another word, she stormed out. Not that I even care.
I barely had a moment to savor my small victory before Mom’s voice came in from the hallway. “Daphne, sweetheart, could you go to the store with Damon? We need a few groceries.”
“Mum, why should it be me? Why can’t Nicki go?” I protested, already dreading the idea of spending more time with Damon.
“She’s got cramps, poor thing,” Mom said sympathetically.
I clenched my jaw. It was always Nicki. Always her comfort, her needs, her feelings.
“Mum, why do you always do this?” I burst out, my voice shaking. “Everytime it's Nicki like I don't matter”
Mum’s expression softened. “Honey, you’re the big sister. Sometimes you have to look out for her.”
"Then what about me? Who looks out for me? No one!”
Mum exhaled softly before continuing. "Sweetie, just do this for me, okay? Don't make a big deal out of this. You know I love you as much as I love Nicki. You're both my daughters."
I was already too weak to argue. Mum is always fond of this. Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually adopted. Already exhausted from another exchange, I finally agreed.
"Fine,” I muttered.
---
The ride with Damon was silent and tense. Snowflakes drifted lazily past the window, but the beauty of the scenery didn't matter to me.
“You’ve been quiet,” Damon said, breaking the silence. “Everything okay?”
“Damon, please let's just get these groceries and get back home,” I snapped.
Damon shook his head. Before I knew it, he pulled the car to the side of the road.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said, stepping out into the snow.
I hesitated before reluctantly following. “In this weather?”
Before I could say more, a snowball hit my shoulder. I stared at him in shock as he grinned, another snowball already forming in his hands.
“You didn’t,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Oh, I did.”
A laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it, and soon we were locked in an all-out snowball fight. For a brief, blissful moment, I forgot about everything—Nicki, Zach, the fake relationship. It was just Damon and me, laughing like we used to as kids.
When we finally stopped, breathless and covered in snow, he led me back to the car, gazing at me with a soft smile. “That’s better. That smile on your face is how it should always be.”
My cheeks flushed as I looked down at my boots, but Damon stepped closer. His fingers brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle.
“Daphne,” he murmured, his eyes locking onto mine. “You’ve gotten even more beautiful over the years.”
I couldn’t breathe. My heart raced as he leaned in, his hands resting on either side of me against the car. And it felt like what happened at dinner last night was about to happen again. The space between us vanished, and I closed my eyes, waiting for—
“Daphne?”
The familiar voice made my eyes snap open. I pushed away from Damon, my head whipping around to see the source of the interruption.
Ryker.
He stood there, a perfect smile on his face, looking as handsome as ever. My breath hitched as he walked toward me and pulled me into a hug.
“I’ve missed you, Daphne,” he whispered, his words sending a shiver down my spine.
I glanced at Damon over Ryker’s shoulder, his face a mix of confusion and something else I couldn’t quite place.
- Writer
