RYDER
Great. Now I have ruined everything by blurting it out like this. She basically hates me. Why did I think I could win her by being so casual? But I can’t take back the words. Might as well keep going.
I raise my hands, a small smile tugging at my lips. “I promise I won’t try to break your feet. Or anything else.”
It takes her a second. Maybe two, then the walls are up again. Her expression hardens, shoulders straightening, putting distance between us without moving an inch.
“That’s inappropriate,” she says, her voice tight. “Just because I agreed to bend a few rules about tutoring spaces doesn’t mean it’s an invitation for you to get closer.”
The rejection slaps hard, but I don’t let it show.
“It’s not about that,” I say, keeping my tone easy. “I just like your company and I wa
