Chapter 8
1383 Words
Tessy’s POV
By seven-thirty, I was already regretting saying yes.
I stood in front of my bedroom mirror for what had to be the tenth time, staring at my reflection with growing frustration.
“What exactly counts as something I actually feel confident in?” I muttered to myself.
Every outfit suddenly looked wrong. Too plain. Too dressy. Too desperate.
The text Ryder had sent replayed in my head: Wear something you actually feel confident in.
I had changed three times already.
“You’re overthinking it.”
I turned to find Sophie leaning against my bedroom door, arms folded and an annoyingly amused smile playing on her lips.
“I am not.”
“You’ve been staring at the same black dress for fifteen minutes.”
“I have not.”
“You absolutely have.”
She walked over, snatched the black dress from my hands, and held it up against me. “Wear this.”
“It’s too much,” I protested.
“It’s literally a black dress.”
“For a hockey team party? Everyone there probably looks like they walked off a magazine cover,” I muttered. “I’ll look ridiculous.”
Sophie sighed dramatically. “Tessy.”
“What?”
“You are not trying to impress every single person at that party.”
I looked away, biting my lip.
“...You’re trying to impress one,” she added softly. “And that’s Tristan.”
Heat instantly rushed into my cheeks. She was right. And besides, Ryder did say I should wear something that screams confidence.
Before I could reply, my phone buzzed in my hand.
Ryder: I’m outside.
My stomach dropped into a freefall.
“Who is that?” Sophie asked, peeking over my shoulder. “So punctual.”
“I suddenly don’t want to go,” I whimpered, panic setting in.
She grabbed my shoulders, turning me around. “Too late! You have to get ready now, and don’t worry—I’m going to help you out.”
“Wait a minute, why aren’t you coming?” I asked, frowning. “I mean... Owen will be there, right?”
“I don’t care if Owen is there. He is not my problem,” she said flatly, her tone suddenly shifting.
“What happened between you two?” I pressed.
“What is there to happen? We aren’t together, remember? Now sit down and let me do your makeup.”
I obeyed and sat down on the vanity chair, letting her work her magic. After a few minutes of blending and fixing, she stepped back with a satisfied smirk.
“You look amazing,” she declared.
I looked in the mirror, and for once, she was completely right. I did look amazing. A small, nervous smile broke across my face.
“You are the best,” I said.
“I know. Now, the dress,” she said, handing it over.
I slipped into the black dress. It was definitely shorter than anything I would normally wear, hugging every curve. I reached down to tug at the hem.
“Don’t touch your dress!” Sophie warned, catching my hand. “It isn’t even that short. Be confident! Now go, Ryder is waiting for you.”
I nodded, took a deep breath, and left the apartment.
As soon as I stepped outside into the cool evening air, I saw it. A sleek black SUV was waiting at the curb.
Ryder leaned casually against the driver’s door, looking effortlessly handsome in dark jeans and a fitted black shirt that accentuates his broad chest.
The moment he pushed off the door, looked up, and caught sight of me...
He frowned.
I blinked, my confidence instantly wavering.
“What?” I asked, looking down at myself in a panic.
“You ignored my text.”
“I did not!” I said in my defense. “I just didn’t need to respond because I was coming out anyway.”
“Really, Tessy? That’s your excuse?” he scoffed, rolling his eyes before his gaze slowly dragged down to take in my dress.
“I specifically said wear something you feel confident in.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
I folded my arms across my chest, defensive heat rising up my neck. “You’ve known me for exactly two days.”
“Exactly,” Ryder replied, raising an eyebrow. “Which is why I can already tell you’re hiding.”
I frowned, glaring at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You keep tugging your dress down.”
I froze mid-breath. “…What?”
“You’ve done it five times since you walked out that door.”
And right on cue, without even realizing I was doing it, my hand instinctively twitched down toward my hemline to tug it again.
Ryder let out a low sigh, shaking his head as he reached out and opened the passenger door. “Lesson One.”
He stepped back, gesturing toward the seat. “Confidence.”
I stood there, staring at him over the roof of the SUV. “I thought you were teaching me how to get Tristan.”
“I am.”
“What does confidence have to do with Tristan?”
Ryder let out a low laugh, his dark eyes glinting under the streetlights. “Everything.”
He rested his arm against the open door, his tone dropping into a cool, effortless certainty as he added, “Guys notice confidence before they notice beauty.”
“Fine,” I muttered, stepping past him to get into the car.
The drive to the party was surprisingly quiet, the low hum of the engine filling the silence between us until we finally pulled up to the venue. The bass from inside was already vibrating through the doors of the SUV.
As Ryder shifted into park, he turned to me. “Give me your hand.”
“What?” I asked, total confusion written across my face.
“You came with me, so give me your hand,” he said firmly.
I hesitated, feeling a little reluctant, but before I could pull back, he reached out and took my hand in his—his grip warm, firm, and grounding.
“Now smile,” he added, glancing down at me.
I did as I was told, swallowing down the sudden spike of nerves. My stomach did awkward cartwheels as we walked through the front entrance and into the chaos. The house was packed to the brim with college students, reeking of booze, bad decisions, and loud music blaring from every corner.
“Stay close to me,” Ryder murmured, tightening his hold slightly as we navigated through the crowd.
“Hey, Ryder! You’re a little late,” Owen called out, spotting us near the entrance and pushing his way over. His eyes darted to me, widening slightly. “And you brought… Tessy, right?”
I nodded with a polite smile. “Yeah.”
Owen immediately scanned the crowd behind us, a desperate edge slipping into his voice. “Is Sophie here too?”
“No, she won’t be here tonight,” I said softly.
A flash of raw disappointment washed over his face. He swallowed hard, letting out a heavy breath before giving a tight nod. “Oh… okay.” He forced a small smile, looking back at me. “You look amazing, by the way.”
“Thanks, Owen,” I said gently, and with a quick nod, Ryder and I kept moving into the main room.
“Look at that—you’re already getting compliments,” Ryder murmured near my ear, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. “Told you.”
A small smile broke across my face. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.
“Ryder!”
A high-pitched voice cut right through the music. A gorgeous girl pushed her way through the crowd toward us—the exact same girl I had walked in on with him just days before. Her sharp eyes locked onto our joined hands, her gaze instantly snapping up to mine with pure irritation laced in her tone.
“Who is this?” she demanded, stepping directly into our path.
The moment the words left her mouth, Ryder dropped my arm.
- Writer
