ALLISON

🌹🦋 CHAPTER 10 🦋🌹

Allison's POV

By the time I got home, Hailey's words were still irritating me.

Just don't misunderstand his attention.

I hated how casually she'd said it.

Like she knew something I didn't.

Like I was supposed to sit around wondering what she meant.

I dropped my bag onto the couch and kicked off my shoes.

“Home?”

Dad's voice came from the kitchen.

“Yeah.”

I walked in and found him standing by the counter, looking through a grocery bag.

“You're late.”

“I was talking.”

He glanced at me.

“With who?”

I opened the fridge.

“People.”

“That narrows it down.”

I grabbed a bottle of water.

“Friends.”

“Boyfriend?”

I nearly choked.

“What?”

Dad laughed.

“I'm joking.”

“Not funny.”

“Apparently.”

I took a drink and leaned against the counter.

He looked at me for a moment.

“You seem distracted.”

“I am not.”

“Didn't say you were.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You're doing that thing.”

“What thing?”

“The dad thing.”

He smiled.

“I've been doing that since you were born.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I'm going upstairs.”

“Dinner in thirty minutes.”

“I'll be there.”

“And Allison?”

I turned.

“Hmm?”

“Whatever you're thinking about, don't overthink it.”

I stared at him.

How did he always know?

“I'm not thinking about anything.”

“Sure.”

I shook my head and walked upstairs.

I really needed to stop letting people read me so easily.

Especially him.

Especially Kaiden.

Because somehow, in less than a week, he'd gone from being some random guy I'd met twice to someone who kept showing up in my thoughts.

And that was annoying.

Very annoying.

I changed into something comfortable and threw myself onto my bed.

My phone buzzed.

I picked it up.

Hilda: Are you alive?

Me: Unfortunately.

Hilda: Drama queen.

Me: What do you want?

Hilda: Nothing.

A second later—

Hilda: Actually, I have something.

I stared at the message.

Me: What?

Hilda: Matilda likes Ryker.

I sat up.

Me: WHAT?

Hilda: 😂😂😂

Me: Don't play with me.

Hilda: I'm serious.

Me: Matilda would rather eat glass.

Hilda: Exactly why it's funny.

I laughed despite myself.

Me: Does Ryker know?

Hilda: That i***t thinks she's just being difficult.

Me: She is being difficult.

Hilda: So are you.

I stopped typing.

Me: What does that mean?

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Appeared again.

Hilda: Nothing.

I frowned.

Everybody was suddenly obsessed with saying nothing.

I threw my phone onto the bed.

“Annoying.”

My phone buzzed again.

This time, it wasn't Hilda.

It was an unknown number.

Unknown: You still hate me?

I stared at the screen.

I knew immediately who it was.

I smiled before I could stop myself.

Me: Who gave you my number?

Kaiden: That's not an answer.

Me: Yes.

Kaiden: Yes what?

Me: Yes, I still hate you.

A few seconds passed.

Kaiden: Good.

I frowned.

Me: Good?

Kaiden: Means you haven't gotten bored of me yet.

I shook my head.

Me: You're very confident.

Kaiden: I'm usually right.

Me: That's definitely not true.

Kaiden: Prove me wrong.

I stared at the screen.

Why was texting him already this easy?

Me: What do you want?

Kaiden: Nothing.

I laughed.

Of course.

Me: Everyone is saying that today.

Kaiden: Maybe it's a popular word.

Me: You're weird.

Kaiden: And yet you're still replying.

I paused.

He had me there.

Me: Unfortunately, I'm bored.

Kaiden: So I'm entertainment?

Me: Exactly.

Kaiden: I'll take it.

I smiled at the screen.

Then immediately frowned at myself.

No.

Absolutely not.

I wasn't smiling because of him.

I was smiling because—

Nothing.

I hated that word now.

Kaiden: You there?

Me: Yeah.

Kaiden: Good.

Me: Good again, Why?

There was a longer pause this time.

Kaiden: Just wanted to talk to you.

My fingers stopped above the keyboard.

That was simple.

Too simple.

I typed.

Deleted it.

Typed again.

Me: About what?

Kaiden: Anything.

I smiled slightly.

Me: You really don't get tired of asking questions, do you?

Kaiden: Not when I like the answers.

I stared at that message for a little too long.

Then—

Me: Goodnight, Kaiden.

Kaiden: It's 7:43.

Me: Exactly.

Kaiden: You're running away.

Me: I told you. I don't run.

Kaiden: Right. You just disappear.

I smiled.

Me: Goodnight.

Kaiden: Goodnight, Allison.

I placed my phone face down.

Then rolled onto my back.

What was happening to me?

I wasn't falling for him.

Definitely not.

I barely knew him.

And I had rules.

No boyfriend.

No drama.

No distractions.

Simple.

So why did one stupid text from him have me smiling at my ceiling?

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my face.

“This is ridiculous.”

Kaiden's POV

“Why are you smiling at your phone?”

I looked up.

Ryker was standing in front of me with a bag of chips in his hand.

“I'm not.”

He stared at me.

“You absolutely are.”

Finn looked over from the other side of the couch.

“What's he smiling about?”

“Girl,” Ryker answered immediately.

I threw a pillow at him.

He ducked.

“Hey!”

“Mind your business.”

“Oh, so there is a girl.”

Finn laughed.

“Who?”

“None of your business.”

Ryker sat down beside him.

“I bet it's Allison.”

I looked at him.

He grinned.

“Got you.”

“You're annoying.”

“Thank you.”

Finn shook his head.

“You've known her for barely a week.”

“I know.”

“And you're already texting her?”

I shrugged.

“So?”

Ryker raised an eyebrow.

“So nothing. Just saying.”

I leaned back.

“She's interesting.”

“Interesting?” Ryker repeated.

“Yeah.”

“That's what we're calling it?”

I ignored him.

Because I didn't really know what else to call it.

I liked talking to her.

I liked that she didn't care who I was.

I liked that she challenged almost everything I said.

And I liked that she didn't seem impressed by me.

Most people were.

Allison wasn't.

And somehow, that made me want to know her even more.

“Anyway,” Finn said, changing the subject, “what are we doing Saturday?”

Ryker immediately looked at him.

“Basketball.”

“Obviously.”

“I meant after.”

Finn shrugged.

“Nothing planned.”

Ryker looked toward me.

“Let's go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“I don't know.”

“You're full of ideas.”

“Thank you.”

“That wasn't a compliment.”

“I know.”

Finn laughed.

“You two are impossible.”

I shook my head.

But then my phone buzzed.

I glanced down.

A message.

Allison: Forgot to say—don't get too comfortable.

I smiled.

Ryker leaned over.

“Is that her?”

I locked my phone.

“Go away.”

He laughed.

“Definitely her.”

Matilda's POV

“I'm telling you, he's annoying.”

Hilda looked at me.

“You've said that six times.”

“Because he is.”

“Then why are you smiling?”

I immediately stopped smiling.

“I wasn't.”

“You were.”

“No.”

Hilda laughed.

“You like him.”

“I don't.”

“You do.”

“I do not.”

She stared at me.

I stared back.

Neither of us moved.

Finally, I sighed.

“Okay, maybe he's not completely unbearable.”

Hilda's eyes widened.

“Progress!”

“Don't make it a thing.”

“Oh, it's definitely a thing.”

I threw a pillow at her.

She caught it, laughing.

My phone buzzed.

I looked down.

A message from Ryker.

Ryker: You alive?

I rolled my eyes.

Me: Unfortunately.

Ryker: You and Allison have the same answer.

I paused.

Me: Why are you talking to Allison?

Ryker: Jealous?

I stared at the screen.

Then typed—

Deleted.

Typed again.

Me: Delusional.

His reply came almost instantly.

Ryker: I'll take that as a yes.

I groaned.

Hilda leaned closer.

“What did he say?”

“Nothing.”

She laughed.

“Not that word again.”

I looked at her.

“Shut up.”

She smiled.

“You're doomed.”

“I'm not.”

But deep down…

I wasn't so sure.

Allison's POV

Weekend suddenly felt very far away.

I had no idea what the next few weeks were going to bring.

I only knew one thing.

Kaiden was slowly becoming part of my life.

Not my boyfriend.

Not even close.

Just someone I talked to.

Someone I looked forward to seeing.

Someone who somehow made ordinary days feel a little less ordinary.

And maybe that wasn't a bad thing.

At least…

Not yet.

Because I still had no idea what Hailey was planning.

she's always giving me the evil side eyes.

She's Jealous, and she's playing smart.

Well I've never been an easy opponent to beat.

Again, I don't know what evil schemes are going through her head.

And I had a feeling—

Neither did Kaiden.