Page 80 of I Don't Need Your Love
I press my lips together and glare at her.
“Looks like it’s bursting to come out,” Sophie points out, even though her eyes are glued to her book.
I tap my shoe again and fold my arms across my chest. Then I drop them to my sides. I pick up my fork to take a bite of my omelet, but I drop it and throw my hands up. “Okay, fine! You guys win. Iamdying to tell you about what happened between me and Ryder.”
Raven grins. “I knew you wouldn’t last long.”
“So predictable,” Sophie says with a chuckle.
“You guys want to hear about it or not?”
“Well, since you’resoeager to tell us,” Raven teases.
I give her a look before saying, “Moreno thought our team needs some oomph, you know? Something that will take us straight to the top. So she suggested we add a pair sequence to the routine.”
“You mean, you and Ryder?” Raven asks.
“How did you guess that?”
“It’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?”
“Wait, so you and Ryder are going to perform a romantic dance?” Sophie asks with huge eyes.
“Yeah. We danced together yesterday and Moreno said we have good chemistry. I have no idea if that’s true, but look.” I show them some of my black and blue marks. “He dropped me during practice.”
“Ouch, that looks like it hurts,” Raven says.
“Battle scars.” I shrug. “I’ll probably see more of that during the next few days. Unless Ryder can hold me up for more than five seconds before crashing to the floor.”
Sophie’s brows crease. “Did you want to be paired with him?”
“I mean, Moreno said I’m the best dancer on the team, and he’s the only male dancer…”
Her face lights up. “You know what this means?” she gushes.
“Um…no?”
“This is a forced proximity trope!”
Raven and I roll our eyes. “Not again, Soph,” she mutters.
“Guys, this is like one of the best tropes ever. Two people who don’t want to spend time together are forced to be together, maybe for a school project or event, and then…BAM! They fall madly in love and live happily ever after.”
“As if that happens in real life.”
“Of course it does! Think about it. You have two people who are meant to be together, right? But how can they possibly get together when they don’t know each other, or if they hate each other’s guts? Cue the forced proximity trope. They are forced to spend time together, maybe even rely on each other. And then… BAM! They fall—”
“Madly in love and live happily ever after,” Raven finishes for her.
“Exactly!”
“Except, that won’t happen with me and Ryder—”
“Didn’t we already establish that he’s in love with you?” Sophie says.
“Wedidn’t establish that.Yourdeluded mind established that.”
“I amnotdeluded—”
