Page 34 of Perfectly Imperfect Us
14
Ava
Crazy how being in love can change your view of everything. Heading into work at Knot a Chain became something that put a smile on my face as I stored away stories of evil Virgie to tell Ryder later that night. Or hanging with my girls and being able to giggle and gush about how sweet Ryder was as my boyfriend. Even the followers on my YouTube channel had been increasingly interested in my videos after Ryder started engaging in the comments. So far, no news had leaked about Ryder and me dating, though I knew that would get out at some point, but for now, all was well.
In fact, everything was better with Ryder in my life.
“I don’t think I’ve seen your face without a smile for several weeks now,” Lacey drawled as we sat around the table at Two Nickels.
We’d just placed orders and I’d thrown dietary caution to the wind by ordering a stack of their famous pancakes. Skylar had given me the stink-eye, but not all of us could stomach the tasteless health food she survived on.
“Refill time, ladies!” Jillayne swung by with a steaming pot of fresh coffee and we all shoved our mugs to the edge of the table. No such thing as too much caffeine on a Friday morning when the promise of the weekend stretched out in front of you.
“I say we head to the cliffs tomorrowandSunday,” Skylar said as Jillayne left and we doctored our coffees with cream and sugar. “It’s supposed to be steamy hot all weekend.”
“I’m in!” I agreed. “I have one shift tomorrow morning for four hours, but afterward, I’ll head over. Want me to bring snacks?”
Kadee bounced up and down on the creaky faux leather bench. “Yes, please! And I’ll bring rafts. If the water’s calm, we can get our tan on out on the water.”
“I’m sure the boys will bring plenty of beer, so we should be covered.” Skylar grabbed her phone, probably to text Max to get the Nickel Heads to bring the drinks.
“Should we invite some other people to join us?” Lacey asked, rather quietly before taking a sip of coffee, her gaze darting around the diner.
I tilted my head. Something was definitely up with Lacey. “I mean, sure. More the merrier, but what prompted that question?”
Lacey winced and put her mug down, fiddling with the handle. “Well, it’s just that you and Ryder pair off, and then Skylar and Max pair off, and Kadee and Heath don’t speak to each other, so it makes it kind of awkward for Jase and me. That and he says the weirdest things around me. It’s like he’s so tongue-tied he can’t hold down a normal conversation. I’ve tried calming him down, but it’s like talking to a rambunctious puppy.”
Skylar snorted and then covered her mouth like she was trying to hold in a laugh. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t nice of me.” She took a deep breath. “I think Jase likes you, Lacey.”
Lacey’s cheeks heated even as she shook her head. That was interesting.
“Perhaps, but either way, it’s awkward as all get-out. So let’s invite some other people, huh?”
Kadee jumped in. “That’s a great idea! Honestly, as handsome as he is, I’m getting tired of looking at Heath’s pompous face. I’m gonna see if Ben wants to come.” Her eyes twinkled and we all groaned.
“The bartender? Seriously, Kadee? He’s never going to date anyone here in town. He’s a giant question mark.” I shook my head at her idea. The guy didn’t share his past at all. And yeah, he was the silent gorgeous type, but none of us knew anything about him.
“Yeah, a question mark with a great butt,” Kadee drawled.
We all cracked up at that.
Movement outside the diner window caught my eye. I squinted against the early morning glare, not believing what I was seeing. My hands went tingly and I could have sworn the diner tipped to the side like a silent earthquake.
“Ava? You okay?” I heard Skylar ask, but the words were coming from down a long tunnel.
There on the sidewalk across the street from the diner, stood Ryder dressed in a dark pair of jeans and designer shirt I hadn’t seen before. He had sunglasses covering his gorgeous eyes and his jawline looked like it could cut glass. That wasn’t my boyfriend out there. Couldn’t be. Because he had a gorgeous blonde on his arm. A blonde by the name of Kyly Stone. The supermodel he’d been linked to romantically right before he moved back to Nickel Bay. The rumor he swore to me just a few weeks ago was not true.
“Who’s that with Ryder?” Kadee blurted out.
I felt all heads swivel to look out the window with me. Several photographers surrounded them, snapping pictures and shouting questions that Kyly answered while posing and looking completely unruffled. Ryder looked like he was carved out of stone, standing next to her, but not engaging with her or the paparazzi.
My chest clenched painfully and every single insecurity I’d ever had came flooding back in an instant. Kyly’s hand slid higher up Ryder’s arm until she snaked around his neck, nuzzling her face behind his ear. The sight of them cuddled up together made me sick to my stomach. For a second I wondered if maybe I was stuck in a bad daydream. How could my boyfriend, the one who just last week told me he loved me, be over there withher?
“Oh, no he didn’t…” Kadee murmured, the fury on my behalf evident in her tone.
The couple from my nightmares strolled across the street, the light traffic in Nickel Bay even pausing to watch the show of two famous people gracing our small-town with their presence. To my continued horror, they walked right to Two Nickels, Ryder finally unfreezing enough to open the door for Kyly. The photographers stayed outside, clustering around the very window us girls were staring through.
I shuddered and leaned back, my gaze now tracking Ryder’s movement at the front of the diner. Jillayne came up to the hostess desk, a frown on her face. I couldn’t hear what she said, but it was enough to make Ryder drop his gaze to the floor and Kyly’s mouth drop open.
