Page 184 of Wanna Play A Game?
He huffs. There’s silence again, but I don’t feel the burning weight of his stare.
“You know they were sick over losing you.”
I jerk my head up. Ryder is looking at me again.
They…were?
“I told them about what happened.” Ryder moves to the sink, avoiding my gaze. “When I dropped you off.”
I’m not sure where the question comes from, but it pops out before I can stop it. “What about you?”
Ryder’s large back almost blocks the small window over the sink, and he stiffens with the question. “What about me…what?”
I glare at my food. “Were you sick? You promised I’d never see you again the last time I saw you.”
Ryder looks down at the sink. He’s quiet for so long that I don’t think he’s going to answer. Then he says softly, “I’m not good at this communication shit either, Cali. You’re going to have to accept that if you’re with us.”
I’m just supposed to accept that they won’t talk to me?
Ryder says in a voice so soft I almost don’t hear him. “And that was the first promise I was happy to break.”
What? Is he for real right now?
“I’ll take that if you’re done.” Ryder nods at my dish.
“Oh, yeah.” I get up, handing it to him. His dishes thing.
Ryder nods, immediately rinsing it out.
“Is there…what are the rules with the dishes so I know how to do those right?”
Ryder glances at me, startled. He immediately tries to hide it. “Oh. No, don’t worry about it.”
I pick at a dent in the counter. “Okay…”
He hesitates. “I just have…a weird thing with germs.”
I lean back against the counter. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain it to me.”
“No, I do.” He takes a deep breath. “The others know, so you should too. I’ve had it ever since I was a kid. It’s hard to break.”
Heavy footsteps come down the stairs, and Miles pops around the corner, closely followed by Sawyer.
“Ready to see your room?” Miles asks.
I glance at Ryder, then back at Miles. “My room?” I parrot back. I have…a room here? The tightness in my body lifts for a second.
“Yep, c’mon.”
I slowly follow Miles upstairs. Sawyer follows behind me, and I feel his stare on my back. My skin tingles. I feel the unspoken tension between us.
Miles walks me back straight from the stairs into a big room full of windows and a walkout porch, looking out into the misty forest. There’s a king-size bed in the room, and it’s light and airy. The room is full of light furniture, and I do a double take. On top of the dresser are some knick-knacks from my apartment.
I blink. But how…? I move up to them, running my fingers across them, then whirl.
Miles holds up his hands. “We went back to your apartment before we got you. Don’t be mad. There’s more stuff in the bathroom and in the closet.”
Sawyer crosses his arms, leaning against the door frame.
