"Dylan fucking kissed you?

I stare at Ryder in shock, fully aware of his fingertips touching my chin while he stares into my eyes deeply. I can see the barely concealed anger in them and I bite my lip nervously not daring to utter a single word.

"Fucking talk to me Anna, did you fucking kiss him?" he growls out and I wince at his tone.

"Well kinda" I mutter still staring at his face. Ryder tilts his head to one side and stares at me for three seconds before he lets go of my face and turns around to pace "What the fuck does kinda mean Anna, why the fuck won't you tell me anything?"I watch him as he paces up to a tree and punches it. I scream and run towards him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him to face me" What the fuck is wrong with you Ryder, your hand"

I pick his wrist up and stare at his bleeding knuckles and anger takes over me "This is why I dont tell you anything, coz you dont want to listen, you just want to react, and your reaction is to get angry which results in you hurting yourself. How am I supposed to tell you anything" I stop as tears start threatening to pour out of my eyes? He pulls his injured hand out of mine and wipes it against his jacket wincing a little as he wipes the blood off

"Did you like it...his kiss, did you fucking like it?" he glares at me still

"No...no" I grab my hair with my hands in frustration and then release it "Look, he came over to invite my parents to dinner at his family's house, then he took me for ice cream, and then when he dropped me off he kissed me, it lasted for about three seconds, and I did not kiss him back, I was frozen, like an ice statue and by the time I realized what was happening I pulled away and told him that I didn't want to and he said he'll wait"

Ryder looks at me his eyes still hooded, I couldn't make out what emotions were running through them now. "What were you doing in the janitor's closet with him today?" he folds his arms and looks at me questioningly.

"Yoga" I glare at him and then seeing his serious gaze I let out a sigh "He ... umm wanted an answer about me being his girlfriend and he wanted me to think about it and say yes to him by 7:00 pm tonight, he said if I dont he'll just talk to my mum and come over anyway" I bite my lip and look at him nervously. I purposefully left out the bits where he sort of yelled at and insulted me because I could feel that Ryder's control over his rage was hanging by a thread although he seemed externally calm about everything all of a sudden.

"And what are you going to say ?" he cracks his neck while he continues to look at me expressionlessly.

I shake my head uncertainly "I dont know Ryder, my mum..she ..she will kill me if I dont go out with him. You have no idea how mean she can be. She'll make my life living hell. But I am hoping that Dylan will see some reason and that I can convince him to not tell mum that I dont want to date him"

Ryder sucks his lower lip into his mouth " Why the fuck are you so scared for Anna" he rubs his eyes in frustration "just tell your mum you want to live your life on your terms, how long can you go on pretending like this?''

I glare at him "It's easy for you to say that when you dont live with her, you have no idea what she is like"

Ryder walks closer to me and cups my face with both his hands and lifts it, his rough calloused thumbs caressing my cheeks. "What would you have done if we were dating, from what you've said I'm definitely not the type she would approve of, so what would you have done Anna?"

I just stare at him lost for words at the sudden proximity of his face to mine He continues "I mean with all this fear that you have of your mother, I think that you would hide me for however long you can like a dirty secret, and then your mum would find out someday and forbid you to see me again, and then you'd leave me high and dry and go fuck around with some rich kid that your mommy chooses for you won't you?"

I feel anger seeping through my veins but I dont answer his question directly "If that's what you think about me Ryder, then I dont even need to try and convince you otherwise, I mean it's not like you're ever going to have the balls to go out with me in the first place, so I dont think you have the right to even question me about what I would do in your fantasy scenario where we are dating." I glare back at him my gaze unwavering.

I see hurt pass through his face and then he covers it with a mask of indifference which reminds me of the Ryder I met the first day at school. He lets go of my face and takes a few steps back and nods his head "You're right, it's none of my business, look just say no to Dylan tonight and stand your ground. I care about you...as a friend and I dont want you to end up in an unhappy relationship. Live a little for yourself Anna" He smiles crookedly at me.

When I don't respond to that he looks everywhere but at me and then cracks his neck again.

"Let's head back, you go first and I'll follow a little behind" He jerks his head towards the school.

I glare at him "Why? You dont want any of the girls in school to see you with me? reduces your chances of sleeping around is it? "

He raises his eyebrows at my sudden outburst and then he shakes his head softly "Nope, my chances are always good with the chicks, have you seen me" he smirks at me " I just dont want you to get a bad rep from being seen with me"

I stare at him anger blazing in my eyes wanting to provoke him again "Oh yea because then the boys would just come flocking and propositioning me thinking that I must be good in bed if the almighty Ryder decided to have his way with me?"

He shakes his head again smiling at me and not raising to the bait"No, the lesser people who know we are close the better, the guys I work with, fight with ...they are not big softies like Bryan and Colton if they know you're close with me they might try to hurt you to get back at me, and they keep tabs on me in school ... so I dont want to take a risk.. understand" he looks at me like I'm a little child and he nods his head "Now walk, I dont want you to keep missing classes because of me"

I turn around without another word and start walking my head held up high fighting the tears that were brimming on my eyelids. Why does he do this to me all the time? He keeps playing my heart like a yo-yo...One minute he cares, the next he acts like a stranger. I harden my face as my sadness seeps away and is replaced with anger, anger over him assuming that if we were dating that I would keep him a dirty secret and not fight for us, anger against him for going back and forth with his feelings for me.

By this time I am in the school's crowded hallway where everyone was rushing around and chatting away before their next class. I turn around and see Ryder smile at me softly before he turns around to walk away.

"Ryder" I call his name out and the talking dies down as I feel a bunch of curious eyes on me. He turns around and weirdly looks at me.

I walk up to him my heart beating in my chest but rage fuelling my motivation, my eyes burning with anger. I see Amelie and Bryan stare at me as I walk past them and I hear Amelie shout "Give him what he deserves girl, aim for the nuts"

Ryder's eyes widen when he hears this and he looks at me trying to figure out what I was up to.

I reach in front of him and I notice him steeling himself for the punch or slap that he was pretty certain he was going to get from me.

I tilt my head and smirk at him imitating the way he smirks at girls usually and he stares at me motionless, his chocolate brown eyes boring holes into me.

I reach my arms up and he closes his eyes ready for a punch, but I pull him down by the neck and I reach up on my tiptoes and crash my mouth onto his.