"Oh she's looking spicy tonight, get it Francesca," Luna catcalls as I walk into the bedroom in a short dress and heels. For once I am dressing up for a party, in the mood to wear something other than a boring crop top and jeans. For now I am pretending that mood was triggered by yesterday's big win and not the new knowledge I have about Ryder not liking Maya.

"Dress up with me and Maya!"

"For hockey house? Did you hit your head Fran?"

"Please, it will be fun. We both won yesterday, we should celebrate that and look hot while doing it." I start digging through her side of the closet looking for a dress. Luna helps me look and I give her a side hug before we continue to rip apart her closet.

Maya helps us finish getting ready since this is way out of our comfort zone and something she's been trying to get us to do for months now. Once we are all dressed and our hair and make up is done we emerge from our room to find Parker on the couch with Tristian.

"God damn! My roommates are so hot," Parker yells while throwing himself dramatically across the couch with the back of his hand on his forehead.

Tristian doesn't say a word but the look he is giving Luna almost makes me feel like I am intruding, like I should give them some privacy. Tristian often looks at Luna like she is his entire world and usually that melts my heart but today I feel a little bit of jealousy. I want someone to look at me that way, a very specific someone.

"Ready," I ask, breaking Tristian from his trance.

The walk to hockey house is much longer than usual with me, Maya, and Luna freezing our asses off in our dresses. Tristian holds Luna close to him and Parker tries to keep me and Maya warm but Maya has always been worse with the cold than me so I let him take care of her and walk alone.

When we finally walk in the party has already begun and I leave my friends to go find mr. no fun, who if I had to guess has locked himself in his room with our rats. The door is, of course, locked when I get upstairs so I grab the hidden spare key and unlock it myself.

"Wow," is the first thing out of his mouth when I barge in. I shift from foot to foot and tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly a little self conscious of my outfit choice. "You are going to make my job hard tonight, Beck."

"Which is why you should stick by me instead of standing in your corner. What kind of shitty ass bodyguard are you?"

"My apologies," he laughs as he gets up from his disaster of a desk, dressed in black jeans and a black shirt. I guess both of us felt like switching up our style tonight. "Ready to go celebrate the best ice skating win I have ever seen?"

"Bar is pretty low when you've never watched ice skating before."

"Hey, hey, relax there, I watched the olympics, I know things Beck."

Ryder takes my jacket and places it on the back of his door next to his before taking back his spare key which is still in my hand. "Oh, you know things?" I tease, but it is true he does know things. Ryder, since I met him, has taken a genuine interest in learning a little bit about figure skating and it makes me feel all gooey thinking that the only reason he is even bothering is for me.

He begins to lead me out of his room but I stop him from closing the door. "Wait, you're missing something."

He watches me in confusion as I run back into his room and into his closet. Ryder's closet is 50% hockey stuff, 10% normal clothing, and 40% hats. I grab a hat which I think will compliment his outfit and walk over to him placing it on his head. "Now we can go."

"I thought hats caused baldness?" he teases after locking his door and putting an arm over my shoulder. I am still cold from the walk so I scoot as close as possible without tripping up both down the stairs.

"Yeah but it is your signature, it doesn't feel right without it."

"Like you and your moon." Ryder lifts it gently and admires it before laying it back on my chest. His fingers lightly brush the top of my boob and for a split second, I am seeing stars. It should be illegal for someone to feel fireworks over such a small touch.

Ryder puts a little space between us as we enter the kitchen. I am no longer cold, actually now I feel too hot all from an accidental touch. I decide to get some space and join Maddie on the dance floor. Luna and Maya join us a few songs later and my frazzled state slips away as the music takes over.

The guys are doing god knows what god knows where, if Ryder is even down here anymore and not back in his room hiding, so I enjoy just dancing with the girls. "You look killer tonight Francesca," Maddie compliments as one song ends and another begins.

"You always look hot so thank you," I smile. Maddie is gorgeous and her compliment is the confidence booster I needed. Plus Ryder liked her at one point and if she thinks I look good than he probably does too, right? I feel like that is good logic. If the guy you like former crush thinks you look hot than he probably does too. I think the math is mathing.

"I am going to get a drink, want to come with me?"

I nod and follow Maddie since Luna has already left to go dance on Tristian and Maya is in the corner talking to Alex and a bunch of other people. I wish she was alone with him but I will take it as a win that they are even hanging out at all.

"Soo," Maddie drags out as we both grab drinks from the cooler and lean on the counter. "You and Ryder, what is going on there."

"Nothing," I deny, probably too quickly. Definitely too quickly based on Maddie's smirk and raised eyebrow.

"Not true. I have known him since the day he stepped on this campus and he never invites people to hockey games or gives up weekend open skates for people. Shit he doesn't even like physical contact but with you he always has to be touching you."

"We are comfortable with each other," I defend but again she looks unconvinced.

"God athletes are so dumb, why do I want to fuck them so badly." Maddie looks at my shocked face clearly not meaning for that to have been said out loud. "No offense, but come on Ryder is obsessed with you."

"Maddie I don't even know where he is tonight, he is not obsessed with me."

On cue Ryder walks into the room with a bottle in his hand. "Beck, finally you're done dancing! Anyways, I found this bottle of champagne you should pop it to celebrate your win."

Maddie gives me a smug look before sauntering off to whatever player she is going to hook up with tonight.

"Come on Beck, we can pop it on the back deck." Ryder pulls me outside, not even acknowledging Maddie was with me.

"Fuck its cold Ry," I whine as I attempt to pull my short dress down to at least cover more of my upper tight.

"I thought hoes never got cold."

"Did you just call me a hoe?" I yell while slapping him in the chest. Very smooth, more smooth than I thought Ryder could be, he grabs me and pulls me against him in one swift motion.

"I did," he laughs in my ear. I swallow, suddenly aware of how close we are. Ryder remains unfazed and places the bottle in my hands. "Just shake it and it will pop."

I try to shake it but it is painfully obvious nothing is happening. Actually, that is a lie, something is happening and it's me shaking against Ryder while his arm remains tight around my waist, his front against my back. "I can't do it this is dumb," I tell him as I look up at him and he looks down at me. Even in 6 inch heels I barely come to his chin.

"Let me help, you can do it." His arm lets go of me and each of his large hands covers mine on the bottle. He shakes it only a few times with me before the cork goes flying and champagne spills out onto the snow.

"Woooo," I cheer.

"Party time," Ryder cheers as he picks me up with one arm and marches back into the house with the bottle of champagne in the other. We share the bottle not even bothering to get cups just passing it back and forth between us.

The bottle goes quickly and we move on to whatever other alcohol is at the party. I am quickly way drunker than I intended to be tonight and making my way back to the dance floor while Ryder stands not too far off watching me. I want him so badly to dance with me again and I am doing things far too sexy for someone as awkward as me to be doing, in hopes he will join.

I watch his eyes travel up and down my body slowly, his mouth slightly open as he shifts from one foot to the other. For a moment it looks like he is going to join me, like I finally won but then some girl steps in front of him cutting him off from me. This sick irrational surge of jealousy takes over and before I can stop myself I am storming over to them.

"You look good tonight Ryder," she tells him while resting a perfectly manicured hand on his chest. Stop touching him, he hates being touched I want to scream at her.

"Ry," I interrupt, giving him the best boo boo lip and puppy dog eyes I can muster. "Dance with me?"

The girl is shooting daggers at me with her eyes as Ryder lets her hand fall and pulls me toward him. "I'm not very good at dancing Beck," he says. It is always the same excuse even though I told him he was good last time when he danced with me while the twins were visiting.

"Yes you are, besides I can teach you. It isn't hard if you can play hockey, you can dance at a party. This isn't dancing with the stars."

"Beck," he sighs and I admit defeat even if it stings like hell. I step out of his reach letting his hands fall from my waist to his side. He looks sad but as I move away from him to hide amongst the crowded dance floor he makes no move to stop me.

I am no longer in the mood to dance, especially alone but I refuse to let anyone know they have the ability to upset me, even Carson Ryder. Levitating by Dua Lipa begins to play and I try to look happy as the song plays. It is a good song to dance to and 5 minutes ago I would have been living for it but now I just want to go home.

A hand touches my waist and I am about to fling it off me and storm away but the hand slides across my hips and pulls me against the body it belongs to. "If I dance with you you better stop looking so sad Beck, it tears me up."

I turn around and look up at Ryder. A wave of confusing emotions washes over me and I have to take a deep breath to keep them from all spilling out. "You're going to dance with me?"

"No one should look as pretty as you do tonight and be dancing alone, it is almost criminal."

A smile so big it actually hurts takes over my face and suddenly I'm in the mood to dance to Levitating again. I put one hand on each of Ryder's shoulders and try to move him with the beat of the song. He is stiff and instead of looking like he's having fun his brows are pulled together as he watches my feet and tries to copy me.

"I need you all night, come on, dance with me," I sing and step back a little, my hands running down his chest and then grabbing his hands.

Ryder is still a little tense and unsure of himself as I step closer again, still holding his hands. He is trying so hard I just want to lean forward an inch and kiss his lip that he is nibbling on. Dancing isn't something you think about, it should be something you feel.

"Stop thinking," I tell him between songs. I let go of his hands and they quickly settle on my hips again holding on for dear life.

"What?" he asks nervously.

"You're thinking too much, just feel the song."

He looks unsure but another song begins and even though I know I should behave, I am just drunk enough to ignore that side of myself. My oh my by Camila Cabello is playing and I almost shock myself with how I am dancing up against Ryder. Right now we are so close you couldn't even slip a piece of paper between us. I am looking up at him singing the song and his fingers are digging into my hipping a little harder.

As the chorus plays I turn around and slide my body down Ryders while my arms reach back and wrap around his neck. I am pretty sure this is a hallucination I made up but I could almost swear I heard him groan a little.

As the song continues I turn back around and Ryder this time wraps his entire arm around me keeping me pinned tightly against him. He no longer looks shy or nervous and a whole new unrecognizable look has taken over. Whatever he is feeling, he's let himself feel the music and now he is really dancing with me.

Another song begins and I don't even have to beg him to stay. He starts dancing to it and we both continue dancing for the rest of the night together.