The Problem with Forever(50)

Hector snorted as he looked up from his paper, responding before Rider could. “Because when Rider was a sophomore, he decided to do some exterior decorating on the outside of Lands High.”

Rider rolled his eyes.

“He tagged the entrance and got busted the next day, because the dumbass wore the same shirt he’d done the tagging in,” Paige jumped in, her lips curled up in a smirk as her gaze met mine. Something in her stare told me she was happy to point out that she knew all about this, and I didn’t. “Mr. Santos was probably the only staff member that appreciated it.”

My gaze swung back to Rider. His cheeks were a deeper pink again. “I didn’t get in too much trouble,” he said, not looking at me. “It was a misdemeanor. Had to help clean it off, which sucked.”

“A misdemeanor?” I stared at him. “How is that not trouble?”

Hector laughed, turning back to his notebook. “Misdemeanor isn’t a charge you catch that you really got to worry about.”

I did not understand that at all.

A moment passed and Rider’s gaze slid toward me. His grin was sheepish. “Okay. I was in trouble, but no big deal. Santos actually went to bat for me, so I didn’t have to actually find a way to pay for the damages. That’s why I had to clean it up.”

“I bet you don’t know that Santos had one of Rider’s sketches placed in a gallery in the city, do you?” Hector asked. “That was the part about Santos going to bat for him. Told him he needed to produce something that could be on display. You know, not on the side of a wall.”

My mouth dropped open for the second time. “What?”

“Cállate, bro.” Rider leaned forward, glaring at Hector. “Seriously.”

Hector tipped his head back and laughed.

“Where?” I asked.

A sigh rattled out of Paige. “It’s not a big deal. It was just graffiti on a canvas.”

“That is still a big deal,” I stated. No pauses there.

She rolled her eyes.

Rider shook his head as he focused on his sketch. “It doesn’t matter.”

I thought it did. “That sounds amazing.”

Something in my tone drew his gaze to mine, and another long moment passed before he responded. “It’s down at City Arts. Or it was. No idea if it’s still up.”

I wanted to see it if it was, because that was... That was extraordinary.

So much of Rider was the same from before. The kindness, that unshakable protective instinct. But there was so much I didn’t know about this older, newer Rider.

Shaking my head, I looked back at my speech without seeing the words. I thought about what Santos said. It made sense. Life was like doing this speech. It wasn’t necessarily about the end result, but more about trying.

I could...I could get behind that.

*

As class ended, Hector announced, “I’m hungry.”

“Okay,” Rider responded as I shoved my notebook into my bag. “What exactly do you want me to do about it?”

Hector grinned as he glanced over at me and winked. “I want you to take me out and feed me.”

Rider snorted.

“We can hit up Firehouse. I’m in the mood for their fries and fried hamburgers.”

Standing, Rider lifted his arms and stretched. His shirt rode up, baring a sliver of his stomach. My gaze dropped and focused in. His lower stomach was unbelievably taut. Defined.

Nice.

Very nice.

Cheeks flushing, I looked away and caught Hector’s knowing gaze. Crap. I needed to be better about checking out guys. Like incognito style. I didn’t even look in Paige’s direction to see if she caught me.

“You should come with us,” Hector suggested.

I blinked. Was he talking to me?

He was. Because Rider lowered his arms and glanced over to where I was, which was still sitting in my chair. “You want to grab something to eat?”

“Of course she does,” Hector replied. “She wouldn’t turn down our company. Who would?”

Goodness, he and Jayden were very much alike.

Rider’s grin was lazy. “So, what do you think?”

My mind raced over the possibilities. Besides Ainsley and my family, I’d never gone out and grabbed food with anyone else. I most definitely had never gone out to eat with one guy, let alone two. Carl and Rosa would probably flip.

Okay. They would absolutely flip.

But I wanted to.

Heart thumping in my chest, I felt myself nod.

Rider’s grin spread and the dimple in his right cheek blessed the world once more. “Perfect. You want to ride with us?” he asked. “Since we know where we’re going?”

“Works for me,” Hector replied. “I can drop you back off at the school later.”

That made sense, so I nodded again.

“Good.” Rider paused, his smile reaching his eyes. “But there’s just one thing you’re going to have to do first.”

My brows rose.

“You’re going to have to get up.”

I got up.

Paige spoke as she rose from her own seat. “I can’t go with you. You know I have to watch Penny on Mondays.”

“Hell.” Rider scrubbed his fingers through his hair as I wondered who Penny was. “Want me to pick you and your sister up something to eat? I can swing it by afterward?”