*Hands over an Oreo*

Here's another chapter. I don't think I've taken this much time for any other chapter before but well.

Also my classes for college start soon, I just hope I'm able to update the story consistently even then.

Enjoy reading :)

Ryder's P.O.V.

It's so weird how we grow sceptical whenever things go our way.

It's almost like our conscience knows that life can't be this good. Something's not adding up.

Well, my conscience has been that mocking voice in my head since the day things started going well for Miles and I.

My thoughts were just a bunch of:

Is this real?

Is this really happening?

That's impossible.

How's this possible?

And so on...

Now I know why.

My jaw ticked as I looked at the person behind the counter, looking at Miles with a confused frown.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Miles chuckled. "Ouch. Has it been that long, turn?" She said, tilting her head to the side.

Connor's eyes widened as he looked at Miles up and down, while I clenched my hands into fists.

"Mill?" He exclaimed, raising a hand to his mouth, as Miles nodded with a smile that would've been enough to make me melt if this idiot wasn't standing right in front of us.

And the stupid nickname. This guy is a weirdo.

'Look who's talking.'

"Oh my god!" He gasped, rushing around the counter towards us.

I had to use all the self control I had in me to, not pull Miles back when he pulled her into a hug and lifted her off the floor, while she squealed, wrapping her arms around Connor.

Perri exited the bathroom and spotted the interaction. She walked towards us and stood beside me with her eyebrows raised.

I noticed specks of red in her eyes as if she just cried, but I didn't point it out and just shook my head.

I moved towards the new guy who had taken Connor's place and told him my order before moving out of the line towards Miles.

"I can't believe it. It's you!" Connor's voice grabbed our attention as he finally put Miles down but didn't let go of her hands. "It's a totally new you. Honestly, I still can't believe that you're the same Mill, I knew."

Miles laughed, smacking his shoulder. "I know, three years does that to a person." Miles said, her eyes wavering in my direction before they went back to Connor. "Look at yourself, Mr. Hot shot."

I bit my lip and with every drop of restrain squeezed out of me, I advanced towards them and wrapped my arm around Miles' waist.

"Won't you introduce me to your friend, babe?"

'Babe? Again? Seriously?'

Shut up.

I think I heard Perri physically facepalm herself and mutter a 'I can't watch this.' under her breath before she walked away.

I heard Miles' breath hitch as she looked up at me in surprise. "W-what are you doing?" She whisper yelled.

I tilted my head mocking innosence, making her sigh.

"You already know him, Ryder. He's Connor, remember? Eth-" I saw her physically bite her lip to stop before she finished the sentence.

My gaze softened as I saw her troubled eyes, filled with sorrow at the thought of her brother.

"Ryder?!" I heard Connor exclaim, making Miles and I turn our heads towards him. "You're Ryder? No way..." He said shaking his head and going back to the other side of the counter.

Miles pulled away from me and moved closer to the counter, across from him. "What? What happened?" She asked, chuckling.

"What happened? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror." He said, leaning down towards Miles making me take another hesitant step forward, but I relaxed as he moved away. "Where's my glow-up, man?"

"Shut up. Stop whining. You look just fine." Miles rolled her eyes.

He scoffed. "Sure. Anyway, on a serious note. When did you get back from London?" He asked.

I frowned at that.

He knew?

Miles parted her lips, before glancing at me, hesitantly.

Stop being a baby. It's no big deal.

I looked at Miles with an unbothered look while she blinked and looked back at Connor. "It's been a little over a month."

"And you didn't tell me?" He asked.

"I didn't know you were back too." Miles responded.

"Yeah I know, I'm just kidding. I just moved back here a week ago, actually." He shrugged.

"That's great. We have a lot of catching up to do." Miles smiled at him, making me frown. "We're going to the carnival actually, would you like to join us?"

"Oh I can't Mill, my shift just started." He said, before scribbling something on a piece of paper and throwing it at Miles. "Go have fun. We can catch up later."

Miles laughed, shoving the paper in her pocket. Connor turned to me with a smile and extended his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, man."

I looked down at his hand and then back at him.

He's the only one who made me feel distant from Miles.

He's the reason why I decided on a different nickname for Miles, just for me to call her by.

I took his hand in mine and gave it a firm shake. "Likewise, Connor." I said, with a forced smile.

He's the reason why I was insecure enough to not listen to Miles that night.

'Can't blame him alone, for that one.'

I pulled my hand away and grabbed our coffees to take them back, while Miles followed.

****

Emily's P.O.V.

I can't keep up with Ryder's mood swings anymore.

I thought as I looked at him walking towards the ticket counter with a straight face.

One second, he's all flirty and sarcastic and the next second he's a big bundle of depression.

"What is up with him, now?" I groaned to myself as I noticed him standing stiffly with the boys as Ashley stood beside him, blabbering away.

"On that note, who was that cute guy at the cafe?" Perri said, slinging an arm over my shoulder.

"He's Connor, guys. He was Ethan's best friend. We used to hang out a lot. God, you're really bad at recognising the people you already know." I rolled my eyes, swatting her arm off my shoulder. "And how is that remotely close to what I just said?"

"Wow... Ryder was right. You really are oblivious." Perri shook her head, making Lex laugh.

"Aw don't bully her, she is allowed to be a little slow in one criteria." Lex said, making me throw a disgusted look at her.

"Fuck off." I muttered.

"Okay, what did I miss?" Mia said coming to a stop in front of us and handed us the little jelly packs.

"Nothing really. Just Ryder being the possessive alpha male and Emily being her usual oblivious self." Perri said, peeling the top off the jelly.

I gaped at her as Mia's eyebrows raised in excitement. "Explain."

"Well, Emily here, ran into her childhood friend, Connor, who is crazy hot by the way, and Ryder got protective of Em." Perri said, squeezing the jelly into her mouth before speaking again. "I don't know what happened next, but I know that Ryder is broody because of that."

"And that was the world's most fictional monologue." I rolled my eyes. "I haven't met him in years and you're telling me that Ryder is pissed because I met a childhood friend?"

"Is this happening for the first time though? Didn't you see him strangle the life out of the guy for just placing his arm over your shoulder?" Mia said, shivering at the thought.

I frowned. "That's impossible." I breathed out.

That's when I heard it. His voice from three years ago stuck in my head.

"Go home, Miles. Connor must be worried about you."

"It has happened before." I muttered, before glancing at Ryder, who was standing in line at the ticket counter.

Is this true?

Could that be possible?

I mean he has kind of confessed that he had a crush on me back then and we spent almost every minute of everyday together until...

My eyes widened.

Until Connor. Connor was an exchange student and he and Ethan became best of friends in an instant, so it was pretty natural that the three of us hung out a lot.

"But there has to be something else." Perri said.

"What do you mean?" Lex asked.

"It just doesn't add up right." Perri said, crossing her arm over her chest. "Ryder isn't the kind of person to feel insecure so easily. It has to be something else."

Mia sighed. "That brain could've been used to solve crimes."

Perri stuck her tongue out at Mia before turning to me. "What exactly happened after you met him in there?"

I frowned. "Nothing really. He just commented on how he desperately wanted a glow up or something and just that he's glad that I'm back from London." I shrugged. "And we planned to meet some other day to catch up."

"Wait wait back up a little." Perri snapped her finger, making me frown. "He said that he's glad you're back from London? So, he knew that you were in London?"

I looked at her for a few seconds before I shut my eyes and groaned. "Oh no..."

"Poor Ryder. He probably feels betrayed." Mia said, glancing behind me at Ryder. "And that doesn't help his possessive nature towards you, since, you know, Connor is a guy."

"A really hot guy." Perri added.

"But that's not possible." I muttered helplessly.

"Oh please, I saw the way he hugged you at the cafe. I can't understand how Ryder controlled himself from ripping him off of you." Perri rolled her eye, before patting my shoulder in sympathy.

I let out a frustrated sigh and gasped when I felt something gooey all over my hand.

Everyone looked at my hand covered in jelly and burst out laughing. I squeezed the container so hard that it just burst in my hand.

"Great." I groaned, throwing the container in a dustbin.

After Lex overcame her laughing fit, she dug a big handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to me. "Here, wipe it off. We can buy a water bottle to wash off the stickiness later."

I extended my hand to grab the cloth but I froze for a second when my eyes landed on it.

I frowned looking at the material but decided not to comment on it and just took it from her and wiped the jelly off my hand. "Thanks."

I couldn't help the overthinking that automatically started as we got our tickets and walked into the carnival.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice where I was going and crashed into a hard back.

I winced and rubbed my nose.

I looked up to see an expressionless Ryder looking down at me.

He moved to walk away when I grabbed his arm in a haste. "Ryder."

He turned back to face me, when I felt my mouth go dry.

What am I supposed to say?

"Are you okay?" I asked, nervously.

"Yeah. Why won't I be?" He said, but the octave of his voice was a little high.

"Ryder, talk to me. I'm trying, here." I sighed.

He were talking in a low tone as the others were just a few metres away debating over which ride to go on first.

He took a breath before looking around.

"Miles, I don't think we should do this here." He said, with his jaw clenched.

"Look, if it's about Connor, I didn't know we'd run into h-" I started.

"I know Miles. And I also know how important he is to you." He said, as a look a hurt flashed through his eyes.

Perri was right.

"So are you." I said, meaning every word.

"Well, I wasn't important enough to know where my best friend was all these years." He said, making me sigh.

"Ryder I-"

"Ryder let's go to the Ferris wheel together." Ashley said, skipping towards us, making me roll my eyes.

I waited for Ryder to deny her and ask her to go away so we can continue our conversation but what I heard was.

"Yeah sure."

I looked up at him wide-eyed and I watched Ashley pull him away from me and towards the ferris wheel.

I bit my lip as I felt someone pat my back. "Can I kill her please? I promise I can make it look like an accident." Lex said, glaring at Ashley's back.

I sighed. "She isn't the one I'm worried about."

"Aw don't be like that. Someone once said, 'he's your lobster'." She said.

I rolled my eyes. "You watch too much 'friends'."

"Hey, I'm sure you guys will work things out. It's you two, after all." Mia said soothingly, pinching my cheek slightly.

"Which is why I'm afraid." I said, looking down at my hands.

"Afraid of what?" Parri frowned.

I looked back up at them. "Of history repeating itself."

*****

Everyone stood in the line of the Ferris wheel with cotton candies in hand.

Cole had engaged Perri in a conversation as they stood together while Dylan and Mia stood together.

Ashley still had her claws dug into Ryder, leaving me and Lexi to stand behind them.

I couldn't help but feel restless watching them talking and laughing.

As much as I tried not to look, the more anxious I felt.

Lexi was trying her best to calm me down by talking shit about Ashley but that stopped working a few minutes ago.

Just as Ryder and Ashley were getting on the Ferris wheel, I moved to grab Ryder but the loud ringing of my phone startled me.

I sighed digging it out and answering it as I watched them settling down inside the small compartment.

"Hello beautiful."

I froze at the voice that came from the other side.

"Facing some troubles in paradise huh?"

I staggered back slightly, as I hastily looked around.

I felt worried faces turn towards me.

"Miles?" Ryder voice was soft but I heard it. I didn't dare to look at him as his compartment moved up.

"Are you going in?" The guy operating the wheel asked, making me shake my head as I took steps away from the ride and walked away dodging the crowd.

"Em, hey, what's wrong?" I heard Lex's worried voice ask as we stood a little farther away from the ride.

I put a finger on my lips signalling her to be quiet, making her frown deepen.

"Answer her Miles." His sickly sweet voice came from the other side of the phone, making me clench my jaw.

"Where the fuck are you, King?" I gritted out, making Lex's eyes widen. "Come out, and fucking face me."

"What are you doing?" Lex whisper yelled while shushed her.

King laughed. "I'm just as excited to meet you Miles. We'll meet soon, I promise. Till then, take care."

And he hung up.

I let out a frustrated sound before breathing heavily and looking around for something or someone suspicious.

"What was that?" Lex asked, worried.

"That was the ultimate asshole all time, Alex fucking King." I gritted out.

"I know that, I meant, why are you trying to provoke him?" She asked, waving her arms around.

"Because he has played this game for too long. I'm fed up of it." I said, looking at her. "It's time that we finally meet."

"Emily!" A voice called out, and we turned to see the whole group rushing towards us.

I couldn't help but feel conscious about the fact that there were eyes on me right now. And that means they're on my friends as well.

Lexi was right, this was a stupid idea.

It was stupid of me to think that I had a chance of having a normal life.

"Hey, you didn't get on the ride. What's wrong?" Perri asked.

"I- I got an important call. I had to take it." I said, trying to sound convincing.

I noticed Ashley standing a few steps away from Ryder with a frown on her face, making me wonder what happened on the Ferris wheel.

Ryder frowned at that and I noticed him moving to take a step towards me.

"Okay! Where are we going next?" I said, moving backwards and looking around, faking excitement.

"Bumper cars!" Dylan cheered and hooked his arm around mine, pulling me towards the ride.

Why do I feel like this evening is going to get worse...

*Author's note*

Hope you enjoyed the chapter lovelies.

Spoiler: Expect some action soon.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

Until next time <3