A Beautiful Choice (Beautiful, #5)

Ryder started to walk over to me. “Gabe—”

“NO!” I yelled again. I got as close to Sarah’s face as I could. “Unlike the other guys in your life before me or whatever the fuck, I’m trying to be your friend. But you’re too much of a bitch to see that. You’re a snot and a brat, Sarah Thompson! You’re too stubborn to see that I like you. But you know what? After tonight? Fuck it. I’m done making an attempt to be your friend. I don’t give a shit anymore.”

“Good,” she smiled.

“Shut up!” I yelled again.

Pursing her lips, Sarah said, “Make me, Gabe.”

Walking up to her, I grabbed her head in my hands and slammed my mouth to hers. She made a pathetic attempt to push me off of her but I didn’t move. I needed this kiss. Even though she was drunk and probably wouldn’t remember, I needed it. After tonight, I was done trying with her. I would just be cordial or make an attempt to be.

The kiss was rough. It was closed mouth. I swear for a split second I thought I heard her moan but I think it was just my fuzzy mind playing tricks on me. I was a bit tipsy. I’m not gonna lie.

Pulling my mouth from hers, I looked into her eyes. They were closed and slowly started to flutter open. I watched as her head slightly tilted and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it.

I looked into her eyes one last time. Dropping my hands to the side, I turned my back on her. “I think it’s time I get going,” I said as I started to walk to the front door.

Running after me, Ryder asked, “Are you okay to drive home?”

“Yeah,” I said as I nodded. “I’m only five minutes away.” I started to swing my key chain in my hand. I knew Ryder wanted to say something so I stayed still.

“All right, dude,” he said as he gently smacked me on the shoulder. “Text me so I know you get home, okay?”

“Sure, dude.”

Opening the door, I started to step outside when Ryder said, “She’s angry, dude. She’s a bit bitter, but I’ve never seen her act like that with anyone before.”

“I know,” I let out. “She hates me.”

“Give her some time, Gabe,” Ryder quietly said.

“I’ll give her all the time she wants because I’m done.”

“Please don’t give up on her. I know she’s a pain in the ass. Just please don’t give up on her,” Ryder pleaded.

I didn’t say anything. We both knew I wouldn’t give up on her. “Well, I guess I’ll see ya tomorrow for practice.” I hoped that would change topics.

Ryder chuckled. “Yeah.”

“All right, see ya, man,” I said as I turned and started to jog towards my car.

“See ya, Gabe,” Ryder said.

Getting in my truck, I started to drive off to my house. I wondered what I had to do in order to get Sarah to talk to me. I guess I just had let her make the choice.





Chapter 4




Gabe



“Hey, man, what’s going on?” Ryder yelled over his shoulder to me.

Grabbing my baseball bag from the backseat of my car, I yelled back, “Nothing much.” As I lifted my bag over my shoulder, I closed my trunk and started to walk over to where Ryder was parked just a few spaces away.

Rummaging through his car, Ryder muttered, “So that was some party this weekend…”

“Yeah,” I said as I nodded my head. It seemed like Ryder wanted to say something else so I asked, “And? Go on.”

I watched as he shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, “Nothing,” underneath his breath.

“Come on, man. What’s going on?”

Stopping his search of whatever the fuck he was looking for, Ryder turned around and crossed his arms. Cocking his head to the side, Ryder looked at me. “All right. I need to know.”

I wasn’t sure if he meant to say that out loud or not. “Okay,” I muttered. “Come on, dude. Just spit it the fuck out,” I demanded. It was starting to really piss me off. I just wanted him to say what he had to say.

Ducking his head, Ryder sucked in a breath.

As he lifted his head to look into my eyes, I could see an expression on his face I’d never seen before. To be honest, I don’t think many people had seen that look from Ryder, so I knew whatever he was about to ask me was really important.

“What’s going on with you and Sarah?” he asked. His voice was low when he asked the question. It was just loud enough for me to hear and me only.

Letting out a slow breath I asked, “Honestly?”

“Honestly,” he said as he nodded his head, not moving his eyes away from mine.

“I like her,” I stated. Sucking in a breath, I let it out and smiled. Shaking my head I chuckled. “She’s a pain in the ass.”

“You got that right,” Ryder agreed with a smile on his face. His features were now changing back to the ones I knew. The ones I could recognize.

“She hates me.”

“Yup,” Ryder said as he popped the p.

“She wants nothing to do with me,” I stated.

Ryder nodded. “Yeah.”

“And one day? She’ll be mine.”

Emily McKee's books