I woke up this morning with a huge smile on my face.

Ok I'll admit it now. I do like Ryder. I really do. I didn't realize it that much until he hugged me back. Why would I only realize it then you may ask? Well my answer for you is that the way he held me in his arms made me feel special, like I was the only girl in the world. I realized that the bad boy was a softie after all.

Even though I've only known him for a short period of time, I can't help but like him more and more every second of the day, especially after the hug.

Yeah ok I get it, it was only a hug. But I've never felt the way I did in his arms. His arms were like a shield to block me off from all the hideous monsters inhabiting the earth. The way he snaked his arms around my waist made me shiver in the best way possible. I've never really felt like I've had a home before but now that I experienced hugging Ryder, I feel like I do. His embrace made me feel safe, just like a home would.

But you don't always stay in the same home for your whole life, right? What if after this project is over, he left and I was back to being homeless? What if he completely ignores me after the projects finished?

All these possiblities made me scared and paranoid, so I decided that even though I like him, that I shouldn't get too attached because in the end, I might be left with nothing.

As I ate the lunch my mom prepared for me before she left the house, I received a text message. My eyes immediately flickered over to my phone and I grabbed it. The smile on my face expanded as I read who the text was from: Ryder.

Every girl says not to respond right away because that makes you sound needy and clingy, but I couldn't help it as my fingers already started typing before I noticed.

After five minutes of waiting anxiously, he replied.

Should I add a heart emoji? No no that's a little weird for right now.

I hit send but slapped my forehead when I noticed the exclamation mark.

Exclamation, really?!?! Now he's gonna think your too giddy.

In a hurry, I put on a long sleeve top and jeans, did all the necessities like brush my teeth and wash my face, pulled my hair up into a bun, and waited outside for him to arrive.

After about five minutes of waiting, I saw him hop into his Porsche. He backed out of his drive way and pulled up to my house.

Rolling down his window, Ryders right eyebrow lifted in amusement. "You couldn't of walked over to my house? I live across the street lazy ass."

Laughing at his correct statement,— it is true I am lazy —I got into the passenger seat and we drove down the vast road.

***

Ryder plugged his nose as he put broccoli onto the food tray. "Yuck, people actually eat this garbage?"

We are currently at the homeless shelter, putting food that each person requested onto a tray and setting it down where they eat.

"Yes," I chuckled at his disgusted face as I shoveled pasta onto my tray. "Broccoli is good for you."

He made fake gagging sounds, "ew, as if!"

I pointed at him and laughed some more. "You sound so ridiculous when you're plugging your nose. You sound like Spongebob Squarepants!"

He shrugged and smirked, "I'm just mimicking your voice."

I glared at him and elbowed him in the stomach. "Shut up! Thats not how I sound at all!"

After he was done wheezing, he rolled his eyes, "ok keep telling yourself that princess."

It was such a turn off when he said 'princess' with his nose plugged. He really did sound like spongebob.

"Argh!" Annoyed, I shoved Ryder but he didn't move an inch. In fact, he didn't even flinch. He just continued to scoop broccoli onto different trays while plugging his nose.

I looked up at the homeless people sitting at different tables in the dining hall. The ones closest to us could hear our playful arguing and smiled to themselves.

When I was done with two trays of food, I walked over to the table of elderly women who were smiling at me earlier and handed them their food.

"Why thank you young lady," one of them said as she took the tray out of my hands.

"You know, you and your boyfriend sound just like a married couple; arguing and bickering. It's very cute to see that."

My cheeks instantly turned a brighter red than Rudolph's red nose. "Oh um um um we're not um d-dating," I managed to say while loosing all train of thought. Oh god this is so embarrassing.

"Really?" Both elderly women raised their eyebrows in suprise.

They looked at each other then looked back down at their food. "Hm, what a shame," one of them mumbled under their breath but I still heard it. "You two would make a great coup–''

"Well I hope you enjoy your food, have a nice day!" I was able to say and walk away before she finished her sentence.

Couple. I didn't know if I should be happy the women said Ryder and I looked good together or embarrassed.

I felt a little bit of both.

Keeping my head down, I made my way over to Ryder, took my plastic gloves off, washed my hands, and grabbed my coat. "Let's go now. I just finished the last table."

Ryder frowned in confusion. "Uh ok. Wait a sec...why are you blushing?"

Crap.

My cheeks tingled. "I'm not! It's just really hot in here," I fanned myself, pretending to be hot.

He grabbed his blue hoodie and put it on. "Sure sure," he said with a tone I knew that he knew I wasn't telling the truth. "We're going to your house to type the essay about today, right?"

I walked ahead of him but within hearing distance as we walked out of the shelter and to his car. "Yeah."

***

We sat in my room, me typing away at my desk and him laying on the carpeted floor reading allowed the words so I would know what to type.

As we worked, my phone buzzed. Before I could even turn around to see who it was, Ryder already had my phone in his hands.

I stood up and tried grabbing it from him but he dodged my hands everytime. "Give it!" I whined.

He laughed, "nu-uh. Let me just check who it is–''

Ryder froze as he read the text. His hand tightened around my phone, it almost seemed like he was going to be able to break it in half.

I stopped fighting to get the phone. "What's wrong?"

Ryder's eyes shot lighting blots through mine when he glared at me. His eyes turned black as they clouded with fury. "You're still talking to...Derek?" he managed to say through gritted teeth.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped my phone tighter than before. Why was he so angry? It's just Derek.

"Yeah, but we aren't even friends. All he does is help me study for history since I'm failing." I replied but the way his hand was still tightly gripped to my phone told me he wasn't convinced.

"Why do you care? It's literally for history."

He sighed, his minty breath fanning my face. "Derek and I have...history."

Confused, I asked, "you guys have history class together?"

He closed his eyes in order to calm himself but my question only seemed to infuriate him more. "No you fucking idiot! I mean we have a past."

I scratched the back of my neck, embarrassed by my stupidity. "Oh...sorry."

When I looked back into his eyes, I shivered. There was so life in them anymore, just ice. Whenever Derek came up, Ryder turned into a angry and dangerous being.

I wanted to ask him about his past with Derek, but just the glare he was giving me was enough to freeze my bones and make me stiff. Every chunk of ice in the blizzard thrashing inside his orbs were like daggers, cutting into my skin.

I gulped, the nerves in my body cracking by the second as we stared at each other. "I'm sorry," I broke our stare and looked at the ground, "but why do you have to get so upset at me? All he is doing is helping me study. You should put your feelings aside for him or atleast not get upset at me because of something that happened in the past between you guys."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "He's bad news, Autumn. Trust me, I've paid the price for being his friend in the past. Just stay away from him."

When Ryder opened his eyes again, they locked with mine. The stare his eyes held communicated his previous pain. He really wasn't lying about Derek. Something happened between them to make Ryder this upset and pained. I had to find out what it was.

I felt bad so I gave in a little bit. "I'll promise you this, I won't be his friend but I just need to study with him a little more, just a little."

I noticed that the darkness inhabiting his eyes died down a little bit, so I was able to see the light brown. I never took note before but tiny specks of gold shined in his irises. It was so beautiful the way they lit up his eyes like Christmas lights.

His beautiful yet deadly eyes drew me in every time I searched the depths of them.

God I'm obbsessed with his eyes. I craved the way they reeled me in.

He was the fisherman, his eyes were the fishing hook, and I was the fish. I knew taking the bait would be a risk, but I grabbed onto the hook and was pulled to the fisherman.

And just like a fish, there was nothing I could do to save myself.

"Fine," he mumbled under his breath and I could tell he wasn't fully satisfied.

I smiled at his willingness to accept. "Thanks for understanding."

He shrugged and headed for the door. "Yeah whatever. I'm going to go bye."

Studying his eyes, a chill ran up my spine when I saw the gold die and his orbs became cold again.

"Ok bye."

Without looking back, he slammed my door shut and I jumped in suprise.

No matter what, I'm going to figure out what happened between Ryder and Derek.

No matter what.