I wake up to my alarm at 8:00 am and sit up rubbing my eyes. I stretch lazily and then remember that Ryder was here, I quickly turn and look at the empty spot on my bed and realize he's not there anymore. I quickly jump out of bed and check the bathroom and the entire house before I accept the fact that he had left. I come back and look at my bedside table to see if he had left a note but there was nothing. I feel a ball of disappointment building in the pit of my stomach. He wouldn't have just left, would he? I quickly check my phone to see if he had maybe put his number in there or left me a note in there but apart from three messages, one from Dylan and two from Amelie there was nothing. I carefully avoid opening Dylan's message, I don't really want to talk to him and I don't know what to say to him, in some ways I felt guilty that I spent so much time with Ryder, especially after Dylan and his friends stood up for me against him. I read Amelie's texts and respond.

Hey babe, call me when you wake up.. omg I had the best night ever...not that "that" happened but I need to tell you everything, how did it go with the bad boy, he is so crushing on you...I totally ship you both. 😜

Oh before I forget, I called Dylan and told him we got a ride back last night. Didn't tell him who with, so you owe me one...just in case you like Dylan over Ryder.. although after seeing you both together last night, I don't think that's possible. Dylan said hell call you today so just remember this story.

Thanks babes, ill call you in a bit, just woke up. I need to know everything that happened to you 😜

I throw the phone on my bed and bury my head in my hands. Although I pretended like everything was ok with me it was far from the truth. In reality, I feel like shit and it had nothing to do with the hangover that I had currently, more with the fact that he just left without leaving me a note. I swear the boy was bipolar, one minute he was up all over me, and the next he was awol. I wrap my arms around myself and inhale his scent from his hoodie that I was still wearing, a million thoughts running through my head. 'What if he didn't like me? What if he went off someplace else to get laid? What if I was too clingy?... What if this fucking pink room scared him away...."Aaaaah'' I scream out loud and fling one of the furry pink pillows off the bed to the floor.

"Annabeth is that you, are you home?" I hear Mum's voice from downstairs and I cup my mouth with my palms. What the hell was she doing here, she was supposed to be home only by 10 in the morning.

"Hey, mum I'm home ill be right down'' I yell from the room and I jump up tugging off the hoodie and stashing it in the closet. I grab a plain white T-shirt and shove it on and run downstairs.

I see mum sitting at the table working on her laptop. She looks at me and her nose wrinkles in disgust " Oh my god look at you, you look nasty cant you at least make an effort, what if we had guests?"

I roll my eyes without mum seeing. Like we would have guests at 8:00 in the morning. But I don't say anything and just look down at my feet "Sorry mum, I just had a long night"

Mum looked back at her laptop "Yes, me too" and then as if she just remembered she turned to look at me excitement flickering in her eyes"Oooh how is that boy Ryan, was it"

I shake my head, trust her to only want to know about the boy "No mum, it's Dylan and he was really sweet, we talked a lot, and nothing happened between us he was a gentleman''

Mum looked a little disappointed "Well if you don't take care of yourself nothing will happen, when are you going on a date with him?'' she looked expectantly at me. I just shrug my shoulders "I don't know yet, umm he's messaged but I haven't looked at it yet "Mum raises her perfect eyebrows questioningly and I just quickly lie " umm...umm I am just giving it some time before I reply as you've taught me.. . I don't want to appear needy right"

She studies me closely and then nods her head "Alright, let me know what happens. Anyway I am off to bed, I just got back and I am still tired'' She shuts her laptop and looks at me, her nose wrinkling in disgust before she walks away "Please go clean yourself up, you look like something a raccoon dragged in, I can't believe you're my daughter...'' she continues mumbling incoherently and shuts her bedroom door behind her.

I look down at my feet as I hear her shut the door and then I sink into the couch feeling more depressed than ever. I slowly open my phone and click on Dylan's message

Hey Anna, sorry I couldn't hang out with you guys, I really wanted to but my football mates got really drunk and I had to look after them. 😒Amelie called me and told me that you guys were heading home last night. Can you call me when you get this, I need to ask you something 😜

I stare at the message and then hit the call button, I shouldn't delay this not when mum has decided to get on my case. Dylan answered on the third ring with a husky morning voice. "Hey you, how are you''

I smile on the phone"I'm good, had a few too much to drink but overall a good night, you had fun?''

Dylan laughs into the phone " Yea if you can call lugging around my drunk friends' asses back home then yea, I would have rather been spending time with you, you know''

I don't reply to that because I know that I wouldn't change a single thing from last night.

"You wanted to ask me something?'' I go straight to the point.

"Yea I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out tonight, some of us are going bowling, so it will be good, you know, you'll get to know some more people ..... " he pauses.

I think about if I want to be sitting at home waiting and moping around for Ryder, he obviously did not even care enough about me to even leave me a note.

I close my eyes and steel myself, if that stupid bad boy doesn't want me neither do I "Yep, ill come, where do you want me to come? and what time?''

I can feel Dylan smile through the phone" I'll come to pick you up, text me your address and ill be there around 6:00 ish, is that ok'

"Yep sounds good Dylan'' I smile and hang up the phone and lie back on the couch. I see Amelie's name pop up on my phone and I answer it

"Oh my goddddd, you won't believe it Bryan and I kissed and he's so amazing''. Amelie starts. I listen to her and smile happily for her. She tells me how they just were driving around talking after he bought her ice cream and they parked at some lookout and talked some more and then he kissed her when he dropped her home.

I feel super envious of her right now, for some reason I knew Ryder was nothing like Bryan and that he didn't believe in all the romantic stuff. Why couldn't I have met someone, or better liked someone like Bryan? Life would have been so easy. but the heart wants what it wants and my heart wants Ryder.

Amelie pauses when she's done "So what happened with Ryder''

"Nothing much'' I downplay my tone, I don't want to ruin her happiness with my downward spiral. "We came home, I dressed the wounds on his face and then he left after a bit, but yea we had dinner and talked a bit'

"Ooh I didn't expect him to not try anything, considering his reputation of being quite the ladies man, but I can tell he really likes you, which is probably why he's taking it slow which is such a good sign'' she pauses "Do you like him, Anna?''

"I don't know, it's too early, I need to settle down in school first, see how everything is going, I mean we have time right?'' I force a happy laugh out.

Amelie immediately picks up on my tone "Is everything really ok Anna, you don't sound too happy?''

I quickly shake all the negativity out of me "Na it's all good Ames, I'm just a little hungover from yesterday"

"Ames" she repeats after me" I like that" I can feel her smiling.

"Hey by the way Dylan asked me to go bowling with him and some friends from school, you want to come along?''

"No...." she moans "I can't, mums grounded me, I was half an hour late after curfew last night so I cant come anywhere, mum's pretty strict about us suffering consequences to our actions, but umm do you think it a good idea to go with Dylan, I mean you know how possessive Ryder can get about you?''

"Pfft", I snort giving up all pretense ''Ames, he just left last night after I fell asleep and nothing happened between us, not even a kiss, not from lack of me trying, but what's worse is that he didn't even leave me a note and. .. I just don't think he wants me or feels about me like I do about him."

Amelie was quiet for some time "Look I don't know Ryder that well but I've heard that he has a long history and a troubled past, so maybe that's the reason why he's acting like an idiot, just maybe give him some time, and well see yea? but if he's still acting like a dick then fuck him, mama's going to find you a much sexier man you wait"

I laugh out loud "Yea you will and you should, no man is worth moping over, that's why I'm going to go out and make some more friends"

Amelie laughs 'You go, girl, alright I gotta go, Bryans calling me, but let me know what happens with Dylan yea ?''

We say our goodbyes and I hang up the phone and go into my room and mope around watching Netflix sneaking and eating some cookies that my mum had brought for guests. I try my best not to think about a sexy brown-eyed boy but no matter how hard I try I couldn't get him out of my mind.