Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

Ollie’s POV

I spent the next ten minutes hiding in the kitchen like some kind of coward.

The music pounded through the walls, bass shaking the cabinets, but at least it was quieter in here. Fewer people, too. Just a couple of girls rummaging through the fridge and some guy passed out on the counter with Sharpie doodles all over his face. His friends must’ve gotten bored and left him like that, cartoon mustache, glasses, the word loser scrawled across his forehead. That was how this house worked. Nobody cared if you embarrassed yourself. They just made sure to laugh and pile on.

I clutched my half-empty cup and tried to breathe. My chest still felt tight, like laughter was echoing in there even though the kitchen was calm. I wanted to pour the drink out, but I also didn’t want to move. If I stood by the sink too long, someone might tell me I was in the way. If I went back out there, Ryder might see me again. The thought alone made my stomach churn.

Why did I let Allison drag me here? Why did I let Ryder get to me, again? I told myself I didn’t care what he thought, but the heat in my chest said otherwise. The way the entire room had laughed, the way Serena had looked at me like I was pathetic, the way Ryder had smirked like he’d won—it burned.

“Ollie!” Allison burst into the kitchen, breathless, her cheeks flushed from dancing. Her hair was sticking to her temples, and she was holding a fresh cup of beer like it was her second wind. “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere.”

“Congrats. You found me.”

She frowned. “Don’t be like that.”

“Like what?”

“Sulking.”

I glared at her. “I’m not sulking. I’m hiding. There’s a difference.”

She sighed, leaning against the counter. “Look, Ryder’s an ass. Everyone knows it. You shouldn’t let him get under your skin.”

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t just get laughed out of the room.”

Her eyes softened. “Ollie…”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. Really. I’ll survive.”

Before she could reply, a voice cut through the noise. Smooth, mocking.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

My stomach dropped.

Ryder strolled into the kitchen like he owned it, Serena on his arm and two of his teammates trailing behind him like bodyguards. His tattoos caught the dim light, his shirt clinging to him, that stupid smirk carved across his face. The way he moved was slow, deliberate, like he wanted everyone to know this was his territory. Like even this kitchen bent around him.

“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath. “Does he teleport?”

Allison stiffened beside me. “Ryder, leave him alone.”

He ignored her, of course. His eyes locked on me, gleaming with amusement. “What’s the matter, Ollie? Party too much for you? Needed a little time-out in the kitchen?”

I clenched my jaw. “I was just getting some air.”

“In the kitchen?” Serena’s high-pitched giggle grated against my ears. She tilted her head and ran a manicured finger down Ryder’s arm like she was rewarding him. “That’s so cute.”

Ryder leaned against the doorway, casual, predatory. “You don’t really fit in here, do you? All these people having fun, drinking, dancing. And then there’s you. Standing by the fridge like you’re waiting for your mom to pick you up.”

His teammates snickered. The blond one with too much cologne whispered something to the dark-haired one, and they both chuckled like schoolyard bullies.

Allison bristled. “Seriously, Ryder. Knock it off.”

But he only smirked wider, stepping closer. “I’m just curious. What do you even do for fun, Ollie? Crosswords? Knitting? Reading love poems to your cat?”

Laughter erupted. My ears burned.

“Funny,” I said tightly. “You must stay up all night rehearsing this stuff.”

“Oooh.” Ryder tilted his head, pretending to be impressed. “He’s got claws.”

One of his teammates, the blond guy with too much cologne, chuckled. “Careful, Ryder. He might write you a mean essay.”

They all laughed again.

I wanted to disappear. To melt into the floor, to sink into the cabinet, to escape any way possible. But instead, I snapped, “At least I use my brain. Which is more than I can say for you and your little fan club.”

The laughter stopped. Ryder’s smirk didn’t. It sharpened, like a knife catching the light.

He stepped right up to me now, so close I had to tilt my head to glare at him. His tattoos flexed as he set his cup down on the counter. The noise from the party seemed far away, muffled, like it was just us.

“You’ve got a mouth on you, don’t you?” he said softly, almost like a warning. His words hummed against my skin, low and heavy.

My pulse pounded, but I refused to back down. “Maybe someone needs to tell you the truth.”

Ryder’s eyes glittered. For a second, I thought I’d gone too far. His jaw flexed, his smirk faltered for just a moment. The air stretched thin between us. I almost expected him to shove me against the counter.

Then he threw his head back and laughed. Loud. Cruel. The sound filled the kitchen, bouncing off the cabinets, spilling into the hall. His teammates joined in instantly, Serena clinging tighter to his arm like he was the funniest man alive.

“God, you’re entertaining,” Ryder said when he finally caught his breath. “No wonder Allison keeps you around. You’re like her little pet. Say something snarky, Ollie. C’mon, show us.”

Heat burned in my cheeks. “Screw you.”

“Anytime, sweetheart,” Ryder shot back instantly, his smirk razor-sharp.

The group howled with laughter again. Even the two girls by the fridge glanced over, grinning like they were in on the joke. My chest felt like it was caving in.

Allison grabbed my arm. “That’s enough. We’re leaving.”

But Ryder wasn’t done. He tilted his head, voice honeyed with mockery. “Aww, don’t go yet. I was just starting to have fun.” His eyes locked on me, dark and gleaming. “Besides, it’s not every day I get to put a little rat in the spotlight.”

I jerked out of Allison’s grip. “I’m not your entertainment.”

“Sure you are,” he said easily. “Look at you. Every time I poke, you squeak. It’s adorable.”

Serena giggled. “Like a little toy.”

The laughter cut through me sharper than any knife.

Allison tugged at me again. “Come on, Ollie. He’s not worth it.”

But Ryder leaned in close, so close I could smell the faint mix of smoke and cologne on him. His voice dropped low, just for me. His lips brushed the edge of a grin, but his eyes were dead serious.

“You’ll never belong here. Remember that.”

The words sank into my chest like poison.

And then he pulled back, smirking again, as if he hadn’t just gutted me with a single sentence.

I shoved past him, storming out of the kitchen before I said something I’d regret.

The music swallowed me whole, the crowd pressing in, but I barely noticed. My face burned, my chest ached, and Ryder’s laugh echoed in my skull.

I hated him.

God, I hated him.