"Thank you," Rose replied. When they were done grocery shopping. They headed out towards their car,

"Ryder?"

Both Ryder and Rose turned and she saw that it was the two girls from earlier in the store that Ryder was trying to avoid in the store. Rose studied the girls clearly as now she could see them. The one that had called Ryder was really beautiful, her blue eyes made her look like a doll.

Rose wondered why Ryder was avoiding her, she looked at him and saw he was very tense. He seemed to be breaking out a sweat, and Rose had never seen him like this before. She thought he was always smooth with everything.

The two girls stopped in front of them and Rose saw that Ryder was almost trembling a bit but he was trying to hide it too.

"It's me Aria." The girl proceeded.

Rose, turned to Ryder to see he was staring down and then he finally made eye contact with her and he was trying to compose himself.

"Long time," Ryder replied slowly.

"I tried to get a hold of you but I had no luck. Did you change your number?" Aria replied.

Rose saw that Ryder's trembling was getting a bit worse, "Yeah." Ryder replied slowly.

Aria seemed to finally notice her, "I'm Aria and you are?"

"My girlfriend." Ryder intercepted quickly.

Rose saw Ryder try to take her hand but his trembling made it impossible for him to do and Aria seemed to be relishing it or was she imagining it?

"You are his girlfriend," Aria replied slowly.

"Yes," Rose replied not so sure about herself too. Ryder had helped her so she would return the favor.

Aria let out a small laugh, "I didn't know that you were his type." The way Aria had said it, there was no way it was a compliment and that made her feel so small.

She felt insecure and to make it worse thoughts about Gregg picking another girl made her feel way worse than how she already was.

Rose felt Ryder grab her hand firmly she looked at him and he smiled back. "She is my type, what is it to you?" Ryder snapped back.

"I just made a remark Ryder." Aria dragged out, "Will this last anyways?"

Rose felt a frightening chill down her, Aria was really something else, there was something about her that was truly frightening.

"That's not any of your business," Ryder pulled her to their trolley and they went to the car and got in. Rose could see Aria watching with faint amusement.

Another week went by and Rose and Ryder didn't talk about Aria. Ryder seemed to be on edge and she wondered as to how much power Aria had over him.

Tonight it was Friday and Rose was glad she had a long week at college and she was too tired. She looked at the time and saw it was nine at night. She sat by the couch and watched a movie.

Rose woke up to her phone ringing, she realized she had fallen asleep on the couch, she checked her phone and it was Ryder calling her.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ryder is very drunk and he can't walk, can you come to fetch him? He won't move nor tell us his address."

Rose looked at her phone again and saw it was one in the morning. "Where are you?"

After Rose got the directions she hung up, she called a cab. She couldn't risk taking one of their cars and something going wrong. She wore shoes and a cardigan, the cab arrived and she got in and was on her way.

After a good twenty minutes she arrived and got out of the car, she saw it was a house party, she walked in and saw everyone staring at her.

"Is Ryder here?"

"This way." One of them replied. Rose saw that these were people she had never seen before, not even one of them did she recognize. When they got to the living room she saw Ryder slouched.

She saw Aria seated next to him and she was holding and talking to him.

"Ryder she is here."

Ryder looked up and when his eyes met hers he seemed to be relieved. Aria looked angry, but Ryder did not care, he got up and he staggered a bit but he made his way in front of her and he pulled her into his arms.

Before Rose could say anything his lips lowered to hers.