**** another repost I know, but I just thought I'd remind you of what Ryker looks like ;)

I know some of you are getting a little stir-crazy and stuff, impatience rising with the whole distance between Ronnie and Ryker and such, wanting the romance to come back and all, which is understandable.

But the tensions are rising, and I promise they'll come back together. It'll take a while but there will be a few things to come that I feel like [some of] you will like ;) So hang tight lovelies, it's coming. It may be a bit of a while but it's coming.

Also I know that Ive been saying "Stop. Breathe. Where are you? Who are you? You're not Ronnie's girl anymore. " or things along that line a lot in the last few chapters, and I guess I should clarify.

It's Ryker censoring her thoughts in a way, it's her talking herself down from the pain of losing Ronnie, it's her way of slowly trying to cope with not having Ronnie, if that makes any sense. It's like when she thinks of him it spins her head in whirls and she just thinks and thinks and thinks and it messes her up, so it's her way of bringing herself down from that. ****

The whole night James and his posse kept, so kindly, thoughtfully coming across us. So many coincidental run ins, always randomly bumping into each other.

My temper was rising with every second that went by. He was so arrogant, infuriating, and absolutely repulsive.

I wanted to punch his face in, but I didn't want to risk getting everyone in trouble.

This was supposed to be a weekend of peace, getting away from the drama. And now James and his goons were ruining it all.

I'm not sure exactly why he got on my nerves so much. It's not like there was anything specific about him, maybe it's just me. After all, it's not like anything about him could set me off.......

Except, oh yeah, his shameless wandering eyes, sexist and pushy opinions, his inability to take a fucking hint even when I spell it out, his overly-cocky, self-involved, self-indulging behavior, easy sexually-rooted smirks, and just everything about him.

My dream guy, my ass. He was far from Ronnie-I mean, my dream guy....

Oh, who am I kidding. I'm stuck on Ronnie, I just want-

Stop. Breathe. Where are you? Who are you? You're not Ronnie's girl anymore.....

We took a break from dancing, tired of constantly warding off James and his nameless friends and their touchy, prying hands.

We headed over to where there was punch. I didn't drink any; I wouldn't put it past any of these beach duds to spike the punch, and I needed to be 100 percent on my toes to ward James and co. from my friends and I.

I stood there leaning against the table, crossing my arms and searching the crowd for James.

"Looking for me?" James called from behind me, and I jumped, turning around to glare at him. While he had snuck up on me from behind, the others had surrounded the girls.

I kicked the nearest one in the ankle so he moved, and I walked to the center of the circle.

"Aww, that's cute. You miss me?" he said, his sickening voice streaming into my ears, laced with self-involvement.

"Probably as much as you would miss genital herpes. Which reminds me, have you gone to the doctor about that? I'm sure you should probably get some ointment or cream, or maybe a castration, whatever works" I retorted, glowering.

The guys nearby jerked back a little at the mention of castration, but James didn't look taken aback.

It just made me even madder, because I wasn't intimidating or scaring him in any way. He was holding fast and I was furious at him for being able to do that.

"Thinking about my dick? You can have it, anytime, any place" he said, and I coughed, glaring.

He smirked and said "what, you're coughing already and you haven't even wrapped your mouth around it".

I sneered at him and shook my head, snapping my fingers around his head. "Oh Jamey, you little shit you, you're fantasizing out loud again" I said, rolling my eyes.

He ignored me and nodded to his guys, who backed away from us. They shuffled around James in a bit of a line.

The guy on the far left raised his hand and did a weird eyebrow thing that I think was supposed to add to his smirk to make it playful or something, but just made him look confused, like he was trying to place a smell.

"I'm Chad" he said and then they all started introducing themselves.

"Bentley." He had a freckled body that set him a bit apart from the others.

"Chase." He was the closest-looking to James, right down to the infuriating smirk.

"Luke." He looked like the most chill of them, but even he was eying us, and I pitted him up with the rest of them.

James smirked and held his hand out. "And you know me, already, of course" he said, raising his eyebrow at me.

"If you don't remember our names, I'm not refreshing your memory. Maybe since you so easily forgot our names, you'll forget us all-together too, with any luck" I said, muttering the last part and turning away to leave.

I felt a tight hand grip my wrist and I jerked it away quickly.

"Don't. Touch. Me" I snarled, jumping around and crouching a bit like I was ready for a fight, glaring at him.

"So spirited" Chase said to James, identical smirks on their disgusting faces.

"Why do you bother, she doesn't seem interested bro" Luke said tentatively, like he was scared of James' reaction.

"Come on man, hoes are too easy. Sometimes you gotta find someone and tame them, the chase and the breaking in is part of the fun!" James replied, licking his lips and eying me.

I grumbled; they were talking about me as if I wasn't even here.

"I'm not a horse you fucking wanker" I yelled, throwing my fist out, angry, insulted, and completely done with James and his ancient ideas.

To make me hate him even more, he easily grabbed my fist in his hands, squeezing it.

"If you wanted to hold hands you could have just asked" he said, the ever-present smirk growing bigger.

I scoffed and jerked my hand away, kicking his ankles.

"Never in a million years assfuck" I growled at him, backing up and walking away.

Leah grabbed my arm, and it took all my power not to jerk my arm away and run, fucking run. I was so mad, so motherfucking mad.

"He's a dumbass" Luna said, and Echo nodded.

I clenched my fists and set my teeth.

"He'll get it good, don't worry" Echo said, and I laughed in a scary-amused way.

Oh, I wasn't worried, he would get it alright, and I would be the one giving it to him, and it wouldn't be what he expected. I'd fucking sucker punch that shithead, I'd, I'd-

Leah's soft hand loosened my fist and she laced her fingers into mine, rubbing and massaging my hands until they lost all touch of violence or anger.

I gave her a side smile and set my teeth again, determined.

By the end of this weekend, James and his friends would think twice before messing with girls that weren't interested....