A/N: Yay! Update time!

For this chapter and the next, you'll read about the past of Ryder and Andrea. Their secrets get reveal and they learn more about each other.

Happy reading :)

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Chapter twenty-three

"How about we start with something basic?" Andrea suggested taking a fry and popping it in her mouth.

"Alright, you go first." Ryder said chewing his burger.

"Umm..." Andrea thought of an easy question and asked him, "What's your favourite colour?"

"That's your question?" He asked in amusement.

"Yup! I said we'll start off with the basic questions anyway." She answered taking a sip of her drink.

"Alright..." He said as he thought about his favourite colour. He really didn't have one but he figured he could just make it up. She looked up to him waiting for his answer and she knew that Ryder didn't have a favourite colour. I mean, did bad boys even thought about what colour they really liked.

Suddenly, she was trapped by his intent gaze. He stared at her right in the eyes and she felt a little uncomfortable because it felt like he could see her through her soul. Like she was transparent.

"Soft grey..." He suddenly answered snapping Andrea out of her trance and looking down at her burger. She played with a fry and glanced at him every now and then.

"Soft grey? Really?" She asked and she thought it was the most stupidest answer he could make up in within five minutes.

"Yeah, what's wrong with soft grey?" He asked.

"Don't you think soft grey is... I don't know... Boring, blunt, old, dull, plain..." She described scrunching up her nose in disgust of the colour.

"No, I think they're enticing." He said as Andrea whipped her head to his direction. He stared at her eyes again and she played with her fry still on her hand. "They are very captivating and beautiful. I feel safe and sound whenever I see them. Like they can read my soul and my mind... you know?" He explained his face turning into a serious one.

Then it all clicked to Andrea. She knew exactly what he was talking about. "So, are we still talking about the colour grey or are we now talking about my soft grey coloured eyes?" She asked beaming at him.

He chuckled when she finally realized he was talking about her eyes all along. "Why? Don't you like grey? Do you really thing they're blunt and boring?" He question taking a sip if his drink.

"The kind my eye colour is might be. But totally not yours." She said and he realized he had the same eye colour.

Grey...

He let out a chuckle popping a fry in his mouth. "Okay, let's stop with the flattering comments. It's my turn to ask."

"Alright, shoot me."

"So... About that scholarship." He started but Andrea didn't let him finish.

"Nuh-uh, we did agree that we'll start of with the basic questions and that's not one of them." She retorted.

Ryder rolled his eyes. He knew she was clever and she'll probably do anything not to say anything about her scholarship and why it was important to her. After all, everyone has their own secrets.

"Okay, fine... What's your favourite colour?" He asked bluntly as Andrea creased her eyebrows.

"Really? You're now copying my question."

"Just answer it." He groaned.

"Fine, my favourite colour is blue." She answered without hesitation.

"Blue? What kind of blue? Blue has a lot of shades, you know?" He asked telling her to expand and elaborate her answer.

"Ocean blue... Sky blue..." She said staring off a distant with a smile playing on her lips. Ryder stared at her and she looked so innocent. Her face was glowing and her smile made his stomach somersault.

"A penny for a thought." Ryder said moments later interrupting her from her little own magical world. She shook her head realizing that she was in present time. She cleared her thought and shot him an apologetic smile for dozing off.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking of my dad." She smiled genuinely remembering every second of the moments they had together when she was young.

"Would you like to share?" Ryder asked sipping his drink.

Andrea thought of the idea of sharing her past. She knew she trusted Ryder but she just didn't know if she should know tell him about the truth.

Ryder noticed that she was hesitant to answer. "It's fine if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you." He said shooting her a smile. Andrea sighed and thought that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to share her past. She had to tell someone and the only people that she could trust right now was Ryder and Steven.

"My dad and I used to go to the beach when I was young." She blurted out. "We would go there everyday before the sun goes down and watch the sunset. It was the most beautiful view to see. It was peaceful, lovely, and nice. The only thing you could hear was the wave of the ocean."

"My dad and I would lay on the sand and watch the sun disappear in sight. Then the stars would slowly arise and the moon will appear. It was really special to me. That time of the day where I just hang out with my dad who I called my best friend." She said beaming at him. Ryder could see the glint of tears but at the same time the sparkles in her eyes. Maybe she just misses hanging out with her dad since she was now a grown woman.

"He was one awesome dad." She grinned making eye contact with me after her staring of a distant.

"Wow, I didn't know James was that type of father. Actually, I didn't even know James liked to go to the beach. He doesn't seem like the type of guy." He commented causing Andrea to furrow her eyebrows together in confusion.

"James?" She questioned.

"Yeah, your dad." Ryder said with a 'duh' tone. She was really acting weird. Why wouldn't she remember the name of we father. "Did you forget his name or something?"

Andrea was bewildered for a minute then she remembered. How stupid of her to just tell a story about his father and not remember that Ryder doesn't even know half of the story.

'Stupid, stupid, Andrea!' She scolded herself. 'Really, really stupid!'

"Um... Yeah, James. Right..." She said lies lacing through her voice and Ryder didn't look too convinced. He knew she wasn't telling him something. He knew she was lying to her.

He narrowed his eyes at her as she pretended to be occupied with her burger. "Anyway, it's my turn." She said a few minutes later.

"Fire me."

"Okay, well, what's the issue between you and Steven?" She asked without hesitation. She knew she was asking a personal question but it just wouldn't slip her mind. Every night before she goes to bed, the question always haunted her. She needed answers.

Ryder sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Then, when he opened his eyelids, he stared right at Andrea with his eyes containing anger, disappointment, and regret. He masked it all away in a second and his expression was once again blanked.

"Pass." He said ignoring the daggers that Andrea was sending him. He didn't want to tell her. At least, not yet.

"That is so unfair!" Andrea pouted folding her arms across her chest. She acted like a little girl and Ryder couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness. "Stop laughing!" She whined sipping her drink.

"How 'bout we make a deal? I tell you what the issue between me and Steven, but you have to specify in details the little story you were telling me moments ago." He suggested.

Andrea thought about it. She knew she would regret telling Ryder about him. But it was a good deal. She would be able to sleep at night without thinking of what happened between Steven and Ryder. But was it really worth it?

"So, do we have a deal?" He asked looking at her expectantly.

"Deal." She said hesitantly and she regretted it right away. "But you go first." She quickly added.

"Fine. I'll go first." He said letting out a sigh. "Steven and I used to be best friends." He announced making her jaw literally dropped to the floor.

"For real?" She asked with a bewildered expression plastered on her face. She stared at him trying to figure out if he was lying or not but his eyes only held truth in them. "You're really serious. You're not kidding?"

"No, why would I make up something like that? Do you know how much it takes a person to say he used to be friends with a person he despised the most?" He spat out with so much venom in his voice.

"Okay, I believe you. Continue your story." She persisted urging him to continue.

"Anyway, as I was saying, we were best friends since we were kids. We were like brothers. I actually remember that we were so protective we would scare the boys that showed interest in Rina. Scott, Steven and I would hunt them down and tell them to stay away from her." He said a faint smile forming on his lips.

"We were called the bad boy trios in elementary and middle school that everyone were scared of. We always get in trouble and Steven would always get furious with us because no matter how many times he says 'no, it's a bad idea' we would always do it anyway. You can say that he was the goody-two-shoes of the group. He always feels guilty after doing something wrong."

"What happened? Seems like you were very close." Andrea commented wanting to know more information.

"High school happened." He said bitterly. Andrea was waiting for him to continue but he wasn't saying anything. He was just staring at his burger flicking his fry from left to right.

"'Well, can you elaborate on that?"

He let out a sigh and continued talking. "There was this girl." He said hesitantly. "Steven and Scott knew I liked her ever since grade seven but I didn't really have the guts to ask her out. I mean, we were only twelve." He paused. "Anyway, in freshmen, Steven had finally convinced me to ask her out and surprisingly, she said yes." He continued laughing humorlessly.

"We dated for five months and I knew then that I was in love with her. She made me feel special. Everything was going so well and she threw a party on our five month anniversary. Everyone was having fun and enjoying the night. Until it happened..." He trailed off anger, betray, and hatred dancing in his eyes.

It sadden Andrea seeing Ryder upset. It even sadden her that he might still love the girl he was talking about. She knew it was hard for him to tell the story so she grabbed his hand that was clenched, sitting on the table. She reached for it and rubbed it soothingly. "You don't have to continue. You don't have to tell me."

Ryder's tensed body relaxed by Andrea's soft touch. He looked at her and saw how devastated she looked, he just wanted to hugged her. "I caught them." He suddenly blurted out.

"She was cheating on me." He paused. "With my best friend." He said earning a gasp from Andrea. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Could it possibly be true?

"Steven?" She asked wanting to make sure and not make any assumption.

"Yeah, I saw them making out... in my bedroom. That's why I moved the moment I turned 18 because every time I go to my room, it kept haunting me day and night how my best friend betrayed me on my five month anniversary."

"Wow, I'm sorry that happened."

He shook his head from left to right repeatedly. "What are you sorry for? You weren't the one cheating on me."

"I know, but-"

"Enough with me and Steven." He cut her off. "It's time for you to continue your story about your dad."

'Great.' Andrea thought. She prayed that he wouldn't remember but she guess she had to tell him because he trust her enough to tell what really happened between him and Steven.

'Well, here goes everything...' She thought.

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