{Tuesday 11 July}

~ Ryder's POV ~

Fuck. I need to stop chickening out. I'm going to have to tell her at some point and I know the move I leave it, the worse it's going to get. I sigh and cuss loudly as I pull into my driveway. 

I feel uneasy leaving her but I know I'll see her again in about half an hour only to have her slip away into a class with the devil himself. How did Knox even get kicked out of heaven? Actually, no. I know that answer to that one. 

What I don't understand is why the big man decided to make Charlie his vessel. It's probably some stupid test he wants me to do, something that will get me back into heaven. The big man has always been very fond of me, I used to be one of the top demon hunters while up there. 

But that all changed when the power got to my head. Hence why I'm here. I get out of my car and head inside to find Cole having breakfast. 

"Yo, where were you last night man?" he asks smirking. 

"Charlie's" I reply wearily. 

"I thought you had someone to watch over her?" he questions, raising an eyebrow at me. 

"I do" I mumble smugly. 

"Then why were you, oh wait. Did you do the nasty last night?" he asks chuckling. I nod with a small smile, causing him to laugh even harder. 

"Good on you mate," he says grinning. 

"Yeah yeah, now it's your turn. You gotta ask Eden out" I reply smirking. As I walk out of the room, I look back to see Cole staring at me with a nervous frown plastered on his face, causing me to laugh. 

I head into my room and grab some clean clothes before jumping into the shower. I take off my shirt and examine my scars. I open out my wings and see that one of the bones is broken out of place from where Charlie touched me.

I wince in pain as I rebreak it so it can help properly before pulling my wings back in. Fuck, I miss my white wings. I liked being a good angel but now I'm just a stupid fallen trying to keep my vessel safe, the absolute opposite of what a fallen usually does. 

I jump through the shower before heading out to the kitchen to eat. I scoff down a coffee and a bowl of cereal before heading back into the bathroom to brush my teeth. 

I finish and quickly grab my school stuff before changing cars and heading to school.

~ Charlie's POV ~

I pick up Eden and we head to school in silence, but I can tell she has lots to say. 

"Spill child, what is it you're dying to say," I ask, glancing at her for a moment. She grins at me and I give her a confused look back. 

"What?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at her. 

"You seem happier than usual," she says slowly, pausing to think. "You had sex didn't you?" she continues giggling. My mouth drops open and I glance over at her shocked. 

"How do you know?" I whisper, completely dumbfounded. 

"You can tell, you're happier than usual, beaming almost" she replies laughing. I blush and focus hard on the road. Trust Eden to know, it's not like she's a virgin. We get to school and head to our lockers to see Ryder leaning against them waiting for us. 

"Hello lover boy," Eden says smirking as we join him. He gives me a strange look and I sigh. 

"Apparently I seem happier than usual and from that, she instantly concluded that I'd had sex," I say with a frown. 

"Right" he replies chuckling before kissing me gently. 

"Well, she's not wrong," he says smirking. I hit his chest in embarrassment causing both him and Eden to laugh. I huff and get my stuff for English and art out and put them in my bag. 

I turn around and Ryder flashes a beautiful smile at me, instantly dissolving my embarrassment and frustration. He slips his hand into mine and the three of us head to our spot. We talk until the bell goes before heading to tutor. 

I'm not excited to see Knox in English next, not after how Ryder reacted. A part of me is still scared of Knox and doesn't trust him but he seems harmless. Right? I soon find myself standing outside my English class with my sexy ass boyfriend next to me. 

"I'll see you next period angel," he says grinning before kissing me softly. I smile into the kiss before he eventually pulls away. 

"Bye Ryder," I say quietly, looking up at him. 

"Bye angel," he says as he heads off to his own class. I walk into English and sit in my usual seat and wait for the bell to go. 

I pray that Knox won't be here today but sadly he walks in as the bell rings, with the biggest smile on his face, sending an icy chill down my spine. Something feels strange about him but I can't tell what. He sits down next to me and smiles at me. 

"Morning Charlie," he says happily. 

"Morning" I mumble back. Mrs. Baxter then starts the lesson and announces that for the rest of the week, we will be working on a project with the partners we worked in yesterday. I silently groan when I realise that that means I'm paired with Knox for the rest of the week. 

Our assignment is to create a presentation on a specific issue that could cause a crisis or disaster and turn our world into that of a post-apocalyptic one. Knox and I get given the issue of a nuclear winter. 

Great, I get to spend the rest of the week with a guy I'm not completely comfortable around while talking about death and politics. Just my luck. I watch as everyone sets off to work and Knox turns to me grinning. 

"Sup partner," he says cheerfully. I give him a small smile back and start to read the instructions in silence. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Knox pull out a penknife from his pocket and start playing with it. I turn to look at him and he grins back. 

"Why do you have a penknife?" I ask him nervously. 

"No reason," he says before stabbing it into the desk with force. For a split second his flashes a wicked grin at me but it's gone before I can say anything. 

Another icy chill runs down my spine but I shrug it off. It's probably just my PTSD. I'm sure Knox is a lovely guy. I try to push the unsettled thoughts to the back of my mind and get back to work. 

Surprisingly, by the end of class, we have done more work than I expected we would. I say goodbye to Knox before heading to art, where I find my handsome boyfriend waiting for me. 

"Angel," he says grinning. I blush and sit down next to him. 

"Do you know what we're doing today?" I ask him. 

"Yeah. Miss Oscar is away today and we have a reliever so we get a free drawing period. As long as we have a drawing to present back to her to tomorrow, she will be happy" he replies smiling. 

"Sweet. So what are you going to draw". 

"You, of course" he replies sweetly, causing me to blush. 

"What are you going to draw angel?" he asks as he gets his art stuff out. 

"You" I reply back grinning. 

"Then it's sorted. We draw each other". I nod and smile at him before getting my art stuff out and starting to draw. The period flies by and before I know it, there is only 10 minutes left of class. I finish the final details before stopping and looking up at him. 

"I'm done," I say quietly. 

"Me too," he says grinning. 

"May I see yours first?" he asks, thumbing my inner thigh. I nod and turn my drawing pad around to face him. He beams at my work before look at me. 

"Perfect as always," he says grinning. I blush and put my pad down on the table before looking back at him. 

"May I see yours now?" I ask quietly. He nods and turns his sketchbook around to face me. My mouth drops open as I stare at yet another incredible drawing of me. Except something is wrong. He drew me wearing a necklace. A very simple and beautiful one too, but I'm not currently wearing a necklace. 

"Ryder?" I start curiously. 

"Mmm?". 

"Why'd you draw me with a necklace on?". 

"Because," he says grinning. I watch as he reaches down and grabs his bag and pulls out a small box. He smiles and hands it to me. I open it and there in front of me in the box, is the necklace he drew me in. 

"Ryder," I say speechless. 

"I happened to drive past the jewellery store this morning on the way to school and I wanted to get you something" he replies, grinning. 

"You didn't have to" I reply quietly. 

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to" he continues, smiling beautifully. "Do you want me to help you put it on?". I nod and he takes the box out of my hand. 

I watch as he takes out the necklace, undoes it and then hangs it around my neck and fastens it again. 

"There. Just like my picture" he says proudly. I smile back at him, if only we weren't in class. I would kiss him and cuddle him but I can't do that until the bell goes. 

"Thank you Ryder," I say quietly, smiling at him. 

"Anything for you angel" he replies, smiling back. 

Today's going to be a good day, I can feel it.

____________________

Hey Guys,

So I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! Aren't Ryder and Charlie the cutest couple ever! Rylie, I ship it haha. A picture of the necklace is up top!

Please vote and comment letting me know what you think and also go check out my new book 'His Deaf Luna'!

Thanks,

- Allamy xx