Page 136 of Power Play

“I’m glad.”

“Why this?”

His eyes moved over the lights. “You told me you loved it.”

“Three months ago.”

“I remember shit that matters.”

My throat tightened. “I didn’t matter to you then.”

Ryan looked at me. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

The Ferris wheel climbed higher.

“What do you mean?”

“You mattered before this summer.”

“We weren’t like this.”

“We didn’t have to be.” His thumb moved across my hand. “I noticed you.”

That word again.

“You were quiet around everybody you didn’t trust and loud as hell with Bliss and Aura. You dressed like every hallway was a runway, then spent half the night at parties hiding in kitchens because too many people looking at you made you weird.”

I stared at him. “You knew that?”

“I pay attention.”

“I thought I was subtle.”

“You’re terrible at subtle.”

“You’re telling me this after I successfully hid a crush on you for four years?”

Ryan smiled. “You think you successfully hid it?”

My mouth fell open. “I did.”

“You didn’t.”

“From when?”

“Sophomore year.”

“Oh my gosh.”

“You stared at my tattoos every time you thought I wasn’t looking.”

“I like art.”

“You stared at my mouth too.”

“I appreciate symmetry.”

Ryan laughed hard enough to shake the gondola. “Keep going. This is entertaining.”