Chapter 11

IVY

Luckily, Rhys was fully clothed when he sat beside me on the sofa. I looked up at him from the book I was reading but ignored his close proximity and didn't acknowledge him. I was glad he hadn't tried to speak with me since the other night. I was beginning to think he was avoiding me. Maybe that was best. He was Blaine's brother, and of course, in due time, we would need to learn how to get along, but right now, it was probably best we didn't talk. I stuck my nose back in my book but watched from the corner of my eye as he changed the channel to a mindless sitcom and took a sip from a can of beer.

"You ever watch this show?" Rhys asked quietly. "It's quite funny."

Looking up from my book, I readjusted myself on the sofa, trying to move further away from him.

"Or is television not your thing? Growing up, you always had your nose in a novel," he said, looking over his shoulder at me.

"Reading is good for your brain."

With a little smirk, he said, "There is a life outside of fiction."

I looked up at Rhys and let him stew in my silence. Regardless of his apology and measly attempt to converse with me, I was still angry at him.

He glanced at the backside of my novel and then back at me, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. "Wild by Cheryl Strayed? I didn't realize you were a girl of adventure. You know we have a whole playground of wild right outside those patio doors. You could be doing what Cheryl did instead of just reading about it."

"I happen to like reading about other people's adventures."

He nodded, and silence stretched for a long, weird beat until he said, "But you don't like having adventures of your own. I get it."

"That's not what I said."

Rhys laughed as I eyed him, and he continued to flip through the television channels.

"I liked it better when we didn't try," I said, annoyed.

"Try?" he said and shook his head. "Am I not allowed to try and have a conversation with you?" he took a swig of his beer. "I get it. Things were easier when I wasn't here." He smirked, reminding me of my jab at him last night. It made me wince slightly. "But I am here, Ivy. And I didn't like how we left things the other night. I'd prefer it if we could try to get along."

I shrugged before folding my book shut and straightening up on the sofa. "I feel like nothing good ever comes from us talking. Maybe if we keep to ourselves, normal will eventually come between us. You are Blaine's brother. I have to accept that. And we may have to put up with each other forever potentially."

Rhys smirked. "Forever, huh?"

I didn't reply. I didn't know how to respond. I never really thought about a forever with Blaine. The words just slipped out of my mouth. Forever was a pretty scary word. Right now, I had no intention of committing to Blaine or anyone forever.

"Here, have a beer," he pulled a beer can from the case beside him, and I took it from him without an argument. The beer was cold, and I was rather thirsty. I cracked it open and took a sip. It was frothy and hoppy, just the way I liked it.

"Is reading Wild your only plan for tonight?" Rhys asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe. I wasn't exactly expecting your company. You never stick around the ranch." I glanced over at him. "Since we are trying with each other. Why don't you tell me where you sneak off to every other night?"

"Out," he replied, glancing at me with a playful smile. "At least I leave the ranch."

"I leave the ranch." I frowned. "I work all day at the resort."

He nodded, and the damn smirk on his face infuriated me. Why did he find that so amusing?

"And just so you know. I am adventurous and do crazy things." I added.

"Really?" Rhys cocked a brow.

"Yeah."

"Prove it then. Do something adventurous with me right now."

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay. Like what?"

Rhys chuckled and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest. I forced myself to keep my eyes on his face and not look down.

"I've got something we could do, but you're going to have to change out of those ugly pajamas."

He wanted me to prove him right and back down because he knew I wasn't adventurous. The wily smile that tugged at my lips couldn't be helped. He was challenging me.

"Okay then. What should I wear?"

Rhys took another swig of his beer. "Something sporty and a pair of running shoes."

"Fine," I replied. "Is this us trying?"

Rhys laughed. "It's something."

I raised an eyebrow at him. I had no idea what he had in mind, and I wasn't sure if I could fully trust him, but I wasn't about to let him be right.

"Okay. I'll get ready."

Rhys laughed again and stood up. "Alright Ivy. Let's see how adventurous you are."

I changed my outfit seven minutes later and met Rhys outside on the back deck. He was dressed in athletic shorts, a tight white tee shirt with USC Football written on the front; a packsack was strapped to his back and a pair of expensive running shoes on his feet. When my eyes returned to his face, he smiled at me and then winked.

"Ready to do something other than read a book?" he smirked at me. "I'm going to make you sweat."

"Wait...What?" I asked.

Rhys laughed and led the way down the grass and toward the mountains.

"Where are we headed?" I shouted at his backside.

He stopped and glanced back at me. "We are hiking up to Stone Cliff. We need to get moving if we want to watch the sunset."

"It's a dangerous hike to make it up to the top."

"I thought you were sooooo adventurous." he laughed.

"I'm serious. It's not exactly safe."

Rhys continued to lead the way into a wooded area. "Just to ease your mind, I know what I'm doing. I've hiked it a thousand times. Trust me, once we reach the top, the view is worth it."

We hiked for fifteen minutes before the ground inclined up the rocky mountainside. It wasn't so steep that you needed equipment to climb, but it was reasonably sloped, and the pain in my butt and legs wouldn't let me forget how hard it was for at least a few days. Rhys didn't break a sweat as he climbed his way to the top. It was hard to keep up with him. I didn't want him to see I was struggling. I was determined to prove to him I was just as adventurous as he claimed to be. Watching his muscular legs, arms, and backside hike the mountainside was extremely motivating. I worked hard to keep up because I didn't want to lose sight of the incredible view in front of me. I was pretty sure once we made it to the top of the cliff to watch the sunset, it wouldn't be nearly as perfect as Rhys's behind.

"Are we almost there yet?" I panted.

Rhys shot me a cocky grin and headed to the left. He held out his hand for me and helped hoist me up, which was sweet. Minutes later, we were standing at the top of the cliff. The sunset was seconds away as we overlooked ravines, trees, rivers, and Montana's finest mountains. The view was breathtaking.

Rhys slid off his backpack and pulled out two bottles of water. He tossed one in my direction, and I caught it with ease.

"See, I told you it wasn't dangerous," Rhys laughed. "You only slipped once or twice."

He splashed water on his face, and some soaked his shirt, outlining his perfect pecks. I couldn't tear my eyes away. I wasn't sure if I was breathless from the hike or my current view.

"Come sit." Rhys waved me over. He sat down at the cliff's edge so his legs dangled over. It made me nervous. I was scared of heights, but mostly because I would be close to him, sweaty and breathless. I walked over at a snail's pace and sat down beside Rhys. I would not be brave enough to dangle my legs over the edge like him. I tucked my knees under my chin.

Rhys glanced over at me with a smile. "Come on, 'adventure girl,' un-tuck those legs, loosen up and enjoy the view."

I tried not to giggle at him, but I couldn't help it. I laughed. I was nervous, and he was goofy. This friendly banter was a different kind of energy between us that I could get used to. I don't think we have ever been this friendly with each other. Ever.

"Don't be pushy with me, Rhys Wyatt." I smiled.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

"I don't like heights."

He moved slightly closer to my side, and the warmth from him and the warmth on my skin from the hike made me want to lean into him for safety. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me tightly to his side. "Just relax. Put your legs down; I promise I got you."

I swallowed hard but did as he said. I slid my legs forward and let them dangle over the edge. My heart was racing.

"See, you're fine." He gave me his most charming grin.

"I am seriously paralyzed with fear," I warned him. "Do not let go of me."

Rhys laughed. "I won't. Promise."

He tightened his grip, and my nose was hit with his spicy scent of cinnamon and spruce trees. God, he smelled so good. I glanced up at him, admiring his strong jawline and picture-perfect nose. It wasn't too big, and it wasn't too small. His five o'clock shadow was growing in nicely on his face. His baby blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at all the natural beauty Montana had. Sitting here with Rhys was everything I would've wanted as a teenager. Being this close to him was confusing as hell. I was almost afraid this wasn't real, and I was just somehow sixteen years old again, dreaming of this exact moment. It felt like so long ago that Rhys had been the object of every one of my teenage fantasies. Back then, I had always been the studious, wholesome kid sister of his best friend, and Rhys was the bad-boy athlete with a crooked smile and blue eyes that seemed to hypnotize every girl he met. It was hard to believe so much time had passed from then to now.

"The view from up here is amazing," I sighed.

"Yes, yes it is," he said softly. But when I turned to face him, he stared at me, not the beauty below us. I blushed and quickly looked away. Something about how he was watching me triggered a memory of when I was fourteen and Rhys was fifteen. He had come home with Eddie after school one day, and I walked into the kitchen to find them eating together, only to have Rhys give me the same look he had given me tonight. He was thoughtful and— even then— brooding, watching me as I poured myself a glass of milk. The recollection of my heart fluttering and my face heating replayed in my mind. Later that night, I sat in my bedroom and listened to them jamming on their guitars in the basement. All I could think about was how he exuded such raw, sexual charisma that I would've given anything for him to want me the way I wanted him. It was harder than I expected, reliving the ache I felt just being near Rhys. I shook the memories away as I had successfully shaken my feelings for him years ago.

We sat quietly while the sun started to set. I rested my head on Rhys's shoulder, and as promised, he kept me wrapped in his arms. The warm summer breeze felt good on my sticky skin, and I'd never felt so free. The view was incredible. Rhys was right. It was so worth the hike.

After a quiet moment, Rhys spoke, "We should probably head back." He tugged me back slightly so my feet were no longer dangling and my heels touched the gravel.

"Already?" I asked and stood up.

Rhys stood up and faced me. "Yeah, it will be dark soon." He leaned forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I should get you back to the ranch safely."

I shivered from his touch. My heart was beating so hard I was sure he could hear it. Being near him like this was causing me to think things I shouldn't. It was easy to forget I was with Blaine when Rhys touched me, even if it was just my face. What the hell was wrong with me? My eyes locked with Rhys's blue ones. He breathed heavily as his thumb ran over my cheekbone, then into my hair. I panicked and felt my heart jump into my throat, but my body wouldn't move away from his touch.

"You're right," I finally breathed out. "We should head back."

Neither of us moved from where we stood. After a few heavy beats of silence, I quickly pulled away. The intensity with which he regarded me was way too much.

"I promised Blaine I would call him tonight," I whispered.

"Right." Rhys took a safe step backward and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's get you back, then." When he glanced down at me, I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. Without another word, he grabbed his backpack from the ground and stepped back to let me pass.

I wasn't sure if I had completely misread him. Maybe this was just a gentler and kinder side of Rhys I wasn't used to seeing. But something deep down in my core told me being this close to Rhys again wasn't a good idea, no matter how much time had passed or how much I loved Blaine. Something about the way he watched me had me confused. I wasn't sure why, but it did. That was also precisely why I knew better than to join Rhys in the hot tub once I returned to the ranch. Instead, I called Blaine and went to sleep.