You guys, I feel like the most horrible person in the world. It took way too long to get this chapter out. I was just having a hard time with ideas for some chapters. I have plenty of ideas to do with Titus but those are a bit in the future and I didn't want to jump ahead very far without some of the in between time to build Ryder and Melanie's relationship. Hopefully I will hit an inspiration groove soon. It took me this long to come up with this chapter and then tweak it to where I felt it was at least semi-presentable. Please don't hate me!

I woke up sprawled across Ryder's chest, and the noise stopped. I closed my eyes to go back to sleep, but no. Someone started banging on the door again. This time it woke up Ryder and we heard someone shout my name. I looked at the clock next to my bed and saw that it was 3:14 am. Ryder rubbed a hand over his face as I got up and pulled my robe around me. I went to the door and looked out the peephole to see Joshua standing there. I sighed and rolled my eyes, then opened the door.

"Joshua, it's three in the morning," I said, then realized something. He was so wasted he couldn't stand still. "What the…"

"Melanie, I love you." He slurred, "Why won't you love me back? I want to make you happy. Getting some guy to pretend to be your boyfriend and scare me off isn't going to work." I raised an eyebrow and heard a chuckle from the direction of my bedroom. "I'm going to fight for you."

"Joshua, he wasn't pretending to be my boyfriend and I didn't ask him to scare you off." I said, as he swayed dangerously to the left. "Ryder, can you come here?" I said, grabbing Joshua before he face-planted on the floor and broke something when he passed out. He was heavy and I was afraid he would squish me.

Ryder came out of my bedroom in his pajama bottoms and laughed at the sight. He came over and took Joshua from me.

"Put him on the couch," I said, turning the light on.

"You know, I was kinda mad that he showed up here at three in the morning." Ryder said, laying him on the couch. Joshua's arm lolled over the side of the couch and his mouth opened. "But I have to give the guy props. He knows what he wants. Plus, I'm sure if he wasn't wasted, he wouldn't have shown up."

I got a good view of Ryder while he set Joshua down. Ryder's back was bare and muscular and perfect and I wanted to run my hands all over it. I bit my lip when he turned around walking towards me. He picked me up, bridal style, and carried me back into my bedroom.

"Be nice," I said. He set me down long enough to take my robe off then lifted me up again and set me down on the bed. "He's sweet, just…irritating sometimes." Ryder climbed in the bed and hovered over me.

"Hey, I'm sweet," Ryder protested. I raised an eyebrow.

"Did I say you weren't?" I replied, looking up at him.

"No," he said. He then kissed my neck and started making a path towards my mouth, but I was tired and sleepy and it was three in the morning.

"Then shut up," I said, pushing him to the side and snuggling into him. I pressed my face into his chest and closed my eyes, "I'm sleepy." He chuckled and rubbed my back as I fell back asleep.

Joshua's POV

God, my head hurt. I raised my hand up and rubbed at my eyes before opening them. I blinked a couple of times before taking in my surroundings. Beige carpet, glass coffee table, TV screen opposite me. I was not at home. Then I saw the jean clad legs. Oh, God what happened?

I looked up and my heart almost stopped. The scary dude that came into Gio's with Melanie that time was standing over me arms crossed.

"Mornin' Sleeping Beauty," he said. I winced. It was loud. "Bet that's quite a hangover you got." Just then Melanie came over with some water and aspirin. She bumped the guy away with her hip.

"Ryder, be nice," she said, giving him a look. "Here this should help some." Ryder was his name, huh. Who names their kid Ryder? I took the medicine and water and gulped it down.

"How bad was it?" I asked, looking at Melanie. I knew I probably made an ass out of myself. I usually do when I'm drunk.

"You told me that you loved me and that having a guy pretend to be my boyfriend to scare you off wasn't going to work." She said. Ryder barked out a laugh.

"FYI," he said, an edge cutting into his voice, "I wasn't pretending to be her boyfriend." I gulped. Melanie just rolled her eyes.

"Are you hungry?" Melanie asked me. I nodded. I felt sick but I was still hungry. She got up and went into the kitchen, but she stopped next to Ryder and whispered something in his ear that earned her a devilish grin.

Melanie's POV

"Be nice," I said to Ryder, "He's not feeling well." Ryder just grinned at me and I rolled my eyes. Just then the door burst open and in waltzed Karen.

"Hello, Melly," she said then stopped in her tracks. She looked at Ryder then at Joshua, back to Ryder then at me. "Awkward." She said in a singsong voice.

"Hey, Karen what are you doing here?" I asked, pulling some eggs out of the fridge.

"Well, I thought we could have a girls day and go shopping at the mall. We haven't done that in a while," she said with a pointed look at Ryder as he wouldn't let us go alone.

"What's up, Grace?" He saluted her and she flipped him off. The first time they met but the second time they had seen each other, hadn't been the most graceful of meetings.

"Um, her name is Karen, not Grace," Joshua said. I looked at him surprised. He's never really paid much attention to Karen before. I looked at Karen and saw her blush. I narrowed my eyes a bit and smiled.

"Nah," Ryder said, grinning at Karen, who glared back at him, "She'll always be Grace to me."

***Flashback***

"Melanie! When is your hunk of a boyfriend getting here? I could use some help with the heavy lifting!" Karen called out to me from the top of the stepladder. We were hanging decorations for her birthday party and she was currently struggling with a disco ball.

"He said he would be here in five minutes. That was four minutes ago so it'll be anytime now," I told her and went back to setting out drink cups on the table. I heard a door open and had just looked up in time to see Karen drop the disco ball and Ryder catch it. I heard Karen squeak and ran over to the stepladder just as Ryder caught her.

"Well, Grace," Ryder said, smirking, "You may have fallen for me, but I'm kinda dating your best friend. You're putting me in an awkward position here." Karen blushed and dusted herself off, then blew a raspberry at Ryder, making him laugh.

"You can finish hanging the disco ball then the streamers," she told him as if nothing had happened. "Then carry the boxes of drinks in." He saluted her.

"M'am, yes, m'am!" he said before we all went back to our work.

***End of Flashback***

That was the first time they interacted. Ryder knew her name but refused to call her Karen. He also saluted her every time he saw her just because it annoyed her.

Joshua narrowed his eyes at Ryder, who quirked an eyebrow in response. Joshua didn't say anything but the tension in the room was so thick I could have sliced it with a knife.

"We are having pancakes," I said, "How many do you guys want?" I asked, pouring the first couple into the pan. They called out numbers to me and I felt Ryder come up behind me and put his hands on my waist.

"He got defensive of Karen pretty fast," I said, in a musing tone.

"Actually, how does he know her? I thought you were the one he was obsessed with." He said, kissing the side of my neck, causing wonderful, horrible things to happen to my body.

"They grew up next door to each other. They've been friends for years," I replied, ducking away from his evil mouth. He gave me a look. I gave him a look. He gave me another look and I nodded at Karen and Joshua. "Stop it." I said smiling. He snuck another kiss on my cheek then went into the living room with Karen and Joshua.

Sorry, the ending wasn't so great but I hope that it wasn't to…off sounding if that makes sense. I would love to hear from you guys and if you have any ideas let me know! J

BossyBeast