Erotomania

Chapter 6

After slamming the door one more time behind Landon, Klaus turned back to Hope and Ryan. Hope was smiling and Ryan had a smirk on his face.

"That sniveling brat isn't coming anywhere near you, Hope." Klaus said before taking in what they were wearing. "Should I expect your other friends to be here to join you in the pool, or will it just be the two of you?" He asked.

"I texted Josie, Lizzie, Kaleb and MG, and invited them over. Don't know if they'll show or not, though." Hope replied.

"Swimsuits stay on at all times." Klaus said before heading towards his art room.
"He didn't say no sex though." Ryan whispered as he wrapped an arm around Hope's waist and pulled her against him.

"No one is having sex with anyone in the pool, or hot tub." Hope commented before biting her lower lip to hold back a groan.

"Are you sure?" Ryan asked.

"100% sure. And I will reiterated that fact if and when the others get here. They don't like flaunting it, because the group has been uneven of girls vs guys, and because I didn't have a boyfriend, but Lizzie and Kaleb are dating, and so are Josie and MG." Hope explained.

Ryan wasn't sure how to respond to that. He didn't think that Hope had a boyfriend. But then again, she could have been referring to him. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend now? He didn't know. But she was rich, and beautiful, and her family owned the town. He was nothing more than a bartender at the fanciest restaurant in town. He didn't deserve to be considered her boyfriend. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Ryan laced his fingers with Hope's as she led him down to the pool. After dropping their towels on the lounge chairs, Ryan lifted Hope into his arms and carried her to the hot tub.

"Bit presumptuous, are we?" Hope asked as Ryan settled down onto the bench seat and pulled Hope flush against his chest.

"I was raised to finish what I start, Hope. Had you wanted me to stop earlier?" Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well... no... but that doesn't mean..."

"Stop talking, Hope."

Lightly pulling her closer to him, Ryan pressed his lips to Hope's in a heated kiss as his hands started to roam her body. As Ryan's hands came to rest on Hope's ass, and the kiss was starting to deepen, a commotion coming from the house interrupted them.

"WE'RE COMING OUT SO EVERYONE BETTER BE DECENT!" Lizzie called.

"Damn their timing." Ryan muttered as Hope broke the kiss. "Aren't you going to move somewhere else?" He asked.

"Nope. I'm staying right where I am." Hope replied. "Besides, I thought you liked me sitting on your lap." She added while playfully biting his earlobe.

"We're here. What did Hobbit do this time?" Lizzie asked as she stepped into the hot tub.

"Wait... are you two... ya know..." Kaleb asked, eyeing Hope's position on Ryan's lap.

"No, Kaleb, we aren't together. But it's honestly okay if you all want to act like couples. I know that you've all been keeping your relationships with each other on the DL mostly for my benefit." Hope said before leaning back against Ryan.

"Oh thank goodness. It's been really difficult to keep from making out with Kaleb." Lizzie said with a smirk.

"I don't want to see you guys making out, but you don't have to avoid completely touching each other." Hope replied while sticking her tongue out at her friend.

"Well, you don't have to worry about MG and I making out. We simply prefer to display our affection in private." Josie said.

Once everyone was settled, 4 sets of eyes turned to Hope and Ryan expectantly. And it made Hope very unsettled, so she moved in closer to Ryan's embrace as his arms tightened around her waist. After pressing a kiss to Hope's shoulder, Ryan looked up at their friends.

"What?" He asked.

"What did the Hobbit do this time?" Lizzie asked again.

"And why couldn't we tell Raf that we were all coming over?" Josie added.

"Landon insulted Hope last night." Ryan said slowly.

"How?" Kaleb questioned, his face hardening.

"I spent the day with Hope yesterday. I was meant to be helping her study, but I ended up just keeping her company while she studied. When her family got here for dinner, I went to work. While eating dinner, they were talking down about me. Hope called me nearly in tears because of what her family said. Since it was dead at the restaurant, Josh and Aiden decided to close the bar for the night, and since they were already sending me home early, I came back here instead. Hope and I watched a movie and then I headed home. When I got there, Seylah immediately started laying in on me for not going straight home after my shift was cut short. Landon than immediately started in on assuming I was with Hope. He said some things about her not wanting me around, and that she only tolerates me because of him. He said that she deserves someone that appreciates her and appreciates what she wants. When I asked him if knew anything about Hope, other than the fact that her father is the Dean of the University, he essentially said that it was pointless to 'know those stupid little things' about her." Ryan explained.

"Ryan is staying here for the time being, while figuring out what to do next, because he's moving out of his house. I'm going to help him pack up his stuff and my dad and I have offered to let him keep everything in the storage space over there." Hope said, motioning to small building. "I didn't invite Raf, because he's unwaveringly loyal to Landon. I didn't think he would have kept it a secret from Landon that all of you were invited over, and Landon wasn't. And if I had invited him, I didn't think that he would keep from telling Landon where Ryan's staying." She added.

"Landon also showed up here this morning, asking Klaus for permission to date Hope. When Klaus refused and slammed the door in Landon's face, Landon threw a fit." Ryan added, his smirk from earlier returning.

"Damn, Hope. I find a new reason to respect your dad every time we're over here." Kaleb said. "But we got your back, Ry. Landon is blind. He's the only one that doesn't see that Hope cares about you. The two of you have a connection that the rest of us don't. We see it, we respect it, and we will protect it. Whatever it takes." He continued as he held his hand out to Ryan.

"Thank you Kaleb."

"So... does that mean it's just the six of us, now?" MG asked. "Or is Raf still going to be in the group?" He added.

"As much as I didn't want to cut Raf out, I'm not going to give anyone a chance to hurt Ryan. And Raf's loyalty to Landon would always make me question how much he's feeding to Landon from what we talk about. And that's something that I can't have in my life. So it's just gonna be the six of us going forward." Hope said with a frown.

"Maybe we can give him a chance to prove himself?" Josie suggested.

"I don't want any of us to put Raf in the position where he has to choose between us and Landon. I'm positive that he would choose Landon without a second thought." Hope said. "So I'm making the choice for what's best for me. Both Landon and Raf are out." She added.

"Hope... are you sure you want to do this? Raf is still a good guy." MG asked.

"It's not a matter of what I want to do, MG. It's what I need to do. And I need to cut them out. I can't have Landon in my life anymore, and I refuse to put Raf in a position to choose. I'm not changing my mind on this, so please, just drop it."

Once the others agreed, the rest of the day was spent relaxing and enjoying the day together. By the time they were ready to call it a day, and head inside to eat dinner, everyone else had agreed to also help Ryan pack up his stuff and move it into the storage space. As they were all sitting down to eat, and mentioned this to Klaus, he nodded.

"I will notify all of your professors that none of you will be in your classes tomorrow. While you were all having your little pool party, I took the liberty of going out to get some moving boxes for you Ryan. All of you will stay here tonight, and then as soon as Landon and Seylah leave, you will all head over, pack up Ryan's things and bring them back here." Klaus said.

With nods of agreement from everyone, they all finished eating in silence before everyone headed off to bed. Hope had wanted to fall asleep in Ryan's arms again, so that she could wake up in his arms the next morning, but with Josie, Kaleb, Lizzie and MG spending the night as well, she knew that wouldn't be possible. That, and she had only gotten her dad to agree to Ryan sleeping in her room for one night. Hope also had wanted to avoid the conversation of what was going on between her and Ryan, but as luck would have it, she was 0-2 for what she wanted.

"Spill, Mikaelson. What's the full story of what's going on between you and Ryan?" Lizzie asked.

"We've been kissing... a lot... today, and after everything that went down with my family, and his family, my dad allowed him to sleep in here last night, but that's all that's happened. Besides, he doesn't like me as more than a friend." Hope said with a shrug.

"Come on, Hope, really? You truly believe that Ryan doesn't like you as more than a friend? He couldn't keep his hands off of you today. And don't think we didn't see you circling your hips against him in the hot tub." Josie commented.

"Why is everyone so adamant that he likes me the same way that I like him? We're both single. And I know that he knows we're both single. If he wanted to ask me out, he would have by now." Hope said with a sigh of frustration.

"Because we all see it, Hope. Literally the only people who don't see how you and Ryan feel about each other is you and Ryan." Lizzie replied.

"Hope, if you don't woman up and tell Ryan how you really feel, you might lose him. You are both extremely attractive, and we know that other woman see that about Ryan. They're constantly hitting on him at work." Josie said.

"I know that, Jo. They are beautiful women, who have access to all kinds of money to buy him expensive gifts and what do I have to offer him? Nothing. That's what. I can only gain access to my trust fund when I turn 25, or if I get married." Hope said with a frown.

"You have the most precious gift of all, Hope." Lizzie commented. "You love him. You can give him your heart, and there isn't any amount of material objects in this world that can measure up to that." She explained.

"That's only if he reciprocates my feelings." Hope muttered.

"Which he does." Josie insisted.

"You don't know that for sure. No one knows how Ryan feels about me, but Ryan. And I'm telling you, if he wanted to be with me, he would have asked me out already, and he hasn't, so clearly he doesn't have any kind of romantic feelings for me." Hope argued.

"Just come out and tell him how you feel, Hope. What's the worse that could happen?" Lizzie asked.

"He could laugh in my face and leave me heartbroken." Hope replied.

"Okay... true, although morbid. But you need to lay your cards on the table, Hope." Josie said.

"You trust, us, right Hope?" Lizzie asked.

"Of course I do." Hope replied. "Neither of you would be here if I didn't."

"Then trust us on this. If you make the first move, and ask Ryan out on a real date, he'll agree." Lizzie said.

Before Hope could say anything else, there was a knock on the door, and Ryan stuck his head inside with his hand over his eyes. The fact that he wasn't looking made all three girls giggle. Beneath his hand, Hope could see a smile pulling at his lips.

"Hope, can I, uh, talk to you in the hallway for a moment?"

"Sure."

Standing up from her spot on the floor, Hope made her way over to Ryan, took his free hand in hers, and led him out to the hallway. Once the door clicked shut behind them, Ryan lowered his hand and gave Hope a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The smile that had been on Hope's face fell and she took Ryan's face in her hands.

"What's wrong, Ryan?" Hope asked.

"Hope... do you think we're boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ryan asked slowly.

"No... why?" Hope replied.

"You said this morning that the others haven't been acting like couples because you didn't have a boyfriend. And then when they all showed up, and Kaleb started to ask if we were together, you cut him off and said no, we weren't. So I'm confused. Did you just misspeak this morning?" Ryan inquired.

"Yes. Because we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, Ryan. And the only reason we aren't is because neither of us have asked the other to be officially together." Hope replied.

When Ryan just nodded slowly, Hope sighed in her head. She had just given him a big chance to ask her out, and he wasn't taking it. Placing her hands on Ryan's shoulders, Hope jumped up, wrapping her legs around Ryan's waist, and her arms around his neck, before pressing her lips to his, and running her tongue along the seam of his lips, seeking entrance. As Ryan moved to support Hope between his body and the wall, he gave her the entrance she was looking for, and the kiss deepened.

"Hope Andrea Mikaelson, you better not be having sex right now!" Klaus called up from downstairs, causing Hope and Ryan to break apart.

"Just saying goodnight to Ryan, Dad." Hope called back before giving Ryan one more peck on the lips and untangling herself from around Ryan's body.

"Good night, Princess." Ryan muttered while pressing a kiss to Hope's forehead.

"Good night, Ryan." Hope muttered back.