Chapter 20: People Change

Ariel POV:

I couldn't fall asleep at all. The whole time I was just thinking about what Simon and I have talked about today. I don't get why I'm getting worried. Simon told me it will be a long time until he steps down. But the thing is that I don't know if I'll ever be ready.

I grab my phone and I decided to message someone. 'Hey are you busy?'

A few seconds later my phone beeped. I checked my phone and saw that I got a message.

'Nah. I'm not busy at all. Is everything okay?' 

I smiled on his message. 'I'm fine. Can you meet me at the backyard? The gate will be unlocked.'

Right away he messaged me back. 'I will be there as fast as I can Cupcake.'

After reading the message, I got out of my bed and put on my slippers exiting my room.

The stars looked absolutely beautiful in the sky. I decided to sit at the edge of the pool and dipped my feet in the water.

"Hey is everything okay pretty lady."

I turn around and see Ryder walking towards me. He takes off his shoes and dips his feet in the water next to me.

"Yah. I guess. I just needed to talk to somebody. Thanks for coming even when it's midnight." Giving him a smile.

"Anything for you my cupcake. So what do you wanna talk about?" He asks me. I close my eyes for a second and sigh.

"Hey. You know you can tell me anything. I'm always here for you no matter what." Ryder puts his hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring smile.

"Okay. It's just that Simon and I had a talk today. In the future he wants me to take over Cowell Co. and also becoming manager for future bands for Capitol Records." I looked at him and got no reaction from him at all. "Did you not hear me Ryder?"

All Ryder did was laugh. I was staring at him like he was lunatic. "Ariel that is no surprise at all. Who else is going to be running the business when your father retires?"

That's true. I don't know anybody else who would run the business. I thought Simon had other family members but I haven't met any of them. If there were others.

"But what if I mess up. What if I'll never be ready? What if I burn this place to the ground or worse...Be a huge disappointment." I sadly look down at my lap with a frown on my face.

"Hey. Don't say that about yourself. Simon's company and Capitol Records would be very lucky to have you. Your the smartest, prettiest, funniest and kindest person I know." Ryder lifts my chin with his finger. Making me look at him.

I tear up a little and gave him a big bone crushing hug. "You really are the best Ryder." Whispering to his ear.

"Anything for you my cupcake." Returning back a hug.

After that heart felt talk, Ryder and I decided to lay on the floaty bed thingies and stare at the beautiful night sky.

"My mom and I used to go camping a lot when I was little. We would set up our huge purple tent, prep our sleeping bags and of course we would always have s'mores. But the best part of camping was always staring at the night sky. They were full of stars. We always hoped that one day that we would actually see a shooting star to make a wish. But it never happened." I frowned a little after.

"Every time we went camping I would stay until 2:00 a.m making sure I didn't miss it. My mom would be asleep by 11, so I would slip out of the tent still watching the stars." I said smiling remembering those times.

"If there was a shooting star that happened before, what would you have wished for?" Ryder asked curiously. I faced him and smiled.

"I would have wished for a complete family. For my dad to come back and be with my mom again. To just be the 3 of us."

Ryder looks at me and gave me a small smile. "At least you have your dad now ."

"Yeah but I wanted my mom too. I guess you always don't get what you want."

He held my hand and gave gave it a squeeze.

"It may not seem like that but your mom is always with you. She's watching over you and your dad. So you guys are complete. Just like my brother. I may not see him physically but I know he's looking over me and my parents. So you didn't even need that shooting star to make your wish come true"

"Your right Ryder. I never thought of it that way."

The rest of the time we were just talking about random things, memories from the past or Ryder making weird random noises. It was just fun having him around to talk to.

"Hey what time is it?" Ryder looks at his watch and says it was 3:00 in the morning.

"Woah it felt like we've been only talking to each other for like 20 minutes." I sat up on the floaty and had a great idea.

"Do you wanna do an early morning swim?" Giving him a devilish smile.

"It's 3 in the morning Ariel. It's too early for a swim." 

I stick out my tongue at him, giving him a pout. I get up slowly and pretending that I was going inside the house. "Fine. Your such a wuss."

Ryder gave me a death glare.

"I'm not a wuss."

I gave him the same look. "Prove it." I said challenging him.

"Fine."

Next  thing I know Ryder was running after me. I tried to run away but failed miserably. He grabbed my waist and cannonballed both of us into the water. He let's go of my waist and we both swam back to the surface. "Told you I'm not a wuss." Ryder sticks out his tongue.

"I guess your not. Here's reward." As clueless as he was, I dunk Ryder's head into the water.

"Oh your so going to get it now." After those few word I tried to swim as fast as I could.

Ryder gave up a few seconds later knowing he couldn't catch up with me. I swam back to him and hopped on his back. He grabbed my body and held me into his arms, spinning me around in circles.  We laughed and just had fun.

"What is going on here?" We turned around and saw Simon in his pajamas with his arms crossed. The boys were right behind him.

"We are so busted." Ryder whispered to my ear.

"H-hey Simon. Ryder and I are just having an early start on swimming."

Simon didn't look amused at all.

"It is 4 in the morning Ariel and your swimming in your pajamas. It is freezing out here. You could get sick" Simon started to scold at me.

"It was my fault sir. I threw her into the water." Ryder tries to take the blame. Simon straight away looks at Ryder.

"Do you know that you are trespassing on private property? You are lucky I don't call my service men to kick you out!" Simon yells at Ryder.

I got out from the water to face Simon.

"He's not trespassing Simon. I invited him over" I defend Ryder.

Simon shakes his head. " Ariel I want you to go inside and dry up. I will talk to you later young lady. And you boy..." Simon points his finger at Ryder. "You better get out of my pool and go home. Before I actually call security on you."

"See you around Ariel?" Ryder says to me. I nod giving him a small smile. He smiled back and started to walk out the gate.

When I couldn't see Ryder anymore, I turned to face Simon with an angry expression on my face. Also with my hips placed on my waist. "That was so mean Simon. Ryder didn't deserve any of that. It was my idea to invite him and it was my idea to swim early in the morning. Ryder took the fault for me. Still you scolded him."

Simon's expression hardened. I didn't know what to think of it. If looks could kill I would have been dead.

"You don't give me that tone young lady. I don't like that boy hanging out with you. He is bad news Ariel."

Okay that made me mad.

"Spare me the news Simon. I know he's the talk of the town and I know about his past. He told me everything. But guess what he's changing. People change. You have no right to judge him. Nobody does. The people out there and you can say whatever you want about him but I know the true and real Ryder. Nothing is ever going to change what I think about him." With enough said I went back inside and slammed the door.

I went to my room and got myself another pair of pajamas. When I finished changing in the bathroom and also drying my hair, I went to bed.

Just as I was about to fall asleep I felt my bed move. All I saw was a figure at the edge of my bed. My mouth opened ready to yell but hands covered my mouth. "Don't yell it's me Ryder." I swat his hands off from my mouth.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you went home?" I turned on my side lamp and he sat next to me.

"I was about to go home but I heard you fighting with your dad. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Ryder said looking straight into my eyes.

"The fight wasn't intense or anything. I'm fine and came back in one piece" I joked. Ryder smiled on what I said.

" Thank you by the way."

I looked at him, giving him a confused look.

"Thank you for what?" 

"I heard what you said to your dad. You defended me till the end. Even though with my past, you seen the true me that no one ever does."

"Of course I will defend you Ryder. You are one of closest friends and you mean a lot to me." After I said that Ryder gave me a bone crushing hug. I hugged him back.

"Well I will let you sleep. I feel a little tired myself. See you later Cupcake." He gives me a kiss on the cheek and leaves my room.

Simon POV:

I don't know how Laura did it when it came to these types of situations. Now my daughter is mad at me.  I sat on the lounge chair and groaned. The boys were still out here with me.

"Uncle Si can I say something?" Zayn asked.

"Sure Zayn. Go ahead."  Zany sat right next to me, closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them and started talking.

"Ariel is right you know. People do change for the better, even though back then they had a bad reputation. I know because I was one of those people. Only the boys and Ariel knows about my past . I wanted to tell you before but I was and still am embarrassed of it and I had a feeling that you would treat me different. "

I looked at Zayn and smiled at him. "No matter what, I would never treat you different. You and the boys are like my own." Zayn smiled a little.

"Back in the day, I was known as the Bradford Badboy. I used girls, abused people and did illegal things. Until one day a girl named Perrie changed everything. She was the love of my life and she changed who I am. She changed me for the better. I was going to marry her one day but later on she passed away. I was heart broken and felt like my world ended. I started going back to my old ways. But I got another chance. Niall helped me through everything. Niall believed in me and knew I could do better. If it wasn't for Niall I wouldn't be who I am today." He said looking up at Niall and giving him a smile. I looked at Niall and he gave Zayn a smile back.

"It's just I don't want to see my little girl get hurt or get her heart broken. I went through a similar situation. I was a jerk in high school. I bullied kids, was a player and didn't have a care in the world. But when Laura came into my life I changed. I did better in school, I stopped doing fights and did anything to make her happy." Thinking back when I was a teenager.

"I just don't want to see Ariel going through the same thing her mother went through. I left them. I left the both of them. Didn't get see Ariel grow up and I didn't get to be with my wife until her last breath." I frowned.

"Uncle Si there was a reason why you left. You had no choice. If you didn't, your dad would've harmed Ariel and your wife. Don't be so hard on yourself. At least you have Ariel now. You can make up the time that was lost between the both of you. Ariel loves you very much."  Zayn tries to comfort me.

I have to admit but Zayn was right. Maybe this Ryder kid has changed. Tomorrow I am going to talk to Ariel and make things right.