“That was fast. You didn’t blow-dry your hair,” I said, looking at his face set in hard lines. Jaden always dried his hair after his shower.
He grunted something in reply. I couldn’t make out what he said or even if it was an actual word. He started the car and peeled out of the parking lot, the car fishtailing in the gravel. I grabbed the dash for support.
“Jaden! What’s wrong with you?”
He drove toward my house, not even asking about Jamieson’s party. Pulling in my driveway, he threw the car in park, jerking us both forward.
“I saw you talking to him.” They were the first words he’d said since getting in the car.
“Who? Tim?” He knew Tim and I were friends. He’d never had a problem with it before.
“No. Brody Victor. Sitting there, on the bleachers, where everyone could see.” Jaden’s hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white.
“We talked all of two minutes, and it wasn’t even friendly. We don’t even like each other, Jaden.” I laid my hand on his arm.
“It didn’t look like nothing. He touched your hair.” He pushed my hand away, and I flinched at the sound of his raised voice in the small space.
“He was with Sarah. She was practically hanging off him,” I yelled. “I’m so tired of this possessive crap. Get over it.” I got out of the car and slammed the door.
He rolled down his window and yelled, “Watch your mouth and check your attitude. You have no say in this relationship, Willow. The sooner you figure that out, the better it’ll go for you.”
He screeched out of the driveway and down the road. I sank to the porch steps. My elbows on my knees, I put my head in my hands and fought the tears that threatened to fall.
Breathe. You’re strong. Breathe. You won’t be broken. Just breathe
“How’d it go with Jaden last night?” Jenna asked.
I looked down and wiggled my toes in the lavender footbath my feet were soaking in. Jenna and I were having our monthly spa day. I loved the pedicure, soaking my feet in the silky water that smelled so good, and then having them massaged. There was nothing better in the world. It was total bliss.
“So? Are you gonna tell me or what?” she prodded when I didn’t answer.
“He was pissed that I was talking with Brody. He saw Brody reach out and push a piece of my hair behind my ear, and it sent him into a freakin’ fit.”
“You talked to him for like three seconds!”
“Doesn’t matter. Jaden saw it. Can we not talk about him? I want to enjoy my footbath.” I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes.
“Okay, let’s talk about Brody,” Jenna said.
“Why?” I opened one eye and looked at her.
“I can’t believe you share five classes with him. That’s fan-freakin-tastic!” Jenna practically shouted.
“Shh! Jeez, Jenna, get a grip. You are way too over the top when it comes to Brody.” I laughed.
“Well, have you seen him?” she said, her eyes bugged out and eyebrows so high they disappeared under her ebony bangs.
I laughed harder. “Yes, sheesh, I’ve seen him. And, yes, he’s gorgeous—”
“He’s smokin’.”
“Yeah, that too, but he’s a pig,” I said.
“I heard he dropped Tanya like yesterday’s news. Didn’t even kiss her goodnight when he took her home, which, by the way, had to be a blow to Tanya’s ego.” Jenna held her hand out and inspected her manicure.
“Who’d you hear it from?”
“Luce.”
I opened both eyes and raised my eyebrows. “Luce? You’re kidding?”
Luce was the person to go to if you wanted the scoop on anyone at school. She knew everything about everyone—almost before they knew it themselves. If she said it, it was almost certain to be the truth. I’d never known her to be wrong. Of course, there was always a first time for everything.
“Nope. And word going around the texting world last night was he dumped Sarah at home right after the game without so much as a see ya later. When someone asked him about why he went out with Tanya and Sarah in the first place, he said he was still trying to figure out the hierarchy of datable girls.” Jenna looked at me and shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe he’s not as big of a player as people have made him out to be.”
“Oh no, he’s a player. He just wants to screw a higher class of girl, that’s all.”
“So. He’s only playin’ ya if you don’t know it. Maybe it’s time for the player to get played.” Jenna smirked.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m just saying the tables can be reversed.”
I shook my head. “That would require him to become emotionally involved in someone. From what I’ve heard, that doesn’t happen.”
“Okay, so cut out emotions. Just use each other for fun.” Jenna grinned and winked.
“Who are you talking about?”
“You and Brody… keep up.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m with Jaden. We’ve been over this before. Several times, in fact.”
“Yeah, but you don’t want to be.” I opened my mouth to argue, but Jenna cut me off. “Please don’t try to deny it. I’ve been your best friend for too long. I can tell the spark fizzled on that romance a long time ago. You just stay with him because it’s easier than breaking up with him. But if someone came along that interested you, you’d drop Jaden in a hot second.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “And what makes you think Brody is the guy that interests me? I don’t even like him. And I definitely don’t want a relationship with him considering his reputation.”
“I didn’t say relationship. I said fun. Think of him as your rebound guy. The bad boy we all need before we find the good guy we want a real relationship with.”
“I think you’ve lost your mind,” I told her.
Jenna tapped her bottom lip with her fingernail and stared at me. Finally, she said, “You’re scared.”
“Scared? I am not.”
“Yep, you’ve been with Jaden so long you know what to expect from him. There’s nothing you don’t know about him. You, my friend, are in a rut, and you’re scared to climb out of it. You’re scared of the unpredictable, of losing control.”
“We’re not in a rut. We’re comfortable in our relationship.”
Jenna barked a laugh. “Delude yourself all you want. You need to get your freak on with someone who’ll turn your world upside down. Comfortable is for wusses.”
Monday. I looked through my T-shirts to find one with an appropriate saying for the day. I chose one that said, I hear voices and they don’t like you. I thought that would get my message across to Brody. Passive aggressive, but I didn’t care. I slipped into my jeans, pulled a zippered hoodie on, and drove to school.
“Sending a message, I see,” Jenna said when she saw me in the hall. “The question is to whom, Jaden or Brody? Hmm?”
I smiled. “Shut up.”
I walked into biology and sighed. He was already there. “You’re here.” Dropping my books on the table, I plopped in my chair.
“You’re here, too,” Brody said with a hint of a grin.
“I was hoping I’d be alone today,” I muttered.
He frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be here?”
“You know, you could develop a case of malaria or jungle fever or some type of disfiguring disease and wouldn’t be able to come to school for, oh, the rest of the year.” I dropped my head on my books.
He laughed. “Sorry to disappoint.”
I grunted in reply and closed my eyes so I didn’t have to look at him.
Why does he have to look so freakin’ awesome? And smell… wow. I wonder how I can ask what he’s wearing so I can get some for Jaden? Because he smells beyond yummy.
“Did you hear me?” Brody asked.
“Huh?”
“I said it was a good game Friday. I didn’t see you at Jamieson’s afterward. I saw Jaden, though.”