happened.”
“Well, are you satisfied?”
“No. This only makes me want to go find him and beat the crap out of him again.”
I couldn't help hoping this had to do with us, our moment on the obstacle course, our face-to-face in the BK parking lot. Even if I was pretty sure I was kidding myself.
“Look,” he went on, “you know how Keith and Mitch and those guys were joking? How you were ‘paying' me to drive you around places? Rascal is such an idiot … that's probably why he came by your house today.”
I knew the friends with benefits thing could have been hazardous, but I still didn't take it very seriously. It was a joke! “And you know this … how?”
“Because I know how Rascal thinks, and he would take advantage of any situation. You've got to see that by now.”
Alison broke in. “Are you done yet, Jared? Mom says you—”
“Look, Nic,” he pressed on, ignoring his sister, “do yourself a favor and stay away from him, okay? He's trouble.”
As if I didn't know that! As if I hadn't wanted to hate him since June 7 at approximately three o'clock. I'd been trying. But didn't Jared realize that sometimes the heart made decisions that the head didn't go with?
“Oh, okay, now that you've put it that way, I'll be sure to duck whenever I see him.” I couldn't keep the snotty tone out of my voice.
He exhaled. “Whatever. I'm hanging up. See you around. Or not.”
I couldn't help snickering at how dramatic he was being. Of course I would see him around. He was my best friend's brother.
I heard a click; then Alison apologized.
“It's okay,” I said, surprised to realize it actually was. Deep down, I kinda liked it that he cared. Sort of like a brother. Still … it was different from on the beach last summer.
“But what I'm not getting here,” Alison went on, “is what he meant about not leaving the two of you alone. Was Jared at your house today, too?”
After a moment of embarrassed silence, my voice quavered. “Well, yeah. He helped me hand out flyers since you were stuck cleaning your room. I—I thought you knew that,” I said, telling a little white lie. I mean, I
had
thought she'd known. Until Jared told me differently.
“No,” she said simply.
“I hope you don't mind,” I managed.
A call-waiting beep bleeped over her response, but maybe that was for the best? Since nothing like that was ever going to happen again. I told her I'd better take the other call in case it was my mom, and we said bye. Cheerfully enough, I thought.
•
“Hello?” I said again immediately.
“Hey, Nicki, how's my girl?”
Great. Now I'd really won the lottery. “Hi, Dad.” I knew I should be relieved that he was no longer“missing,” but honestly, I hadn't been worried. If I lived 24/7 with Caffeine, I'd go AWOL now and then, too.
“Sorry about Cathleen's call earlier,” he said, in a fast, dismissive way that told me not to probe. “I took Autumn to the beach, and we went out of cell phone range.”
“Yeah, I figured it was something like that.”
“So how did it go at the bank?”
I sat up. “Fine. They took the check, no problem.”
“Did you tell your mother it's paid?”
“Yeah, last night.”
“Did she believe the money was yours?”
“Yeah,” I answered, then, wanting to steer the subject away before I had to admit that she'd showered me with appreciation and guilt, I asked how the kid was doing. Even used her name.
He hesitated.
The funny thing was, the longer he stayed quiet, the more my stomach tightened. “Is,” I managed, “she okay? Not sick or anything?”
“No. No, she's fine.”
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
“I was just surprised you'd ask about her. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with what you talked about the other day, thinking I loved her more than you.”
I bit down on my lip. I didn't have anything to say to that.
“Nicolette,” he continued when I didn't respond, “you're almost a grown woman now, so
“Well, are you satisfied?”
“No. This only makes me want to go find him and beat the crap out of him again.”
I couldn't help hoping this had to do with us, our moment on the obstacle course, our face-to-face in the BK parking lot. Even if I was pretty sure I was kidding myself.
“Look,” he went on, “you know how Keith and Mitch and those guys were joking? How you were ‘paying' me to drive you around places? Rascal is such an idiot … that's probably why he came by your house today.”
I knew the friends with benefits thing could have been hazardous, but I still didn't take it very seriously. It was a joke! “And you know this … how?”
“Because I know how Rascal thinks, and he would take advantage of any situation. You've got to see that by now.”
Alison broke in. “Are you done yet, Jared? Mom says you—”
“Look, Nic,” he pressed on, ignoring his sister, “do yourself a favor and stay away from him, okay? He's trouble.”
As if I didn't know that! As if I hadn't wanted to hate him since June 7 at approximately three o'clock. I'd been trying. But didn't Jared realize that sometimes the heart made decisions that the head didn't go with?
“Oh, okay, now that you've put it that way, I'll be sure to duck whenever I see him.” I couldn't keep the snotty tone out of my voice.
He exhaled. “Whatever. I'm hanging up. See you around. Or not.”
I couldn't help snickering at how dramatic he was being. Of course I would see him around. He was my best friend's brother.
I heard a click; then Alison apologized.
“It's okay,” I said, surprised to realize it actually was. Deep down, I kinda liked it that he cared. Sort of like a brother. Still … it was different from on the beach last summer.
“But what I'm not getting here,” Alison went on, “is what he meant about not leaving the two of you alone. Was Jared at your house today, too?”
After a moment of embarrassed silence, my voice quavered. “Well, yeah. He helped me hand out flyers since you were stuck cleaning your room. I—I thought you knew that,” I said, telling a little white lie. I mean, I
had
thought she'd known. Until Jared told me differently.
“No,” she said simply.
“I hope you don't mind,” I managed.
A call-waiting beep bleeped over her response, but maybe that was for the best? Since nothing like that was ever going to happen again. I told her I'd better take the other call in case it was my mom, and we said bye. Cheerfully enough, I thought.
•
“Hello?” I said again immediately.
“Hey, Nicki, how's my girl?”
Great. Now I'd really won the lottery. “Hi, Dad.” I knew I should be relieved that he was no longer“missing,” but honestly, I hadn't been worried. If I lived 24/7 with Caffeine, I'd go AWOL now and then, too.
“Sorry about Cathleen's call earlier,” he said, in a fast, dismissive way that told me not to probe. “I took Autumn to the beach, and we went out of cell phone range.”
“Yeah, I figured it was something like that.”
“So how did it go at the bank?”
I sat up. “Fine. They took the check, no problem.”
“Did you tell your mother it's paid?”
“Yeah, last night.”
“Did she believe the money was yours?”
“Yeah,” I answered, then, wanting to steer the subject away before I had to admit that she'd showered me with appreciation and guilt, I asked how the kid was doing. Even used her name.
He hesitated.
The funny thing was, the longer he stayed quiet, the more my stomach tightened. “Is,” I managed, “she okay? Not sick or anything?”
“No. No, she's fine.”
I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
“I was just surprised you'd ask about her. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with what you talked about the other day, thinking I loved her more than you.”
I bit down on my lip. I didn't have anything to say to that.
“Nicolette,” he continued when I didn't respond, “you're almost a grown woman now, so
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