I felt no remorse. If Gage was dumb enough to cheat on Gianna, he didn’t deserve her. Nobody did, but I also knew no one would love her like I did.
It was good I’d avoided the drunk fest. I was going out of my mind with my need to fuck and being upset with Gianna was not the right frame of mind. On Friday night I’d almost screwed that chick and I wanted to be able to tell Gianna when we got back together that I’d stayed true to her in both mind and body.
Besides, no girl was her and I couldn’t imagine enjoying the act with anyone else.
I rolled down my window, letting in the night breeze. The weather was perfect and I imagined what I’d be doing with Gianna right now. Probably curled up on the couch together watching a movie until I could get her clothes off. I’d taste her first, working her up until she was squirming. Then I’d enjoy being inside her, relishing her moans in my ear until I made her scream.
The passenger door opened, jerking me out of my daydream. Hailey plopped into the seat. “I can’t believe I had to stay sober for hours at a party. That party rocked, too!”
“He might not have fucked a drunk girl,” I told her. “So, did he go for you?”
She waved a hand down her body. “Did you doubt me?”
I couldn’t believe it. That idiot had cheated on Gianna? Insane of him. “Are you lying?”
Hailey sniffed, her lips pouting. “You owe me a drunk night of fun.”
“Tell me.”
“At least one guy wants to fuck me over that prissy bitch.”
“Hailey, details!”
“Start driving, loverboy. I’m hungry and I want Chinese food.”
I complied, eager to hear the good news. I didn’t know where I’d find Chinese food this late except for downtown. It’d take at least thirty minutes to get there, giving Hailey time to fill me in. I don’t think I’d actually believed Gage would be so stupid and needed to hear the dirty details.
“Where’d it happen?” I asked. “And you better not be making it up.”
“I don’t know why I’m friends with you, Caleb.”
We weren’t friends. Did she think I’d ask a real friend to do this? I was pretty sure we hated each other at this point. She definitely wouldn’t be invited to my wedding.
“We did it in a bathroom while he was taking a break.”
“Seriously? Classy guy.”
She huffed. “Like you’ve never banged a chick in a bathroom at a party. I remember one time-”
I interrupted her, “I want to hear about this time.”
“It was good,” Hailey bragged. “Lucky Gianna has been enjoying his thick,”
“Shut up, Hailey!”
She gave me an innocent look. “I thought you wanted details?”
“All that matters is that it happened. I may need you to tell Gianna to her face.”
Hailey smirked. “She won’t believe you? I would enjoy telling her one of her boyfriends fucked me.”
“I don’t plan on telling her myself. I’m going to confront Gage and make him break up with her.”
“And you’ll be there to pick up the pieces? How noble of you.” Her snide remarks wouldn’t bother me.
All that mattered was my endgame. Gianna mine forever.
I took Hailey to a Panda Express open late on the weekends. She ordered a ton of food, making me smile at knowing how she’d worked up her appetite. I leisurely enjoyed my orange chicken, content in knowing I’d messed everything up for Gage.
That douchbag had backstabbed me by stealing my girl. It was simply karma and careful planning that he’d lose her to me.
I decided Gianna and I would need time away to be alone after we got back together, maybe a camping trip. Until money came in from selling my paintings, I couldn’t afford anything more extravagant. After we graduated, I’d take her someplace exotic where she’d wear nothing but a bikini all day long. When I allowed her to wear anything at all.
“Give me my money,” Hailey demanded with her hand outstretched after she’d finished eating.
I pulled the bills from my wallet, slapping them onto her greedy palm. “You did good.”
“I’m always good,” she said suggestively. “You seemed to have forgotten.”
“If it wasn’t memorable, it’s hardly my fault.”
“Jerk,” she muttered, stuffing her earnings into her bag.
Fifteen minutes later I dropped her off at home, thinking it’d be the last I saw of her if I could help it. Hopefully I wouldn’t need her assistance in convincing Gianna that Gage was a cheater.
I waited an hour to call Gage. He should be on his way home from the party by now. He answered, the sound of him driving coming through my phone.
“Yeah?”
“It’s Caleb,” I told him.
“What do you want?”
“A meet.”
“What the hell do you mean, a meet?”
“I need to have a talk with you. Where can we meet?”
Gage chuckled obnoxiously, the sound grating on my ears. “You think I’m dumb, man? Like I’m going to fall for that. I’m not making it easy for you to kick my ass again.”
“I promise not to beat your ass,” I ground out, probably lying.
“Nope, I think I’ll go home and get some sleep instead.”
“It’s about Gianna.”
“Of course it is,” he said. “What else would we have in common but my girl?”
“My girl,” I corrected him.
“Whatever. What about her?”
Seemed like we were going to do this over the phone. “You’re going to break up with her tomorrow.”
He burst out laughing and I pulled the phone away from my ear until he’d finished. “I’m not.”
“If you don’t, I’ll tell her about that girl you fucked in the bathroom tonight.” The line went silent and I check to make sure he hadn’t hung up. “Nothing to say?”
“What girl in the bathroom tonight?”
“The girl in the purple dress,” I reminded him.
“There were a couple girls wearing purple, but I didn’t go into a bathroom with any of them. How did you even know where I was tonight?”
“Nice try, but the girl is willing to tell Gianna all about it.”
“She can tell her whatever she likes, but I didn’t have sex with anyone tonight.” He was a good liar. Gianna might actually believe him. “It would be unprofessional of me to mix business and pleasure. I’m trying to build my reputation as a DJ, not ruin it. If I wanna move up to deejaying in clubs I gotta have a good rep.”
“Fuck,” I hissed, beginning to believe him.
“Oh, you sleazy fucker.” he drawled out, realization dawning. “You tried to set me up? What happened, the chick you sent in hooked up with the wrong guy?” He busted up laughing again. “I can’t wait to tell Gianna this!”
I hung up, immediately dialing Hailey.
“Hello?”
“You banged the wrong dude, you idiot!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I told you, the half-Asian, half-white DJ!”
“Oh, that guy?”
“Yep, that guy!” I snapped sarcastically, wanting to strangle her.
“My bad,” she said insincerely. “But you’re the loser who handed over three hundred bucks.”
“Did you even approach Gage?”
“Nope, just chilled out for a few hours and took your money, sucker!”
“I want my money back, Hailey!”
She snorted. “Good luck with that. What are you gonna do? Call the cops?”
“Bitch!”
“That’s what you get for treating me like a hooker!”
Click.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“If a man is truly in love, the most beautiful woman in the world couldn’t take him away. Maybe for a few days, but not forever.”
-Eva Gabor
GIANNA
I knocked on the door. “Caleb!”
No answer.
&nbs
p; Trying to call him for the third time this morning, I hung up when I got his voicemail. Damn that sexy voice!
His car was parked out front and it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet.
“Caleb, wake up!” I yelled, pounding harder.
Frustrated, I decided to go get breakfast since I’d skipped it this morning and come back in an hour. I was just starting my car when the front door swung open.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt again. Just because I was scared to act on the feelings he aroused didn’t mean they didn’t exist. I killed the engine, stepping out more cautiously than earlier.
Caleb came onto the porch, wearing nothing but shorts and a pair of headphones around his neck. After the racket I’d made getting his attention, housewives in the neighborhood were probably peeking out their blinds. His muscular chest and arms were going to make them all hot and bothered.
Not that I felt the least territorial, of course.
The happiness in his hazel eyes at my being here had guilt creeping in until I snapped out of my hot guy daze and remembered why I came.
“Inside!” I ordered, barging past him.
“Gladly,” he said softly.
Walking into the living room, I spun around to see him shut the front door. His toned chest and abs were distracting me from my anger. “Put a shirt on!”
Without a word, he grabbed a sweatshirt lying on the couch and pulled it over his head.
“Gage called me last night.”
“Good for him,” Caleb answered. “How did you know where we moved to?”
“My mom told me. Now, how about you explain last night to me?”
Caleb walked by me into the kitchen, opening the fridge and drinking straight from an orange juice carton. “What are you talking about?”
Leaning forward, I snapped, “Caleb! You sent some skank to that frat party to have sex with Gage!”
He braced himself on the countertop, his eyes darkening. “So?”
“So?” I yelled. “That’s all you have to say for yourself?”
“I’ll do anything to get you back. I’m not going to apologize for it. And Hailey totally screwed me over.”
“Hailey? Were you trying to give him a STD?” The girl was nasty. Caleb was lucky she hadn’t given him anything when they messed around years ago. “And you sound a heck of a lot like Josh when you say crap like that.”
Caleb circled around the counter to stand in front of me. “Don’t compare me to that psychopath. I love you, Gianna. How many times do I have to tell you that I’d never hurt you?”
“And having Hailey sleep with my boyfriend wouldn’t hurt me?”
His dark brows drew closer. “You don’t love him.”
“Yes, I do!” I lied, pissed at his selfish attitude. “We are not getting back together, Caleb. And the answer you’ve been dying to know is yes, I’ve had sex with Gage!”
His face twisted in pain and I instantly regretted my lies.
His arm swung toward the front door. “Get the fuck out!” I flinched at the rage contorting his face. He looked so hurt and angry, for a second I actually worried that he really would hit me.
I ran out of there, still mad at Caleb, but now even madder at myself. I knew he’d had sex with someone else since getting released, so what right did he have to be so upset with me? It took him only hours after I’d broken up with him to move on. I’d cried myself to sleep that night and the next.
So why did I feel so guilty?
The house was empty when I got home, my dad at work. Good thing, since my face was a wreck from crying.
Feeling horrible despite everything he’d done, I sent a text to Caleb around noon. I’m sorry I hurt you.
He never replied.
I cleaned the house for the next few hours, stopping only to answer the phone when Cece called. She was bummed about having to turn down the invitation to the Colorado Ballet Academy, but starting to be happy about the baby. Dante seemed to be taking it well, but neither one had told their families yet.
At four o’clock there was nothing left to clean, so I grabbed my keys and walked to the corner to check the mail. It was all for my dad except a blue envelope that greeting cards came in. Addressed to me, there was no sender listed. My grandparents had sent Chance a present last week and I figured they may have sent me a gift card. My dad’s parents were loaded and sometimes sent gifts for no reason.
I dropped my dad’s mail on the kitchen counter for him to find later and ripped open my letter. It was a Get Well Soon card, which was odd since my injuries had healed months ago. Opening it, my eyes went straight to the handwritten note at the bottom.
Because I’m going to cut you up, whore.
I dropped the card and envelope, rushing to the front door to double check that I’d locked it.
*****
CALEB
I’d forgotten all about Norah. With everything that happened since last night, it had slipped my mind. She’d called earlier in the day, but I’d turned off my phone. Gianna had ripped my heart out once again with her admissions this morning and I was finally forced to face the truth.
I wasn’t getting my girl back.
I turned my phone back on at dinnertime, planning to ask my dad if we could eat out. After spending the day alone, feeling like shit, I needed company and to get out of the house.
Before I called my dad, I saw a text from Norah sent about an hour ago. We on for tonight?
Hell yeah.
I dialed her number instead of texting back. I’d forget Gianna and if Norah was willing to help me out, all the better.
She answered sounding breathless, like she’d ran to her phone. “Hello?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“How about you pick me up and we see where the night takes us?” Her voice was slightly raspy, something I hadn’t noticed before. It made me think of sex. Lots and lots of sex.
“Text me your address and I’ll be there in an hour,” I told her, making a mental note to take condoms.
“Okay, see you then, Caleb.”
I was so getting laid tonight.
A little over an hour later I knocked on the door of an apartment not far from the University of Denver campus. A chick who wasn’t Norah answered. She was short and round, but cute, like a chubby version of Cece. Heck, Cece would probably look like this girl’s twin in a few months.
Norah came out from a bedroom, wearing another of those short, skintight dresses I’d found a new appreciation for. This one white, it was a perfect contrast to her olive skin. I pictured the same dress on Gianna and found the image even better.
Fuck Gianna!
No, fuck Norah tonight, Caleb!
Pushing away thoughts of my lying, cheating ex-girlfriend, I forced a smile for Norah and her friend who glanced back and forth at us. “You look, uh, beautiful.”
“Thanks,” she replied knowingly, as if it wasn’t news to her. “See you later, Christina.”
“Have fun!” Christina said before closing the door behind us.
I followed Norah down the stairs to my car. She clapped her hands together in excitement as I opened her door. “I love your car!”
I got that a lot in the past from girls. Once I’d settled behind the wheel, I asked, “Where to?”
“Why don’t you surprise me?”
Was this girl expecting romance? Before Gianna I hadn’t done romance. I wasn’t sure I could fake it. “Hungry?”
“Can we eat Chinese?”
What was up with girls wanting Chinese food this week? I supposed Panda Express wouldn’t cut it with Norah, so I drove to a restaurant I liked near my mom’s place.
We sat in a booth across from each other. She reached out to hold my hand. I went with it even though it felt wrong, as if my hand was rejecting the person it belonged to.
“I’ve never dated a guy younger than me, but there’s this connection between us,” she said. Two years wasn’t that big of a deal. The age difference between me and Claudette had been
larger. Not that the relationship with Claudette had been dating. More like banging as often as possible.
“I’ve dated older,” I assured her.
“See! There’s something about you that’s so much more mature than other guys. It shows in your paintings.”
Nobody had said that about them before. Perhaps she was seeing what she wanted. The waiter showed up with drinks and took our order. While we waited for our food, Norah asked lots of questions about my art. I was impressed by her knowledge of art history. She knew more than me, for sure.
“What are you planning to do after high school?” she asked between bites. “Art school?”
“I’m not sure yet.” I’d planned on going to college wherever Gianna did. Now, who knew? Maybe I’d skip college altogether.
“How about you? Do you plan to get your masters?”
“I haven’t decided. It depends on how I feel about it when the time comes and what’s going on in my personal life.” Her eyes held mine and I suspected she was hoping I’d be her personal life.
I changed the subject. “Do you want to see a movie?”
“I don’t know what’s out right now. Did you have one in mind?”
“No. We could pick whichever one starts soonest after we get there.”
“Sounds good.”
I paid the bill, grabbing her hand to lead her out of the restaurant. No matter the past with Gianna or what the future held, I’d live in this moment, with this girl. At least she wasn’t in love with someone else. Tonight, she’d chosen me.
We got tickets to a comedy I’d never heard of, picking seats in the back row. On a Monday night the theater was practically empty. Ten minutes into the movie, I realized the film had probably bombed at the box office. It was complete crap.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, we were making out.
Thirty minutes into the movie, Norah was on my lap.
By the time the movie was over, I’d fingered her to orgasm.
She’d wanted to blow me, but I’d insisted we wait until we got back to her apartment. Her roommate hadn’t waited up and I followed Norah into her bedroom. It was decorated in different shades of purple and gray. Lights strung up above her headboard were already lit.
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