CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Do not confuse beauty with beautiful. Beautiful is a human judgment.
Beauty is All. The difference is everything.”
-Matthew Fox
GIANNA
When Caleb and Jared started fighting, Cece and I hadn’t stuck around to watch. Stupid boys. I still reeling from the things Jared had said. Cece was walking next to me down 16th Street and for once she was quiet.
“Cece?”
“Yeah, Gigi?” she asked, nervously looking at me from the corner of her eye.
“Did you know how Jared felt about me?”
“Um . . . kinda.” She was playing with a curl in her hair now, pulling it straight.
I stopped at a bench and yanked her down to sit next to me when she just stood there. “Why didn’t he tell me before?”
“He wanted to, but you were with Josh and for a long time and before that, he was just too nervous. He’s my brother, so of course I want you to give him a chance.” She took a deep breath, turning to me with a serious expression. “But, I’m also your best friend and I have to tell you to do whatever you feel is right.” She visibly relaxed then blurted out, “I think you should choose Jared!”
Despite feeling crappy about the whole situation, I laughed. Cece always made me laugh. “What do you think about Caleb?”
“He seems nice enough and he’s protective of you,” she said carefully.
“No, I mean, do you agree with Jared? That Caleb will only hurt me?”
“Gigi, I honestly don’t know him well enough, but I was there when Jared asked Taye about him and he does have a bad past when it comes to girls. Lots of girls,” she explained with obvious pity. Did everyone have to keep emphasizing how many girls there were in Caleb’s past?
“I know, but people can change and he’s trying to prove it to me,” I stubbornly defended.
Then she dropped the bomb. “What do you think your mom is going to say about you dating Scott’s son?”
“She’s not going to say anything because I’m not telling her.” Cece was shocked, but she already knew the secrets I kept from my mom, so she shouldn’t have been surprised.
My phone started playing “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship. I rolled my eyes at the ringtone Caleb put on my phone for when he called. The stupid boys were done proving how tough they were and now they were wondering where the ladies had gone off to.
“Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?” Caleb demanded.
“Where the hell are you?” I mocked him.
“You’re not funny, Gianna. Why’d you take off like that?”
“Because maybe I didn’t want to see my boyfriend and best friend beat the shit out of each other.”
“He started it.” What was this, the third grade?
“Do you always get into a fight when you don’t like what someone has to say?”
“Not always. Where are you, Gianna?”
“In front of the movie theater,” I finally told him.
“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Whatever.” I hung up without waiting for him to answer.
“He’s coming?” Cece asked.
“Yep, he’ll be here in a couple minutes.”
Cece laughed at my displeasure. “Act like that all you want, Gigi, you’re totally in love with him.”
“Am not!” I shouted and ignored her scoffing.
Caleb came strolling up, acting as if he’d done nothing wrong. Brushing his hair off his forehead, he asked Cece, “Hey tiny dancer, do you need a ride home?”
She leaned against the back of the bench, crossing her arms. “Are you sucking up to me because you tried to beat up my brother?”
Caleb got a smug look on his face. “There was no trying involved. I kicked his ass.”
Scanning his disheveled appearance and the red mark on his cheek, I copied Cece’s pose but added a smirk for effect. “From the looks of you, Jared must have held his own.”
He took in my body language, shaking his head. “He looks much worse.”
Cece stood up and I did the same. “No thanks about the ride. I’m going to go find my brother and some band-aids.” She hugged me tight and glared at Caleb before waving goodbye.
Caleb and I stood there, gauging each other for a moment before I spun on my heel and started in the direction where his car was parked. Catching up with me, he wrapped his arms around my waist, stopping me in my tracks.
“Are you mad at me, princess?” he purred into my neck.
“Very,” I informed him and pushed his hands off my waist before walking away. Unconcerned, he strolled alongside me in silence. If he started whistling I was going to kick him in the shins. We reached his car and I made sure to buckle my own damn seatbelt. My phone played a different song when it began ringing again, “I’m Real” by Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule.
Nervously answering it, I managed to say in an even tone, “Hey, Jared.”
Caleb made an irritated sound from next to me while pulling out of the parking lot.
“Gigi?” Jared asked hesitantly. I hoped this wasn’t going to get awkward. What I needed was alone, non-Caleb time to think over Jared’s declaration of love.
“What’s up?”
“As much as I want you to choose me, I can tell it isn’t going to happen right now. He’s manipulated you into thinking he’s a good guy. Just promise me I won’t lose you as a friend.”
“I promise, Jared.” We had history so losing him would royally suck.
“Okay, Gigi, that’s all I needed to hear. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Jared.”
What the hell had happened to my life? Things weren’t this complicated a few weeks ago. My best friend was in love with me and my stepbrother was now my boyfriend. It was like some freaky alternative universe.
While I was trying to get my head on straight, Caleb must’ve been fuming over Jared’s phone call. “What the fuck, Gianna?”
At this point, I was in no mood to put up with any boy’s bullshit. “What the fuck what, Caleb?” Maybe I should’ve just stayed single, like forever. Boys were pains in the asses. First Josh, then Caleb and now Jared.
Taking his attention off the road, he shot me an exasperated look. “What the fuck are you promising him, Gianna? And what the fuck is up with that ringtone?”
I shot him back a look like he was retarded. “Just that we’d stay friends no matter what happened and that song is mine and Jared’s song.”
“You two have a fucking song? I don’t know if I like my girlfriend hanging out with a guy who wants to take her away from me.”
“Too bad you don’t get a choice. You knew how close Jared and I were before you asked me to be your girlfriend. He and Cece have been the most important people to me, besides my family, for a long time now.”
“Way to make me feel special,” he muttered peevishly.
“Caleb, should we be fighting like this already? I mean, our relationship is only a day old.”
A worried expression flashed over his handsome features. “I’m sorry, Gianna. I think I just need to get used to this boyfriend thing. I’ll try harder. I’m just not used to being jealous over a girl.”
He was saying the right things and I didn’t actually want to break up with him. Figuring a few bumps in the beginning of a relationship were normal, I brushed aside all thoughts of ending things with Caleb. I wasn’t sure I had much of a choice anyways. I was drawn to him in a way that drugged my mind, preventing logic from winning out.
I rubbed the back of his head, running my fingers through his hair. “Oh, poor baby, getting jealous over a girl.”
He did a mock pout. “I know. I’m going to need some cuddling to make me feel better.” By cuddling he probably meant groping each other in our underwear.
He looked so cute, how could I deny him? “Later, hot boyfriend.”
Caleb brought my hand up to his full lips and kissed it. “Gianna, I have to know how you feel about Ja
red. Do you have feelings for him?”
To be fair, I went over it in my head for a moment before answering. “I don’t know. Before he kissed me last weekend, I’d never thought of him in that way. He’s always been my rock, one of the few people who acted real with me. He tells me the truth, good or bad.”
“How do you feel about him saying he loves you?” Jeez, I could practically hear Caleb grinding his teeth.
“I haven’t had time to digest that yet. I’m trying not to think about it. I don’t want things to change between me and him.” I’d think about what Jared said later, when I was alone. Jared deserved that much.
Caleb didn’t look completely satisfied with my answer, but nodded his head. I noticed he still kept my hand in his.
A change of subject would be best. “So we did go down to 16th Street, does that mean I’ve completed number six?”
“I’ll consider it completed. I definitely don’t feel like doing it over again.” Good to know he wasn’t eager to fight Jared again.
The Sunday afternoon traffic going north was bad due to a car wreck up ahead, so it ended up taking almost an hour to get home. Not that I was looking forward to being home. I didn’t want to tell my mom and Scott about us, but we shouldn’t have to hide it. Walking in the front door, we could see through a back window that Scott and Chance were in the backyard.
From the sounds coming from the kitchen, it was easy to guess where to find my mom. Caleb followed me into the kitchen where my mom was cooking. “Hey, mom!” I chirped like an idiot.
“Hi, honey. Caleb, dinner will be ready in a little bit. Why don’t you wash up?” As she turned back to the stove, Caleb threw me a what the hell look. I was used to my mom’s personality but to an outsider she probably came across as fifties housewife throwback.
My mom was still busy stirring something in a pot when I was suddenly pulled out into the hallway. Caleb pushed me up against the wall, kissing me like he was starved for it.
Half-afraid and half-excited, I whispered against his mouth, “Are you crazy?”
“Uh-huh,” he responded, not stopping. Caught up in him, I forgot about my mom on the other side of the wall. We continued making out until someone cleared their throat.
Turning our heads in unison, we saw Caleb’s dad, Scott, standing there.
Less than a day and our secret was out.
Beware of Bad Boy Page 25