Kara knows about my brother's resentment toward Jake. But then, who doesn't? Cole isn't exactly being secretive about it. He'll shout it from the rooftops if he can.
Come to think of it, didn't he already do that once?
Tossing her long golden brown braid over her shoulder, Marie finally looks up and follows Kara's gaze. A frown appears on her forehead as she watches Harper's antics. "I didn't know Harper's into Jake Wilson."
"She wasn't into him yesterday, that's for sure," I mutter under my breath.
"What's that?" Kara asks, her eyes narrowed.
"Nothing," I say quickly. "Are you guys sure you don't want to go bowl?"
We haven't really done anything since we got here. All we've done was watch people play. That and the drama Harper is causing. It's a brewing disaster, but I can't deny that it's a little entertaining to witness.
"You know we're just here to ogle cute guys."
Marie scoffs at Kara. "You are here to ogle guys. Not me."
"Fine." Kara rolls her eyes. "I stand corrected."
I suppress a smile. These girls are the best of friends, but they bicker more than any two friends I know. In the begginning, Harper and I always tried to bridge them together whenever they had a fight. But we stopped trying when it ended up being the norm for them. There are some things you just get used to.
A loud laugh rings in the air, drawing my attention, muting out Kara and Marie's bickering.
It's Harper—she's laughing at something Jake is saying. And he's just eating up all the attention she's giving him. Of course. He wouldn't be Jake Wilson, the known serial flirt, if he didn't.
I definitely won't be able to get used to that.
I shoot them a disapproving scowl at the same time Jake looks my way.
He blinks when his eyes connect with mine. Then something weird happens—his lips break into a wide smirk.
Chapter 6
"Are you Jakey's girlfriend?"
I blink at the cute little girl standing in the doorway. She's clutching a doll to her chest, the color of its hair matching her pale blue eyes as well as her pigtails.
She looks absolutely adorable—must be around five years old. Jake's baby sister? Come to think of it, I can see some of his features in her.
Giving her one of my brightest smiles, I crouch down to her height. "No, I'm not. But, um, is Jakey around?"
She nods her little head. So stinking cute. "He's eating in the kitchen. Do you like to come in?"
"Yes, thank—"
"Bailey, you know you're not allowed to open the door." I glance up to see Jake walking toward us. He's in a blue shirt with the sleeves torn off and a pair of black board shorts, his sandy blond hair slightly messy, and he's holding a sandwich. A smirk tugs at his lips when he sees me. "Mouse, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Did he forget? "We have a paper due next week, remember?" I point at the laptop bag slung over my shoulders.
"Oh, right." He rests his shoulder against the doorjamb and folds his arms across his chest. "For a moment there, I thought you were here for a social visit."
Before I can answer, Bailey tugs at his shorts. "Jakey, who is she? Your girlfriend?"
I start to shake my head. "Oh, n—"
"No, Bails," he tells his sister, cutting me off. Then turns back to me, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "But she wishes."
What the heck? I scowl at him. "That's not true, Bails. Jakey, here, is lying."
Bailey's big blue eyes widen, giving her big brother an accusing look, making me stifle a laugh. "Jakey, Mommy said it's bad to lie."
"I was just joking, Bails." He shoots me a look, as if to say seriously? Well, he brought it on himself, didn't he?
I bite my lip to keep from laughing, then clear my throat. "So, are we doing this or what?"
He sighs. "Come on in."
I follow him into the living room, where a cartoon is playing on the TV and Bailey's toys littering the carpet.
"Sorry about the mess," Jake says sheepishly, a blush staining his cheeks. "Mom's at work, and it's just me and my sister. And, well, I forgot you were coming over. Can you give me a few minutes? You can sit on the couch and watch TV or something while I clean up all these."
"But I'm not done playing," Bailey pouts.
"Bails."
"It's fine." I wave a hand, dropping down on the couch. "I don't mind the mess. They're just toys. Besides, what is she going to do while we work on our paper?"
His lips twitch. "Good point." He turns to tell his sister, but she's already way ahead of him. His lips quirk up in a fond smile.
This is Jake Wilson in his home. A far different version of who he is at school. It's the version he isn't showing everyone. Or maybe he does—no one just bothers to pay attention.
Either way, I think it's cute.
"So, how do we do this?" He grabs the remote control to turn off the TV, then sits on the couch next to me.
"Let's get the research part out of the way first."
We spend the first hour researching everything we need to know about our topic. Jake is just as serious as I am to get it done. Not that I'm surprised. He may be known as a ladies' man, but he's not a slacker.
And he's not difficult to work with, either. This is the first time we've partnered for a paper, and I can't say I'm disappointed. We discuss ideas seamlessly, and he doesn't mind the moments where I lead.
We're already two hours in when he announces a short break and heads out of the living room. He returns a few minutes later with a tray of lemonade and sandwiches.
I bite my tongue to keep from commenting that he was just eating a sandwich when I came in. Obviously, the assignment made him hungry.
But to be honest, I'm kind of starving too.
"So, what's Harper's deal?"
I almost choke on the sandwich I'm eating at his question. Taking a sip of my lemonade, I give him a suspicious look. "Why do you want to know?"
Is my best friend's plan working, and now Jake wants to date her? Maybe he already asked her out. That's not good. Or maybe she's the one who asked him out. That's worse.
"Because she's flirting with me all of a sudden. She's never done that before."
"You noticed, huh?"
"I'm not an idiot, Mouse."
"I didn't say you were." Taking another drink from my glass, I tell him, "She's making Kirby jealous."
I probably shouldn't have told him that. Then again, he'd know sooner or later anyway. Better to tell him now and nip Harper's ridiculous plan in the bud.
She won't be happy with me for this, but she hasn't really given me a choice. She refuses to listen to reason so what am I supposed to do? Maybe this will finally stop her.
His brows pinch together. "Didn't they break up?"
"Uh-huh."
"So, she's trying to win him back?" He takes a huge bite of his sandwich. The boy can eat. And he already had one—maybe even two—when I arrived. "Isn't she, like, permanently done with them after the breakup? I've never seen her get back with one of her exes before."
I wince. Apparently, Jakes is fully aware of Harper's dating history. "More like she's getting back at him for moving on too fast."
"Huh." A funny look crosses his features. "So, she's basically using me for that."
"Yeah." I wince harder, then hurry on, "But don't be mad at her, okay? She's just...confused right now. This whole thing with Kirby is new to her."
He stares at me for a long moment. "Why are you telling me this?"
I blink. "What do you mean?"
That's so not what I expected him to say. I fully expected him to be at least pissed about what I told him. But he's surprisingly chill, like it doesn't bother him one bit.
"You had no moral obligation to help me."
"Maybe so. But you deserve to know the truth."
What if he ends up falling for Harper? She doesn't want him. She wants Kirby even if she doesn't realize it yet. She'll only end up breaking his heart if that happens.
Besides, this is for her own sake too. Like I said, it's going to end up in disaster if I don't stop her. I'm just looking out for my best friend.
Turns out, Jake assumes the same thing for himself. "You looking out for me, Mouse?" A mischievous grin pulls at his lips.
I don't think I like that look. "It was just the right thing to do, Jake," I huff.
"Hmm," he hums, his eyes gleaming with something I don't like either.
What the heck is he getting at?
*******
I'm still thinking about Jake's weird reaction while I help Mom bake cupcakes the following day.
Her next food blog features rainbow cupcakes, and since I had nothing else to do, I volunteered to lend a hand. But it isn't the first time I've done this. I help her out whenever I'm bored or she's baking or cooking something interesting.
The process always fascinates me. Not that I'm planning to follow in her footsteps. At least, not right now. But it's good to learn from the expert.
But unlike before, I'm not totally into what I'm doing. I'm a little distracted by the thoughts running in my head. Why was Jake acting like he knew something I didn't? Something that seemed to please him greatly.
I didn't get to ask him about it since we had a paper to finish. But if he brings it up again, I won't let up until he explains himself.
Because I have a feeling about it, and I don't like it one bit.
"Did you finish your assignment with Jake?" Mom, who's finishing up a tray, chooses to ask about it just as Cole is walking into the kitchen.
His shirt is soaked with sweat. He's been playing basketball in the driveway with his friends for an hour now.
Going straight to the fridge, he opens it and grabs a water bottle, gulping it down in less than a minute. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand before turning to me. "You're doing an assignment with Wilson?"
"Uh-huh." I turn my attention back to the cupcake cups I'm topping with red batter.
"What for?"
"None of your business, that's what."
"Callie," Mom admonishes.
I blow out a breath and look at my brother. "It's for World Lit, okay? I went over to his house to get it done."
"You went to his house? You couldn't do it somewhere else?"
I give him a sweet smile. "You want me to bring him here instead? I could've done that. Jake didn't mind."
Jake even wanted to come here. I could've easily let him to spite Cole. Too bad our paper is already done. Maybe next time. I'll keep that in mind.
His face sours. "Yeah, no. You can go over to his house."
He's so predictable. "Thought so."
Mom gives me a disapproving look.
She hates it when Cole and I fight, especially when it's about Jake. But isn't that what siblings always do? We may be twins but it doesn't mean we're the exception to the rule. Twins have altercations too. Sometimes even more than regular siblings.
"He's not so bad, you know," I can't help blurting out.
Cole shoots an incredulous look my way. "Are we even talking about the same guy?"
"Aren't you getting tired of harboring that much hatred toward him? Because to be honest, Jake doesn't care about you." I don't know why I'm defending Jake to my brother. But I can't seem to stop what I started. "If anything, he just finds your resentment slightly amusing. That's it."
The muscles in his jaw flex, telling me I hit a nerve. "What, you're a member of his fan club now?"
"I don't have to be a member of his fan club to know that."
"No, I see it." His features contort in disgust. "You like him, don't you?"
My mouth falls open. "What are you talking about?"
Did he hit his head playing basketball or something?
"It's obvious. You've joined his fangirls."
Yeah, he definitely hit his head.
"Oh, wow. You've come to that conclusion just by what I said? Reaching, much?"
"Then prove me wrong," he grinds out.
"Why do I have to? You're the one who made the stupid accusation. I mean, can you even hear yourself?"
His eyes narrow into slits, but instead of giving back a retort, he just storms out of the kitchen.
I don't doubt for one second that Cole is pissed. But when isn't he when it comes to Jake? The guy so much as breathes in his direction and Cole loses his mind. There's no winning with him.
Mom watches my twin go before turning to me. "You should know better than to provoke your brother."
"Well, he started it," I say in a petulant voice.
She shakes her head, muttering about getting gray hairs at an early age.
I wince. Yeah, I probably shouldn't do that too much.
Chapter 7
"You told him?!"
I almost jump out of my seat as a lunch tray loudly lands on the table, startling Marie, Kara and me, and drawing the attention of nearby students.
Glancing up, I meet Harper's angry glare. Um, is she talking to me? And why does she look so mad?
Then her words hit me.
Jake.
She's talking about what I said to him at his house. Which means she knows. Could've given me a heads-up, Jakey.
A simple text could have warned me of my best friend's ire. Now, she's standing in front of me and looking like she wants to strangle me.
All I can do now is control the damage as much as I can.
"Jake told you," I say quietly.
"Yeah," she snaps. "I was at my locker when he walked up to me. Imagine my surprise when he confronted me about something he wasn't supposed to know. What the heck were you thinking?"
"Um, guys? What's going on?" The question comes from Marie.
I'm sitting with her and Kara in the cafeteria, and we were waiting for Harper to join us. Harper was running late as always, so I thought nothing of it. It never occured to me that she was busy being cornered by Jake.
I'm going to kill him.
"I was thinking he deserved to know the truth."
"That wasn't your call to make!"
Heat creeps up my cheeks as more people look our way. "Can you sit down first, please?"
Glaring at me one more time, she drops down on the seat next to Kara.
"Look, I'm sorry I went behind your back. But, seriously, we both know it was the right thing to do."
At least, I felt that it was the right thing to do at that time. But seeing the look of betrayal on her face, I'm starting to second-guess that decision. Did I really make the right choice?
She clenches her fists at her sides. "You had no right."
Heat creeps up my cheeks. "Harper."
I knew she'd be pissed. But I had no idea she'd be so angry about it. I didn't expect this reaction from her at all. The way she's acting, I feel like I committed a capital offense.
"Guys? Seriously, what's going on?" Marie repeats her earlier question.
"Is there something we need to know?" There's a hint of intrigue in Kara's voice.
Harper glares at me once again. "Why don't you answer that, Callie? Why don't you tell them what you did?"
"I did it because I had to. You were leading him on. I'm sorry—but it was wrong, Harper." Silently, I'm hoping she understands my point.
But judging from the fire in her eyes, that's not going to happen. "I was just flirting with him. I didn't ask him out or anything. It was completely harmless, and you know it."
"Not if he had the wrong idea."
"Are they talking about Jake Wilson?" Marie asks Kara, looking confused as ever.
"Seems to be that way. I knew it was a little suspicious that she was flirting with him."
Harper and I ignore them, our full attention focused on each other, neither wanting to back down.
But a minute later and I'm the first to look away. Guilt is nipping at me, telling me she has every right to be angry. That even though I felt it was the right thing to do, I should've talked to her first.
"You threw me under the bus, Callie. I
thought you had my back."
"I do. You know that I've always had your back." And it's the truth. I've always been loyal to her—even when she's wrong.
But not this time. So what changed?
"Then why the heck did you do that?"
Good question, Callie. Why did you do what you did?
I glance down at my lasagna plate, guilt gripping my chest hard and affecting my appetite. "I'm sorry."
"I felt totally humiliated. When he was talking to me, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole." She shakes her head and scoffs. "You know what? I don't think I can be around you right now. I'm going to eat my lunch somewhere else." Harper's off the table with her tray before I can even stop her. Then she's storming off without a backward glance.
"What just happened?" Marie asks, sounding completely dumbfounded.
Kara points a finger at me. "Tell us everything. Now."
I sigh. Do I even have a choice?
So I spend the rest of lunch spilling everything. Turns out, Marie and Kara are divided about the issue. Marie agrees with me, saying I did the right thing. That telling Jake the truth was a good judgment on my part. That he truly deserved to know it.
Kara, on the other hand, thinks I should've left the decision to Harper. That it was her business and not mine. And that Harper was right—she was just flirting with him and nothing else. To her, it was harmless.
Now the two of them are arguing about who's right. I tune them out and quietly finish up my lunch, lost in my thoughts, thinking of ways to get back in Harper's good graces.
I hate that she's mad at me. The two of us rarely fight. It's Marie and Kara's thing, not ours. Now because of what I did, she refuses to talk to me.
Well, technically, I only did what I did because of her stupid plan. But I don't think pointing that out to her will help my case. It will likely make it worse.
When I get to World Lit, I'm not surprised to find her in a different seat. Of course she's not going to sit anywhere near me. Kara gives me a look that says told you so.
Don't Kiss Your Brother's Sworn Enemy (Don't Kiss! Series Book 1) Page 3