Second String (In Too Deep #3)

by McMillin, Casey

  "Football player. I know," Ethan said. "But who's he to you?"

  "He's a guy from my hometown." My nerves were so obvious; I might as well have been wearing them on the outside of my skin. My voice and hands were both shaking. Ethan could tell the news of Jeremy's arrival had me shaken up no matter how much I tried to mask it. "I kind of used to date him. We haven't seen each other in like fourteen months, and even then it was just one night. It's really been more like a few years." Ethan's eyebrows rose at my assessment of how long it'd been, but didn't say anything, for which I was relieved.

  I didn't know what to tell him, but I wasn't about to say that Jeremy meant nothing to me. I had to take the initiative and tell Ethan I was going to Gretchen's to see Jeremy.

  "I'm going with you," Ethan said. I'll walk to the main house with you. I was planning on catching up with Joel anyway."

  I wasn't thinking clearly enough to tell him that wasn't a good idea. Actually, I didn't care what he decided to do. I wasn't going to take the time to argue with him. I walked around the pool, and into the back entrance of Gretchen's place. Ethan followed a few paces behind me with Sal at his side.

  I had to pass through a glass porch before I made it to the main kitchen where Jeremy was waiting. He was leaning casually against the kitchen counter. His legs were crossed as if he didn't have a care in the world. He'd obviously been entertaining Joel, who was smiling broadly when he turned around to look at me. I glanced at Joel and gave him a hurried smile before focusing my attention on the guy who'd stolen my heart all those years ago.

  Jeremy was exactly the same, only a little thicker. He was still really fit, but he'd filled out since the last time I saw him. He looked more like a man. He smiled at me with that Jeremy smile, the one I yearned for all these years. He had on jeans and a Polo, as always. The way past broken in baseball cap was just the thing to sit on top of that all-American face of his. He looked like he could be in an ad for Ralph Lauren.

  "What are you doing here?" I asked as I crossed the kitchen. I cursed myself for not being able to hold back a smile. The thing was plastered on my face. Jeremy reached over and picked up a wonderfully eclectic blend of crazy looking flowers. They were classy and circus-freak at the same time. The bouquet was my exact taste, and Jeremy knew it. "I tried to get here for Valentine's Day, but I'm swamped this semester." His expression shifted to pleading, and his voice came out almost as a whisper. "I've been thinking about you a lot." He paused and looked over my shoulder, taking in Ethan and Sal, who'd both taken a place a few feet over, next to Joel. "Who do you have with you, Em?" Jeremy asked.

  "Oh, that? Them? Him?" I tripped over the words like a total idiot. "Ethan's my friend and Sal's my dog," I said.

  I hated to use a word like friend after the things we did last night, but it was the best word I could manage given the extreme circumstance. Ethan stuck his hand out to shake Jeremy's. The air grew tense. I should have made Ethan stay back in my apartment. This was about to get awkward.

  "Come here, boy," Jeremy said, out of nowhere. Sal was a sucker for some love, so he left Ethan's side and went over to him. Jeremy stooped and started rubbing Sal behind the ear. "You and I are destined to be pals," he said to my dog. Sal was eating it up. "You're my namesake, after all."

  Ethan gave me a questioning glance that Jeremy picked up on. "You must not watch college football," Jeremy said to Ethan. "My last name's Salyer, but most people just call me Sal. It's a locker room nickname, but the broadcasters use it too. "That's cool if you don't watch football, though," he said.

  "I've heard of you, boss," Ethan said. "It's that I'm only now putting together the correlation between you and the dog."

  Jeremy smiled, although it wasn't genuine. "Okay then, chief. Then you understand how important I must be to Emily if she wants to name the dog after me."

  Ethan looked at Jeremy for a long minute before deciding not to speak to him again. Then he looked at me. "It looks like you have some catching up to do," he said. "I'm going to head south, but can I talk to you for a minute before we go? In private?" I awkwardly excused myself, saying I'd be back before he could blink, or something stupid like that.

  "I don't know what he is in your life," Ethan said, once we were behind closed doors, "but there's definitely not room for two of us." He noticed how anxious I was, and continued, "I knew we were supposed to be casual, so theoretically I should be okay with the idea of you figuring out what's going on with him."

  "Are you okay with it?" I asked.

  "What's it matter? I'm not going to be able to stop you. I have to get back for practice anyway." Ethan was being short with me, which hurt, but I knew it was best to let him head back to San Diego. I didn't know how long Jeremy would stay, and it was just way too weird with both of them there.

  "Can you please just not sleep with him?" he asked. The question took me by surprise. I didn't have time to answer before he began speaking again. "If you decide to be with him for good… obviously I can't stop you from doing whatever. But right now, while you're sorting through everything, can you promise you won't sleep with him? Just till you figure things out." He regarded me with a sincere, expression, beseeching me to consider.

  "I won't sleep with him unless things between us, well, I mean, unless…" I hated when I started to stammer, I paused for a second to gather my wits. "I'll tell you something official before I do anything." Crap. That came out all wrong. "First, I have to figure out why he's here. There's a chance he's here to bring news from home or something."

  Ethan gave me a disbelieving look. "Em, he brought you flowers. Stop trying to sugarcoat the situation. I can't blame you for wanting to check it out. Especially since we've known all along that this was supposed to be casual."

  Casual, casual, casual, I was sick of the freaking word. "Isn't that what you wanted it to be?" I asked.

  Ethan breathed a sigh. "What I want isn't really the issue here." He shot me a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Call me." He didn't reach for a hug, or handshake, or anything.

  I didn't know what I expected him to do… I mean, what else could he do? I really regretted Jeremy's timing, but I'd loved him for too many years. I couldn't let the opportunity pass without at least giving it a shot. I'd never forgive myself.

  I went back into the kitchen where I found Jeremy standing by himself. He was wearing a wide smile as he held open his arms. I walked into them, feeling a sense of relief at finally living the moment I'd dreamed of so many times. I breathed in the smell of him as I rested my head on his chest. He smelled exactly like I remembered. He was wearing Acqua di Gio, the same cologne he'd worn in high school, but why change something that works, right?

  "Your friends went out for brunch so that you and I could catch up," Jeremy said. He was smiling down at me. "This is a nice place you got here, Ems, How'd you hook this up? How do you know those people?"

  I couldn't tell Jeremy that guy who'd just left was the same guy I'd SLEPT WITH last night, and was also the guy who'd introduced me to the super wonderful people I lived with. I smiled again at the ridiculousness of Jeremy's timing.

  "I met them in Vegas. Then I came to L.A. and randomly ran into them one night."

  He seemed content with that answer. He looked at me, then out of nowhere said, "I want to get back together, Emily. I think I'm ready for commitment, and I want to see if you might be the one."

  For some reason, I wasn't bowled over by his love confessions. Something about the words he said or the way he said them made me a little skeptical. "I'd like to get to know each other again," I said. "I think it's going to take that to see if we're still compatible."

  "Of course we're still compatible. Just the fact that you're talking like that makes me know we're still compatible. You're still the same Emily. By the book." He shot me a wink. "Did you wait for me?" He asked the question right on the heels of saying how by the book I was. I knew he had no doubt in his mind that I had waited for him. If only he knew I still had Ethan all over me.
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  "How'd you find me here?" I asked, changing the subject.

  "Your parents," he said, like it was no big deal. "They had your address."

  I wondered what kind of conversation he'd had with my parents. "Where did you see my parents?" I asked. "At your house, of course. I went over there to ask about you when I was in Sedona the other day."

  "And you just knocked on the door and had a conversation with them? What'd they say?"

  "Your dad wasn't there, but your mom told me where you were and what you were doing. She was happy to see me. I think they'd like to see you sometime, Emily. She said they really miss you." I was unsure how I felt about Jeremy opening a line of communication with my parents, but ultimately, I wanted to please them and get to know them again, so I chose not to worry about it.

  "She said that?" I asked.

  "Yeah, and she also said your dad was gonna be pissed about missing me. She made me sign an old football she dug out of the closet."

  "She did?" I asked. "I didn't even know we had any footballs."

  "It was a miniature nerf with a tail sticking out of one end," he said, laughing, "and the tip of it looked like a dog had been chewing on it."

  Jeremy was one of the most charming people I'd ever met. I found myself comparing him to Ethan. When it came to charm, Ethan, believe it or not, had him beat. Or maybe it was a matter of taste, and I was simply starting to prefer Ethan's charms over Jeremy's. Either way, there was a tiny element of cheesiness with Jeremy that I hadn't noticed before.

  "You know you're a fucking dime piece now, don't you Emily?" He said, confirming my thoughts. The question took me off guard, but he didn't give me time to answer anyway. "The other night Cooper Matthews showed me a clip of you dancing at a Laker game, and I couldn't believe my eyes. You filled out, baby girl."

  "Don't call me baby girl," I said. I wasn't sure if I said it because he was already rubbing me the wrong way, or because that's what Ethan called me. Well, not all the time, but sometimes Ethan called me that. He'd done it a few times, anyway.

  "Heyyy, aren't you happy to see me?" he asked.

  "Of course I am. God, Jeremy, it took you long enough to—"

  "Aww, let's not go there," he warned. "I'm here now, and that's all that matters, isn't it?"

  "I guess so," I said, a little pouty. I almost asked him if he'd ever thought about me before he knew I was a Laker Girl, but I was a little afraid I didn't want to hear the answer. I figured it was normal for me to have a tiny bit of doubt about Jeremy's intentions, but I wasn't going to let that make me question my decision to give it a go.

  Chapter 16

  Ethan

  It had been a week or so since the Valentine's Day debacle when Jeremy Salyer (quarterback extraordinaire) showed up at Emily's house out of nowhere. It was Saturday night, and Collin drove down to San Diego for a fund-raiser my mom helped out with every year. Feeling the need to get it off my chest, I told him everything that had happened with the old boyfriend showing up unannounced. The weirdest part was that Collin wasn't surprised. Not only did he already hear about it through the grapevine, but apparently Emily also mentioned the football player to him one time when they were talking about she and I keeping our relationship casual.

  "Why were you talking to Emily about whether or not we'd be keeping it casual?" I asked.

  "We were just talking about how a low key relationship would probably be the best for both of you, that's all," he said.

  "And when did you become an expert on what's best for me?" I asked. I couldn't believe Collin had a conversation about what I needed in a dating partner. "What'd you tell her? That I needed a casual relationship because I'm afraid of commitment? Because that's exactly what a girl wants to hear when she's considering going out with you."

  "Simmer down, E," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say anything to make Emily think bad of you. You're my boy. I just told her you were irresistible."

  "Yeah, and she thought you meant I was irresistible to other girls since that's just how girls think."

  "Dude, you're making too much out of it. Why are you letting her get to you like this? Is it just because it's the first time you've had a girl choose someone else over you?"

  "She didn't choose him over me," I said. I wondered if he knew something I didn't, but I was sure Emily wasn't the type of girl to string me along. I knew she'd call. "She had a lot to sort through, and she promised she'd let me know when she had it figured it out."

  "Damn," Collin said, laughing. "You sound just like her when you say that."

  I gave him a questioning look, like he better just go ahead and clarify what he was saying.

  "That's exactly what she was saying about Jeremy," Collin explained. "I'm just giving him time to figure things out."

  I wanted to explain that what I was doing was nothing like what she'd done since I'd only been waiting a week and she'd waited years. I didn't say that, however, since the thought of her waiting years for him only made me want to hit somebody.

  "What exactly did she say when she told you about him?" I asked. "Did she just say she used to date him and she'd been pining away ever since?"

  Collin didn't say anything. He just looked at me with a regretful expression. What a crock of shit. What did that guy have that I didn't? And why was it taking her so long to figure out she didn't want him?

  ****

  If my friends gave me a hard time for giving Emily a week to "think about it", imagine how hard they were on me when I still hadn't heard from her a month after the fact. I felt like they were on the verge of staging an intervention to get me to go out and score chicks like I used to do.

  "You've had at least two Sundays off and you haven't driven to L.A.," Josh said, leaning against the doorjamb of my bedroom. His expression was impassive and his arms were crossed at his chest. "I know you aren't seeing her because you never text her anymore," he continued. "Just come out with us tonight. I always get hotter chicks when you're with me."

  "That's not true," I said, laughing at Josh. "Remember that night when you hooked up with that girl who was a singer in a band? I wasn't there that night."

  "Yeah, you're right about that one. But, that was luck. I was on a roll that night," Josh said, thinking back. "Usually, you're my ticket to the A-list. Come on, you know you want to."

  I laughed, but I knew he wasn't going to leave me alone until I agreed to go out with him. I was an easy target since I never had the heart to tell my friends no unless I had a legitimate excuse. I had absolutely no excuse right then. Tomorrow was Sunday, and I'd have the day off.

  "I'll go," I said, "but I can't make any promises with the ladies. I might not be in the mood to hook up. Who else's going?"

  "Might not be in the mood?" Josh asked, incredulous. "Seriously, Ethan. What the hell is wrong with you? Why can't you just get back to regular old Ethan who knows how to party on his one night off?"

  "It's not like that," I said, trying to deny any change. "I'm just not into an easy lay these days. I sort of gave Emily the impression I'd be patient while she—"

  "Goes out with another guy?" Josh asked. "Because that's what she's doing. Collin tried to tell you that."

  "I know what she's doing," I said. "I know she's seeing him. She told me a few weeks ago that I can go ahead and see other girls if I'm tired of waiting… but she's not sleeping with him. She promised she'd tell me." Josh had been at my mom's fund-raiser that night when Collin and I spoke about the prick football player who'd left her and then come back, so he was privy to everything that was going on. He liked Emily, but he hated the idea of one of his boys being played by a girl. I could tell he wasn't happy with me for putting my life on pause for her. I couldn't blame him. I'd probably feel the same way if our roles were reversed.

  "I don't know what's going on with them," I said, "but I believe she'll tell me when she makes up her mind. I owe it to her to chill out a little bit while she does her thing."

  "That's just what I'm tal
king about," Josh said. "You don't normally say things like 'owe it to her' and 'chill out'. This girl has you totally whipped, and she's dating another guy. Are you in fucking love or something?"

  I let out a laugh. "I already considered that," I said, "and since that can't possibly be the case, I think it's more likely that I can't stand the thought of her choosing someone else. It's gotta be the competitive side of me that won't stop thinking about her."

  "Well you need to tell that competitive side to hang it up because it's been a month. I think it's time you consider the possibility that she's blowing you off."

  "I don't think she is, and that's what I'm going on right now. For real, though, Josh. I'm not having fun waiting. I'm tired of being second place." I ran a frustrated hand through my hair, and let out a sigh. "It's gonna take a fucking miracle for me to win against Anthony at the trials, and now I have to sit back while Emily does whatever with this guy. "

  "Stop saying that about Anthony Davis. You beat him in Austin and you can do it again in Omaha. As for the girl, I'll bet I can get you to forget all about her by the end of the night," Josh said. I looked at him, and he raised his eyebrows suggestively. He flashed me the screen of his phone so I could see the text he'd just gotten.

  "Just tell me what it says," I said, barely glancing at the phone.

  "Zoey and a few other girls from the team are meeting us out... she's bringing Sabrina." Josh knew I hooked up with Sabrina in Austin. She was a beautiful girl and a talented swimmer… an irresistibly easy ticket to a good time.

  "I thought you needed me to help you with a hook up," I said. "Sounds like you already have it all planned out."

  "Yeah, but Zoey only wants to come if Sabrina and some other girl come with her… and Sabrina said she'll only go if you go," Josh said.

  "What about the other girl?" I asked. "Who's she supposed to hook up with?"

  "My friend who told me about the club." Josh said. "He'll be there. He's cool. You've met him before. You remember, Eli?"