by Rion, Paige
Dean drops her hands and takes a step back. He lowers his head, his eyes downcast, and shoves his hands in his pockets, trying his best to look forlorn. When he speaks again, he lowers his voice an octave to sound defeated. “I understand. You’re right. It’s too much to ask.” He lets his voice shake slightly and slowly raises his gaze back to hers.
She’s scowling at him, her eyes narrowed. “Ah!” She fists her hands and punches the air. “Fine! What do you want? And it better not be something crazy, like for me to hide under the bed while you two make out so I can decipher her body language and the depths of her feelings.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Dean leaps toward her and swoops her into his arms in a giant bear hug, lifting her off the floor. “And of course I wouldn’t have you do that. It would be weird.”
“Ya think?” she says as he returns her to her feet. “You recovered fast,” she croaks, as he squeezes her one last time before letting her go.
“All I want you to do is find out if she likes me.”
Jinny drops her arms to her side. “Oh, God. Why does this feel like we’re in junior high? Seriously?”
“So, you’ll do it?” he asks.
“I guess. I can just come right out and ask her, if that’s what you want. Or would you prefer me to just send her a little folded up note in class?” Jinny asks, raising her voice so she sounds childlike.
“I’ll leave it up to you how you go about it, but don’t be too obvious. Maybe go in stealth mode to find out instead,” he says, unsure of what’s the best tactic to take.
Jinny rolls her eyes. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Tonto.”
“I can’t give up the charade until I know that I’ve got her. If I know for sure she has feelings for me, then I can tell her the truth. I don’t know how, but I’ll figure that part out later. If I’m right, and Callie does feel something for me, then I can quit this whole charade, tell her I don’t want Maya, and that I actually want her. But if I do this too early, before her feelings for me are solid, I’m screwed.”
“This whole thing is sounding worse and worse. She’s going to be pissed and you’re going to get hurt. I can feel this whole thing going wrong.”
Dean rolls his eyes. “What, do you have ESP now?”
“No. It’s called common sense, retard. If she does have feelings for you, that means she’s probably torturing herself over the fact that she thinks you don’t want her, but actually want Maya back. Think about it.” She taps her head. “She actually believes this whole thing is real, and if anyone knows how it feels to have unrequited feelings, it’s you. And if it’s true that she’s starting to fall for you, that means right now a part of her is hurting. Plus, if I’m right and she is pissed when all of this comes out, she’ll be hurt twice.”
She’s right. He knows she is, but what’s a couple weeks when they have the rest of their lives? And how can she get hurt when the whole reason he did all of this in the first place is because he’s madly in love with her? If anything, it just means that when the time comes, he’ll have to handle this delicately.
He knows one thing. He needs to tell her, and soon, before everything comes crashing down around him. So, while Jinny’s working on getting into Callie’s head, he’ll work on finding a way to tell her the truth. A way that will make her understand.
CHAPTER THREE
CALLIE
You know those days where you wish you never woke up? That you had just stayed in bed, sleeping the hours away? Yes, today is one of those.
Callie shoves open the door to the apartment after her impromptu stop at Buzz, realizing too late that they didn’t actually have a drive-thru, forcing her to go inside, flannel pants and all.
Eh, what does it matter, anyway? I’m an idiot, hopelessly crushing on the very man I’m helping to win over another girl. Not to mention, he’s my best friend’s brother. For God’s sake, Dean’s like a brother to me. Or, he was like my brother. Until that first kiss in his car, and then the one on the roof. And until I noticed he’s built like Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love—only better looking. Who cares if anyone sees me in my PJ’s?
God, did you just hear yourself? You just said, ‘who cares if anyone sees you in your PJ’s!’ I’ve obviously gone mad. Next thing I know, I’ll be on the next season of What Not to Wear. That’s how I’ll know I hit rock bottom.
She removes her coat and hangs it haphazardly in the closet, watching as it slides off the hanger onto the shoes underneath. Shrugging, she throws her purse in with it and makes her way to the kitchen to rummage for food.
“Whoa!” Callie screams, and a hand flies to her heart as it plays Whac-A-Mole in her chest.
“Hi,” Jinny says, her tone far too cheerful. She’s standing in front of the kitchen counter, holding up a pint of ice cream and two spoons, waving the shiny utensils under the kitchen light like machetes, with a too-wide smile plastered on her face.
“What the heck are you doing? You scared the crap out of me.”
Callie waits for a response, but Jinny just keeps smiling. “Stop that with the smile and the spoons; you’re creeping me out.”
Jinny drops her arms by her sides and her smile fades as she shrugs. “Sorry. Anyway, I thought you might be in the mood for ice cream.” Her tone suggests some secret code or meaning, but Callie’s not getting it.
“No, I think I’m good. Thanks, though,” Callie says, raising a brow and sidestepping her to get to the refrigerator.
“Really? You sure? You were acting kind of weird this morning.”
Now who’s the one acting weird?
“Yeah. I’m sure.” This time Callie looks at her like she’s crazy. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she takes a step back and narrows her eyes. “What’s going on? And what’s with the ice cream? Did you poison it or something?” Tipping the carton, she inspects the package for signs of manipulation.
Jinny rolls her eyes. “No. I just thought you might need a little girl talk and some comfort food, that’s all.”
Callie’s draws in a sharp breath and takes a step back. “What did Dean tell you? Did he say something about me? Wait…” she says, thinking. “If you think I need ice cream, then that means Splitsville. Oh, God. Listen to me. I’m not even in a real relationship. The one I’m in is fictional. Spill. Now.”
Jinny takes a step toward her, lifting the lid on the chocolate ice cream. “First of all, calm down. It’s Häagen-Dazs. This stuff is like crack, it’s so good. Plus, it was free. I made Dean buy it.” She smirks. “He owes me,” she adds, murmuring ominously under her breath.
Callie scrunches up her face. “You know, I don’t get that whole expression. I mean, crack? Really? It’s horrible for you, an awful drug. And you’ve never even used any sort of illicit substance, let alone crack, so you don’t—”
Jinny shoves a spoonful of ice cream in Callie’s mouth. “Ha! That worked.”
Then, digging out more of the frozen treat, Jinny takes a bite for herself. “It’s just a saying, and I’m pretty sure it’s a metaphor, referring more to how something so sinful, so delicious, should be illegal. That it’s addicting, et cetera.”
“Then, why don’t you just say that?” Callie mumbles over the mass of ice cream.
“Here’s the truth. I thought you might have feelings for my brother. So, I figured you might need a pint right about now.”
At least she got right down to it. No more beating around the bush or hinting at emotional turmoil over offers of junk food.
Callie chews and swallows the ice cream in her mouth, giving herself a spare moment to think. Should she tell Jinny the truth? Somehow, she doesn’t feel ready. Then again, she pretty much already gave herself away with her reaction. And when will she ever feel ready to admit her feelings for him? This is a pretty big admission. It’s hard for her to admit it to herself, which is probably why it took her all this time to realize it. But what other choice does she have? Besides, she needs her best friend right now. She needs her advice, her opinions.
Grabbing the second spoon from Jinny, Callie dips it in the ice cream, readying another bite. “You caught me. But how did you know? Am I that obvious?”
Sighing, Jinny moves to the small kitchen table and takes a seat. “Well, your odd behavior today was certainly a giveaway. Plus, I don’t know, I think I’ve noticed…a softening since the whole rose thing at the game. Something changed.”
Callie nods, hating that she’s right. And how pathetic is that? She started falling for him right then, while he was putting on a display to make another woman jealous.
Things were so much less complicated weeks ago, before Operation Get the Girl started. “You’re right. Am I crazy?” Callie asks, sitting down next to her.
“How bad for him do you have it?”
“Bad,” Callie answers, noting that Jinny didn’t say whether she thought she was crazy one way or the other.
Digging into the ice cream, Callie takes another huge spoonful. “Truth?” she asks, and Jinny nods. “God, Jinny, I like him so much it scares me. It’s like these feelings have always been there, in the back of my heart, hibernating, and now that they’re awake, they’re running rampant. It would be exciting if it weren’t also so torturous. I mean, it’s bad enough that it’s Dean I’ve fallen for, but with this whole,” she waves her arms around in the air, “Operation Get the Girl thing, it’s even more effed up.”
Jinny grimaces, her eyes soft and sympathetic, which somehow makes Callie feel worse. “You mean, because Dean’s trying to get Maya back?”
Callie nods. “He is, isn’t he? I keep thinking and hoping that maybe this is all just a joke. Last night, when we were kissing, he said things that you say to someone you care about. But then, I think to myself, he’s a guy. And we all know guys will say anything to get a girl to sleep with them. Maybe he was just trying to get into my pants. But that doesn’t seem like something you just do callously with a girl you’ve known so long. It doesn’t seem like Dean. If anything, he’s always protected my feelings and tried to keep me from getting hurt. Maybe that makes this so much worse. Because he can’t protect me now.”
Callie draws in a shaky breath. “Why can’t this just be a fun crush?” she says mournfully. “Instead, it feels like a knife to my heart every time I think about him and Maya together.”
“Oh, honey.” Jinny stands and embraces Callie in a hug. When she pulls back, she looks her square in the eye. “It’s going to be okay. Trust me. Don’t be upset.” Then she tilts the ice cream carton toward Callie.
“How can he like her, anyway? Jinny, she’s a total bitch. She’s cornered me twice now and each time she acts like she owns him or something. It’s like this whole I-saw-him-first mentality, and she’s Queen Bee or something.”
Jinny’s eyes widen. “Maya’s spoken with you?”
“Yeah. And I don’t know how, but she senses something’s off with Dean and me. I don’t think she knows entirely what we’re doing with the whole Operation Get the Girl, but…”
“Hold up.” Jinny raises a hand, and Callie can’t help but think how nice this is. It’s been a while since they’ve sat around and chatted like this. With Todd around so much and with this whole charade she and Dean are trying to pull off, it’s left less girl time, and she’s missed it—even if the topic of conversation is Jinny’s brother and how Callie has a raging crush on him.
“It seems like she wants Dean back?” Jinny asks.
Callie nods. “I don’t know why you sound so surprised. That is what we’ve been trying to accomplish, isn’t it?”
“And you didn’t say anything about this to Dean?”
Callie squirms under her gaze, guilt tightening her chest. “No.”
Jinny says nothing for a moment, cramming a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, seemingly deep in thought. Callie knows her friend enough to realize that her intuition will tell her that she didn’t tell Dean about Maya because of her budding feelings, combined with her dislike for the girl, and she wonders how much of a jerk that makes her. Needing another dose of chocolate therapy, Callie takes another spoonful and eats, wishing Jinny would break the silence. Is she quiet because she thinks Callie’s totally selfish? Or as foolish as she feels?
Unable to take the silence anymore, Callie speaks up. “It’s so messed up, isn’t it?”
“Trust me, you have no idea,” Jinny says finally, letting out her pent-up breath and leaning toward her. She pats Callie’s shoulder. “You and Dean would make a terrific couple. You know that?”
Callie’s heart flutters and her smile spreads. She hates that this makes her so happy. “Really?”
“Really. Even if the thought of you two sucking face makes me want to vomit.”
Laughing, Callie says, “It used to be that I’d have to tell you all the steamy details when I went out with a hot guy.”
With a straight face, Jinny says, “Yeah. That rule no longer applies.”
“So, what did Dean tell you about us, exactly? Did he mention last night?”
“What? You mean about your make-out sesh? Yes, he gave me a very brief recap.”
Callie’s face flushes. “Did he say anything about how he feels about me?”
Jinny nods, but her smile fades, which sends a dagger straight to Callie’s heart. “He did.”
She swallows. “And?”
“And I think you need to have a talk with him. Both of you have things you need to discuss. He definitely has some things he needs to share with you, but I think I need to stay out of it. It’s time you two do the talking.”
Callie swallows. She can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It has to be good, right? But what about Maya, and why does Jinny’s tone sound so…ominous? “And there’s no way I, your best friend, can persuade you to tell me? Not even if I give you that pair of Jimmy Choos you love so much?”
“Ha! Nice one. You’re evil. But, no, not even then. Lucky for me, my sense of fashion isn’t quite as voracious as yours. But—wow—that means you want to know pretty damn bad.”
“Fine.” Callie curls her lip in a pout. “Can you at least tell me if it’s good or bad?”
“Callie!”
“Bah! Fine. If I had another bestie, you’d be blacklisted. But I don’t, which means you can’t tell him about this, either. No telling him about how I feel. This conversation is private. Deal? Your lips need to be sealed.”
“They’re sealed, as long as you promise me that you’ll talk to him soon.”
“Promise,” Callie says, wondering if Jinny can sense the lie. Because there’s no way in hell she’s telling Dean she has feelings for him without his reciprocation.
CHAPTER FOUR
DEAN
“Whoa, wait. Dude, you made out on top of a roof?” Emmett asks, grinning.
“Yep.” Dean bounces his lucky ball against the wall next to Emmett’s desk and back again.
“That’s pretty sick. Damn, had you taken it a little further, you would’ve definitely won props for the craziest place to—wah!“ Emmett yells and jumps back as the door next to him flies open, nearly smashing his face in.
“Dean Alexander Michaels!” Jinny storms into their room, her dark hair whipping around her face. “You’re the biggest idiot. Ever.”
“Uh-oh.” Dean drops the ball.
She used my full name. This must be pretty bad. Swallowing, he sidesteps the finger she jabs at his chest.
A recovering Emmett moves closer, smiling like a loon with that dazed look in his eyes and goofy grin he always gets when she’s around. “Jinny! I know you couldn’t wait to see me, but no need to bust the door down. I would open it any time you come calling.”
Jinny turns to scowl at him, but says nothing.
“I know. I missed you, too,” Emmett says, giving her an air kiss.
“See this fist?” Jinny asks, holding up her hand. “It’s going in your face if you don’t just shut up for once.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll be quiet.” He raises his hands in surrende
r. “But save the rough stuff for later, will you?”
Jinny’s eyes flash, and Dean moves forward before she throttles his best friend. It would suck to need a new roommate. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
“Yes, there’s something wrong! You and your stupid plan.”
Dean’s stomach drops to his knees. “What happened? Did you talk to her?”
“I did.”
“And?” He runs a hand through his hair, his stomach a bed of nails, as he waits for her to respond. What the hell’s she waiting for?
“Did you know Maya has approached her? Twice now,” she says, holding up two fingers.
Dean rubs the back of his neck. “What? Why?”
“Because your plan is working, only in more ways than one. I’m pretty sure by the sound of it she wants you back.”
Dean nods. Of course she does. He already knows this. She told him so herself, and her approaching Callie was exactly what he’d hoped to avoid. Because the second Callie discovers Maya wants another chance with him, he’s screwed. Operation Get the Girl is over. But she spoke with Callie…and it’s not. That must mean…
A crooked smile spreads over his face. “Wait. You said that my plan is working in more ways than one. Plus, Callie never mentioned to me that Maya spoke with her. That must mean she doesn’t want Operation Get the Girl to end.
A jolt of energy surges through him. He jumps forward and grabs Jinny by the shoulders, shaking her lightly with excitement. “I was right this morning, wasn’t I? Callie has feelings for me. I’ve won her over.”
Jinny sighs and smacks him on the arm. “I can’t say.”
Dean frowns. “What? Why?”
“Because just like I promised you, I promised her not to say anything.”
“Well, why’d you come in here all gangbusters, then?”
“Because I’m pissed at you.” She stomps her foot.
“What did I do?”
“I’m in the middle right now, which is what I told you when you started this whole thing was exactly what I didn’t want. I have her coming to me. I have you coming to me, and Maya’s going to her. Hell, Maya will probably come to me next. And while we’re on the subject of Maya, what are you going to do about that, huh?”