The Sweetest Game

by J. Sterling

Page 13

 

  I mouthed “not my fault” to her and she narrowed her eyes at me.

  Melissa glanced around the room at Trina, Cassie, Matteo, and me before whispering, “In private,” and stalked off behind Dean’s giant frame.

  “Hey, Trina!” I smiled at Matteo’s wife. “You look great. ”

  “Stop hitting on my wife,” Matteo joked.

  “You don’t want to go there, do you? We can if you want,” I joked back.

  Dean’s shouting stopped our conversation as all four of us turned our heads in the direction of the guest bedroom. We were mesmerized by the sound of Dean actually yelling at someone. And knowing that the someone was Fun-Size. The whole thing seemed insane.

  Despite the closed bedroom door, we could hear absolutely everything. It was awesome.

  “You acted like it didn’t matter. Like nothing between us ever fucking matters. Why? Why do you do that?” he yelled, the frustration in his voice coming through loud and clear from a room away.

  “I don’t know,” she answered softly.

  “Bullshit! That’s bullshit! You do know. Do you have any idea how much of an idiot I felt like this morning when you walked out of the room? I thought things were different after last night, but I was wrong. I’m always fucking wrong when it comes to you. ”

  “Why are you so mad?” Her voice was shaking, and knowing girls, I knew tears couldn’t be far behind.

  “Are you joking? You make me feel like a fucking fool over and over again and I’m sick of it. I’m not doing it anymore. I’m done with this. ” His voice was cold and I glanced at Cassie, who looked like she was holding her breath.

  “What do you mean, you’re ‘done with this’?”

  “With this. With you. I’m not doing this anymore. ”

  “So, that’s it? We’re not even friends?” she asked, her voice rising in pitch.

  “I don’t want to be your friend! How many times do I have to tell you that?” he shouted, and it sounded like he punched something, but I couldn’t imagine what. “Damn it, Melissa. I don’t want to be your fucking friend, okay? Stop acting like you don’t know this already. You know how I feel. And I can’t be around you with all this back-and-forth bullshit that you do to me. I’ve wanted you for two years. Two years!” he yelled and I almost felt bad for eavesdropping. Almost.

  “Well, who asked you to want me? I didn’t, did I?”

  My eyes widened at her response and I shifted closer to Cassie and grabbed her hand. She squeezed it hard.

  Dean whistled a sound before responding to her. “No, you sure didn’t. Well, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. You can delete my phone number from your cell since I won’t answer if you call. ”

  The guest bedroom door flew open and none of us even pretended to be doing anything else. We all stared at my little brother as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.

  I cleared my throat, determined to be a good host. “Dean, this is Trina, Matteo’s wife. Trina, this is my little brother, Dean. ”

  Dean smiled, then sauntered over to Trina and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard wonderful things. Sorry about all the yelling. ”

  “It’s okay. I understand,” she said with a sympathetic smile.

  “I love your accent. No one told me you were British,” Dean said, laying on the charm.

  “And no one told me you were so cute,” she flirted back and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing. My brother could use the attention.

  Melissa rounded the corner, and Cassie immediately dropped my hand and headed toward her. They disappeared and I heard a door close. I glanced at Matteo and Trina and apologized.

  “It’s okay. We need to get going anyway. We have reservations in a little bit. It was nice to see you, Jack. And nice to meet you, Dean. ” Trina kissed my cheek and gave Dean a squeeze and told him, “Personally, I think she’s crazy to not be head over heels for you. But don’t worry, you’ll find the right girl. You’re a catch. Don’t ever forget that. ”

  “Thanks, Trina. It was nice meeting you. You too, Matteo,” Dean said with a nod in his direction. “Thanks for this afternoon. ”

  “That’s what adoptive brothers do for each other,” he said with a laugh.

  I shook Matteo’s hand and closed the front door behind them as they left. “How are you feeling?”

  My brother peered around the kitchen column to look at me. “I’m still pissed, but I feel good. ”

  “Good. You’re right, you know,” I offered in consolation.

  “About what?”

  “Everything you said to her. So don’t feel bad when you wake up tomorrow and want to take it all back. ”

  He half smiled. “That’s not going to happen. ”

  Slow Recovery

  I couldn’t believe the drama that happened during Dean and Melissa’s visit. Hell, I’d only suggested they come out here together because I wanted them to finally get together. I guess that backfired. And now Dean was hurting and I didn’t know what Melissa was feeling, but I somehow feel responsible for it all.

  Dean refused to sleep in the guest room last night, so he stayed on the couch. I tried to get him to stay in our room with Jack and I’d sleep with Melissa, but he wouldn’t budge.

  “Just go stay in our bed. It’s no big deal, Dean. I’ll go stay with Melissa,” I offered.

  “No, thanks. I like couches,” he said with a wink as his gaze looked past me to something over my shoulder.

  I turned around and noticed Jack standing behind me. “What were you doing?” I asked him.

  “Me? Nothing? Just staring at your ass,” Jack said and I laughed.

  “Liar!” I smacked my palm against his chest.

  “I just told Dean that if he said yes to sleeping in a bed with me that I’d smother him with a pillow and throw his dead body off our balcony. I’m not fucking sleeping with my brother, Kitten, when I can sleep with you. ”

  I tapped my foot against the tile flooring. “You said all that from behind me?”

  “Not with words. But the message was conveyed. ” He ran his finger across his neck like a sinister throat-slasher.

  “Dean, I just want you to be comfortable on your last night here. Please let me know if I can do anything for you. ”

  “I’m fine, Sis. Really. Stop worrying. ”

  It was only after his insistence that I finally left him alone and went to bed with Jack. Melissa had fallen asleep pretty soon after our post-fight chat, and both times that I checked on her, she hadn’t moved.

  She confessed to being rattled by Dean’s explosion of emotions and she cried on my shoulder. A lot. But she wouldn’t really admit to anything. I kept asking if she liked Dean and she would nod her head, but she wouldn’t say much else. Honestly, I was still just as confused now as I was six months ago. Something was preventing Melissa from letting go and loving Dean, but I had no clue what it was. And she wouldn’t tell me.

  The next morning we all got ready in silence. I insisted that Jack come to the airport with me because I didn’t want to deal with the two of them by myself. I had no idea how things would go and I needed all the support I could get. Plus, Jack would be able to tell them to go fuck themselves when all I’d want to do is superglue their body parts together.

  Forever.

  Dean avoided Melissa entirely. He refused to look in her direction, sit near her, or even acknowledge her existence. One look at her and I could tell it was eating her up inside. She looked like she was breaking. When we got to the airport, the four of us walked together toward the check-in counter. Jack stopped for a couple of pictures, reminding his fans that he couldn’t sign anything with his broken hand, as the three of us took care of getting them checked in.

  “Dean,” Melissa whispered in his direction, but I heard.

  “What?” he responded without turning or moving toward her.

  “Can we talk?”
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  “Nope. ” He turned his head and met her gaze straight on, and my heart cracked in that instant for them both. I hated what they were going through and longed to take their pain away.

  “You seriously won’t talk to me right now?” Melissa asked, her voice small.

  “No, I seriously won’t talk to you right now. ”

  The lady at the ticket counter shouted, “Next,” and Dean walked up alone. I squeezed my tiny best friend and pulled her head against me. “Thanks for coming out. I really do miss you. ”

  “I miss you too. I hate that you’re so far away,” she complained.

  “I know. Me too. You need to fix this thing with Dean,” I suggested and she sighed.

  After getting her bags checked, we met the Carter boys in front of the security line. I hugged Dean tightly. “I love you. I’m going to miss you. Thank you so much for coming out. Come out more, okay? We miss you. ”

  He gave me a big smile. “I will. I’ll miss you guys too. ”

  “Tell Gran and Gramps hi for me please!” I added before I forgot. I missed them all the time. I’d never had a couple who were as wise about life as the two of them. They knew what truly mattered in life and they never hesitated to make it known. I had so much to thank them for.

  Jack squeezed his younger brother and patted his back so hard it sounded like he broke him. Dean turned toward Melissa and said, “Enjoy your flight. ”

  “What does that mean? Aren’t we on the same one?” She looked at me, uncertainty written all over face.

  “Not anymore. ”

  Her mouth dropped completely open and mine followed. “Seriously?” she asked.

  “Seriously,” he deadpanned.

  “What flight are you on?”

  “Not yours, so don’t worry about it. ” Dean entered the security line and I stood there completely stunned.

  “Holy shit,” I said to no one in particular.

  Melissa’s eyes teared up, but she sniffed them back as I gave her one last hug. “I’ll call you later. ” She sucked in a breath and entered the line by herself, now separated from Dean by numerous people.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked, the shock still overwhelming my senses.

  She forced a smile. “Yep. ”

  I reached for my husband’s hand and squeezed it hard. Jack told Melissa good-bye again and pulled me toward the exit doors. “I cannot believe he did that,” I said, stealing a look into Jack’s chocolate-brown eyes.

  Jack shot a sideways glance my way. “Hate to admit it, but that was pretty badass. ”

  I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Sorry, Kitten, but she deserves it. ”

  Oh, how I wanted to disagree. I wanted to defend my best friend and tell my husband that he was wrong and being an asshole. Go off on him for being so cruel and callous, and tell him only a complete jerk would say something like that at a time like this. But he was right. And I knew it. So even though I wanted to stand up for her, like she’d done so many times in the past for me, I couldn’t.