Playing the Player(68)

“Where are you? Trina, I’m freaking out! I’m about to call the cops.” Slade sounded genuinely worried. Pretty good acting for a guy who just cared about winning a bet.

I texted quickly. Go home without me. I’ll get a ride somehow.

WTF? Where are you?? R u ok??

I sat on a rock for a while, ignoring all the people stumbling around me, laughing and still singing songs from the concert, while he blew up my phone with more texts and calls.

I sent another text. You won the bet. You’re free to go.

His reply came slower this time, but it was a doozy. If you don’t tell me where you are, I’m grabbing one of the cops on duty and we’re going to find you if it takes all night.

God. I staggered to my feet, still numb and dead inside. Fine. I’d ride in the backseat on the way home. Run to my apartment and lock the door. Quit my job. Never see him again.

I sent another message. I remember where we parked. Don’t say a word to me. Just take me home.

About ten minutes later, I found them. Alex and Tim stood huddled together, whispering and darting wary looks at Slade, who sat on the hood of his Jetta, eyes narrowed, waiting. He didn’t move when he saw me.

I stopped right in front of him. “Take me home,” I whispered.

His eyes bored into mine. “I have a lot to say.” His voice was low and angry. “There’s been a big misunderstanding.” He shot a glare at Alex, who stared at the ground, kicking his feet.

What the hell gave Slade the right to be angry? I owned the angry tonight.

“I don’t want to hear it.” I turned away and wrenched the back door open. Tim slid in next to me, and Alex sat in the front with Slade.

Slade cranked up the stereo and we drove the whole way home without speaking. For the first time ever, he didn’t walk me to the door, or even to the bottom of the stairs. His car squealed out of the parking lot, and he didn’t look back.





Chapter Forty


Trina


Monday, July 15

“It’s got to be a misunderstanding,” Desi said. She perched on the end of my bed, pawing through my tub of nail polish. She held up a bright green bottle. “Is it me?”

I shook my head.

“You’re right. Too Comic Con.”

How could she focus on nail polish at a time like this? “You do realize I’m dying inside, right? Heartbroken. Devastated.”

She held up a red bottle full of swirling glitter. “This is more me, I think.” She tilted her head and smiled at me. “Yes, I’m aware of the situation. The emo vibes coming off you and Slade have darkened the aura of the entire state of Colorado.”

I sat up straighter. “Why are you talking to him? Your loyalty should be to me.”

She tossed the polish into the tub then crossed her legs, facing me on the bed.

“My loyalty is to true love. Which is why I’m stuck playing mediator between you two.”

“There’s nothing to mediate. He used me, Desi. To win a freaking bet.”

She scooted back on the bed, leaning against the headboard and stretching out her long legs. “I don’t believe that. He has never, and I mean never, treated a girl the way he treated you.” She glanced at me, her eyes narrowed. “He’s a wreck, girlfriend. He wants to explain everything, but you won’t answer his calls or texts.”

I plucked at a loose thread on my bedspread, not looking at her. “Duh.”

“You know, I never thought I’d say this, but you’re kind of being a bitch.”

I jerked my head up, shocked at her words. “What? I’m the bad guy?”

She shrugged. “So maybe things started between you two because of a stupid bet. They’re guys; they’re morons. It goes with the territory.”

My stomach twisted and rolled. How could she be so casual about this?

“But God, Trina,” she continued. “The guy is in love with you. Everyone can see it.”

I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “It’s what I was always afraid of with him. Just being one more notch in his belt.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re not, though, right? You guys didn’t…” She didn’t finish the question.

My face flushed as I thought of what we’d done together, and what we hadn’t. I shook my head. “He never pressures me…like that.”

She sighed. “I told you he was a good guy. That’s more proof of how much he cares about you.”

I pulled my knees up to my chest. “I don’t know what to do,” I whispered. My emotions vacillated between anger and despair.

Slade’s calls and texts had stopped last night. As angry as I was, the thought of us being over, really over, shattered my heart into a million pieces. The only saving grace in this whole situation was having the week off from nannying so I didn’t have to see him.

“He’s probably hanging at the club pool with Alex today,” Desi said, eyeing me. “We could go.”

I gaped at her. “No way.”

“But I thought he was teaching you to swim. You’re getting more comfortable in the water, right?”

“Look, I’m not going to see him. At the pool or anywhere else.”

She sat quietly for a moment then propelled herself off the bed in one graceful move. “You know what? That whole perfectionist thing you’ve got going on? You need to drop it. Or there’s not going to be anyone good enough for you. Ever.”