The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(42)

I turn back to the door Chase and Abigail have just exited through and find myself shaking my head. “She really likes him, Soph.” That much is obvious. I had no idea how genuine her feelings were until just now. It’s killing her to see me with Chase.

Sophie shrugs. “He’s been with other people before and she hasn’t acted like this. She’s just drunk—and pathetic.”

I shake my head. Somehow I think it’s more than that. Abigail Baker has always been the perfect girl of Grove Valley High. She cares what she looks like, cares how people see her. For her to get wasted in front of everyone and have that random guy pawing all over her—that’s not normal. She really wanted to get Chase’s attention, and that I can relate to. Being in love with someone who doesn’t love you back is no fun for anyone. “She’s not pathetic. She’s sad.”

Sophie screws up her face and tells Mark she’ll be back in a minute before pulling me over into a far corner. “So how was the date?”

I smile. “It was fun, and Chase is really nice.”

“And hot,” she adds. “He’s really hot.”

I laugh. He is good-looking, but he’s my friend, so despite what the rest of the school thinks, I just don’t see him like that, and he certainly doesn’t see me like that. “How’re things with Mark?”

She shrugs. “He’s making me work. He’s interested, but he’s pushing it.”

I laugh. “Good. You deserve it.”

She pouts playfully. “Traitor.”

I glance around the kitchen, looking for the one reason I’m here. “Is he here yet?”

She doesn’t need to ask who I’m talking about. “He was in the front room before.”

I immediately start looking for the exit. She rolls her eyes, indicating that she doesn’t think I should go chasing him, but she then leads the way regardless. The only reason I’m here is to see Jessie; I’m not going to pretend it’s not. There are more people in the front room than in the kitchen so I have to swerve and maneuver my way around, and I try not to wince when Tia comes rushing over to hug me and spills her drink all down my back. I might have looked good at the start of the evening, but I definitely don’t now. All I need is someone else to spill another drink on me and it will be a hat-trick.

Sophie leads me over to some sofas on the far right, and that’s where I find Jessie…with Courtney right beside him.

He looks up, and for once, he doesn’t dismiss me. “Hey, when did you get here?”

“About twenty minutes ago.”

He glances at Sophie. “Why didn’t you come together?”

“Chase took her on a hot date first.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, and I don’t miss the look of irritation that flashes across Jessie’s face at the mention of Chase’s name. It’s fleeting, but it’s there.

“Where did he take you?”

“Uh, Luigi’s,” I tell him as Sophie whistles, sending a sly glance at Jessie. She knows exactly what she’s doing. “But then—”

“No way!” This comes from Courtney. She sits up straighter in her seat. “I still can’t believe he’s dating you,” she tells me, her face deadly serious, like she’s not throwing an insult at me. “And now he’s taking you to Luigi’s? I’m so jel!” Jessie’s jaw clenches, and one glance at him tells me how pissed off he is, but I can’t tell if it’s because of me or because of Courtney. I’m hoping it’s because of me. “Babe, why don’t you ever take me to Luigi’s?”

Jessie’s eyes bug out, and I can’t help it—I help him out. “It’s not that amazing. It’s kinda pretentious.”

Jessie looks at me, his eyes meeting mine, and something passes between us, something like understanding, something like the old days, before Courtney and before Chase. “Yeah?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I tell him, returning his smile. Suddenly I wish more than anything it was just him and me alone in this room.

Courtney clearly isn’t happy about the way we’re looking at each other and chooses that moment to grab his hand and pull him out of his seat. “Come on, Jessie, I want to dance with my boyfriend.”

My heart drops through the floor. Boyfriend?

Jessie avoids my stare, and although he tries to pull away from Courtney’s grip and deter her, she won’t listen. Soon enough she’s pulled him into the middle of the room where a bunch of people are dancing to the music, and within seconds, she’s grinding all over him, shoving her ass in his groin and generally making me feel nauseous.

“Skank,” Sophie mutters. She squeezes my arm in a gesture of support, but it doesn’t make me feel better.

Boyfriend? I want to hurl. I know she’s been blasting their relationship all over social media, but I didn’t know they were an official couple again. Part of me knew it was only a matter of time, but this still hurts. “He’s her boyfriend again?”

She shoots me a sympathetic glance. “I guess. He didn’t tell me.”

I can’t stand to look at them anymore and I turn away. “What is the point of this then? What’s the point of this stupid thing with Chase if Jessie is back with Courtney and doesn’t give a damn?” I swallow hard. I’m dangerously close to tears. I had a plan. This was supposed to work!