More Than Friends (Friends, #2)(5)

I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.

“I was with Tuttle yesterday,” I say as I get back into the car, my mind going over everything that happened yesterday. What time he dropped me off at my house—around five—which gave him plenty of time to go somewhere else with Ryan and end up with the girls.

“For how long?” When I tell her, her mouth turns grim. “He could’ve left you and ended up with Ryan and Em and whatever her name is…”

I want to believe he would never do that to me. Every tiny molecule that makes me into who I am literally aches for that to be the truth.

But maybe…maybe it’s not. Maybe he did leave my house to go meet another girl. He is a known player. Who am I to him, really? He says a bunch of stuff, and it all sounds good, but maybe he says the same thing to lots of girls.

“The photo looks recent. Not like her and Ryan have known each other that long, but you know what I mean. Maybe it’s from another time when they were together?” she asks almost hopefully.

“Please. This was taken last night.” I’m going with that. It’s almost easier to believe the absolute worst right from the start. Gets the painful part over with, you know?

“You really think so?”

Glancing in Livvy’s direction, I see the shock etched all over her face. She doesn’t want this to be true. She’d rather believe it was an old photo and Ryan is innocent. Of course she feels that way. He’s her boyfriend. She just recently gave up her V-card to that guy. He’s sort of a douche, but a hot douche, so I can kind of understand her attraction. Sort of like how Tuttle’s a hot douche too.

Disgusted with my Tuttle-filled thoughts, I hit the button to shut off my phone’s screen and drop it into the center console cup holder. “If this didn’t happen last night, then they were probably together very, very recently.”

Liv says nothing and I stare out the windshield, my fingers curled tight around the steering wheel. I need to start the car and drive to school, but it’s like I’m paralyzed. Going to school means facing Tuttle, and he’s suddenly become the last person I want to see.

“What are we going to do?” Livvy whispers hoarsely. “I don’t know what to say to Ryan. I don’t want to look like the jealous girlfriend—he hates that sort of thing. But I don’t know how else to handle this without confronting him.”

Ugh. Proof again that Ryan is a total jerk. He runs hot and cold with Liv, especially before they officially got together. “You’re allowed to be the jealous girlfriend. He has his hands all over Em, yet you’re supposed to be his girlfriend,” I remind her, heavy on the sarcasm.

“They’ve hooked up before,” Livvy says.

“Who cares? He’s with you now. Or at least he’s supposed to be.” I turn the key in the ignition almost violently, pressing my foot on the gas so the car’s engine revs up, loud and rumbling. I thought hearing it would bring me some satisfaction but so far, no go.

Livvy is watching me in shock, with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. “Um, are you okay?”

“Of course I’m not okay,” I bite out as I put the car into reverse, glance over my shoulder and back out of the driveway. I do it so fast that when I put the car into drive, my tires squeal as I pull away from Livvy’s house.

I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to face the whispers and the rumors and stupid Tuttle’s handsome face. He’ll tell me it was all a misunderstanding, and if I stare into his eyes for too long, I’ll probably agree with him. Forgive him. Forget all about that girl cozied up next to him.

How I wish I could go back to yesterday. Sitting with him at the coffee shop, listening to his sweet words and not savoring them enough. Oh, and I can’t forget that amazing kiss in front of my house. For all the time we’ve spent together these last few months, we’ve never really taken it very far. The most we ever did was the night I discovered my now ex-boyfriend having sex with my now ex-best friend…

My entire body goes warm at the memory. We hooked up that night and took it pretty far, but not too far. I didn’t give him every piece of me. Thank goodness.

That’s what I keep telling myself.

Thank goodness.





The bell rings and I shoot out of my class as fast as I can, staring straight ahead as I exit the doorway and turn left when I normally turn right. I’m moving against the crowd, since everyone’s either making their way toward the cafeteria or the parking lot, and I do my best not to make eye contact. No one pays me any attention anyway, which is a good thing.

But then again it infuriates me. It’s like I don’t even rate, and I’ve been with the most popular boy at school, not that anyone really knew this. Though I’m sure if anyone did see me with Tuttle they probably thought we were working together on a class project or whatever. No way could he see anything in me.

Ugh. I’m actually pissed people aren’t noticing me when I don’t want them to notice me. I make no sense.

I blame it all on Tuttle.

The crowd thins as I make my way farther down the hall and that’s when I spot her. Liv is standing close to Ryan, laughing up at him after he leans in close to her ear and whispers something.

My stomach twists and I fight the disappointment that wants to take over me. I knew she’d cave fast.