Page 11 of Burn
“Hey.” Owen slaps his hand down on the table and then points to a chick at the bar. “Isn’t that the cheerleader we helped the other day? The one where her boyfriend was ready to cut your nuts off for giving her mouth to mouth?”
My eyes follow his to a tiny blonde girl bouncing around in the corner with a guy. She’s definitely a fucking cheerleader, though when I met her, she wasn’t doing much of anything. She had been at a party and passed out from alcohol poisoning. Sure, she’s hot, but I distinctly remember her vomiting on me too. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“Theonlyreason you volunteered to give her mouth to mouth was so you could slip her the tongue, wasn’t it?” Owen teases.
Yeah, until she puked on me. But then I remember what he’s talking about. The time I did slip a girl the tongue. I don’t regret that day because if I remember correctly, she thanked me a few times the next week for saving her life. You do something one time around these guys, and you’ll never hear the end of it. “That wasonetime.”
“One time is all it takes,” Owen points out. “You’llneverlive it down now.” Standing, he gets up and takes a step toward the bar for what I assume is another pitcher of beer.
“Kinda like you pissing on the side of a building while King 5 News filmed you,” I add before he walks away, hoping to have the last word with him for once, and knowing damn well I won’t.
Owen’s shoulders lift carelessly. “Could be worse things in life.”
He’s right about that.
While Owen’s getting a beer, Evan and his girlfriend, Daphne, approach the booth. She hits my hand on the table, smiling brightly at me like I should be happy to see her. I’m not and pull out my cell phone like I’m busy.
“Caleb, is that Gemma over there?”
Can you see why I don’t like her now?
I don’t look up from my phone in my hand. “Fuck if I know.”
Daphne laughs as if that’s funny and shakes her head. “Well, you dated her for a year. You’d think you’d know her.”
I snap my eyes to Daphne. I know that’s Gemma in the corner of the bar and I don’t have to look over there to know. But I also don’t want to be talking to Daphne about Gemma, like we’re fucking friends. We’re not. Which translates into, I don’t want to have a conversation with her.
“I don’t care if it is her,” I finally tell her, slipping my phone into my jacket. “We’re not together anymore.”
Evan let’s out a sarcastic laugh, leaning back in the booth. He finds amusement in my words. Running his fingers along the rim of the glass, he stares me down.
Fuck him.
Evan reaches for his drink he brought with him and then slowly takes a drink, watching Jacey out of the corner of his eye.
I know I shouldn’t say anything, but I do because it pisses me off that I’m constantly immersed in the middle of their shit.
Remember when I said Jacey and Evan fuck around? It’s how they started. Well apparently, he hasn’t changed because he’s with another girl now, Daphne, and he brought her to a bar Jacey works at.
And he did that, why? To rub it in that she’ll never have the relationship with him she so desperately wants? Because I think that’s why I’m a dick to him. I know it seems harsh, but what other reason would there be to bring your current girlfriend into a bar where your fuckbuddy works?
Just as I’m about to say something to Evan, Daphne stands and smiles at him, her hands lingering on his shoulders. “I’ll be right back, babe.”
Evan says nothing in response but nods.
“Stop leading Jacey on,” I grumble when Daphne leaves the booth and Evan’s attempting to drown memories by lifting his drink to his lips. “You shouldn’t have brought Daphne here.”
His glossy stare meets mine, then flicks away. “I didn’t bring her. I didn’t even know she was going to be here.”
I roll my eyes. “Sure you didn’t.”
Evan cocks his head as if he’s shocked by what I said. “What?”
I snort. “You heard me.”
Ever since Jacey and he hooked up ten years ago, he’s been leading her on only to make her settle on being friends with benefits and assuming no one knows. But we all know. It’s a fucked-up situation.
Running my hand over my jaw, I settle back in the booth letting out a heavy sigh, wishing my thoughts would go with it as Owen returns to the booth with the beer, Jacey following behind him.
