“I did notplayyou.”
“Then what was that whole thing with the note?”
“I just happened to find it in the heat of the moment, okay? Something about that waitress slipping you that note, and you telling me it didn’t happen, just completely set me off. I was mad that you lied and tried to hide it from me.”
Dane shrugged. “I lied because I didn’t think her note should be on camera before I even had the chance to read it. Not because I wanted to hide anything from you. And after seeing that interview, I’m damned glad I didn’t let you guys see it.”
“I know. I understand all that, believe me. I acted so unprofessionally, and I’m sorry. What I’m trying to tell you is that whole episode brought up some bad memories. I was transported back in time, and became this crazy insecure chick from the past …”
Dane listened as she told him her story. She’d dated the football captain in high school. He was a senior and she was a freshman. Before they started dating, she was a quiet girl nobody knew anything about, except that she got straight A’s—“Screw it, I’ll say it, I was a nerd!” But dating Chad propelled her from being an unknown freshman into the cool, senior in-crowd. Of course, Chad was a popular and handsome guy, and every other girl in school wanted him. He cheated on Austen more times than she could remember. The betrayal didn’t end with his unfaithfulness, either; several of her new friends, girls she thought she couldtrust,slept with him, too.
And after every time she found out he’d cheated on her, she still took him back, because she thought she didn’t deserve him in the first place. She was always competing for his love, always feeling like she had to compete with other women to keep his attention.
“Jesus,” Dane muttered. “Sounds like a real winner. You should’ve dumped his ass the first time you caught him cheating.”
“Well, yeah.” She tutted. “Easier said than done, especially when you’re a hormone-crazed teenager who thinks she’s madly in love with an older boy. And don’t act likeyouhaven’t cheated on a girl before. I know how you athletes are.”
He reared back, pushing and pulling at the water with his powerful arms. “Hey, I resent that. I’ve never cheated.”
“Hm. I find that hard to believe.”
“Gotta be in a relationship first, before you can cheat.”
He’d meant it as a joke—sort of—but Austen wasn’t impressed. “Ah. See?Nowyou sound like an athlete. You even looked like Chad when you said that.”
“It’s not like I’m against relationships or anything,” he stammered. He’d regretted the remark already.
“But why would you ever be in one when you can be with a different girl every night, right?”
He frowned. He felt oddly exposed. He wasn’t used to girls challenging him, or making him feel like he wasn’t good enough.
“Whatever,” she said. “It’s your life. I’d probably do the same thing if I were in your position.”
He didn’t know what to say.
“Anyway,” she continued, “I just felt so guilty when I thought about the way I acted during the interview, alright? So I wanted to apologize for that. I don’t blame you if you think I’m some crazy slut.” Her silence begged the question. “Um. Do you?”
“Oh, you’re totally crazy,” he said with a laugh.
She tried to rush past him and swim away. “This was a mistake. I should go.”
“Wait, wait!”
He wrapped his arms around the girl’s torso and pulled her back until she sat in his lap. They sat in the water, with her back pressed against his chest. He didn’t dare loosen his grasp, fearing she’d swim right off again.
“No,” he said, without the joking tone. “I don’t think you’re crazy, okay? With the story you told me, everything makes total sense.”
“Really?” she asked rhetorically. “Because it doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t evenknowyou. You were an asshole to me all day during that interview. And all it takes is one random girl slipping you a note for me to lose my mind and start fooling around with you? Seriously, what’s wrong with me?”
“Well, it wasn’t just the note, was it?” he asked cockily. “Let’s not forget about my handsome looks and undeniable charm.”
“You’re so stupid,” she said with a giggle. “You might be handsome but you arenotat all charming, Dane DeHardt.”
“Not even a little?”
“Nope. Maybe like—” She pinched a speck of air between her fingers. “—this much.”
“I can work with that.”
