Page 60 of Dangerous Play

“Earth to Ivy!” Kaia shook me with a little more force than needed. “Where were your thoughts?”

I shook my head. “What were you saying about Halloween?”

“Tristan and I are dating,” she announced. “I was telling you about our hot and steamy sex at the party, but you totally zoned out.”

“Wait, what?” I stared at her. Tristan Edwins was the most obnoxious, annoying idiot after Ander. I knew Kaia was crushing after him since Ander and I were together, but they never happened before. “How?”

“I don’t know. What matters is that he finally decided we were meant to be, and it was totally worth the wait.”

“He called you ugly,” I reminded her of the time we double dated. “And boring.”

“Ander did the same to you.” Kaia rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t make him a bad person.”

“You’re comparing him to Ander, my ex. The one who cheated on me with my sister among other things,” I said, my voice a bit more on edge than I would have liked.

“Chill, Poison Ivy, he only cheated on you because you didn’t give him enough sex,” she pushed it under the rug like it didn’t matter.

“Don’t call me like that. I told you I don’t like that nickname. You know damn well why they made it up.”

“Sorry.” She reached out to hug me, and I patted her back carefully. My defenses were suddenly up and I was confused and hurt with my best friend’s behavior. “You know how long I wanted to date Tristan...”

“I do.”

“All I want from you is a little... understanding. You know how he is, how their crew is. I just want to... fit in for now.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of wondering what was it that made him change his mind and what Kaia had to give up to win him.

And somewhere deep down I hoped it wasn’t our friendship.

As I watched the Titans practice, some drills they ran with Max shouting, my attention shifted from my laptop to the guys. It felt so natural sitting there and watching them. Never for one second did I feel like I didn’t belong there. They welcomed me with open arms.

Max stopped close by to grab a sip of water and waved at me. Both Dex and Maddox followed along.

“Sorry for crashing,” I apologized after declining his invite, but then changing my mind. “I needed some space.”

“Take all the space you need,” he said, pointing around the empty stadium, and before I knew it, he stepped over the small gate and taking the steps by two made it up to me. “Everything okay?”

“It will be.” I nodded, sadness still clutching my chest from my earlier conversation with Kaia. We hadn’t talked since she told me she was dating Tristan, but I’d seen her around campus with my sister and the rest of the soccer crew. “Did Derek and Kaia ever hook up?”

“Yeah, first day at the bar, when we met. Why? Did something happen?”

“She is now dating Ander’s best friend, and she’s been wanting to date him for a long time. It just feels... weird. She was adamant I go for you, this whole thing was actually her idea. I thought she wanted to help, but these last few days I’ve been thinking. What did I really accomplish by fake-dating you?”

Max remained silent as he watched me, his eyes narrowed.

“I mean you’re a great friend and I love hanging out with you and your friends. I wish I attended Hillview instead of Westpoint. But this whole thing started with me wantingrevenge, which is... stupid. I would never get back with Ander. Not in a million years.”

“Is it possible you are only now seeing his true colors?” Max asked. “And that up until couple of days ago, if he wanted to get back with you, you would have gone for it?”

I wanted to say no, but the words got stuck in me. “Maybe?”

“When we first talked, you were heartbroken and angry. You didn’t stop to evaluate his problematic behavior, the things he said to you and how he treated you. I can see how he behaves with Daisy. I could see the sheer terror in your eyes when Daisy told you he is moody to the point that I had to go and lose a stupid beer pong game.”

“I said I was sorry over it.”

“That’s the problem. You’re sorry because you think I’m upset for the loss. I couldn’t give two flying shits that he is going around telling everyone he beat me in beer pong. I’m not defined by his words. But you are. I watched you the past few months being shocked with my behavior, you tease me of being a gentleman. I’m not, trust me, I’m not further from it, and if we ever get to that point, you will see it. But I have manners and I respect you. That’s the key difference. I was trying to show you what a normal relationship would look like if it wasn’t fake. Because you deserve someone who will open the door for you, surprise you with flowers, take you on dates and respect you. Someone who does that not out of obligation but because they want to see your eyes light up.”

Emotions clogged my throat as I listened to his words.

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