Page 51 of Second Chance Ex
Adam spins around to face me. He rests backagainst the bathroom counter, grinning at me from behind the wet cloth he’s holding against his lip.
“What?” I arch a brow, waiting for whatever crap he’s clearly about to spin.
“The sooner you two fuck and get it over with, the sooner you’ll both realize you’re meant to be together,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Oh my god,” I mutter, turning away because if I don’t, I’m scaredImight punch him.
Regardless of whether people think Joey and I aremeant to be togetheror not, too much has happened between us for that to be possible. The problem is nobody knows the extent of what happened, so they think we can justfuck and get it over with. But it’s so much more than that. It’s not about forgiving each other and moving on, because there’s nothing to forgive; I forgave Joey for what he did a long time ago. There’re are too many painful memories to go back to what we once were and frankly, being around him is only bringing back that pain, and it’s the kind of pain I doubt I’ll ever be able to move past.
Dinnerat the Japanese restaurant in the main street of town has been uncomfortable to say the least. The food has been great, the sake potent, but the obvious tension surrounding the table has been palpable; the reminder of Joey’s temper tantrum evident and shining like a beacon, red and raw on poor Adam’s face. Nobody has said anything about what happened at the mountain—it’s like some sort ofwhat happens at the mountain stays at the mountainFight Clubkind of bullshit—but by now, everyone knows, and it’s like a giant elephant in the room.
As I sip my second sake, I realize I’m more than a little tipsy, but I cannot stop myself from giggling at the thought of just how fucked up this whole situation is. Jessie is still pretending to be Joey’s girlfriend; Joey’s still trying to makemejealous by rubbing his hand possessively over her shoulder, meanwhile Jessie’s offering me knowing looks like she’s trying so hard to keep from laughing her ass off. Adam is still trying to make Joey jealous by pretending he’s only got eyes for me, all the while he’s secretly sexting Jessie under the table; yeah, I have seen the texts they’ve been sending back and forth over dinner, and who knew the sweet-looking blonde cheerleader would be such a freak in the sheets. The whole situation is absurd, and the drunker I get, the more hilarious it is, and, only because I’m two sakes in, I feel the need to stir the proverbial pot.
“So, Jessie?” I ask across the table, bringing all eyes to me. “How long have you and Joey been together?”
Jessie blinks at me, and by the long-leveled look she’s casting across the table, I can tell she’s trying not to laugh and trying not to cuss me out at the same time. I hide my smirk by shoving a piece of spicy Alaskan roll in my mouth. From my periphery I can see Adam shift in his chair beside me, ducking his chin and focusing entirely on his empty plate.
“Um,” Jessie muses, twisting her lips to the side in contemplation.
“Six months,” Joey suddenly confirms, his voice deep and final. He doesn’t look at me though. In fact, he looks anywhere but at me.
“How did you meet?” I press with a sweet smile.
Adam reaches his hand up and snakes it around my neck, gently pinching me as he does. I ignore him.
Jessie’s eyes widen momentarily before narrowing ever so slightly. I grin behind my water glass.
“Work.” Joey glances at me.
“Oh, that’s right.” I feel my grin morph from playful to vindictive, but I just can’t help myself. “I forgot you have a penchant forcheerleaders.”
Someone at the table clears their throat. Someone coughs. Someone drops a metal chopstick, causing it to clang loudly against their plate. I remain smirking, my gaze unwavering as I stare into Joey’s eyes. The tension that hangs in the air between us is evident and it almost feels as if we’re in some unspoken battle for dominance, neither one of us wanting to break first.
“They’re not really dating!” Madison suddenly shrieks, standing and slamming her hands on the tabletop, causing everything to shake.
I startle, as does everyone else around the table. We all turn slowly, gawping at Madison where she stands, her shoulders racking with deep breaths as if she’s trying to pull herself together.
“Wait…what?” Heather asks, looking from Madison to Joey and back again.
Madison spears Joey with a no-bullshit look. “I’m sick of this! I’m sick of playing games. What are we? Twelve?”
From the corner of my eye, I notice Joey slump in his chair, drag a hand over his face, and while I press my lips between my teeth to stop the victorious smile from claiming my face, inwardly I’m grinning like the cat that got the canary. But then?—
“Thank God,” Adam groans loudly, standing from his chair with such haste it almost topples backward.
He tosses his napkin on his plate with dramatic flair and everyone looks up at him in confusion. Instinctively I cover my face with one of my hands, choosing instead to look directly at my plate.Don’t do it, Adam. Please don’t do it.
“Me and Prue aren’t really dating either,” Adam announces.
A collective gasp sounds around the table, and I can’t help but cower.
“I knew it!” Madison practically shouts.
I look up then, taken aback by her second outburst in as many minutes. She’s pointing at me accusingly with a knowing grin. “There’s no way you’d go out with him after that disaster date you went on when you found him getting another woman’s number.”
Oh my god, kill me now.
Adam drops back down in his chair with a heaving sigh like the weight of the world has just been lifted from his shoulders, and I swear it’s taking all semblance of self-control I have not to stab him in the jugular with one of my chopsticks.
