Page 24 of Never Date A Player
The drive to my place is quiet. Neither Lewis nor I talk, and I’m hyperaware of his every movement. A wide wrist draped across the top of the steering wheel, the elbow of his other arm resting on the center console so close to my side.
“Cold?” he says.
I glance at the goose bumps on my arms.
Lewis adjusts the air conditioning, but the chill that ran through me had nothing to do with damp clothes.
Logic dictates I stay away from him and the complicated relationship he’s in with Mira, but a part of me wonders, What if? Lewis helped me with my car and he took the blame for the paddleboard incident. He’s not a bad guy and technically he doesn’t have a girlfriend, so my initial judgment of him was off.
We pull into my driveway. “Thanks for calling your mechanic friend, and for everything,” I tell him.
He lets out a sigh; it’s forced and heavy, like something’s weighing on his mind. “You have my number. Call me if you need a ride, or for whatever.”
That’s right. He typed his number into my phone so I’ll have a ride the next time I get wasted. Excellent.
It’s not Lewis’s job to take care of me. I’m not his girlfriend or his friend—wait, am I? We’re more than acquaintances, and there’s the unspoken stuff that makes it feel like we’re much more than friends.
“Okay,” I tell him, and let myself out. The air is warm, but my clothes are wet and clinging. I beat a hasty retreat to the front door and hear Lewis’s car rev lightly, the gravel stirring behind me. I force myself not to look back.
I walk inside the house I share with Cali and shut the door, slumping against the cool wood surface and closing my eyes. Today kind of sucked, with the dunking and my car breaking down, but it was also kind of amazing. Being with Lewis feels amazing. Even though he says Mira isn’t his girlfriend, I don’t understand what’s going on with them and that worries me.
I’ve barely gotten my bearings over how confusing all of this is, when Cali comes at me like a hurricane, strawberry blond hair waving to and fro, making her head appear twice as large and fiery, like the look in her eye. “What the hell, Gen?” She points vigorously at the window. “What are you doing with that guy?”
Lewis and I aren’t dating. He gave me a ride home after my car croaked. Running into him was coincidental, though in all honesty, I was considering whether or not it would be so wrong to see him.
“He’s not that bad, Cali,” I say. “Simmer down. It’s not what you think.”
God, now I sound like Lewis. Cali’s acting more crazed than normal, but is she right? Am I letting down my guard too soon?
“You’re doing it all over again. Did you learn nothing from your last boyfriend? Get a clue, Gen, this guy is using you!”
Okay, now I’m pissed. I may have made errors in judgment when it came to men in the past, but I never allowed someone to use me. As soon as I figured out a guy was a jerk, I cut him loose.
“And you know so much about men? Did you know Eric hit on me? He wanted to sleep with me, Cali.”
“What?”
My eyes widen. What have I done? That’s not how I wanted to tell her. I’ve been trying to figure out the right words. I almost shared it with her once while we were on a hike, but the timing was off. After that, I was waiting for the right moment and somehow it never came. Now… Cali’s face is a mix of shock and anger. I waited too long. I wasn’t thinking. “I’m so sorry, Cali. I should have told you after it happened.”
My cell phone vibrates in the side pocket of my tote. It buzzes twice more within seconds. I sigh in irritation and glance at the screen.
Mom: Darling, we’re here! Pick you up in ten for golf.
Crap, I forgot about my mom. She’s here for her visit and I promised her nine holes before work.
“I tried to tell you,” I say. “But it was when you were happy with him. After you and Eric broke up, I told myself that if I mentioned it I’d be kicking you when you were down. I didn’t want to cause you more pain. I panicked, and more time passed…”
“What are you talking about?” Cali’s face is flushed. She’s so angry. She has a right to her anger, but I never wanted her ex’s attention.
Maybe getting out of the house so we can both cool down is a good thing. I quickly reply to my mom that I’ll be ready, and jam my phone in my bag. I stride into the bedroom and strip off my wet shorts.
Cali follows and stands in the doorway.
I tear off my damp T-shirt and pull a clean one over my head. “Do you remember when I drove Eric to the store to pick up sunscreen while you were in the shower the first weekend in town?” She nods. “He came up behind me when we were there and wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my neck…and he said things. I pushed him away, but I was still getting over the A-hole and I freaked out. I worried I was doing something to cause the negative attention. That you’d think it was my fault…so I didn’t say anything at first.” I plead with my eyes. “You don’t know what it’s like. I’m like the creeper magnet.”
“Are you kidding me?” she says. “You’re seriously telling me guys lusting after you is a hardship that forces you to betray your best—fucking—friend.”
Tears fill my eyes and I blink them back. “That’s not what happened. That’s not what I’m saying.” Maybe Cali’s right and I’m a rotten person. I’m the common denominator in all this—Cali’s ex, my mother’s groupies and their wandering hands.
