For Crying Out Loud by J. Preston
24Pretty Hung Up On Someone Else
When life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic
- Carter
Jenny
I see him as soon as he walks in, my eyes are drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He doesn’t notice me, so it just gives me the opportunity to observe him as he makes rounds. He looks so handsome my chest aches. He’s wearing a black t-shirt that is tight in all the right places, letting my imagination run wild, back to the time when my hands ran over his hard chest. Back to the time when, like a dream come true, we kissed in the garden under a willow tree.
It’s just great, isn’t it? The first guy I fall for ends up being a spineless piece of British poop… Can’t stand up for himself in front of my stupid brother; the same stupid brother who, just a second ago, was busy getting his face sucked by some blonde. Why is he allowed face sucking time and I am not? Why?
I place my hand above my heart, taking a breath and following Aiden’s movements. The club is full of students, the loud music pumping to the rhythm of my broken heart. And every time I see him smile at someone else, my chest squeezes as the feeling of rejection stabs my soul.
“What do you say, Jenny? Want to get that drink?” I move my eyes towards Derek, or Dylan, or David with the posh accent. I’m not sure what his name is. I wasn’t really listening to him all the time he droned on about his fraternity. He’s close to me, too close, but I welcome the distraction from the useless Brit who has been constantly on my mind ever since that kiss. My eyes dart back around the club at the thought of Aiden, but I lost him in the crowd of sweaty bodies. I look back up at Derek, Dylan, or David and try to smile. It comes out a little forced, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
“A drink would be nice, but I don’t want to lead you on…” I start slowly. His head cocks to the side and he flashes me a smile. He’s handsome, I’ll give him that. Tall and slim but muscular, and he’s got those high cheekbones some people pay good money for. And a boyish charm about him that you so often see in designer advertisements in magazines. He could easily be a model. His eyes look me up and down mischievously.
“And why would you be leading me on?” he asks.
“I’m pretty hung up on someone else,” I say resignedly. Derek, Dylan, or David glances around the club, searching. “Even if he doesn’t want me,” I add, mumbling.
“Is he here?” he asks. I nod, forcing my gaze not to wander around the club again in search of the boy who’s determined to make my life a living hell. “Well, he’s pretty dumb, in my opinion.”
I arch my eyebrow, smiling. I agree, Aiden is pretty dumb. “And why is that?”
“To reject a gorgeous girl like you, he must be pretty stupid!” I laugh.
“Right,” I say, blushing a little and silently thanking whoever manages this place for their choice in crappy lighting.
“In fact,” he says, taking a strand of my hair into his hand and slowly twirling it around his fingers, “I think he must be a class-A idiot to let a girl like you pass him by.” I laugh, throwing my head back and just letting his words sink in. It’s nice having his full attention on me, and the feeling of being desired tickles my lower belly. At least with this guy I know where I stand. I know he likes what he sees, and the knowledge makes me brave.
“You know what?” I smile at him playfully. “I absolutely agree with you! I’m a catch!”
He grins at me. I notice he doesn’t have dimples, and for some reason my heart sinks a little, but I don’t let that interrupt our little moment too much.
He leans down towards me and whispers conspicuously. “You definitely are. You’re so gorgeous, you know?”
I don’t move, spellbound by his words as his face keeps leaning closer to mine, his eyes on my mouth, and the corner of his lips twitch into a little smile. I can feel his breath brush against my cheeks. It smells of whiskey. For a moment, I consider what it would be like to kiss him. I close my eyes and try to envision his lips touching mine, but all I can see is Aiden’s dimpled smile and his emerald eyes looking into mine with something so deep behind them that I almost whimper, forgetting that it’s just my imagination. When Derek’s, Dylan’s, or David’s lips connect with the corner of mine, I’m not surprised. To hell with it, I think. To hell with Aiden!
But my body seems to think differently and, as my hands press against Derek’s, Dylan’s, or David’s chest, I feel myself push him away. He’s not him, and that’s enough for me to shut him down.
“Sorry,” he says, still smiling. “I just couldn’t help myself.”
I smile back at him and shake my head. “It’s fine,” I mumble. I spot Hayley from the corner of my eye. Her hands are on her hips and she’s looking at me like I’ve done something wrong. “I’ve got to go,” I say, pushing myself away from the wall and leaving Derek, Dylan, or David behind. His mouth forms a small ‘o’ and his brow furrows in confusion. I don’t care. I really, really don’t care. What has Aiden done to me?
“What?” I ask my best friend, standing in front of her and crossing my arms defensively.
“I didn’t say anything…”
“You look like you want to, though.” I huff.
“Not my business, hon,” she says. But after seeing my expression, she exhales. “Fine. It’s just, it sure looked like you were kissing a total stranger.”
“I wasn’t!” I all but shout. “I pushed him away. I wouldn’t… I-I couldn’t… He’s not him.” My arms drop and I can feel the corners of my lips turn down. Hayley’s face softens, and she puts her arm around me.
“It looked like you were kissing that guy. And the him you’re speaking of? He saw it all go down…” Shit.
No! Hold on. Why would he care anyway? It’s not like he wants anything from me, does he? A twinge of hope tugs at my heart, but I try really hard to ignore it.
“He looked,” Hayley continues, “fairly devastated. Carter had to drag him off to the bar.”
“Oh?” I look up, searching for Aiden’s broad shoulders and messy brown hair in the crowd gathered around the bar. I find him easily. First thing my eyes focus on, actually. It’s like he stands out from everyone else around him. I smile a small smile and take a step forward in his direction. He has this magnetic pull on me that my body can’t resist, no matter how much my brain screams at it.
I see Aiden down a shot and slam the empty shot glass on the bar, smiling a drunken, lopsided smile at someone to his left. My gaze momentarily darts to the person next to him, and my heart stops in my chest.
Chloe.
It’s okay, she’s kind of a friend now, isn’t she? I try to breathe evenly. I can feel Hayley’s hand wrap around my arm.
“You okay?” she says. I can barely hear her over the music. I nod my head in Aiden’s direction, and her hand squeezes my arm harder. “Shit.” I hear her muffled voice.
My gaze is trained on the twosome at the bar as they take another shot. Chloe’s gaze darts around the club and stops on me. She winks in my direction then says something to Aiden, putting her arm around him and helping him up off the stool. He seems drunk, more drunk than I’ve ever seen him before.
My blood turns to ice when she leads him towards the exit. He’s leaning heavily on her shoulder, as if he’s finding it hard to walk. The room begins to spin as soon as their backs disappear behind the double doors to the outside. I can feel cold sweat gather beneath my hairline at the back of my neck as I stare, dumbfounded, at the closed door.
“Jenny.” Hayley whirls me around to face her. “I’m sure it’s fine,” she says. The loud music and the screaming people around us drowns her voice out. The room is still spinning, so I shake my head from left to right in an attempt to make it stop.
“Hello little sister, and little sister from another mister!” Jason swoops in, shouting at us above the music, grinning. I try to smile, but I’m sure my smile resembles a weird lip twitch. My eyes land on the double doors again, and I find myself unable to look away. “What’s wrong with her?” I hear Jason’s voice to my side. I shrug, not sure who he’s talking about. Hayley’s hand grips my arm so hard I’m sure she’s drawing blood, and, if not, I’m certainly going to find bruises in the morning.
“Hey,” Jason says softly, standing in front of me, his face blocking the view I had of the door. “Want me to take you home?” I must have nodded because I’m being gently guided by Hayley and Jason towards the exit and the double doors my eyes are fixated on. My heart speeds up. Will they be outside?
The question is answered as soon as the cool air hits me. There’s a long line of club goers waiting for their turn to be let in, a few couples hugging and groping each other, but no Aiden and definitely no Chloe.
Jason pulls me into Aiden’s Jeep and buckles me up. I lean my head into the headrest and close my eyes, inhaling the surrounding air that smells just like the guy I want so badly. The guy I want to want me back.
“I’m the designated driver tonight,” Jason explains after Hayley questions him about drinking. She huffs and gets into the back of the Jeep.
I’m not sure how long we’re driving for. My eyes are closed and my fingers trace the plastic of the console, tracing the pattern Aiden’s fingers must have made. At some point, we drop Hayley off at the dorm. She gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek, instructing me to keep in touch over the Christmas break. I just nod and try to smile at her. I completely forgot we’re flying to London tomorrow.
When we get home, Jason guides me into my room and sits me down on my bed, placing himself next to me and wrapping his arm around me, pulling me into his chest.
“Want to talk?” he asks.
I don’t say anything. Frankly, I’m trying to gather my thoughts. I don’t understand why my reactions are so intense. I mean, they only left together. That doesn’t mean anything, does it? Why am I acting like it’s the end of the world and the whole of the human race has been wiped?
“I don’t know…” I breathe.
“C’mon, JJ,” he says, using my old nickname. “You know you can tell me anything.” I hide my face in his t-shirt.
“I think…” I mumble into his chest. He pulls my face away from his chest so that he can hear me properly. I close my eyes and let out a long breath, saying what I’ve been trying to avoid admitting to myself for the past two months. “I’m in love with Aiden.”
Jason is quiet. To his credit, his breathing is steady and he doesn’t blow up at me. Instead, he squeezes me harder.
“Yeah,” he says slowly. “I thought that might be the case.” I nod, feeling a bit better at having spoken my feelings out loud. “I guess I can live with my best friend…and my little sister. Nope! Ewwww!” I smile a small smile and swat at him. “There she is!” he exclaims, tickling my side. “I thought I lost you there for a minute in that brooding pile of frizzy hair!” He ruffles my hair as I push him away. “So, what’s the problem? Why are you so upset?” he asks seriously, once he had enough of messing with me.
“I don’t know, I just… Eurgh! I guess I thought he liked me back; like, really liked me back. But all signs point to no.” I huff.
“What signs?” Jason enquires.
“Well,” I start telling him about how Aiden broke our make-out session the other day but decide it’s probably best not to mention that to my brother. “He got drunk tonight and left with this girl…” I decide the most recent development is probably the best one to talk about.
“They could be just friends,” Jason starts. “Aiden doesn’t get drunk anyway; he’s a golden boy.” He winks at me.
“Maybe they are. And I can assure you he was plastered.” I frown, remembering who he left with. “Actually, he left with your ex.”
“Oh?” Jase seems surprised.
“Chloe Price?”
Jason's jaw tightens, and his whole frame stiffens. He seems agitated. This is weird since he’s the most laid back and easy-going person I know.
“Are you sure?” he asks through his teeth. I nod, and he lets out a breath, closing his eyes and clenching his fist. “Right.”
I touch his shoulder, not quite sure what to do. “I’m sure it’s fine…” I say.
“Oh, it will be,” he replies, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “Don’t worry, squirt. I’ll take care of this.”