“Gemma, you came. I didn’t think you wanted to.” He smiles, and it’s easy to see that he really likes her.
“Yeah, well, someone mentioned I should be here,” Gemma says, looking at me in confusion.
Her short red hair falls in waves to her chin, and her unblemished porcelain skin makes me instantly jealous. She’s a lot smaller than Dylan but looks like she’d fit perfectly in his arms.Why am I thinking about that, when I should think about…shit, shit. This looks bad. She’s going to think I was hitting on her man when I was actually trying to help.
“Hi, I’m Summer…I’m…Joel’s girlfriend,” I say at the same time Dylan says, “Summer and I go way back.”
I want to facepalm.Really, Summer?I wrap my arms around Joel’s waist and feel him stiffen slightly. Looking up into his eyes, I find he’s kept the shock off his face.Impressive.Dylan, on the other hand, looks a bit thrown by the direction I’ve taken things.Wait, what did Dylan say? Ugh, what a mess.
Chapter Three
Summer
“You’reJoel’s…Oh…I’msorry.”Gemmaturns to Dylan, confusion masking her face. “I thought you said Joel was single.”
“I did, didn’t I? Well…”
Dylan flashes me a panicked look while Gemma looks between me and Joel. I raise an eyebrow, wondering if he’s going to come clean, but then Joel says, “He’s right; I was single for a few weeks when this one had a temporary lapse in sanity.” Wrapping his arms around me, he pulls me close and adds, “But as you can see, she came crawling back, and we’ve never been better.”
Great, now Joel’s in on the lies.I’ve never felt the need to roll my eyes so badly in my life.
“Oh, lovely, that’s good,” Gemma stammers before turning to Dylan with questioning eyes. “You’ve never mentioned—”
“How about we go for a walk and catch up?” he says and reaches for Gemma’s hands, pulling her toward the backyard.
Joel and I stand silently for a few minutes, a little awkwardly, until he finally speaks. “So, I have to ask…?” He looks over toward Gemma and Dylan, his unspoken question loud and clear. I sigh.
“I honestly have no idea what that was. I was trying to help your friend and his girlfriend. I mean, come on, girls, he’s taken. Why don’t they respect that? Sure, he’s hot and…not the point. Anyway, I was trying to help, then it turned into a bit of fun to pass time, and now...” I sigh again.
“You think he’s hot.” Joel raises an eyebrow. “Should I be worried my gal’s gonna stray?”
“That’s what you took away from that?” I laugh. “Don’t worry. You and I, we’re end game.” I nudge him playfully, and we both laugh. Joel’s one of the good ones, and even if I hadn’t been sidetracked by Dylan, I know I wouldn’t have gone home with him, despite my early intentions. He deserves better than a night with a screwup like me.
Before I can put any more thought into that, Gemma and Dylan return. They look happy and relaxed.
“Best friends, huh?” Gemma questions.
What? Are we still doing this?Keeping my face impassive, I look at Dylan. He shoots me a look to say, “just go with it,” then smiles.Okay then.
“We all know how this is going to end. We’ve read the books, seen the movies,” Gemma continues, her tone playful. It’s obvious she’s not threatened anymore, and I don’t know if that should offend me.
I laugh and hope that it doesn’t come across as awkward because that is definitely how I feel. “Oh, don’t worry, there’s no chance of that happening. I was around during Dylan’s mohawk stage. You can never unsee something like that.”
Gemma laughs and looks up at Dylan affectionately, but his eyes are on mine.
“And I was there when a young Summer used to raise her dresses over her head in public,” he adds, playfully punching my arm, “or maybe she still does that?”
I shove him away, and when my eyes find his, I see he’s a little flustered. He just might be regretting the hole he’s dug for himself. I’m sure I can fix this. “There’s also the fact that we kissed in high school, and there was zero chemistry.” Hoping to further ease her mind, I add, “It was like kissing my brother. No thanks.”
Dylan wraps his arms around Gemma. “Zero chemistry,” he repeats, and she smiles as they stare into each other’s eyes.
I quickly snap my gaze away to avoid intruding on their moment. I wish I believed my own words, zero chemistry. From the second I grabbed his arm earlier, I felt this tingle race through my body. I’ve never felt anything like it. My body felt warm, yet uncomfortable at the same time. The feeling may have been unfamiliar to me, but I knew enough to understand how dangerous it was. Especially when I felt it again at the bar. Looking into his eyes was like staring into his soul. Like those bright-blue windows held all the answers I’d ever need, even though I had no plans to ask questions.
The four of us move on to light, easy conversation but I grow anxious, and the dance floor is calling my name. It’s my element. Grabbing Joel’s hand, I lead him through the crowd, hopeful that Dylan and Gemma will get the hint and cash in on the alone time. No such luck. They don’t; instead they follow.
The music flows as I sway to the beat, my back to Joel’s solid chest, one arm wrapped around his neck. His arms hug my waist, fingers brushing my skin and pulling me into him, barely a millimeter separating us. I try to keep my focus on my dance partner, I mean “boyfriend,” but I can’t help but steal glances at Dylan and Gemma.
While Joel and I look like we’re ready to rip each other’s clothes off, Dylan and Gemma look like a couple getting to know each other, and perhaps they are. They’re facing each other and swaying to the music, eyes locked, smiles in place, subtle touches here and there. When a slow song comes on, he pulls her closer to him, and I cringe for a second before pushing my thoughts into the back of my mind.