CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“. . . Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival.”
-Thomas Jefferson
GIANNA
At school on Friday I was feeling guilty about the whole camping thing. I’d never felt the need to explain myself when I was with Josh. He didn’t even know Jared, Cece and the rest of the crew. I was with Josh for a long time but he never got to know the real me like Caleb had. It was almost as if Josh had only been a boyfriend in name and Caleb was the real thing.
We’d had this camping trip planned for weeks now. We wanted to go before the weather turned cold. For the past few weekends we’d had club appearances and battles scheduled. This weekend was the perfect opportunity to finally go. With how unpredictable weather was in Colorado, maybe even our last opportunity until late next spring.
I hadn’t thought it’d bother Caleb I was going camping with the crew, since he knew they were my friends. But I guess I could see his point when it came to Jared. I wouldn’t have wanted him going on a trip with a girl who wanted him as more than a friend. When I realized it bothered him, I did the right thing and I invited him along. Shouldn’t that have counted for something? Cece and I told the guys they couldn’t bring girls so it would be me breaking the rule.
And what did Caleb say to my invitation? That he’d think about it. I could tell he was still upset with me. He’d been moody all day at school. I actually did want him to come camping with us now. I didn’t want to seem like the clingy girlfriend and tell him, though. I actually thought it’d be nice to cuddle next to him in front of a campfire.
Still barely talking to me on the ride home from school, Caleb hadn’t given me his answer yet. Sitting in his car outside my house, I asked, “So are you coming with us?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment then turned his head to tell me, “No.”
I was actually surprised. I’d thought he’d say yes but was making me suffer. “Oh, okay. What do you plan to do all weekend?”
“I’m sure I can find something to occupy my time, Gianna. I did manage to have a life before you came along,” he said sarcastically.
Ouch.
Oh, I saw how it was. He was going to play games and pay me back for hurting his feelings and probably bruising his massive ego in the process. He was pissed about me going on a trip with my friends so he was lashing out.
Opening the door and holding my backpack, I jumped out of his car. “Well, have fun having a life this weekend. I know I will.” I slammed the car door as hard as I could, wishing it would damage his precious Camaro.
Running into the house and up to my room, I grabbed the bag I’d packed last night. Downstairs in the garage was my own precious vehicle. I’d missed driving my Jeep. I got in and started it, waiting for the garage door to open.
Caleb knocked on the window. I pushed the button and asked rudely as it rolled down, “What?”
“Don’t I get a kiss goodbye?” He stood there arrogantly but my feelings were hurt now also.
“No, you don’t.”
“What are you being so bitchy about?” he asked, gripping the open window.
Oh hell no. He did not just call me bitchy. “I don’t like your attitude, Caleb.”
“Too bad. And, Gianna?”
“Yeah?” I asked, matching his arrogance.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be doing anything this weekend you aren’t doing.” With that parting remark, he turned around and walked back into the house.
What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
I squealed out of the driveway.
Motherfucker!
He just said that to make me worry all weekend about what he was up to. He wouldn’t really go hang out with girls, would he?
Motherfucker!
Yes, he would. The whole way to pick up Jared and Cece, I stewed about what my boyfriend may or may not be doing over the weekend.
CALEB
I’d let her think about that! After Gianna took off, I went up to my room. For sure I’d be crashing at my mom’s for the next couple days. I wouldn’t sit here like a bitch waiting for my girlfriend to come home from camping with douchebag Jared.
The whole way down to Denver, I brooded about Jared spending the weekend trying to steal my girlfriend. I thought about changing direction and going on the damn camping trip, but it’d make me feel so fucking whipped. Tagging along with my girlfriend and her friends would turn me into every pansy-ass boyfriend I’d ever made fun of. I had more pride than that. I didn’t care if Taye was there and I didn’t care if Gianna said Dante could come too. All I knew was Jared better keep his grubby hands to himself.
Tense and worn out, when I arrived at the apartment, I crashed on my bed. Waking up later it was already dark, so I checked the time, nine o’clock. The night was just beginning. I grabbed my phone and read through my missed calls and texts.
Nothing from Gianna. She must be too busy with loser Jared and her friends, probably acting like a bunch of Fame wannabes. Stupid breakers.
I did have a text from my friend, Hailey, though. I hadn’t seen her in forever.
Hailey: How’s it going, player? When are we going to cause some trouble together?
Hailey was like my female counterpart. We’d been friends since middle school where we’d bonded over many a detention together. Hailey was the cool kind of girl that was just one of the guys. It didn’t hurt that she was pretty hot, too. We’d fooled around a little freshman year, but nothing serious. She was a female player herself and never dated one guy for long. I texted her back.
Me: I don’t know. How about tonight? I’ll call Dante and see what he’s up for.
Calling Dante’s number, I didn’t get an answer, so I left a message for him to call me back. Soon after I hung up, my phone rang and Hailey’s name flashed on the screen.
“What up, girl?”
“Ugh, I’m bored and you need to find me some fun.”
She sounded so put out, I laughed. “Since when is it my job to entertain you?”
“Since always. Where the fuck have you been, Caleb?”
“I moved up to Broomfield to live with my dad,” I told her.
“Wow, sucks for you. Are you up there now?”
“No, I’m staying at my mom’s for the weekend.”
“Good, come pick me up at my house,” she demanded.
I figured I had nothing better to do. “Sure, I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
GIANNA
I was surprised Dante came on the camping grip. He and Taye were cousins, so it made sense he’d be invited. Dante probably came to try and get with Cece. After setting up the tents and getting a campfire started, we were all sitting around drinking and talking. A couple of the guys were trying out a new moves, which was hilarious because they were tipsy and getting dirty in the process.
Cece and I sat on a log together. “So, Cece, what do you think of Dante?”
She glanced over at Dante and said, “I think he’s cute, why?”
“Because I heard he has a crush on you,” I drawled, waiting for her reaction.
Cece perked up, getting excited. “Really, who told you that, Caleb?” Hearing his name made me miss him more than I already did.
“Yep, he said Dante wanted me to put in a good word with you.”
“Consider the good word put in,” Cece responded, ditching me to go sit by Dante. The girl didn’t have a shy bone in her body.
With Cece gone, Jared took her spot. “How’s it going, Gigi?”
I gave him a fake, sweet smile. “Jared, why don’t you just ask what you really want to know?”
“Fine, are you still dating that loser?”
Scowling at him, I answered in the same rude tone, “Yes, I’m still dating Caleb.”
“Why isn’t he here with you then?” Jared asked, pretending to look around.
“We don’t have to spend every minute together. We can have separate lives, too.” Taking a drink out of my beer, I acted unconcerned.
“It wasn’t like that. I sort of sprung it on him at the last minute.”
“If you were my girl, I’d want to be here with you, no matter how last minute the invite was.” Why didn’t he go find some other girl to date? Jared was hot and pretty girls were always flirting with him when we went to battles.
After Jared walked away, I drank some more and started feeling sorry for myself. I really missed Caleb. A part of me wanted to leave the camping trip early to be with him. Wouldn’t that seem kind of desperate, though?
Why hadn’t he wanted to come? What was he doing right now? He better not have been doing what he threatened to do and went out where there were a bunch of girls. I hated girls! They were all dirty whores after my boyfriend. I was going to drive myself crazy thinking about it.
CALEB
I woke up on Saturday around one o’clock in the afternoon at my mom’s apartment. She’d had to go into work today to finish up a project. Otherwise she would’ve probably been questioning me right now about why I slept on the couch. I didn’t want to have to explain that Hailey was sleeping in my room. She knew Hailey and I were just friends, but she also thought Hailey was a bad friend for me to have.
From a parent’s point-of-view, she was right. Hailey wasn’t the kind of girl any mom would want her teenage son to hang out with. Although, I wasn’t exactly a good kid myself. Sitting up on the couch, I rubbed a hand over my face, thinking about how Hailey got us kicked out of a club last night.
After she’d gotten into a fight with some girl, she’d cussed out the bouncer who broke it up. He’d ended up carrying her out of the place and depositing her on the sidewalk outside. I’d finally got her drunk-ass calmed down and brought her here to sleep it off. As entertaining as it always was, it was hard work hanging out with someone like her.
Needing to use the bathroom, I passed by my room and peeked inside. She was still asleep face down on my bed. Shit, there was drool on my pillow. That was going in a dumpster.
As I walked back into the living room, there was a knock on the front door. No one asked to be buzzed up so it was probably a neighbor. Going over to the couch, I picked up my jeans from last night, pulling them up as I went to answer the door.
It was a pleasant surprise to find Gianna on the other side of the door. “Hey, how’d you get up here?”
“Surprise! I couldn’t remember your exact apartment number, but someone buzzed me up,” she explained, looking sheepish.
She threw her arms around me, putting her head on my chest. “I missed you, Caleb. I know I’m the biggest loser ever, leaving the camping trip early to see my boyfriend, but I couldn’t help it. Being away from you sucked so bad. Especially with the way we left things. I don’t want to fight with you. I’m sorry for being a bitch.”
Enjoying having her in my arms again, I kissed the top of her head. “I missed you too, princess, and I’m sorry for being a jackass.” She peeked up at me with a smile and I stroked one blushing cheek.
“So, what’d you do last night? Were you totally bored without me?” she teased, leaning into my hand.
Crap. How did I answer that question? I didn’t actually do anything wrong. At least I didn’t think so. Boyfriends were allowed to have female friends, right? To be safe, I’d better not mention Hailey. She’d probably be passed out for a while longer and I could get Gianna out of here quickly.
“Nothing much, just hung out with Dante.”
She tensed up at my words. “You hung out with Dante?”
“Yeah,” I said, leaning down to kiss her.
She turned her head to avoid my lips. “Last night?”
“Yeah,” I repeated slowly.
“Dante, Taye’s cousin?” she asked, sounding weird.
“That’s the one,” I agreed, not liking how she was acting. “What’s the matter, Gianna?”
She took a couple steps away from me, staring down at the ground. When she finally looked up, I almost flinched at her expression. “If I’m acting weird, Caleb, it’s because I don’t understand how you could’ve hung out with Dante last night when he was camping with us!” She screamed the last few words.
Oh shit.
Hailey decided to pick that moment to come out of my room. “Hey, Caleb, do you have any aspirin? I have a killer headache.”
Gianna blue eyes moved to where Hailey stood at the end of the hallway in nothing but one of my t-shirts. I could see shock and tears in her eyes when they returned to me.
I held up my hands, feeling panicked. “Gianna, it’s not what you think.”
Bitterly, she replied, “What a cliché you are, Caleb.”
Spinning around, she rushed out of the apartment. I saw her go through the door at the end of the hallway to take the stairs and quickly searched for a shirt, socks and shoes to put on.
Hailey ran her fingers through the knots in her red hair. “What’s going on?”
“That was my girlfriend and now she thinks I cheated on her with you,” I said agitatedly.
Hailey gave me a look of mixed disbelief and hurt. “You have a girlfriend?” Why was Hailey acting hurt? We were only friends and neither of us had ever wanted more.
Slipping on shoes, I snatched my wallet and keys. “Yes, I have a girlfriend, who I need to go catch up with to explain.”
Leaving the apartment, I ran down the stairs after Gianna. Out on the street, I didn’t see her anywhere. The parking garage was my next destination, figuring she’d probably parked there. Almost to the garage, I saw her Jeep pull out and turn in the opposite direction.
I didn’t have to be an experienced boyfriend to know my girlfriend finding Hailey like that was bad. How the hell was I going to convince Gianna I did nothing wrong?
Beware of Bad Boy Page 30
