For Crying Out Loud: The laugh out loud romantic comedy that everyone's talking about! (The False Start Book 1)

by J. Preston

  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.”

  25 I Trusted You

  Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you’re wrong.

  - Aiden

  Aiden

  My head is pounding, and the room is spinning; a room I don’t recognise. The early morning light seeps in through the half closed, pinkish curtains, and I rub my eyes. But that doesn’t quite stop the spinning. How much did I drink last night? Must have been a lot, I think, judging by the horrid taste in my mouth. It’s like I’ve eaten roadkill or something equally horrid. I slowly sit up.

  Oh right. Tequila.

  Why the hell did I drink so much? I meant to talk to kitten and… kitten… She was kissing someone else. The memories from last night come back to me all at once, making my head spin more. I press my hand against my forehead in hopes that the pounding subsides.

  I look around again. This is definitely a chick’s room, there’s too much pink. I squint, trying to recognise the faces on one of the photos attached to the wall just as a hand snakes around my bare torso and a head pops from under the covers.

  I turn my head to the side, then down as a feeling of dread slowly sets in my stomach.

  “Hey, sleepy head,” Chloe says, each word makes my heart sink lower and lower.

  “Uhm, hi,” I reply, my voice gravelly. I’m trying hard to remember what happened last night, but the last thing I can remember is Chloe stealing a shot from me. “Sooo…” I start, not sure how to broach the subject. I need to find out what exactly went on.

  “Yeah…” She smiles at me timidly, sitting up. She’s holding the thin sheet to her chest with one hand, and I realise she’s not wearing anything underneath. “So, that was unexpected.”

  I don’t say anything. My brain is working overtime trying to figure out if Chloe and I had sex last night, but for the life of me, I can’t remember anything. I reach with my hand to my thigh and almost sigh with relief when I feel the thin material of my boxer shorts beneath my fingers. Although, I could have slipped them on at some point during the night…

  “Chloe…” I whisper. She looks up at me, her eyes huge, almost looking comical, kind of like a manga character. I swallow hard. “So, umm. What exactly happened last night?”

  Her lower lip trembles. Shit, I have no idea what to do when girls get upset. I’m pretty sure that patting her on the head and saying ‘there, there, good girl’ is not the best idea. Only because last time I did that I got punched and screamed at. Not my fault my only experience with upset females is with my dogs back in England!

  “A-are, are you saying you don’t remember?” she says, squeezing the sheet to her chest. Think Aiden, think!

  “No, no!” Yes, yes! I have no bloody clue! “It’s just…some bits are hazy.” Good work! Her lower lip trembles even more. For fuck’s sake! Is there anything my mouth can’t ruin? “I mean, just little bits, you know? I remember all the big bits!” I waffle on, like a man sentenced to death trying his last bit of luck at an appeal.

  “The big bits?” The corner of her mouth lifts in a small smile and her eyes trail down from my face to my crotch. “The big bits were definitely memorable.” She winks at me. I have the urge to pass out, but I fight it, because I need to hear this. I need confirmation of what she’s just implied.

  “Yeah.” I nod encouragingly, hoping that it’s enough to make her talk. I’m pretty sure I’m white as the sheet she’s holding onto. Side effects of the tequila from the night before, no doubt, but also the dread that’s running through my veins at the thought of what might have happened in this room.

  It’s not like kitten and I are a couple, but I still feel like I’ve cheated on her. My stomach churns at the thought of being with anyone but her. Chloe looks at me through her lashes, pouting her lips at me. She looks like a sleepy duck. The bile rises in my throat. I fight hard to force it back down.

  “I had so much fun…” She blinks rapidly at me. Does she have something stuck in her eye? “I never do this, but I’m really glad we did.” Do what? We did what?

  I think strategically. How can I pry the information out of her? My brain is shutting down slowly in a hungover haze. “You never do this?”

  Chloe looks shocked. “Of course not!” she exclaims. “Who do you take me for? I don’t just sleep with guys I haven’t been going out with!” She seems offended, but frankly, I don’t care. I got all the information I needed. My hand is in my hair, pulling at it before I even realise, my eyes stinging, and I want to punch something, but I try to keep a cool exterior.

  There’s just no way in hell that kitten will ever forgive me. I’ve ruined all my chances. How the hell am I going to fix this?

  It’s not like this one is a small one. I can’t even say that it was an accident. I mean, you don’t just trip and fall with your dick first in someone’s vagina, do you?

  “I had a really great time,” Chloe continues. I don’t know what to say, so I just silently stare at a small fleck of fluff on the bed sheet. Chloe touches my arm gently, making me flinch away. I move my head up to look into her eyes. “Did you?”

  Did I what? I’m desperately racking my brain trying to figure out what she’s asking me about. I fail miserably. All I can process is that I’ve royally screwed up. I feel sick. “Huh?” Chloe narrows her eyes at me.

  “Did you have a good time?” she asks, frowning. The urge to lie crosses my mind. Sparing her feelings might be the decent thing to do, but I’m not a liar and I don’t want to play pretend.

  “Honestly Chloe? I’m really sorry, but I was too drunk. I don’t actually remember us doing anything. I’m really, really sorry. I must sound like such a prick.”

  Her face falls and her eyes start to water. “But, but…last night you told me…you told me I was special. You told me you’d never met a girl like me. You told me you’d make me forget about Jason…” A tear rolls down her cheek. I can’t believe I said those things to her. Was it the alcohol? Did I think she was Jenny? Chloe sniffles. “And… And…you did!” Her lips turn down as another tear follows the first one. “I thought this meant somet
hing. I trusted you!” She spits out.

  “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I say quietly, shaking my head, realising that I’m being utterly selfish thinking about how this situation will impact me when there are other people concerned, people who have feelings. I can be such a dick. I lift my arm and touch Chloe’s bare shoulder, but she shrugs me off straight away.

  “Get out!” she says through her teeth.

  “I hope you can forgive me. I know I messed up. I’m really sorry. Can we still be friends?” I say, getting out of the bed and pulling my jeans on. I find my t-shirt and shoes and my right sock; the left is MIA.

  “Friends?” she spits out. “Last night you said that you don’t want to be just friends! You said you wanted more! I can’t believe I bought your crap!” Tears are streaming down her face. I feel like she just slapped me with her words. Shame fills me. I’ve become the arsehole I always despised. You know the dude, the one who’d say anything to get a girl to sleep with him…

  I walk over to Chloe’s side of the bed and sit next to her, pulling her to my chest.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, hugging her. She’s stiff and tries to struggle, but I plough on through with my speech. “I promise you, if I was sober…”

  “Then what? You’d never touch me?” she cries, and my heart breaks a little for the insecure girl in my arms.

  “Chloe, I’d have never used you like that. I feel like shit about what happened. Not because I’d never touch you. You’re amazing and beautiful, and a good friend, and I’m an asshole,” I reply.

  “I am?” She pulls her teary eyes away from my t-shirt and looks up at me, hope shining in her eyes.

  “Of course!” I say, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face. Chloe’s hand reaches to my face, and she pulls my face down towards her.

  I pull away. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” She reacts instantly, pushing me away, her fists weakly punching me in the chest. I get off the bed, sighing. “I’m in love with her, Chloe,” I say quietly, backing away towards the exit.

  “You two deserve each other. You’ll regret this, I swear!” she growls as my hand reaches the door knob. I already do, Chloe, I already do. It’s still early when I get home. I tiptoe towards my room as quietly as possible. I really need a Nurofen or Tylenol, or a hammer to the head. Either would do.

  Jason’s door opens when I pass it by.

  “You’re up early,” he says, looking me up and down. “Can I talk to you?” He steps aside, letting me into his room. I want to go get a shower, wash the night away, but I step inside. This will not end well, I just know it. Then again, I need to talk to someone or I’ll explode.

  “Tough night?” Jason asks, closing the door behind him.

  “You could say that,” I reply, rubbing my neck. Jason sits down on the chair in the corner of the room, his measuring stare not wavering in the dim light of the morning.

  “Look man…” I start.

  “What’s up with you and Jenny?” he interrupts me, getting straight to the point. I guess there’s no avoiding the subject. Plus, didn’t I want to talk to him about Jenny, anyway? Yes, yes, I did. Just not straight after I have slept with his ex… Shit.

  “I know you said she’s off limits…” I say while Jason makes a circling motion with his hand, hurrying me up to get to the point. “I’m in love with her, so fucking in love.” I sigh, hanging my head. “I’ve been in love with her since we were fourteen. I’m sorry, man… ” Jason is silent for a long while. I lift my head up slowly, wincing, expecting him to shove me and tell me to get over it.

  “Well, well, well…” he says from his chair in his best villain voice, stroking the imaginary cat in his lap. “Not sure what to say to that. Apart from that, it’s obvious.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me.

  “And you’re fine with that?” I say tentatively.

  “As fine as one can be when their best friend has dirty thoughts about said person’s little sister. But I can live with it as long as your intentions are honorable and you’ll treat her right.”

  “Of course!” I almost smile, but then I remember what I did last night.

  “If you don’t… Let’s just say you’ll never be able to have children, or sex. Anything to do with your nether region,” he motions towards my crotch, still stroking the bloody cat, “will be out of action after I’m done with you. Want to know why?”

  “Not really,” I reply, sure whatever he has planned will not be pleasant.

  “Fine.” He huffs, like I’ve just spoiled the best part of the story. “Let’s get to the good stuff then. A little birdy told me that you left the club with Chloe last night.” It’s not a question, so I don’t reply. “Want to elaborate on that story?”

  Let’s just take a minute to consider my options.

  If I lie to him my ‘nether region’ is sure to pay for it. If I tell him straight away, there’s a chance he might let it slide— Aaah who am I kidding? Third option anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

  I take a large breath in and decide to just tell him the truth. It takes me about half an hour to spit it all out and, when I’m done, Jason is no longer sitting in his chair with his imaginary evil cat. He hasn’t said a thing throughout my whole story. Somehow, the combination of the two things seems ominous.

  Rightfully so, since not even thirty seconds after I think this, I get punched in the face.

  Deja vu?

  26 Mr Perfect

  I am currently unsupervised. It freaks me out, too, but the possibilities are endless.

  - Jason

  Jenny

  Sully is filled with presents for Dad to the point that I needed to flat out jump on it to close the monstrous thing. There are Twinkies and those disgusting ‘Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick’ things Dad is so fond of, amongst other ‘American’ things. Not that I’m trying to send him subliminal messages, like ‘come back to America’. ‘Let’s stay here forever’. Noo, not at all.

  When I’m done zipping up the blue monster, there’s still some time left before we need to leave for the airport. Carter should be coming soon to pick up Jake, so I decide to go play with the brown fur ball before I’m separated from him for the next two and a half weeks.

  Strolling down the corridor and dragging Sully behind me, I stumble into a full stop in front of Aiden’s open bedroom door. Graceful it is not, but hey, I’m lugging at least two hundred pounds worth of crap in my suitcases. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but you get my point. The thing is heavy!

  Aiden is sitting on his bed, his suitcase by his leg and Jake sitting next to it, looking up at Mr. Perfect. And Mr. Perfect is exactly what Aiden should be called when he’s sitting in nothing but his jeans, his hair wet and dripping droplets down his magical torso. Magical, because it’s got me hypnotised. No joke. My eyes are glued to it and all I can think about is going over and touching it, maybe giving it a little lick. I have to dig my fingers into his door jamb to stop myself from looking like a fool in front of him and following through with what my brain is making me want to do. Naughty things. It makes me want to do naughty things.

  Aiden is looking down at Jake and sighs, sticking his perfect hand attached to his perfectly muscled arm into his perfect hair. Ugh! I hate perfect! Not really, but I honestly wish this boy had a fault. Nothing major. Just a long nose, a missing finger, or a cross eye would do. Anything to make us, mere mortals, feel normal in his presence rather than get the distinctive feeling I currently have: that next to him I must look like a Blobfish. Google it.

  “Stop judging me!” His voice startles me, and I jump in my stance like someone who just got caught ogling a forbidden cookie. I could never understand all that craze about fruit, cookies on the other hand? A chocolate chip one? Now that would have been worth getting rid of the whole Garden of Eden thing. All I’m saying is, that snake would have to honestly rethink its strategy if I were Eve. Imagine if we had chocolate chip cookies growing on trees, or Oreos… Oh my god, I’d probably have died an
d gone to heaven. I assume they’d have a chocolate chip tree in heaven, otherwise the whole thing is a scam! I digress.

  “S-sorry,” I struggle through the word, blushing furiously. “I-I wasn’t, I swear!”

  Aiden’s head whips to me and, in seconds, he’s on his feet and in front of me, his hands on my shoulders.

  “Jenny,” he breathes, his voice barely audible and his beautiful eyes boring into mine, making me melt in response, all the things he ever did to annoy me all but forgotten. Then I notice it, the dark circle around his right eye. My hand reaches out to touch it before my brain processes what I’m doing. When my fingers connect with his bruised flesh, Aiden sucks in a breath but doesn’t move his head away. Instead, he closes his eyes and leans into my fingers. “I was talking to Jake,” he says quietly, and it takes my brain too long to realize he is referring to the comment he made while I was watching him.

  “What happened?” I ask quietly while he puts his hand over mine and spreads my fingers to the side of his face, his stubble rough on my palm.

  He smiles a half smile, his eyes open and turned to mine, leaving me confused about what it was I was asking. “I had a little conversation with your brother.” My jaw drops to the floor. Did Jason mess Aiden’s pretty face up because I told him I was in love with him? Or was it worse? Did Aiden say that he doesn’t want anything to do with me and Jason just defended my feelings? I’m about to take a step back when Aiden speaks again. “It’s okay, kitten, we talked things through and everything’s okay now.” He smiles full force now, his dimples enticing me to stick my fingers in them to see if they’re real.