“And they’ll all be lining up to kiss us thanks to Rose’s fundraiser,” his friend Tom finished.
I tried to match their smiles, but I was pretty sure it came across as a grimace. I didn’t want to kiss any other girls. I was officially done with meaningless hookups. How could I go back to that when I now knew what it felt like to kiss the girl of my dreams?
I couldn’t, that was the short answer.
But I also had no idea how to change her mind. Or maybe I shouldn’t even try. Maybe she was right. Maybe I’d be a distraction for her dreams and she’d be the emotional complication I’d spent my life trying to avoid.
Or maybe all that was bull.
We were seventeen. We weren’t our parents, and no one could make us be. I scrubbed a hand over my face. But how was I supposed to get Rose to see that?
Maybe I couldn’t.
But that didn’t mean I had to stop trying. I had approximately two years of jackassery to make up for here. I couldn’t let one rejection get me down.
I drummed my fingers against the table. I had to make her see that I’d changed…or that I could change.
I wanted to change.
I had to make her see that I wasn’t scared of getting close anymore.
I mean, I was. My parents’ fight last night had been a reminder of everything bad that came with relationships. But it didn’t have to be like that.
“Are you seriously still moping over that chick?” Ryan’s voice grated on me.
I didn’t care that he was mocking me—I hated that he was talking about Rose.
Hypocritical of me? Yes. Obviously. I’d only just recently stopped being a dick, it wasn’t like I could get all up on my high horse that Ryan was still a buffoon.
But I couldn’t just sit here and let him talk about Rose like she was just some ‘chick.’
“Of course, I’m still moping,” I said as his friends snickered.
Simone’s grip on my arm tightened. She was probably worried I was going to get into a fight…or worse. Get myself involved in another pissing contest with this meathead just because my ego was smarting.
But here was the difference. Last time Ryan and I got into it, it was just my ego that was wounded. I’d been hurt by her rejection, sure, but two years and a whole lot of hookups had made me believe I was over her.
Now I knew better.
Now I knew that she was the one for me, and it wasn’t just my pride at stake. In fact…screw pride.
Pride wouldn’t get me the girl.
Pride hadn’t gotten me anything but trouble.
“What do you say?” Ryan said, leaning back with his arms crossed. “Another bet? Double or nothing. This time I give it a shot with Rose, too.” He arched his brows. “Whoever wins gets a grand.”
I stared at him in disgust before turning to Simone. “Did it sound this ridiculous when I agreed to his last bet?”
She nodded eagerly. “Oh yeah. You guys both sounded super lame.”
I winced. “Why didn’t you try to stop me?”
Andrew snorted with amusement as Simone rolled her eyes.
“Kidding, kidding,” I said before she could smack me.
Ryan, who’d heard the whole thing, was glowering at us. “You guys think you’re so funny, but who’s laughing now? I won the bet.”
“And I owe you nothing,” I reminded him. “I had nothing at stake.” You know, aside from my heart. But he didn’t need to know that. Because much as this guy might bluster and shout, I knew without a doubt that the only reason he’d wanted revenge on Rose was because he’d been hurt by her too. Probably just his ego, but still… He’d been nursing a wound after a breakup so he’d at least had some sort of valid excuse. Unlike me. I should have gotten over her years ago. If I’d been smart, I wouldn’t have let her go in the first place. I should have fought for her then, but I hadn’t…
But I would fight for her now. And I wouldn’t give up until she realized that she wasn’t her mom and I wasn’t a threat.
She deserved better—better than me, most likely, but I meant to change that. I’d judged her too harshly in the past…
I looked to Ryan and the others. We all had.
Ryan’s friend Pete was shaking his head with amusement. “You’re both pathetic. That chick got both of you twisted up in knots playing her little games.”
“You’re just pissed because she’s never chosen you,” Ryan said.
“And she doesn’t play games—” I started and then stopped. “Well, maybe she does, but so do we.” I pointed to Pete. “You were hooking up with how many different girls last week? And you,” I said, shifting my finger to point at Ryan. “How many girls have you made promises to you never intended to keep?”
Ryan smirked. “That’s different, bro.”
His friend smacked his chest, utterly satisfied by himself. “I’m a player, dude. That’s the way I roll.”
“You play games,” I said. “We all do. Rose is no different. You’re just pissed because she doesn’t play by your rules.”
All of the guys at the table stared at me in confusion as Simone grinned next to me. “Oh this is good,” she muttered as she stole one of my chips. “The players got played.” She spoke a little louder for once so I wasn’t the only one who heard. “I think Rose might be my new role model.”
Ryan shot her a vicious scowl, but it was Andrew who leaned forward and blocked Simone from the Neanderthal’s glare as I regained his attention. “If anything, Ryan, I think you ought to help me make this right,” I said.
“What for?” He wore a sneer that was sort of comical in its bemusement.
“Because we’ve been unfair to her and much as you might insist on acting like a total meathead, the fact that Rose chose to date you suggests that you’re…probably a
