Jackson rolls his eyes. “I asked, what are you up to?”
His question is way too vague. “What exactly are you talking about?”
“You and the girl. The sexy blonde.”
My brain immediately conjures an image of Hayden. My favorite one—standing on the jungle gym, the top of her dress loose, as she rids herself of her panties. What a moment. She kind of blew my mind that night.
Actually, she really blew my mind that night.
And she’s definitely a sexy blonde. Of course, within seconds of reimagining that moment between us and me actually taking advantage of her instead of being a goddamn gentleman, I get blown to bits across enemy lines and I’m out of the game. I throw my controller onto the ground in disgust and finally answer Jackson. “We’re friends.”
That’s all I say. My lack of response for most things drives my friends crazy.
It’s my best trait.
“You tapped it yet?” Jackson asks, his focus still on the giant TV in front of us, his fingers working the game controller furiously.
“No.” Haven’t even kissed her yet.
He sends me a quick look. “You going to tap it?”
“Yes,” I say firmly, because she can protest however much she wants, and we can go round and round like two people in strong denial, but that’s all it is. Denial.
We’re hot for each other. I can feel it. There’s so much chemistry between us, you can practically touch it. I want her. She wants me. Yet, for whatever reason, she doesn’t want to cross that line.
Whatever. I won’t push. I’m not a creep. She has no idea just how patient I am.
I’m the most patient motherfucker she’s ever going to meet.
“You so sure about that? She was eyeing every single one of us,” Jackson says, ever the observant when it comes to attractive women.
The only reason Hayden acted interested in any of my friends is because she was trying to irritate me. And because I knew that, it didn’t irritate me whatsoever. I kind of wished a really hot girl would’ve walked by so I could’ve ogled her for a few, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
Or if it did, I didn’t notice.
“I’m sure she was, but don’t read too much into it. I didn’t want to stake my claim in front of her, but I’m staking it now,” I say, glancing at everyone in the room. This includes Eli and Caleb. They act like they’re not paying attention, their gazes only for the TV, but I know they can hear me. “She’s mine.”
“Not interested,” Eli immediately says, his lips curving into a shit-eating grin. “Got my own sexy blonde.”
I say nothing. I’ve known Ava Callahan for a long time, and while I can admit she’s attractive, I don’t like thinking of her in that way. She’s Jake’s sister. That’s it.
“She’s too feisty for me,” Caleb says with a yawn. “I like them more agreeable.”
“Oh, she’s definitely not agreeable,” Eli adds. “You can just tell.”
This is facts.
“Agreeable is boring,” Jackson adds. “I like a challenge.”
“Is that why you won’t just go for it and finally give Ellie what she wants?” Eli asks, his face a mask of complete innocence. This is a sensitive subject, one they’ve talked about before. We’ve all talked about it before. I stay out of it, though, because it’s pointl
ess.
Jackson is never going to get with Ellie. Mark my words.
“She’s my friend. She’s too young. I’m not interested in her,” Jackson says, his voice edged with finality. He’s gone over this what feels like a hundred times, I’m sure.
Ellie is Ava’s best friend, and she’s not so secretly in love with Jackson. We all know it. Ellie knows we know it. She knows Jackson knows it too, and she wishes he would do something about it. He won’t take it any further than friendship though, because she’s a good girl, according to him.