Playing to Win

A mix of emotions passed through her eyes. She still held herself away from me.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. On instinct, I reached for it. Jordan’s gaze followed my hand. I moved to put it back in my pocket without really looking at it when a name on the screen caught my eye.

Crap.

I had to check. What if…

“I have to get this. It’s-” I couldn’t tell her who had texted me. I bit the inside of my cheek. Double crap.

Jordan rolled her eyes and jumped to her feet.

I opened the message and my stomach dropped down to my toes.

I slipped my phone back into my jeans and stood. “I have to go.”

“Where? Don’t you think we should work this out?”

I exhaled. “I didn’t do anything wrong, Jordan. I might not handle every situation the right way, but I haven’t done anything I’m ashamed of with any girl at school or anywhere else.”

She glanced at my phone. “And that?”

I closed my eyes knowing she wouldn’t let it go. “I can’t tell you.”

Her mouth dropped open before she snapped it closed. “Fine.”

My jaw clenched. I wanted to tell her. I wanted to so badly. But I couldn’t. Not without breaking a promise.

“Fine.”

I told Jordan the truth. And she still didn’t trust me. I wouldn’t lose the trust of someone else to gain hers back.

“You should go, then.”

“And this?” I asked, gesturing between us.

Her arms folded over her stomach making her look small. “I don’t know. Maybe we need a break.”

“Right.” I nodded to myself as I turned away from her. Right. “I’ll see you around, Jordan.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jordan

He walked away. He just walked away.

I went home and cried myself to sleep. I couldn’t remember the last time I did that. Definitely not since I’d reached double digit age. And I felt mortified to be crying over a boy. I wanted to scream.

At myself.

But maybe it just meant I had real feelings for Asher. It kind of blew my mind because it didn’t seem that long ago I thought I hated him. But what did it mean? I cared about him. I liked him. But what about the things he’d told me the night before? And what Kelly said, about him and other girls? Did I believe Asher that he didn’t encourage them? And even if he didn’t, could I be okay in a relationship with someone who attracted so much attention? I’d been there the night before. The audience loved Breakout. They were good. They were more than good. And they were all good looking. Gorgeous, even. What if Asher’s dreams were like his mom’s dreams, to make it big?

I didn’t have any delusions. I’d been dating Asher for just a short time, but I did have feelings for him. I wanted things to work out between us. Could I handle it if he became famous? If what happened last nigh was just the beginning?

I didn’t have the answers. And I didn’t know if I trusted him. He never called or texted after he left me last night. He refused to tell me where he was going or what he was doing. I hated the way it made me feel, distrusting, unsettled, insecure. Those weren’t the best emotions in a relationship. If we even had a relationship anymore.

The next morning I woke up to a quiet house. Mom and Dad left a note on the counter saying they’d gone to breakfast and then to the home improvement store. They’d be gone for most of the day. Payton had been allowed to sleep over at his friend Tyler’s house for the first time in ages and he hadn’t made it home yet.

The hot chocolate packets in the pantry were calling my name. I checked the fridge for cream before taking a pot down from the rack hanging from the ceiling to fill with water. The kitchen faced the backyard and the window over the sink gave me a perfect view of-

Payton?

The pot fell from my hand, clattering into the sink. What the heck? Why on earth was my little brother leaving the Sloane’s house?

Abandoning all thoughts of hot chocolate, I swung open the back door and marched outside. Payton’s head jerked toward me, a look of alarm on his face.

“What are you doing? You’re supposed to be at Tyler’s.” I was yelling. Who could blame me? “Why are you coming out of Asher’s house?”