The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

Damn, I want to suck on that lip. Or at least kiss it.

I thought I’d get over my crush on Melissa the more time we spent together, but it only seemed to intensify, which frustrated me. I didn’t know what to do about it.

The best-case scenario would have been for Melissa’s feelings for me to grow as well, but they didn’t seem to. I enjoyed the times when she flirted easily with me, and rolled with it, but the second I even hinted at crossing the friendship line, she pulled back and pretended nothing was going on between us.

I was still too much of a wimp to confront her about it. I told myself it was because I didn’t want to put her on the spot or make her uneasy, but the truth was because I was terrified of her response. What if I scared her off altogether and she stopped wanting to hang out with me? Avoiding the awkward conversation meant that I got to hang around with her, so I ignored it and hoped that one day I’d get her to change her mind. Or maybe she’d attack me with her mouth.

I was about to say something witty to Melissa about my balls, but the sound of laughter caught my attention. Not a funny-ha-ha type of laughing, but the mean kind girls did when the joke was on someone else.

A girl had stopped Cassie and was showing her something on her cell phone while her friends waited nearby, laughing as they watched. Cassie seemed unfazed as she sauntered away from the girl, but once she met my eyes, hers changed completely. If looks could kill, Cassie would have incinerated me.

“What was that?” I asked when she got to our table.

She was practically vibrating with emotion when she dropped into one the chair across from her. “That was a picture of some chick walking into Jack’s hotel room.” She swallowed bravely before swiping at her eyes. “And then another one of him closing the door behind her. Did I mention the smile plastered all over his face?”

“No way.” I shook my head, not believing for a second that my brother would cheat on Cassie.

“Yes, way. Fuck. I’m such an idiot.”

I put my hands on top of Cassie’s and squeezed. “Maybe they’re old?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked as she yanked her hands away.

“There are a lot of pictures of Jack and other girls out there, Cass. Maybe they’re old?” I shrugged, offering the only explanation I could think of in the moment.

There had always been pictures of Jack circulating around campus, so it made sense to me that maybe these pictures weren’t recent. Maybe the girls were just trying to get a rise out of Cassie, jealous that Jack liked her and not them.

“Jack wouldn’t do that to you,” Melissa said to reassure Cassie, and I nodded in complete agreement.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she choked out, her tone ice cold.

Melissa frowned. “Why would you say that?”

“Because Cassie knows my brother.” I glanced at Melissa before looking back at Cassie. “And she’s waiting for him to screw up because he keeps telling her he’s bound to.”

“Well, for the record, I want it noted that I don’t believe it,” Melissa said with confidence. “Not for one second.”

I wanted to hug her, but settled for giving her a small smile. “I don’t either.”

“Well, it was definitely Jack in those pictures,” Cassie said, her voice tight. “And the shirt he was wearing was packed in his bag. I saw it the other night.”

She tried to fight the tears threatening to fall, but lost. When one dropped to her cheek, she jumped up from the table and sprinted away.

Melissa stood up just as quickly. “I’d better go see if she’s okay.”

“I don’t think he’d do anything, Meli. Honestly.”

“I don’t either.” She rested her hand on my shoulder before jogging off to the ladies’ room after Cassie.

I waited for the girls to come back to our table, too upset to finish my lunch. A few people gave me curious glances as they walked past while I pushed the meatballs around, watching them get cold.

Melissa came back a few minutes later. Alone.

“No Cassie?” I asked as she sat down next to me.

“I pissed her off. She thinks I’m

taking Jack’s side, but I just don’t think he’d do that to her. I saw them together before he left, Dean. He’s crazy about her.”