We all got the hell out of there. Jared and I were both pretty roughed up, but I was pretty sure I’d won the fight.
Jackass.
Gianna and Cece were long gone.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Do not confuse beauty with beautiful. Beautiful is a human judgment.
Beauty is All. The difference is everything.”
-Matthew Fox
GIANNA
When Caleb and Jared started fighting, Cece and I hadn’t stuck around to watch. Stupid boys. I still reeling from the things Jared had said. Cece was walking next to me down 16th Street and for once she was quiet.
“Cece?”
“Yeah, Gigi?” she asked, nervously looking at me from the corner of her eye.
“Did you know how Jared felt about me?”
“Um . . . kinda.” She was playing with a curl in her hair now, pulling it straight.
I stopped at a bench and yanked her down to sit next to me when she just stood there. “Why didn’t he tell me before?”
“He wanted to, but you were with Josh and for a long time and before that, he was just too nervous. He’s my brother, so of course I want you to give him a chance.” She took a deep breath, turning to me with a serious expression. “But, I’m also your best friend and I have to tell you to do whatever you feel is right.” She visibly relaxed then blurted out, “I think you should choose Jared!”
Despite feeling crappy about the whole situation, I laughed. Cece always made me laugh. “What do you think about Caleb?”
“He seems nice enough and he’s protective of you,” she said carefully.
“No, I mean, do you agree with Jared? That Caleb will only hurt me?”
“Gigi, I honestly don’t know him well enough, but I was there when Jared asked Taye about him and he does have a bad past when it comes to girls. Lots of girls,” she explained with obvious pity. Did everyone have to keep emphasizing how many girls there were in Caleb’s past?
“I know, but people can change and he’s trying to prove it to me,” I stubbornly defended.
Then she dropped the bomb. “What do you think your mom is going to say about you dating Scott’s son?”
“She’s not going to say anything because I’m not telling her.” Cece was shocked, but she already knew the secrets I kept from my mom, so she shouldn’t have been surprised.
My phone started playing “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship. I rolled my eyes at the ringtone Caleb put on my phone for when he called. The stupid boys were done proving how tough they were and now they were wondering where the ladies had gone off to.
“Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?” Caleb demanded.
“Where the hell are you?” I mocked him.
“You’re not funny, Gianna. Why’d you take off like that?”
“Because maybe I didn’t want to see my boyfriend and best friend beat the shit out of each other.”
“He started it.” What was this, the third grade?
“Do you always get into a fight when you don’t like what someone has to say?”
“Not always. Where are you, Gianna?”
“In front of the movie theater,” I finally told him.
“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Whatever.” I hung up without waiting for him to answer.
“He’s coming?” Cece asked.
“Yep, he’ll be here in a couple minutes.”
Cece laughed at my displeasure. “Act like that all you want, Gigi, you’re totally in love with him.”
“Am not!” I shouted and ignored her scoffing.
Caleb came strolling up, acting as if he’d done nothing wrong. Brushing his hair off his forehead, he asked Cece, “Hey tiny dancer, do you need a ride home?”
She leaned against the back of the bench, crossing her arms. “Are you sucking up to me because you tried to beat up my brother?”
Caleb got a smug look on his face. “There was no trying involved. I kicked his ass.”
Scanning his disheveled appearance and the red mark on his cheek, I copied Cece’s pose but added a smirk for effect. “From the looks of you, Jared must have held his own.”
He took in my body language, shaking his head. “He looks much worse.”
Cece stood up and I did the same. “No thanks about the ride. I’m going to go find my brother and some band-aids.” She hugged me tight and glared at Caleb before waving goodbye.
Caleb and I stood there, gauging each other for a moment before I spun on my heel and started in the direction where his car was parked. Catching up with me, he wrapped his arms around my waist, stopping me in my tracks.
“Are you mad at me, princess?” he purred into my neck.