Danger! Bad Boy(42)

“Yay, romantic comedy,” I mumbled weakly. Romantic comedies usually consisted of clumsy chicks falling all over clueless guys. Pure torture.

“It’ll be fun,” she assured me.

I gave her a naughty grin. “Do I get head from you in the theater?”

She giggled, slapping my arm playfully. “You’re such a pervert. Maybe I will if chick flicks turn you on that much.”

I planted kisses randomly over her beautiful face. “Being with you in the dark turns me on that much.”

“I need to go get my car!” she protested, trying to escape.

Not letting her go, she was forced to give up. “I’ll take you to it. How far is it?”

She glanced down the street. “Just a few blocks away.”

I grunted unhappily. “That douche lives by my mom?”

“He lives at Riverfront Park,” she mentioned nonchalantly.

I whistled. “That high rise is expensive to live in.”

“It’s pretty nice,” she commented vaguely.

Stopping, I turned her to face me. “Is his bedroom nice?”

She let out an exasperated breath. “Quit acting jealous, Caleb. You’re not even my boyfriend.”

Jerking her hand out of mine, she walked ahead of me. I caught up, falling into step beside her and hooking an over her shoulders.

While we waited at a corner for our turn to cross, she said, “Oh, and his room is like out of a magazine, professionally decorated in different shades of gray.”

I noticed she was trying not to smile. “Why the hell would you need to see his room?” I growled irritably.

“I was helping him pick out something to wear to the club.”

As if Ian hadn’t been dressing himself for years. “He’s not the type of person you should hang out with.”

Her laugher bubbled out. “He’s just like you. Maybe you’re not the type of person I should be hanging out with.”

Too true, not that I gave a damn.

I swooped down to kiss her cheek, not able to get enough of her after so long apart. “You’ll come over next Saturday?”

Her frown wasn’t reassuring. “I don’t know yet, we’ll see. I’m supposed to hang out with Ian.”

I groaned, wishing Ian to hell.

Her face brightened. “Hey, maybe we can all hang out together!”

It was me who was in hell. And Ian was the devil. “Not happening, babe.”

We reached the high rise Ian lived in and Gianna insisted on going up to say hello to him. For some reason I didn’t understand, she felt bad about running out on him last night. I felt pretty good about it, myself.

She also insisted I go back home instead of waiting on the street for her to come back down. Before we parted ways, I gave her a kiss to remember me by. Watching her get buzzed up by the prick, I managed to stop myself from throwing a tantrum and looking like a dumb shit.

What a guy put up with in the name of love.





CHAPTER TWELVE




“People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.”

-Kent M. Keith



GIANNA



The next Saturday night I was back on my designated platform, dancing at the club, attempting to block out the rest of the world. Trying to pretend I was dancing alone, shutting out everyone on the dance floor below.

It was amazing how all of your problems could come crashing down on you at the same time. Or maybe more accurately, they could all show up at your place of work at the same time.

Okay, I was being dramatic. A few problems weren’t here right now. Thankfully absent, were my controlling mother, my psychotic ex-boyfriend Josh and my newest ex-boyfriend, Seth.

At school on Monday, Seth had taken the break-up harder than I’d thought he would. After spending last Saturday night and Sunday morning with Caleb, I knew it was wrong of me to lead Seth on any longer. Even though my heart had never been in the relationship, technically I’d cheated on Seth.

Not that I ever planned on letting him know. I felt guilty enough as it was. I’d feel worse if he thought I was a slut.

I chose to see the breakup as setting him free to be with someone who deserved him. He was a nice guy and would make a good boyfriend to another girl. Unfortunately, Seth saw the breakup as losing the only girl he wanted. His watery eyes and pleading had made me feel uncomfortable.

When I’d broken up with Josh, it’d been so easy. He’d acted like a creeper, so I didn’t have to be considerate at all when I dumped him. With Seth, however, I’d hugged him, asking if we could still be friends.

When his answer was yes, I was surprised by how relieved I’d felt. I genuinely liked Seth as a person. It was too bad I couldn’t love the nice guy instead of being cursed to love the baddest of bad boys.