Jace gives me a long stare before sighing, giving in to my whims, and I guess the guys take this as their sign to leave because almost immediately the four of them file out of the room.
“What do you need help with? If she agreed to go anywhere with you, nine times out of ten, it means that she likes you… Ithink.She can be a bit reclusive at times.” He shrugs as if what he just told me was any news.
“Tell me something I don’t know, Heart!” I groan, throwing up my arms in the air like a petulant child because that’s exactly how I feel right now.
“You spent fourteen years getting to know her, I’ve only had sixty days. Tell me about her, who is Cleo Jones? You gotta give me something, dude.”
Is this what begging is like? I’ve never been on the giving end of it, and I don’t think I like it all too much. I’m usually the one being begged notdoingit.
I sigh as Jace takesforeverto find his words, he just sits in front of me staring like he’s trying to crack the code on a million-dollar safe. I sink back into myself, watching him watch me.
I knew I should’ve just asked Georgia or Denver, those two would give me the time of day if it pertained to Cleo. I wouldn’t ask the pink-haired one though, she doesn’t even know my name. I mean seriously who the hell is Jake?
What if Cleo does mess with a guy named Jake and she just called me him instead? Oh my goodness, was I the misnamed side-piece?
I run a hand over my face and groan as it does nothing to calm my nerves, especially with this beady-eyed motherfucker staring at me like he’s figured me out.
“Youlikeher?”
Congratulations, captain fucking obvious! You’ve finally cracked the code.
“No… I just want to risk my spot as captain for a girl that I had ahalfwayone-night stand with two months agojust because”. I give him a sardonic smile and immediately the small one forming on Jace’s face falls.
“Okay, don’t be rude, you asked me for help.” Jace frowns, moving his body in a way to where he’s comfortably sitting crisscrossed in front of me.
I stare blankly at him causing him to chuckle lightly.This prick.
“Cleo is like a breath of fresh air, whereas Georgia is like smog and the reason you need to wear masks in countries like China and shit. Cleo is like a fresh spring morning with the light morning dew, whereas Georgia is like the moment after it rains—cold, semi-pretty,and dark.Cleo doesn’t open as easily to others but when she does it’s like you’re in on this wonderful secret to the joys of life. She’s beautiful and clumsy and veryveryfucking nerdy about cameras—please keep her away from cameras unless you want to spend four hours looking at them in Best Buy.” He pauses, looking up at the ceiling as if to think about what to say next and it is then that I see it on his face. The way his green eyes twinkle and his ears redden while talking about her has my stomach roiling.
What.
The.
Fuck?!
“You motherfucker…” I sigh, looking up at the white painted ceiling cursing the heaven’s above. It would be just my luck that the girl thatI wanthas a guy best friend that’s fuckingin lovewith her. Double points for that guy to also bemybest friend.
FUCK ME.
FUCK.
FUCK YOU.(WAIT…no, not fuck you? Sorry, you didn’t do anything.)
FUCK HIM, THOUGH.
FUCKING FUCKITYFUCK FUCK.
“What? You wanted me to tell you about her?” His tone is questioning as he furrows his eyebrows in confusion but what the hell is he confused about? He just practically confessedhis lovefor her tome!
“Are you in love with her? I’m not saying I’ll back off, it’s every man for himself but…are you?” I ask, chewing on my bottom lip as I await the news that’ll spin my world off its axis.
“Ew! Are you crazy? I’ve seen her go through puberty and her awkward stages…” He twists his face in disgust as I tilt my head at him.
“Have youeverloved her?” a softer, more sincere voice asks, and I don’t recognize that it’s my own until Jace responds with a sigh.
“Cleo and I will never be a thing like how you’re thinking. We’ve shared baths as toddler’s and beds for sleepovers, we even kissed but God no—”
“Youkissedher?!” I shout, jumping to my feet. I think I’m going to faint. I’m seeing red and stars… but mostly fucking red.
