Best Friends Forever (21 page)

Fourteen

After I sleep off what’s left of my hangover, I text Des, willing her to reply. When she ignores me, I decide it’s time to let Roman in on the good news. I dial his number and wait for him to pick up.

“Hey, Andre. What’s up?”

“I just wanted you to know I figured out who Nolan’s sleeping with,” I start.

“Oh? Well that’s good news then,” he says.

“Not really. It was Hazel. And Destiny found out,” I say to cover my own drunken slipup. “So she kind of freaked out.”

“I bet. Well, that was a quick assignment. If I need anything else, I’ll be in touch. And I’ll have your money delivered later today,” he informs me.

I almost tell him no, that I don’t want his money, but I keep my mouth closed, knowing my family can use the money.

My job is an income, but it’s certainly not enough, so I have to send something else home. Of course, no one here at college truly knows what my real job is, not even Des. My fear is that if she knew, she won’t talk to me anymore, thinking that I’ve lied to her even more. Which is true. My lies are piling up, and I can barely keep up with what I’ve said to which person. It’s eventually going to break and the truth is going to spill out all over campus.

I just hope that whoever is spreading secrets around Coastal will never learn mine.

* * * * *

When the crazy number that’s been revealing secrets shows up on my phone later in the day, I fear the worst. Instead of having anything to do with me, though, it’s about Destiny.

Poor Destiny Carmike… With her boyfriend sleeping around with Hazel Dominic, she’s all alone, even going so far as to give Hazel a black eye.

There’s a photo of Hazel from a distance attached, her black and blue eye looking gross and painful. I feel so bad for Des. She doesn’t deserve to be called out as the bad guy of this situation; she was the one being cheated on. And yet, I know she shouldn’t have reacted the way she did. She could have handled it better, but for that, I blame myself. I never should have told her at the party. I should have waited.

And now she’s getting her name dragged through the mud, even though Hazel deserved it. I flip to my texts to Des and send her another one, begging her to talk to me. When she finally writes back, I feel like the world is righting itself again. And then I read it.

I can’t do this, Andre. With all this drama and crazy stuff, I’m going home for a few days. I need to get back to who I was. Because the girl who punches people… That’s just not me. I’ll see you later.

I write back but she doesn’t answer. I wait all afternoon for a reply. Still nothing. At nine o’clock that night, I make a decision, one I’m sure Des will hate me for. I pack an overnight bag and drive home, chasing Destiny.

Fifteen

On the drive, I think about Des, and how much I adore her. She’s just confused, I know, but I worry she might try to do something stupid, like what I tried to do earlier in the week. It’s a slippery slope when depression sets in. I know I can save her.

I pull into the driveway of her parents’ house and knock on the door, ready to drag her back to school, if I have to.

“What do you want?” she asks when she answers the door.

“We need to talk,” I tell her.

“No. I’m done talking. I just want to be left alone.”

“Fine, then. You don’t have to talk. But I’m going to, and you’re going to listen,” I say. I make my way through her house and onto the back porch swing, ready to tell her everything.

She follows me, but I can tell she doesn’t want to. When she sits on the swing, it’s on the other end, far away from me.

“So talk.”

I take a deep breath. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Des.”

“Bullshit. I know everything about you,” she counters.

“Just listen, okay? This is a long story and I want to get it all out before you reply.” I take another calming breath. “You know my mom has struggled over the years. And two weeks before graduation, I was approached by a recruiter for the Myrtle Beach Police Department. They agreed to pay for a shortened police academy training over the summer, so long as I attended Coastal in the fall, to continue my education, but also to go undercover as a an agent for them. There’s a drug ring at the school, and they’re trying to find its leader. I agreed because my family could use the money. And now I’m regretting it, because I haven’t been able to be honest with you.”

Des stares at me with an intensity I’ve never seen her have. “Can I speak now?” I nod. “You’re fucking crazy if you think I’m buying that story. I know you better than anyone, Andre, and there’s no way you’re working for the police. Or that you’re a cop. I saw you get drunk at the party, I know you weren’t faking. So how is that official police business?”

I sigh. “I have to be a student in every aspect, otherwise my cover will be blown. That means getting drunk at parties. I let myself go too far with the Halloween party, I’ll admit. But the fact is, I’m telling you the truth, even though I will probably get kicked out for doing so. I care about you too much to lie to you anymore.”

She fiddles with her hands. “Are there anymore secrets?”

“That is everything about my career.”

“Fine. I’ll believe you. But don’t lie to me again, Andre. I can’t handle any more deception this year.”

“Agreed. Are you doing okay?”

“Not really. After that message went live this morning, it just kind of ruined my whole day. I needed to get away. I hate feeling this way.”

“There’s something else…”

She groans. “What now?”

“That night you called me to meet you and we talked about me spying on Nolan? When you called, I wasn’t in the greatest shape, mentally.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was standing on the ledge of one of the hotels downtown.”

The significance of what I said finally hits her. “What? You were going to jump?”

“It was on my to-do list,” I joke.

“That’s not funny, Andre. I would be so lost without you! Did my call stop you?” She looks horrified.

“Kind of, but really, there’s more to it than that. It’s you, Des. You’re the one who pulled me back, the one who saved me. Without you, I feel empty, incomplete, but when you’re around, my life seems whole, like a missing part of me is right there. And in a way, it’s true, because my heart is yours, whether you accept it or not. I know you want to take some time off from dating and guys, but you have to know how I feel about you. I’m completely, head-over-heels in love with you, and I have been for a long time.” I rush to get all the words out so my brain doesn’t stop me.

She sits there, stunned, for several seconds.

When she does speak, it’s music to my ears. “You know I love you, too, right? You’ll always be my best friend.”

I pull her across the swing and almost into my lap, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her for all I’m worth.

There are a lot of things we have to work out, including her knowledge of my job, but for now, I’m content to just get lost in her kiss.

Cruel Intentions

Cheyanne

Chapter One

Three Years Ago …

Roman and I have been dating for about three months. It’s been fun and exciting, especially since he’s our school’s football star! I wouldn’t say I’m in love with him, but he’s hot, so that’s good enough for me. Honestly, it’s Roman’s older brother, Reece, who I’m really interested in.

Rome is one of five boys. Apparently his parents are breeding machines. That, or they wanted a girl really badly. In order, the boys are Reece, Riley, Roman, Ryan, and Ryder. All the Callahan brothers are attractive, with blue eyes, sandy brown hair, and an excellent physique. But, for as much as they look alike, they couldn’t be more different.

Roman and Ryder are the most similar; they’re both egotistical and confident. Even more than that, they think they’re God’s gift to the female population, and they aren’t afraid to show off. Roman is the same age as me, but Ryder worries me. He acts too much like Roman, and the kid is only thirteen years old. I’m afraid he’s going to turn manipulative, just like Roman.

My own brother, Zach, is the same age as, and also best friends with, Ryan. Together, they are trouble, but they both have good heads on their shoulders, so I know not to worry too much about them. I’m actually very proud of the both of them, how mature they are.

Roman is a dog. He plays the field worse than anyone I know. Three months with me has been a little bit of a long stretch for him, I know. I keep expecting him to dump me any day now, which would be terrible for me, because I’d no longer see Reece.

At twenty-one, Reece tries his best to keep a lid on his brothers. He’s even going to college here in Columbia so he can reign them in. University of South Carolina is a great school, of course, but I never would have considered going there. Until Reece started there. Reece is different than his brothers. He’s artistic and broody, which most interpret to mean that he’s either gay or socially inept. But I know the truth.

He’s actually very deep, and definitely interested in girls. He jokes with me all the time to hook him up with one of my girlfriends. I’ve thought about, I really have, but the truth is, I think I’d be so insanely jealous that I wouldn’t be able to stand it, so I just laugh it off and ignore his requests. I usually make some remark about the fact that I don’t have too many girlfriends.

And that’s not a lie.

I just get along with guys ten times better than girls. Most of the girls I know are catty and bitchy, and fuck that. Guys are always honest and upfront, so I don’t have to worry about them spreading lies about me. Or, at least, I hope not. So far, I’ve been lucky.

Dating Roman has improved my status at school, which kind of pisses me off, since I considered myself fairly popular before we started dating. But even I have to admit, being his girlfriend is getting me a lot more attention, especially from most of the guys on the football team.

At the very least, if Roman and I break up, I’ll have a lot of prospects for new boyfriends. The problem is, I don’t really want any of them.

Reece is the first guy I ever fell in love with, and possibly the only. We met when I was in eighth grade and our class went to the high school for orientation. Reece was a senior and he led our group around the school. I knew Roman, of course, but when I saw Reece, it was love at first sight. Or, at least, infatuation. And through the years, I’ve seen him several times. Whenever Zach and Ryan have a basketball game, Reece and I always sat together and actually talked about adult things. Then, when I started driving Zach to the games, Reece would always offer to pick us up, since he had to be at the games early to drop off Ryan. So the four of us were pretty tight. I adore my baby brother, and the fact that he got me so much time with Reece? Yeah, I loved him even more. Throughout the last four years, I’ve come to count Reece as a very good friend.

When Roman asked me out, I knew exactly who he was, but I didn’t care, especially since it meant I would get to see Reece on a regular basis. And, after three months, I was a regular in the Callahan house. All the brothers love me and everyone says Roman and I should be together forever.

If only they knew the only reason we’ve stayed together so long is that I’m in love with his brother.

The upside is, Roman has no idea. He’s actually kind of oblivious to me altogether, which annoys and comforts me in the same breath. I wish he would get even just a tic jealous, but no, he almost encourages us to be together, which is odd. Maybe he notices that I have a thing for Reece and wants me with him. I doubt it, though. Roman doesn’t think about anyone but himself. He’s pretty self-absorbed.

Our relationship only works, I think, because we are both rather indifferent. He flirts with the cheerleaders and I flirt with the football players, and neither of us truly cares. It’s all in good fun, so no big deal.

After six weeks, I gave Roman my virginity, which was awkward and somewhat painful; it was pretty much exactly what everyone said it would be. Now the sex is decent, although I don’t orgasm often. Roman is very selfish and wants a blowjob or hand job just about every day, but he doesn’t offer to get me off that much. It works, though, especially because I usually just picture Reece whenever Roman touches me sexually. It sounds gross, but any woman who’s ever had a less-than-satisfactory lover knows exactly what I’m talking about.

I can’t complain too much, though. I am fully capable of taking care of myself, and if I ask, Roman will satisfy me, with either his mouth or his fingers. He might not to super talented, but he gets the job done. Eventually.

Two

It’s a Friday. We have a home game tonight, which is usually pretty lame, but Reece is coming to the game, so I spend way too much time getting ready, perfecting my ponytail and making sure my makeup is just right. I don’t usually wear a lot of it, so I take my time applying just the right amount. My outfit, which is the uniform for all our cheerleaders, is actually a little more risqué than I prefer, but tonight, I’m thankful for it. The skirt barely covers my ass, although I am completely covers by the bloomers underneath. The top is low cut, to the point where my sports bra shows a bit where the neckline dips into my cleavage. It’s also short-cropped, showing off a three-inch strip of my tanned, flat belly, complete with belly ring.

I slip on my shoes and then run downstairs, trying to evade Zach. It doesn’t work.

“Cheyanne! Don’t forget me this time,” he calls from the kitchen, where I’m almost positive he’s shoving his face full of junk food.

He comes around the corner with a hot pocket in his hand. “Are you ever not eating?” I ask him sarcastically. Zach eats more than anyone I know and never seems to get any fatter.

If I eat too much, my stomach starts to bulge, so I’m always careful about what I let myself eat. I’m not anorexic or anything, but I just pay attention and try to eat healthy. Cheer practice usually makes me work up an appetite, but fruits and veggies are my favorite snack foods. Occasionally, I eat a snack-size bag of M&Ms, but it’s a rare thing.

“Just ‘cause you like to starve yourself,” he says between mouthfuls of ham and cheese, “doesn’t mean the rest of us hate food, too.”

“I do not hate food,” I reply in protest.

Zach slings his backpack over his shoulder. “You hate the good foods. The chocolate and the cheese puffs and the delicious shit like that.”

“That’s junk food. We can’t all have a hollow leg to store pounds and pounds of food every meal,” I say, rolling my eyes as Zach follows me out to the car.

For my sixteenth birthday, my parents put up half the money for my car, my baby. It’s a Chevy Cobalt, which doesn’t seem like much, but I managed to save five grand for it and Mom and Dad put up the remaining five, because I refused to drive a total piece of crap. I’ve never been reckless or crazy, so my parents agreed to it, but told me if I get any traffic violations, they’ll take it away. I’m okay with the arrangement, since I have nothing to worry about.

I unlock the car and Zach and I get in, ready to get to the football game. I stare at Zach when I see that he hasn’t put on his seatbelt. Eventually he gets my unspoken message and buckles himself in with a mutter.

“You could stand to gain a few pounds,” he says once we’re on our way.

“What? I definitely don’t.”

“Chey, you’re much too skinny. Everybody thinks so.” He says it so nonchalantly, I’m instantly gripped by a panic that everyone includes Reece.

“Who’s everyone?” I demand.

He sighs. “Forget it. Let’s just get to the game.”

I let it go, but only just barely. He’s a headstrong little shit most of the time, but the inflection in his voice when he said I was too skinny kind of worries me. When I have a little more time, I need to talk to him about what, or who, exactly, he was talking about. I don’t enjoy the idea of people talking about me, especially about something as personal as my body. I feel self-conscious about myself, since I’m not even the smallest girl on the squad.

* * * * *

The game was amazing. To me, at least. Not only did Reece show up, he came up to me before the game and gave me a huge hug in front of Roman, who didn’t seem to care at all. He told me to have fun during the game, to enjoy myself. His words, no matter how innocent, made me feel better about myself, and I performed every move perfectly.

When our team won, all the cheerleaders ran onto the field and, seeing as I was dating Roman, I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck.

“Shit, Cheyanne! You’re so clingy,” he accuses, his words like venom in my ear.

I pull back from him, desperate to see humor in his eyes, or at least a smirk tugging at his lips. No such luck.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” I whisper, the two of us surrounded by all his teammates and the cheerleading squad.

“Don’t make a scene,” he murmurs, obviously expecting me to do just that. “You and I both knew we weren’t going to stay together forever. It’s over, Cheyanne.”

I gape at him, confused, but definitely not heartbroken. I shake my head at him, appalled by his bad timing, but something in me feels relieved, freed. Just as I embrace the sudden freedom, despair rip through my heart. When will I see Reece again? How can Roman just ditch me like this, in front of all our friends? It’s a dick move, and although a part of me expected it from the beginning, I’m just not prepared for it so soon.

“You’re a dick,” I whisper to him before slipping away.

“Chey, don’t be like that,” I hear him mutter behind me. He calls my name a few times, but I keep going, desperate to be away from him.

Fury like I’ve never known rips through me and my eyes burn with tears. I manage to keep it together, running by the fence to pick up my duffel. I slip my shoes off and pull my favorite sneakers on, tucking the cheer shoes into my bag. I’d rather not cry in front of all these people, but I can feel them threatening.

When I feel someone’s hand on my arm, I assume it’s Rome. “Get the hell away from me.”

“What’s wrong with you?” I hear Zach ask.

I turn around, face to face with my brother. “Sorry. Listen, can you take my shit home? I’m going to run. I need it tonight.”

“Yeah, sure,” he agrees, taking the keys out of my hand and hoisting my bag up over his shoulder. “Everything okay?”

“Roman just broke up with me.” I tuck my phone into my sports bra.

“Fucking douchebag. Want me to kick his ass?”

I laugh, but not because of his brotherly gesture. The image of Zach trying to kick Roman’s ass is comical. Where Zach is lean, Roman is solid. He’s not fat, not by any means, but he’s got a lot more muscle than Zach and I’m amused by the idea of my baby brother trying to beat up my now ex-boyfriend.

“I love you, Zach,” I say. “But I can handle Rome. I just need a run.”

“No problem. Be safe. I’ll see you at home.”

I watch him walk away with a half-smile. He’s definitely a little shit sometimes, but when I truly need him, Zach is a godsend. I close my eyes for a moment, letting the moment sink deep into my memory. I want to remember him this way forever.

Once I can’t see him anymore, there’s a crowd at the gate; people are anxious to greet the winners of the game, so I walk along the fence to the far end of the field, slipping away from reality.

Past the fence, I break out in a jog, gradually picking up speed until I’m all but racing down the sidewalk. Two blocks away, a car approaches me from behind, and it’s driving slowly enough for me to think it’s Roman again. When the car stops, though, I realize that it’s Reece’s Camaro. With a frustrated sigh, I stop.