Part 8 (1/2)

All heads seem to turn around at once to look in my direction.

”Right, Nina? You love a good view from the top of a skysc.r.a.per. I hear the scenery is amazing, and the food is great.”

Okay, so that was a d.i.c.k move.

Nina glared at me and wasted no time in talking her way out of my suggestion. ”We can save that for another time. I was really looking forward to that Italian place.”

I gave him a darkened stare, sizing him up before walking forward and reaching out. ”We haven't met. I'm Jake.”

He gave me his hand, which felt easily breakable. Maybe that was because I was practically trying to break it. I wanted to break him.

”I'm Alistair.”

”a.s.s Hair?”

I heard him the first time.

”No...Ali-stair.”

”Ah...sorry, my bad.”

Nina was quick to stop this little exchange. ”Alistair, I think we should get going.”

I wouldn't take my eyes off her as she got her coat and prepared to leave with him. My actions were a f.u.c.ked up way of showing her that I didn't want her to go.

Then, she turned around one last time before leaving, and we had what could only be explained as a private moment where time seemed to stand still. I expected that maybe she would have looked angry after the way I'd behaved. Instead, she seemed to be urging me with her eyes, urging me to stop whatever it was I was doing, urging me to talk to her, to tell her how I felt. There were so many unsaid words in that one look. I knew she could see through me and what my antics were really all about. Jealousy was a b.i.t.c.h, and mine was transparent. It felt like a piece of my heart was walking out the door as she prepared to leave with him. My eyes were screaming a million conflicting things back at her, all the things I didn't have the courage to tell her.

You're so beautiful.

No one is good enough for you.

Please stay.

Stay...away from me.

”Bye,” I whispered, unsure if she even noticed. In the blink of an eye, our moment pa.s.sed, and she was gone. But the aftermath of my actions tonight was far from over.

I'd returned to my room all of one minute before Ryan walked in without knocking.

”What the f.u.c.k was that all about?” he spewed.

”Ryan! Please. Feel free to just barge into my room whenever you like and shout f-bombs at me.”

”Answer my question.”

”What was that?”

”What kind of a game are you playing with Nina?”

”Game?”

”Yes. You've been spending all this time with her under the guise of tutoring, playing with her mind. Then, you take off every f.u.c.king weekend probably up to some shady s.h.i.+t. Now, the one time she actually goes out with a normal person, you try to f.u.c.k it all up.”

”Normal person, huh? What does that make me?”

”You know what I mean.”

”No. Why don't you enlighten me before I vacuum my f.u.c.king rug with your face?”

”I don't really know a thing about you, Jake, and I don't care. But that girl is like family to me, and I don't want to see her get hurt.”

”Why would she be getting hurt by spending time with me?”

”She's not your type, okay? She's a good girl.”

”And how would you know my type?”

”For one, I've seen you with Desiree.”

f.u.c.k. Touche.

”That was nothing.”

He looked down at the floor then sighed. ”Look, Nina told Tarah that she's developing feelings for you. I'm not gonna sit back and watch her get destroyed by some womanizing a.s.shole.”

His admission seemed to melt the anger inside of me.

She had feelings for me?

f.u.c.k. She really did have feelings for me.

It wasn't all in my head.

”You don't know jack s.h.i.+t about me, Ryan, or how I really feel about that girl,” I cracked.

Tarah walked in. ”Hey, what's going on in here?”

”Tell your boy toy to stop making a.s.sumptions before he gets his a.s.s kicked.”

She looked at Ryan. ”Do you mind leaving me and Jake alone for a minute please?”

He didn't move until she gestured her head toward the door. Then, he quietly huffed and exited the room.

I needed a cigarette badly. I took one out and walked over to the window to smoke.

”You know, you have a really funny way of showing Nina how you feel about her. Why don't you just tell her?”

The smoke slowly streamed out of my nostrils as I stayed staring out at the midnight blue evening sky. My voice was barely audible. ”I can't.”