Distraction (Westbrook Series Book 1) (20 page)

After
Friends
ends,
King of Queens
comes on. I love watching Kevin James play the role of the stupid, childish husband. He is beyond funny, as he tries to weasel his way out of getting in trouble with his wife, Carrie, for his latest scheme. When that is over, and another episode starts up, I start panicking. It's been nothing but crickets since I texted Sam, over an hour ago.

When I don't think I can sit still and wait any longer, I finally pick up the phone to call Avery. "Hi, Aves."

"Hey. How are you?" Her voice sounds a little higher than normal, which is strange. She sounds a little preoccupied.

"So, what are you up to tonight?" I ask casually. I don't want to bombard her right away with my latest Sam drama.

"Not much. I'm waiting for Trevor to get his
hot ass
over here, so we can watch a movie. How about you? Isn't Sam coming home tonight?"

The knots in my stomach tighten when she mentions his name. The weird thing is, it is Trevor's name that has me feeling so sick, not Sam's.
Why does knowing that Trevor is going over to her house seem to bother me so much? Shouldn't I be more torn up about the fact that my boyfriend basically stood me up?

"He was supposed to, but I haven't heard from him since this morning. Kyle stopped by a while ago, on his way to the Coldplay concert."
Why is my voice echoing when I talk?
Thankfully, it sounds like she is taking me off speakerphone.

"Wait a minute." Her voice finally sounds normal. "Sam wasn't with him?"

"No. Kyle was being his usual
jerky
self, and wouldn't tell me anything about
who
he was going with. It's probably Georgia, but I wanted to see if he was doubling with Sam.”

"No, Sam wouldn't do that. Would he? Who is
Georgia
, anyway?"

"I don't think so, but I can't figure out why he hasn't called me or anything. Don't you think it's weird that he didn't come home with Kyle, and he didn't even text me to let me know?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't sound like Sam."

"I just don't get it. Maybe he feels bad about going to the concert instead of hanging out with me tonight, and he doesn't want to tell me."

"Well, he would have probably been with Kyle if he was going to the concert, don't you think?"

"Yeah. You're probably right. Maybe, something came up at school, and he had to stay behind." I sigh, before biting my bottom lip.

"So, you didn't answer my question, Lays.
Who
is this Georgia girl?"

"I thought you were over your crush on my brother. Aren't you dating Trevor, now?" I tease her. I'm pretty sure they are dating, after seeing her latest Instagram pictures, but I want to hear it from her mouth.

"I'm not really sure
what
Trevor and I are. I mean, we've been hanging out. We talk on the phone
all the time
, but he hasn't kissed me yet, Laila. Isn't it kind of strange that we've been on
three
dates already, and he hasn't so much as given me a peck on the cheek?"

"Maybe, he just needs time. Not
every
guy is a complete
sleaze-ball
, you know."

"Yeah, and he is definitely
not
one of those guys." She sighs, and pauses for a moment, before continuing. "The weird thing is he's
always
reaching for my hand, or wrapping his arms around me."

My stomach sinks a little when I think about the way he reached for my hand on Sunday.
Maybe holding hands is just a friendly gesture to Trevor. Why does this realization make my stomach churn even more? Shouldn't I be relieved he doesn't feel that way about me?

"He can be so affectionate one moment. Then, he is
totally
aloof and weird, the next. It's
really
confusing. I just can't read the guy."

Yeah, tell me about it
.

"Maybe, he just wants to be
sure
, before he kisses you. You've got to respect a guy who respects you enough to wait until he is sure. Most guys don't have any problem shoving their tongues into a girl's mouth, so long as it's open and she’s willing. It'll just make it more meaningful when he
does
finally kiss you."

I'm trying to be reassuring, but even
I
don't believe everything I am saying. The more I think about it, the more likely it seems that my suspicions about him being a player are true.

"I hope you're right, Lays. It's just that I want him to be so attracted to me that he can't keep his hands off me.
I
want to be the one pushing him away, instead of me wishing he would maul me. Like what you and Sam have, you know? That's what
I
want."

"Yeah, but Sam and I have known each other for a
long
time. You guys just met. Maybe, he just wants to get to know you better first."

"You're right. He doesn't seem at all like the players I'm used to. He's
definitely
boyfriend material. I must sound like such a slut."

I laugh. "No, I get it."

"I think he might even be fresh out of a relationship. He mentioned something about a recent break-up. It can be hard to move on after having a serious girlfriend."

"Aves, that’s probably why he is taking things slow. He's probably trying to be overly cautious. People do that after break-ups."

"You know what? I'm just going to try to go with the flow. If he kisses me,
awesome
. If not, there's always
Kyle
," she sings my brother's name. "Speaking of which,
why
are you not telling me who this Georgia girl is?"

I laugh again, not even realizing that I've been completely stonewalling her about Georgia.

"It wasn't on purpose. I don't know much about her, Avery. She’s just
some
girl that he met over Christmas break who lives here. From what Sam told me, it sounds like Kyle
really
likes her. Enough that he wants to come home on the weekends to see her."

Avery sighs. "
Bitch
. Not you,
her
. What does she look like?"

"I have no idea, but Sam said she is nice. Supposedly, she was here at the party last Friday, but
I
never saw her. Of course, I didn't know who I should be looking for, either. She must have only made a quick appearance, though, because Kyle was down by the pool, hanging out with us for most of the night."

Avery sighs dramatically again. "Why do I
even
care?
"

"Maybe, it's because you've been
madly
in love with my brother since you moved here and first set eyes on him?"

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me," she says sarcastically.

"Don't
worry
, Aves. Kyle wouldn't have been flirting with all of those girls at the party, if he were
really
that serious about her."

I try my best to soften the blow, but even I know what I am telling Avery is not completely true. Kyle would probably flirt with any girl that gave him the time of day, even if he had a girlfriend. That is just how he is.

"What kind of
name
is that, anyway? It's a state, not a name.
Ugh
. I
hate
being jealous, Lays."

I know what you mean
. This is what I had started to say before thinking better of it.
How in the world would I explain that one
?
Yes, Avery
. I'm experiencing the
exact
same thing, when I think about you and Trevor dating. Oh and by the way, you should know that he took me on a non-
date
, date, which was quite possibly,
the
most romantic night of my entire life. But don't you worry.
We're just friends
. I'm sure that would go over
really
well with Avery.
I hate myself
.

"Hey, why don't you just come over and watch this movie with us?" She pauses for a moment before continuing. "It's a horror flick. I know how much you
like
scary movies," she practically sings to me.

I laugh, because she knows that I don't do very well with scary movies.

"And run interference with your potential first kiss? I
don't
think so. Don't worry about me. I'll call Allie and see what the girls are doing tonight."

"Are you
sure?
I don't mind, Lays. We could always sneak away to make out during the really bad parts of the movie."

"As enticing as that sounds, I'm going to have to pass."

What I don't say is that my jealous stomach won't be able to handle seeing the two of you together
.

"Have fun, and make sure you sit close to him during the
scary
parts," I suggest with as much sincerity as I can muster.

Of course, I don't want the two of them snuggling close. In fact, I'd be perfectly happy if they sat on separate couches, in separate rooms. Hell, I want them to be in completely different houses.
Apparently, I don't do jealous very well, either.

She squeals. "
Good idea
. Then he can protect me from the
scary
monsters."

I laugh because unlike me, Avery never gets scared when we watch horror flicks.

"If you change your mind, just text me before you come over. That way, I can make sure we aren't in the middle of a
hot
make-out session when you get here.
Ha. Ha. Yeah
,
right
."

"You never
know
. . . . Thanks again for the invite. I'll let you know when I get ahold of Sam."

"You
better
."

I can't believe it's already been an hour and twenty minutes since I last texted him.
Where the hell is he? Why again, am I sitting here, waiting for him like a fool?

I shoot a quick text to Allie.

Me: Hey lady. What are you guys doing tonight?

Allie Summers: We are going out to Bombay Waters. Want to come with?

Me: Who exactly is WE?

Allie Summers: Brooke, Rachel, Mary, and I are driving together in one car, but we could squeeze you in. It'll be a tight fit in the Mini Cooper, but we're all pretty small . . .

Me: Hmmm. It sounds like fun.

Allie Summers: You should TOTALLY come, Lays. It is going to be a blast! Chase said there's going to be a keg. :)

Me: Wait, Chase is going? Does that mean Devon is going to be there?

Allie Summers: Yeah, but so will about half of our school, Laila. Don't worry about it. You can't avoid him the rest of the summer . . . unless you want to become a recluse.

Me: You’re probably right, but I'd still like to avoid him a little while longer. It's only been a week. Did you know he friend quested me on Facebook?

Allie Summers: He did? I'm surprised. I thought he was mad at you? Chase wouldn't tell us anything when we asked him about it. He used the old BROs B4 HOs excuse as to why he was keeping his trap shut. I swear guys can be so STUPID!

Me: Tell me about it!!! I'll probably sit this one out and maybe give it another week or so. That should be enough time for him to meet someone else and forget all about me.

Allie Summers: Ok. Well, have fun tonight . . . whatever you end up doing.

Me: You, too
:)
Make sure you call me if you guys drink. I'll come get you. You can't be driving home after drinking. Especially not after the Cavern accident last year!!! xo :)

Allie Summers: I'm DD tonight, but I promise to call if I change my mind or see anyone else that needs a ride. XOXO :)

Here I am home alone, yet again, while the rest of the universe is out having fun. At least it's not a Saturday night this time. I think again about the Cavern accident, as a wave of panic ripples through me.
What if Sam was in some sort of car accident?

My phone beeps. Sure enough, it's finally a text message from Sam.
Thank God
.