Play Dirty (Make the Play #4) (10 page)

I chuckle, glad she came. Suddenly this day doesn’t seem nearly as bad as before.

“I see Josh is his usual friendly self,” Emmy says sarcastically, waltzing up to me.

“Cut him some slack. This is a tough day for him,” I snap before I can stop myself. Emmy and I have never been friends. Not really. The only time we ever hung out was when she used to tag along with Ashley. But I always knew Ashley was just playing her, so I didn’t bother to bond with her. I figured the relationship wouldn’t last long, and I was right. However, the one thing I remember about Emmy was that she was perpetually nice about everyone. Rarely did she gossip or speak ill of another person. Therefore, it irks me that she so easily thinks the worst about Josh.

“It’s not easy for Chris either, but at least he’s attempting to have a good attitude,” Emmy shoots back, surprising me.

The other thing I recall about Emmy was that she had no backbone. Apparently that has changed. “I guess we should all be thanking our lucky stars for that, because if Chris was his usual angry self we’d all have to duck and cover.” It’s a low blow, especially since I came here with the school bad boy, but she asked for it.

Emmy’s head snaps up so hard I fear her neck will break. “Chris isn’t like that anymore. He’s matured, which is more than I can say for Josh.”

“Wow.” I toss a strand of hair over my shoulder. “I really thought you were over him.”

“Who?” Her eyebrows knit together.

“Josh.”

“I am over Josh.” Her cheeks redden, and I almost laugh out loud. It’s so easy to get under her skin. Clearly, that is one thing that remains the same.

“Usually when a girl gets this worked up over a guy it’s because she has feelings for him.” I lean in close and whisper, “You might want to tone it down a little around Chris so he doesn’t get jealous.”

Emmy frowns. “Chris has nothing to worry about. I’d never want to be with Josh again. He’s the most selfish person I’ve ever met. The only person he cares about is himself.”

“That’s not true,” I mutter. “Why do you think he’s so pissed about this wedding?”

“Because he hates Olivia.”

I shake my head. “Trust me, it has nothing to do with Olivia.” Staring at her, I’m dumbfounded. “You really don’t know anything about Josh, do you?”

She purses her lips. “I know enough.” The words are spit out in disgust, and I recognize them. In the past I felt the same way about Josh, but now I know better.

“Clearly you don’t. You have no idea what kind of guy he is,” I say, getting more and more heated with each word. “His anger about this wedding has nothing to do with Olivia or Chris, or even Josh himself. The person he’s trying to protect is his mom.”

Emmy’s face visibly softens. “Oh.”

“So before you go spouting off about what a jerk Josh is, remember what he’s lost. Remember what his mom has lost, and then ask yourself if it’s fair to expect him to act like this is a celebration.”

Emmy’s bottom lip trembles slightly, and she bites down on it. “You’re right,” she speaks so softly I hardly make out the words. “And I get it. Chris is protective of his mom too. I think that’s the main reason Josh and Chris don’t get along. They’re both trying to do right by their own moms.”

A little of my anger withers. I know she’s right. Regardless of what I said earlier, I always liked Chris. He’s a good guy. And he and Josh are more similar than I had originally thought. Now that I’ve gotten to know Josh, I see that. Maybe there’s hope for them yet.

“Hey,” Josh’s voice cuts into our conversation.

Flinching, I spin around. “Hey.”

Josh’s gaze slides over my shoulder, his eyes shifting between me and Emmy. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” I nod emphatically. Probably too emphatically, so I slow it down. “What’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be busy doing groomsmen duties?” My attempt at joking falls flat, and I can tell he notices.

“Probably, but I wanted to come out here and check on you.” The concern in his voice almost breaks me. When did Josh go from being cold and heartless to this super sensitive guy? And, more importantly, is it real or just an act?

“I’m fine,” I say. Emmy and I may have been arguing a little, but it’s not like I’ve never argued with a girl before. This is pretty much a normal day for me. However, usually, I’m defending myself, maybe one of my friends. The weird part of this is how staunchly I defended Josh. Not only that, but everything I said, I meant. It makes me wonder if coming here was a mistake. My feelings for Josh are confusing at best. The only thing I know for sure is that Josh isn’t trustworthy. Sure, he sounds sincere, but I’ve known Josh for a long time. And I’m certain this nice version of him will vanish as quickly as it appeared. It’s only a matter of time. “You should probably get back to the guys. Your dad probably needs you.” More cars are pulling into the lot. “I should probably find a seat anyway.”

Conflicted, Josh shifts from one foot to the other. Then he reluctantly nods, running a hand over his head. “Yeah. Okay.”

When he blows out a ragged breath, it hits me that maybe he hasn’t come out here to check on me. Perhaps he needs some comfort. Stepping forward, I tentatively touch his arm. “What about you? Are you all right?”

His lips curl upward, his gaze shooting down to my hand. “I am now.”

Despite the bizarre circumstance, I chuckle.

“I’ll see you in a bit.” Winking, he steps away from me and hurries toward the building where his dad and the rest of the groomsmen are.

Emmy comes up behind me, her shadow casting over my shoulder. “I gotta say, when I first heard about you and Josh I was skeptical. I thought for sure you two were just using each other to get back at Hayes and Ashley. But now I can tell it’s deeper than that.”

I swallow hard. Soon enough the truth will come out, but I don’t have to share it today. No, today Josh needs me to keep going with the plan. He needs me to be the supportive girlfriend, so that’s what I’ll be.

“I mean, I’ve never seen Josh act like that with a girlfriend before,” she continues.

“Act like what?” I whirl around to face her.

“All concerned and sweet. It was weird.” Her gaze washes up and down my body as if she’s seeing me for the first time. “He really cares about you. I can tell. And after the way you defended him earlier, I can tell you feel the same way.” My stomach churning, I force my head to bob up and down in agreement. “I’m glad you two found each other. You both deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks,” I croak, surprised at her words. Emmy has no reason to like either of us, let alone wish us happiness. Then again, Emmy has always had the ability to see everyone with rose-colored glasses. It’s why I was so bothered by her words about Josh earlier. It was so unlike her. Even after Ashley admitted to using and betraying her, she eventually forgave her, and now they’re besties again. It’s baffling.

“Oh.” Emmy glances out at the parking lot, her eyebrows shooting up. “Here comes Taylor and Cal.” Throwing up her arm, she waves at them, causing jealousy to snake around my heart. No one is ever that happy to see me. Well, no one except for Josh when I showed up today. “You made it.” Emmy draws Taylor into a hug the minute she approaches us. It’s odd seeing Taylor in a dress. She typically lives in ripped jeans and t-shirts. When Cal started dating Taylor, the two seemed night and day different. I still had a hard time understanding it. But honestly, today she looks nice, pretty even.

“Hey, Cal,” I nervously greet him when his gaze shifts to me.

“Hey.” He nods, an easy smile on his face, and I’m reminded of what a nice guy he’s always been. When Taylor and Emmy release each other, he looks at his sister. “Aren’t you supposed to be inside?”

“Probably.” She grimaces. “I came out here a little while ago to talk to Chris, and then I guess I got sidetracked.” Her gaze momentarily sweeps toward me.

“Well, I’ll walk you back inside. I wanted to say hi to Chris anyway,” Cal says before turning to Taylor and placing a gentle hand on her arm. “You wanna come?”

“No, it’s okay.” She shakes her head at the suggestion. “I’ll just find our seats.”

“Okay.” He kisses her swiftly and then pulls away. “C’mon, Em.”

Emmy starts to follow, but then stops abruptly. She nears her friend and whispers something in her ear. I know she thinks she’s subtle, but I can make out some of the words. She’s asking Taylor to sit with me. Of course Taylor’s response is a sharp shake of her head and narrowing of her eyes.

Not that I blame her. I’ve never spoken to Taylor before, despite the fact that we’ve had several classes together. In fact, I may have even encouraged some teasing of her back when she was pregnant. My stomach sours.
Man, I really am no better than Ashley.

“Um…” I wring my hands in front of me. “I should go find a seat while there are still some available.” No way am I sticking around to be rejected by Taylor.

Emmy nods, reaching for Taylor’s arm. “Taylor will sit with you.”

Taylor blows out a frustrated breath and tosses an incredulous look toward Emmy. I fight against the hysterical chuckle that pushes at my lips as I take in the absurdity of this conversation. The fact that I’m the reject in this group is so laughable it’s making me feel like I’ve lost my mind.

“It’s fine,” I say. “You don’t have to.” The last thing I want is pity, especially from Taylor and Emmy. I’m Talia Smith, queen bee of Prairie Creek High. I don’t need Emmy to force Taylor to sit with me. She should want to sit with me. Besides, I’m only doing this as a favor to Josh. After today, I’ll never have to socialize with any of these people again.

“She insists.” Emmy yanks on her friend’s arm, guiding her forward. “See you both in a bit,” Emmy says before scurrying off.

Exhaling, I march forward with Taylor following closely at my heels.

***

I’ve always loved weddings, and I’ve often dreamt of mine. However, I won’t be getting married at the rose garden or at Prairie Creek Christian Church. I want my wedding to be somewhere different, exotic, somewhere far from here. Perhaps on the beach, where I can wear a flowy dress and walk barefoot across the sand. Instead of music, the roaring of the waves will be sufficient.

Still, the rose garden is a pretty venue, covered in bright-colored roses, the grass a vibrant green. Too bad all this foliage is kicking up my allergies. After letting out a tiny sneeze, I wipe my nose and lift my head as Chris escorts Emmy down the aisle. The way he keeps throwing adoring glances her way causes envy to ripple through me. It’s not that I’ve ever wanted Chris. I just want someone to look at me like that.

Next, Josh escorts Maise down the aisle. I figured she’d be the maid of honor. She and Olivia have been best friends for years. I like Maise. Not that I really know her. But I’ve read some of her books, and I’ve enjoyed them. And she’s always struck me as a cool person, albeit a little flaky.

When I first walked up today and saw Josh in his tux, I couldn’t believe how good he looked. Not that he doesn’t always look good, but I’ve never seen him in a tux before. And it’s definitely flattering on him. The jacket accentuates his broad shoulders and muscular chest, and the white collar of his shirt is striking against his tanned skin. His hair isn’t tousled like usual, but I like it, which surprises, me since normally I love his messy hair. It goes to show that the boy looks good no matter what. It’s the kind of thing that would irk me about him in the past, but today it doesn’t. Today I can’t keep my eyes off of him. My gaze follows him, while a feeling that is an awfully lot like longing spreads through my chest.

Josh’s face is somber, much too somber for a wedding. His gaze flickers around almost like he’s afraid to look up at his dad who stands at the front. I can tell by the slight pull of his lips that he notices Josh’s behavior too. The irrational side of me wants to leap up and drag Josh out of here. Clearly, he’s still struggling. But the rational part of me knows he needs to go through with this. His mom is right. He’ll regret it if he doesn’t. One day he’ll learn to accept this relationship. And when that day comes, he’ll be grateful that he made himself participate in the wedding.

Still, I hold my breath as he makes his way stoically down the aisle. Sitting up straight, I will him to be strong and brave. As if he can sense what I’m thinking, his neck slowly cranes in my direction. I straighten my spine even more as his gaze sweeps over me, then abruptly stops, crashing into mine. I inhale sharply.

Josh and I have touched many times. We’ve held hands, we’ve kissed. But this feels more intimate than all of that. His eyes are piercing as he continues holding my gaze. I don’t dare move. I don’t even think I breathe.

Slowly Josh’s lips curve slightly at the corners, his entire facial expression softening, transforming before my very eyes. It’s as if he’s drawing strength from looking at me. As if I’m hugging him rather than just staring back at him. I offer him a slight smile and an encouraging nod before his head swivels back around. It all happens so fast, I doubt anyone else even noticed it, yet it leaves me winded, breathless, my head whirling.

I came here out of obligation, but I’m staying because at this moment there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.