Play Dirty (Make the Play #4) (3 page)

“A boy is here to see you.” Anna stands in the doorway of my bedroom waggling her eyebrows. She’s wearing skinny jeans rolled up to her ankles, strappy gold sandals and a white flowy top that used to be mine. Her hair falls down one shoulder into a thick side braid. I’m jealous that she appears so put together when I know she only got out of bed fifteen minutes ago. I’ve been up for over an hour and I’m still not ready. But that’s typical of Anna. She moves quickly. She doesn’t dawdle the way I do. Besides, her hair is easy to fix, whereas mine takes a little more effort. Anna was lucky enough to get Mom’s hair –thick and straight. I got Dad’s – frizzy, thin, and unmanageable. It takes a lot of effort to coax mine into submission, and it never looks good in a braid. There isn’t enough of it.

I don’t need to ask her what boy is here. It has to be Josh. Drawing in a breath, I push away from my vanity where I’d been sitting down putting on makeup. As I stand, I quickly take in my reflection in the mirror in front of me. My hair is curled in loose waves, and my face looks tan from all the bronzer I brushed on. I used my favorite peach lip-gloss – the one Ashley told me was my perfect color. Still, my makeup doesn’t look nearly as good as Ashley’s does every day. I’m embarrassed to admit, I watched a couple of her makeup videos last night hoping for some tips. I figure if Josh and I are going to put our plan into action today, I should try to look my best. How will I make Hayes jealous if I look like a hag?

My younger sister stares at me curiously, as I maneuver around her and hurry down the hallway. The skirt on my sundress swims around my pale legs. I’d meant to put on sunless tanner last night, but forgot. Looking down at my white thighs, I wonder if I should change.

Josh stands near the front door, one hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans. He smiles when I approach, and his bright blue eyes crinkle under his baseball cap. The tight t-shirt he wears show off his muscles, and I swallow hard. Sometimes I forget how good looking Josh is.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss, my bare feet slapping on the hardwood of our entryway. Glancing behind me, I spot Anna watching us from the hallway.  I didn’t tell my family about Josh and me yet. I wasn’t ready, and I figured I had more time. Anna’s a freshman, but I rarely see her at school, so I didn’t expect her to pick up on anything right away. At dinner last night, I tried to work up the courage to tell my parents, but I couldn’t do it. The lie tasted bitter every time I rolled it around my mouth, and in the end I spit it out.

His gaze slides over my shoulder, and he throws my sister an easy smile. Then he throws me a warning look. Leaning in like he’s going to kiss me, he whispers in my ear, “If this is how you plan on behaving, this is never going to work.” As he pulls back, his lips gently brush my cheek, and I shiver. “I came to take you to school.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to do that,” I say, trying to figure out his angle.

“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t take my girlfriend to school?”

“The kind that has baseball practice afterward,” I say through gritted teeth. “Besides, I’m giving Anna a ride today.”

“It’s okay.” Anna comes skipping up, a broad smile on her face. “I’d love to ride with your new boyfriend.” She catches Josh’s eye. “I’m sure glad you showed up. My sister doesn’t tell me anything.”

“That’s because someone has a big mouth,” I point out.

Anna sticks out her tongue.

“Very mature, Ann.” I blow out a frustrated breath. Sometimes my sister can be a royal pain. It’s not like we never get along. There are times we have fun together, and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her. But Anna can be annoying. She talks too much and doesn’t know when to keep quiet about stuff. It’s another reason I wasn’t ready to tell her about Josh. Then again, maybe I can use this to my advantage. Perhaps the more people talk about Josh and I at school, the more jealous Hayes will become.

“See,” Josh says. “Your sister’s on board. So let’s get going.” His gaze travels to my feet. “You might want to put on some shoes though. Your feet are pretty sexy, but I think teachers frown on bare feet in class.”

My cheeks warm. I know he’s playing a role, but it sounded so believable. “I wasn’t exactly ready when you just showed up unannounced.” I’m still not keen on riding with him. “But you can go ahead while I finish getting ready.”

“I didn’t come all this way to leave empty handed, Tals.”  He keeps it light for my sister’s sake, but the meaning is clear.

“Fine. But how will I get home?”

“I’ll take you home. We have time in between school and practice.” He lets out a stilted laugh. “Geez. Did you really think I’d leave you stranded at the school?”

It had crossed my mind.

Anna’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. I breathe deeply. If Josh and I are going to make this believable, we’re going to have to work harder at getting along and trusting one another. With our history, that’s a tall order. One that I’m not sure I can accomplish. The impossibility of the situation barrels me over again, and I contemplate calling the whole thing off. Then I remember how hard it is to see Hayes all over Ashley every day, and I realize that I don’t have a choice. If I have any hope of breaking those two up, this is what I have to do.

When Ashley and I were friends, she was so into Josh. Glancing over at him talking to my sister, I can see why. He’s hot. He’s charming. He’s got everything Ashley looks for in a guy. I’m certain Ashley only went after Hayes because Josh hurt her. It’s her way of punishing him, making him pay. It’s what she does. Most likely, she’s biding her time waiting to get back with Josh.

Everyone else seems to buy this whole act Ashley has going this year. She even fooled Emmy. But I’m not as naïve as Emmy. Besides, I’ve known Ashley longer. Hayes won’t make her happy long term. Popularity is what fuels her. She won’t be content to stay in the shadows much longer. And I’m sure that her seeing me with Josh will be the wake-up call she needs. Ashley’s nothing if not competitive. Right now there’s no reason for her to go after Josh. He’s single.

Besides, everyone thinks I still want Hayes. That must make him even more attractive to her. But she’ll dump him like yesterday’s trash when she realizes I want Josh instead.

My earlier doubts disappearing, I turn to Josh with renewed purpose. “I’ll just go grab my shoes and be right back.”

“Wear those strappy ones with the heels,” Josh instructs me.

“You’ve noticed my shoes?” I ask, dumbfounded.

He shrugs. “I have a thing for feet.”

Clearly.
Scrunching up my nose, I don’t know if I’m turned on or repulsed. Not that it matters. This thing between us is only a means to an end. We’re playing a part, and all I have to do is remember my lines. That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?

***

“Will you stop that?” Josh places his hand on my leg. “With all that violent leg bouncing you’re gonna make my car roll over.”

Anna laughs from the backseat. It didn’t take Josh long to win her over.

“Sorry,” I mutter under my breath.

Josh eases his foot on the brake, slowing down at the stop sign in front of the school. His gaze catches mine. “There’s nothing to be nervous about,” he says so low I doubt Anna can hear.

I nod, feeling silly. It isn’t like we’re doing anything awful. This isn’t life or death. We’re pretending to date. No biggie.

As Josh guides his car into a parking space in the center of the lot, I inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth in an effort to calm myself. After turning off the car, Anna leaps out of the backseat, yelling something about seeing her friends.

Her absence causes some of the jitters to fall away. But I’m still pretty antsy. As my gaze scours the lot, a swarm of butterflies takes residence in my stomach. My hands tremble in my lap, and I feel Josh’s eyes on me.

“What the hell, Tals? Calm down. We’re not committing a crime,” he says. “And, seriously, if I ever do, I will not be inviting you along.”

“Great. I’m going out with a criminal,” I say sarcastically.

“Finally you’re getting into character,” he says. “I thought I was going to have to kiss you again to get you back on track.”

I frown at the unsavory tone he uses. “And that would be a bad thing?”

“Good. I like it,” he answers, confusing me. “I like the attitude. The confidence.” He reaches for the door handle. “I think we’re ready to do this.”

For always joking around and being sarcastic, I forget how determined Josh is. He’s a straight A student, and he made the varsity team earlier than most guys do. When he sets out to do something, he accomplishes it. And I realize that’s what he’s doing now. Even when it seems that it’s Josh and I bantering like friends, this is all part of the ruse for him. It reminds me that I can never let my guard down around him.

As I step out of his car, I remember when I was in the school play in eighth grade. Drama was never my thing, but Ashley talked me into auditioning with her. She was great and ended up playing the lead. No surprise there. I botched my audition, but still managed somehow to snag a role. In my entire life, I’ve never been as nervous as I was on opening night. I thought for sure I was going to screw up my lines or worse, throw up all over the stage. But I did neither of those things. I made it through without any issues.

Closing the passenger side door, I tell myself that today will go just as smoothly. Josh walks beside me, reaching out to grasp my hand. When his fingers slide through mine, I marvel at how odd this is. Josh and I made out at the party, but that was it. We never held hands. Somehow this feels more intimate, and I wonder again if I’m making a mistake.

It’s too late to back down now though. Ashley and Hayes walk in our direction, both of them noticing us at the same time. Josh squeezes my hand, and I focus my attention on him. If I’m busy staring at Hayes, this whole plan will fall apart. I have to play the doting girlfriend. Tossing back my head, I laugh as if Josh said something funny.

“That’s it,” he urges.

Our arms swing between us as we make our way toward the school hallway. When we reach it, Josh opens the door for me and sweeps his arm out to usher me inside.

“Such a gentleman.” I wink.

“I’ve been called worse,” he banters back.

Once the door closes behind us, he snatches up my hand again. All eyes are on us as we make our way down the hall. Heat creeps up my neck and spills across my cheeks. But I lift my chin, keeping my head up. Josh holds tightly to my hand, and even though it’s part of the game, I’m grateful for it.

“Are Ashley and Hayes still watching?” I whisper.

“Everyone’s watching,” Josh responds, but it doesn’t seem to bother him the way it bothers me. In fact, it’s safe to say he’s eating it up. Usually I like attention too, so I don’t know why this is making me uncomfortable.

“Josh, there you are.” Nolan approaches us. When his gaze lowers to our hands, his eyebrows lift in amusement. “I was wondering where you were this morning, but now I see that you were busy.” Throwing a wink to Josh, he backs away. “Have fun, you two.”

Annoyance swims in my veins. His friends think I’m just another hookup. That’s actually worse than what I really am.

“This better work,” I mutter to him under my breath.

“It will. You’ll see.”

News about Talia and I spreads fast. By the end of the day, everyone at school knows we’re together. I expect Ashley to come running any minute. Instead, it’s Emmy who seeks me out.

She corners me in the hallway after my last class. “You and Talia, huh?”

I nod, wondering why she cares.

A bemused smile spreads across her face. “I know what you’re up to.”

“Why do you assume I’m up to something?” I ask in a bored voice, but my pulse quickens. If Emmy figures out our plan, we’re toast. She’ll go straight to Ashley, running her big mouth.

“You’re always up to something,” she responds dryly.

“Oh, yeah?”

“You’re trying to get revenge on Ashley. But you’re wasting your time. She doesn’t care that you’re with Talia.”

My breath hitches in my throat. “She tell you that?” Emmy shakes her head, and relief fills me. “Whatever.” Shaking my head, I act like I wasn’t holding my breath in anticipation of the answer. Like it didn’t matter to me at all. “I don’t care what Ashley thinks,” I lie. “And I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Fine.” Emmy’s expression is unreadable. “Anyway, that’s not what I came to talk to you about.”

“So you didn’t just come over here to rake me over the coals for dating Talia?” I tease.

“I didn’t rake you over the coals,” she says, irritation tainting her tone.

It reminds me of the reason I don’t like talking to Emmy, and I find myself tiring of this conversation. Besides, I need to get to Talia. I have to give her a ride home before practice. Already the girl is cramping my style. I sure as hell hope it’s worth it. “Out with it, Em. Talia’s waiting.”

Her face sobers up, her eyes crinkling with concern. “Chris told me about your dad and his mom getting married.”

“So?” I spit out, crossing my arms over my chest.

She shrugs. “So, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I almost laugh at the absurdity of this. Of course I’m not okay, but Emmy is the last person I’m going to pour my heart out too. We haven’t even talked in months. And the last time we did talk, it wasn’t exactly civil. “I’m fine.”

“Really? Cause Chris was pretty upset.”

“Well, Chris is a wuss. What do you expect?”

Her eyes narrow. “You haven’t changed at all. I don’t even know why I was worried about you.”

“I don’t either. Especially because it sounds like you have your hands full with that needy boyfriend of yours.”

Her glare deepens. “You know that he’s going to be your stepbrother, right? You might want to try to be a little nicer about him.”

I snort. “Stepbrothers don’t have to be friends. And, trust me, Chris and I will never be friends.” Sick of this entire thing, I push past Emmy. As I walk away, her words knock around in my head.

Stepbrothers.

I hadn’t thought of that before. My stomach knots. Images of my dad taking Chris out to baseball games, or worse yet, missing my games to go see Chris play in college, fill my mind. My dad didn’t come out to one of my fall ball games. I had told him not to, but it still hurt that he listened to me. If he really cared, he would’ve shown up. I’ve been angry with Mom before, and that’s never stopped her from being involved in my life. Olivia never missed any of Chris’s games. And I’ve heard through the grapevine that she’s made trips to the college on a consistent basis. I’ve also heard that my dad’s been present on some of those trips. As hard as I try to pretend I don’t want my dad in my life, it still sucks. It still hurts.

And it’s only going to get worse when they get married.

By the time I reach the parking lot, I’m pissed. Like royally pissed. My hands shake, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

“Are you all right?” Talia asks when I approach my car. She’s leaning against it, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She does that a lot.

“Doesn’t matter.” Opening the back door, I throw myself on the back seat so hard it causes my car to lurch forward.

Talia’s eyes widen. “What got into you?”

What’s with all these nosy girls? Have I given the impression that I want to have a heart-to-heart? “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I slam the door.

“Clearly something’s wrong.”

I move closer to where she’s standing, my body hovering hers. “Are you unclear about your role?”

“What?”

“This isn’t real. We’re not dating. We’re not even friends. All you have to do is act like we’re together. That doesn’t include butting into my personal life, okay?”

Her eyes flash. She pushes off my car, her shoulder slamming mine. “I’m done.”

I grab her by the arm, whirling her around.

“Let go of me.” She yanks her arm back and holds it close to her body. There’s anger in her eyes, but also something else – fear. Shame washes over me. I didn’t want to scare her.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I overreacted.” Blowing out a breath, I run a hand down my face. “Now can you get in the car so I’m not late to practice?”

She chuckles bitterly. “You are piece a work, you know that?” Lifting her hand, she runs her fingers through a chunk of her hair. “No. I will not get in your car. This whole thing was a mistake. I don’t even know why I went along with it.”

I grunt in frustration. “Tals, I said I was sorry. Stop bustin’ my balls.”

She drops her arm, throwing me an exasperated look. “You don’t get it, Josh. You can’t treat people like shit and expect them to still do your bidding.”

Unbelievable. “Don’t act like you’re doing me a favor. This benefits both of us.”

“But at what cost?” Talia asks. “Putting up with your mood swings and your crappy remarks.” She purses her lips. “It’s not worth it.”

I know I can be an ass. At least that’s what people tell me. But it’s never stopped girls from liking me. In fact, I’ve always assumed it was one of the things that attracts them. It’s common knowledge that girls like the bad boys. Ask Hollywood. Ask authors. Hell, ask anyone.

That’s why this whole thing with Hayes has been so puzzling. He’s the nice guy. He’s not supposed to be the one getting all the chicks.

And now Talia’s staring at me like I’ve been infected with some horribly contagious disease. Is this how Ashley felt earlier this year? She’d always been the mean girl. It was hot. But then everyone turned on her, and she went soft.

I have no intention of doing that, but I suppose I could stand to be a little less of a jerk.

“Would you stay if I told you I’d try to work on it?” I ask.

“You’ll
try
to work on it?” She laughs. “Yeah, Josh. I’ll
try
to stay if you
try
to work on it.”

“I’ll tell you one thing. You’re definitely
tryin
g my patience.”

“That lasted about as long as I thought it would.” She whirls around. “See ya later, Josh.”

“My dad’s getting married,” I blurt out. “That’s what I was mad about.”

When she turns to me with pity in her eyes, I regret telling her. The last thing I wanted was sympathy. I only wanted to make her stay.

“Chris’s mom?” She raises her brows.

I nod.

“That sucks.”

“Yep.”

Standing still, she studies my face. I have no idea what to do. It’s like I’m on display. Like I’ve turned into a store mannequin. I almost ask her if I should pose, but then think better of it. I’m not sure a joke would go over well right now. After a long, uncomfortable moment, she walks past me. Without saying a word, she opens the passenger door of my car and slips inside. After she closes the door behind her, I smile and make my way to the driver’s side.

***

I throw out my arm the minute the ball comes at me. After closing my glove around it, I bring my arm up. Snatching it out of my glove, I palm it with my other hand. The rough stitching catches on my palm right before I release it, tossing it into Nolan’s waiting glove.

It was my mom who first encouraged me to play baseball. Before Dad left, forcing her to get some crappy admin job, she was a stay-at-home mom. And was always signing me up for stuff. As a toddler she lugged me to mommy and me classes. When I got a little older, she started getting me involved in sports. It was soccer initially, and I constantly tried to pick the ball up and throw it. That was when Mom suggested I try baseball. I remember going to the store to buy whiffle balls and a plastic bat.

Once I got involved in a rec league, Dad started practicing with me in the backyard. He even coached my team for a couple of years. That was before he rekindled things with Olivia.

It was before he betrayed our family.

“Heads up!” Nolan calls out.

I duck before the ball can smack me. Then I bend over and pluck it out of the grass. “Thanks for the warning, man,” I say as I throw the ball to Nolan.

Nolan and I have been friends for years. He’s the closest thing to a brother I have. Being an only child, I’ve always been allowed to bring a friend on vacations and outings. Nolan’s been it. And my parents treat him like family.

“Were you too busy thinking about Talia?” He waggles his eyebrows as he tosses the ball back. I glance around the field and spot Hayes, practicing his swing a few feet away. Too far to hear what we’re saying.

“Nah,” I answer. “I was actually thinking about my dad.”

“You know I’ll go with you to the wedding, man, if you decide to go.” He smiles. “I’ll even slow dance with you.”

I laugh. “Will you wear a sexy dress?”

“You know it.”

“I might have to go now just to see that.”

Nolan palms the ball and steps toward me. Around us I hear the clink of the bat, the sound of chatter and laughter, of balls being caught. “I mean it. I’m here for ya, man.”

Uncomfortable with how serious this is becoming, I shake my head. “I might dance with you, but I draw the line at kissing.”

“Then the deal’s off.” Nolan slips right back into our easy banter, and I’m grateful.

“Ahh, man, I always knew you were a tease.”

His face grows serious. “Apparently so are you.” He cocks a brow. “You never even told me you had a thing for Talia, and now you two are an item.”

I knew he was going to ask me about this. And part of me wants to tell him the truth. But I know I can’t. Not because I don’t trust him. I do. However, Nolan isn’t great at keeping secrets. It’s not like he blabs to everyone, but he doesn’t mask his feelings well. Also, he’s been known to accidentally spill things when he’s drunk or just not thinking. I can’t risk it.

“I didn’t really have a thing for her,” I answer honestly. “But she wanted me, and I figured, why the hell not?”

“Why not just mess around?”

It’s a valid question, and what I would probably do if this was a real scenario. “Talia’s not the kind of girl who’s happy just messing around.”

“She didn’t have a problem with it when you two hooked up at the party.”

“That was one time. Name another time when Talia did that,” I say. “She was with Palmer forever, then she was with Hayes, and now she’s been with no one for months.”

Nolan nods. “That’s true.”

Coach hollers for all of us to gather around him. Nolan clutches the ball as we head in his direction. When we reach him, we slip into the huddle of guys. It smells like sweat and grass. Coach gives out instructions, but I’m not paying attention. All I can think about is Talia. What I said to Nolan is true. Talia is a commitment girl. She doesn’t do casual relationships. That’s why I always assumed her kiss with me at the party was calculated. Her way of finally getting free from Hayes. But now she wants him back, and I wonder if there was another reason. Was she actually attracted to me?

If so, that would make things a lot more complicated for us right now.