The Next Contestant (19 page)

I dig my wallet out of my back pocket and flip it open. “How much do you want?” I pull out a few hundred.

She starts laughing. “Do I look like I need that?” She slides her purse around and points to a symbol or whatever. “Prada. I have plenty of money. Offer me something I don’t have.”

“And what don’t you have?”
Jeesh.
What the fuck could she possibly want then?

She grins big. It’s a fucked up grin and I know instantly that I’m going to regret this shit. “A boyfriend. Not because I don’t have prospects, I have many. But… Kolby. I’d like to… well, I’m all about showing you off in front of him. You know, since this is the
first
time you’ll be able to show me off.”

I rub my chin, torn between right and wrong, but Kimber wronged me so why not? Kolby already gave me his approval when I asked about dating his ex.

The door handle rattles. Timber is opening the fucking door. Shit.

“It’s okay. I’ll just go on downstairs and tell them the truth for you. No worries.” She steps out.

“Wait!” I launch toward her. She steps out a little further. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it.”

She steps back in, closes the door, and slithers toward me. Reaching a hand behind my neck, she pulls me forward and whispers in my ear. “Thought so.” Then she steps back. “Relax,” she says. “This could be a lot of fun. I have issues with Kimber. That bitch is a little rat and I want pay back.”

I sit on the edge of my bed as she paces the room, telling me all her brilliant ideas. It’s so fucked up and I want to back out, tell her to go on ahead and rat me out. I feel sick over her shitty plans at getting even.

We make our way downstairs, back to the party. Begrudgingly, I wrap my arm around her and parade her around like she’s some prize to be won. God. No wonder Kolby dumped her.

I survive the night, and thankfully, she’s on her way out after making me walk her to her Royce. I notice Kolby in the front room, glancing out the window. At us. Obviously she notices too because she pulls me close and plants a wet one on my lips. I pull back and open her door, hinting this night is over. She slides in, winks and then drives off. Thank fucking Peter, Paul, and Mary.

I go back in and get shitfaced.

The next week is hard. I’ve ignored Kimber’s texts. By the fifth night, I’m fuming, ready to burst when she texts me.

K:
What did I do? Why are you ignoring me? If we’re over, just say so.

J: Anything you want to tell me?

K:
What’s that supposed to mean?

J: Oh, idk. Maybe something about yourself?

K:
Nothing comes to mind, why? What’s going on, Jax?

J: Nothing. Nvr mind. Any plans this week?

K:
School. Practice. Possibly Blast at Blaze for a little nineties music with the girls on Wednesday night. HBU?

J: Same ol same ol. Maybe a night out with Ryan, Finch, and Sloup.

As in her brother, Nick and Jaden, but she knows this, knows their last names and certainly knows her brother. I’m hoping to get her to admit her lie by using last names, especially her own blood.

There’s a long pause. I’m about to lay my phone down, thinking she gets the hint and gave up, but then my phone buzzes.

K:
Have fun. Maybe I’ll see you around.

Yeah, maybe so. Fuck. She’s still holding on to her game.

J: Maybe so. Gotta go. Later.

This time, she doesn’t reply back.

A few days later, Timber springs it on me. We’re going out. I take her to Blaze knowing Kimber is here. I want to avoid Blaze, but Timber knows where her target is tonight, and I’m forced to take her to… Blast. Sick that she knows where to find Kimber, and me being the key to her revenge. I have to get my head in the game, and remember that
she
lied to me, continues to lie, and this will wake her up to the fact that I know I’ve been played. But it still feels very wrong, very fucked up.

I’m absolutely dreading what I have to do, what I’m forced to do next.

I’M DISTRAUGHT. MY
heart tells me Jax is done with me. I’m nobody special. He’s toyed with me like he’s done so many times before me.

The girls and I enter Blaze, and head into Blast. We needed a change of music and atmosphere.

After several drinks, Tiffany, Darcy, Sandy, Janice, Angela, Diana, Trena and I all head to the dance floor and pool in the center. We’re laughing, dancing, and getting a little wild. Bumping asses, twisting and throwing each other around, and then we mellow out as a slower song begins to play. The girls head toward the bar, but I stay back, wanting to be alone… to think. My mind wanders to my first encounter with Jax. How he sought me out, when he found me dancing at Muze, how he slipped in behind me, his hands gliding over my hips dragging me into him. His heated tone as he whispered the very explicit lyrics of
Closer
….

Shaking my head, to snap out of the Jax Nash cloud I’d so often found myself in, I glance at the people surrounding me on the floor. Most are couples embracing as they slowly sway to the music, then my eyes lock on…
him.
He’s with… another girl? I instantly feel sick as I notice his hand is on her lower back, and hers are wrapped around his neck, like they’re lovers. He brings his other hand around to rest in the same spot on her lower back and he glances over her shoulder, eyes locking with mine.

I should turn and walk away, but I can’t. My body locks in place, along with my eyes. There’s a glint in his eyes, but I’m not sure if it’s sorrow or amusement. I swallow hard to keep the tears at bay. My shock instantly shifts to anger when she turns around to see what has his attention.

“Oh my god.” It’s fucking Timber. But how… when… and why did
she
come back? She was supposed to be in Florida! And how the hell does she know Jax? Does it matter?

Jax whispers in her ear, releases her and she walks off the dance floor, but not without glancing back, at me, and smiles smugly before flitting off, getting swallowed into the crowd.

I turn to walk away, but Jax catches my arm and grips it tightly.

“Let me go, Jax. Go back to the trash you came in with,” I sneer.

“What? This wasn’t a part of your charade?” he quips.

“I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. Not yet.”

“Then when? When were you going to tell me who you
really
are? Enlighten me, please,” he snaps.

He’s being so cruel, the way he’s speaking to me, the tone of his voice. I can’t answer him. I would have told him, but it hadn’t been the right time.

“I… I couldn’t tell you. And if I did, in the beginning, you would never have given me a chance.”

“You don’t know that. You didn’t even know me. Our first encounter, you lied. You continue to lie
and
you didn’t stop there. All that shit about which dorm you live in, about not being able to go to the frat, and everything about you is all bullshit. How could I possibly trust you?”

“You don’t under—”

Jax cuts me off. “Why would you do this?” His voice is barely above a whisper, words harsh, and clipped. “Do you have any idea what position you’ve put me in? With your brother, with the fraternity, and now with the
real
Timber?”

He’s waiting for me to comment, but I can’t, not when there’s a lump forming in the back of my throat.

“Fine. Don’t answer me. I can’t date you anymore. Now that I know who you are. Do you have any fucking idea what your brother will do if he finds out you were the girl? Fucking hell, Tim… Kim… Kimber?” He lets out a hard low chuckle.

I can’t help it. A tear escapes and tumbles down my cheek. “You don’t get it. My… my brother, he wouldn’t—”

“When I walk away, you remember you did this, not me. We can’t be together. This is the end. End of us, end of the lie. If you tell your brother, be sure to tell him the truth, or I will.” Jax turns and pushes through the crowd, leaving me a hot mess. I want to leave. I won’t be able to stomach the sight of him with…
her
!

I stay at Blast for a while, but only because I don’t want to ruin the evening for my friends. They’re all having a blast, all with their new guys… who have just arrived, apparently.

I see Jax several times throughout the evening—a few times with the bitch, Timber, and other times alone.

It’s too much. I can’t stay here any longer. I don’t want to ruin the night for the girls, but eventually, one of them will notice Jax… with
her,
and they’ll all freak out and ask questions I don’t feel like answering.

I could hail a cab, but I’m so depressed that I decide to walk home.

THIRTY MINUTES OF
walking. Ug. What was I thinking? I give up and hail a cab. The cab driver is too chummy, too chatty and happy and god. I’ve never been happier to be home as I slip out of the cab after paying the fee.

After numbly stepping into my room, I strip down to my panties and don’t bother putting on a cami. I fall into bed and stare at the ceiling.

I’m so close, so close to drifting off when my cell phone buzzes.

Shit.
It’s a text from Tiffany. I forgot to tell her I’d left the bar.

Tiffany:
Ohmigod! What is going on? Where the hell are you? Jax just cornered me! He asks “You playing a game too?” And before I could answer, he shook his head and stormed off! What. Is. Going. On?

Me:
I’m so sorry. You have no idea. I left. I’m at home. I’m calling you right now so answer your phone.

She answers and I fill her in on the events she missed, no doubt she was all wrapped up in Vincenzo’s arms.

“Oh girl! I’m so sorry! You okay?”

“Yes. No. I’m hurt, and numb. But I’ll be okay. Call or text me tomorrow. I’m going to bed.”

“K, girl. Love you.”

I GUESS I’M
all about killing myself, make that my heart because I’d never actually
kill
myself over Jax, or any guy.

My brother invited the girls and I to their fraternity house to party. Guess Kolby’s not worried about Jax wanting me, not after he’s most likely witnessed Jax with
her.
So back to the invite… Of course, we go. For Sandy, mostly. Maybe she’s the key? If she gets Kolby to a point, which I think she can, that point where he’s all ‘I gotta have her’ then maybe he’ll forget about his retarded oath. If I’m off limits to his ‘brothers’ then my friends are off limits to him. That’s only fair, right?

I’m sorely disappointed when I see the bitch is here. I can’t believe she was invited. I catch Jax whispering in Timber’s ear… then he eyes me, winks, and makes his way toward me, dragging her along with him.

My heart skitters before it sinks.

“Timber, this is my friend, Timber. Funny there’d be two of you.” The look in Jax’s eyes tells me everything I feared. He’s over me, us, if there ever was an us.

My heart sinks further.

“Yeah, we’re well acquainted,” Timber sneers. “Her name is not Timber, it’s Kimber, as in Kolby’s kid sister.”