To Love a Player (4 page)

He nodded slightly, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. He shut my door behind me and scratched his head as he walked around to his side. The engine roared as we pulled out and he drove to a gas station to buy water for my car.

4

Mollie

After filling the radiator, I started my car, but it didn't want to start. I cursed loudly, punching the steering wheel, causing the horn to honk. I got out, slamming my door shut behind me and kicked the side, forgetting that I was wearing my gray pumps. I yelped in pain, hopping around on one foot before limping around trying to walk it off.

Callen took all of this in, leaned up against my car, with his arms crossed and an amused expression on his face. I shot him a glare as I braced myself against my car and took off my shoe to inspect my toe. It was red, but not bleeding, that was good.

Callen was kneeling in front of me at once, holding my foot in his palm. I grimaced as he ran my thumb over it to make sure that it wasn't broken. Even though a sharp pain caused me to wince, I had a feeling that it wasn't broken, I had just stubbed it. He held my foot gently as he looked up at me and said, "It doesn't feel like it's broken, but you're going to have a nasty bruise from where you stubbed it. I have a first aid kit in my Jeep, I'll see if it has any tape."

I sucked in a breath when he placed my foot gently down, my toe was throbbing. He jogged over to the back of his jeep, returning with the small white roll of tape. After taping my big toe next to the two toes next to it, he slipped my shoe on slowly. I smiled gratefully at him as I put my foot down. The toe still hurt, but I could at least stand without feeling like it was burning.

"Thanks," I said softly and he nodded, giving me a soft smile. He took out my keys and locked my car, then offered his hand out to me. I took it, letting him lead me to his jeep. He helped me in and said, "I have a friend who works on cars, I'll call him and have him tow it for you. He owes me a favor so it should be cheap, but he'll get it fixed."

"Thank you," I said and he smiled as he shut the door. I watched him whip out his cell phone and talk into it. I heard my cell phone ring in my purse and when I pulled it out, I saw that it was Ben. I answered it and said, "Hey."

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry that I didn't answer earlier, where are you?" he asked, sounding apologetic. I sighed, "I'm on Tree Hill Road, but I'm on my way back."

Callen gave me a curious look when he got in. I faced the window as I heard Ben say, "I feel like a horrible boyfriend, I should have been there for you. I've been trying to reach you for the past hour, but you didn't answer so I was worried. I almost called in a search party."

I smiled sweetly into the phone as I murmured, "See? You are not a horrible boyfriend. I had a little help from a friend, so I'm fine and I'll be back in a few minutes. Meet me at the party, ok?"

I noticed Callen watching me with a pained expression on his face. He looked away quickly when our eyes met and started the jeep. I sighed softly as I looked out the window and heard Ben say, "Okay, I'll wait out front. I love you."

"I love you too," I said softly as I hung up the phone. I noticed Callen's finger grip the steering wheel slightly before relaxing. He appeared to be having some kind of inner debate going on, so I sighed and looked out the window. I was having my own inner debate. Earlier today, I couldn't stand the guy, but tonight, I held his hand and almost kissed him. The kiss on the cheek was nothing but a thank you.

I took in a deep breath, as I listed in my head why I could not start liking Callen. The three biggest reasons it just wasn't possible was, first of all, I was in love with Ben and was committed to him. Secondly, I was working for Callen's sister, how weird would that be? And last but most certainly not least, Callen was a known player, despite his behavior tonight.  That pretty much sunk any feelings that surfaced. I decided that once I stepped out of his jeep at the party, I would avoid him until it came time to move into the guest house and after that, I would try to avoid him at all costs.

We pulled around the corner to where we could hear the music pounding in the street from the frat house. He parked the jeep and glanced over at me. I reached out and touched his hand as I said, "Thank you for your help tonight."

He nodded, removing his hand from under mine and got out. I watched as he started walking towards the house and realized that nice and sweet Callen had faded away into jerk Callen. Rolling my eyes, I got out of his car and followed him silently. I stopped when I saw Ben look from Callen to me and a hard expression crossed his face, which meant that I could only assume that Callen had shot him a cocky smirk as he approached.

"What were you doing with him?" Ben asked angrily, crossing his arms and glaring at me. My eyes flashed to Callen, who shrugged with a huge smirk on his face as he disappeared into the house. The anger from earlier in the day returned as I shot a glare in the space he had just occupied. Ben cleared his throat, his eyebrows raised in expectation. I focused my anger back to Ben, after all he was the one who sent me to voicemail the five times that I called him.

"He was the one who stopped by to help me out tonight," I seethed back. I didn't like the assumption he was forming in his head, even though there was a glimmer of truth to it. Ben's face fell slightly as he wrapped his arms around me, I stiffened in his grasp. Something was different, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

"I'm sorry, Molls," he said, kissing my forehead. "I just saw him get out of his car, flashing me a huge smirk and I jumped to conclusions."

I relaxed as I kissed him softly. I ignored the small voice that pointed out the missing sparks that I had with Callen. He deepened the kiss, picking me up, holding me close to him. He pulled back and asked, "Do you want to stay here or go back to my place?"

I gave him a knowing look as I replied, "Now that's a silly question." He leaned in, giving me another kiss before releasing me. He took my hand and we walked away to his car, all thoughts of Callen were gone from my mind.

I was having a hard time getting into the partying mood. I was even turning away girls who instantly flocked to me when I walked in the door. I slammed back another shot when I found myself looking around the crowded room for her. I hadn't seen her since I left her on the sidewalk with her pissed off boyfriend. I was pleased because I was the reason he was pissed. When I walked towards him, I saw the surprised look in his eyes so I gave him the impression that she and I had done something. I only feel a little guilty about it and I hope that he trusted her enough to know that nothing happened. Maybe tomorrow, I'll call him and tell him the truth.

"Why the long face, Callen?" a female voice purred in my ear. I flashed her a quick smile as I said, "Oh no reason."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, grinding her hips against me as she started pulling me into a seductive dance. Ah hell, I thought as I grabbed a cup of beer out of some guy's hand. I slammed it to chase away Mollie's disapproving gray blue eyes that were flashing in my head and focused on the hot blonde who was all but offering herself to me on the makeshift dance floor. I slammed my lips against hers and kissed her deeply, pushing her thrusting hips against me. It didn't take long for me to find an empty room and try to push the thoughts of Mollie out of my mind.

***

I could barely see Mollie's name on my phone as I pushed her speed dial number. She didn't know that I had taken her phone while she went to the bathroom at the diner. I had used it to send a text my phone so I could get her number, and then I erased the text so she didn't know that I did it. It was wrong, but hey it's her fault, she told me to call her when I was too drunk to drive and right now, I was too drunk to move.

Her phone rang three times before I heard her sweet voice mumbled, "Hello?"

"Mollie, how are you?" I asked, my words were slurring and I realized that she probably didn't know who it was, so I said, "It's Callen, your cocky ass friend. Which, by the way, is very mean to think of me that way, especially when I think you're beautiful."

"Callen, what do you want? Do you even know what time it is?" she asked, her tired voice angry. I heard a guy's voice in the background and heard her muffled whisper as she apologized to him. Jealousy sparked through my body and I said, "You're with someone else?"

"Of course, I am, Callen. I have a boyfriend, remember?" she huffed. "I'm hanging up now."

"No, wait!" I said quickly and paused to see if she had. I heard a soft sigh and let out a breath, thankful that she hadn't. "I need you."

"What? Why?" she asked, whispering. I whined, "Because I'm drunk and you told me to call you if I was too drunk to drive home and it's your fault that I'm drunk."

I heard her sigh in frustration and ask, "How is it my fault that you're drunk? I didn't dump the alcohol down your throat."

"Yes, but it's your fault because you're in my mind and I can't get you out. I thought if I drank enough that you would disappear, but nope, that didn't work. I thought hooking up with three girls tonight would do it, but nope, you're still hanging out in my brain." I confessed and she said in a hushed whisper, "I'm glad that you thought of me as you were hooking up with other girls."

"Seriously?" I asked surprised, and she let out a frustrated groan as she scoffed, "No! That's disgusting! And I'm a little weirded out that you are thinking of me at all."

"You haven't thought about me tonight?" I asked, my heart sinking in my chest. Why was I so emotional over this girl? She didn't answer right away and a spark of hope flashed in my heart. She sighed, "Callen, good night. Sleep this off wherever you are and forget about me. I have a boyfriend and soon, I'll be your roommate, so it will never work."

"Mollie, I think I love you." I said, then slapped myself. I couldn't believe I just said that and I was even more surprised that I only halfway meant it. I heard the phone beep, meaning that she ended the call and I collapsed back down onto the bed. Sleep, that's what I needed.

I crawled back into bed, snuggling up closer to Ben. My mind was reeling from Callen's confession, even though I knew that he was so drunk that he didn't really mean it. I tried to push it out of my mind as Ben wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to him.

"What did he want?" he asked, his voice angry. I sighed, shrugging my shoulder dismissively as I replied, "He was drunk and wanted me to come and get him."

"Why would you do that?" Ben asked, pulling away, looking at me with his eyebrows narrowed in question. I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Because I told him that he needed to call me if he was too drunk to drive home earlier when we were talking about the roommate ground rules. I guess he thought that I meant I would start getting him now."

Ben let out a frustrated sigh as he rolled onto his back. I perched up on my elbow and traced along the outline of his abs. He grabbed my hand and stopped me. I sighed, "Ben, you have nothing to worry about."

"I know, but you know what he's like." Ben said, giving me a stern look. He was not happy about the idea of me living in the same house as Callen. He was so excited about hearing that I got the job, but when I told him about living with Callen--let's just say that it wasn't pretty.

"I know what he's like, yes, and I haven't fallen for it yet. I'm not running off to pick him up, nor am I lying in his bed." I countered and moved so that I was straddling him. I put my hands above his shoulders and looked deep in his brown eyes as I said, "I love you and you can trust me."

I leaned down and kissed him as he pulled me closer to him, deepening the kiss. After a quick lovemaking session, we fell back asleep wrapped up in each other.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. Sitting up, I found a note next to my pillow that explained that Ben went to get breakfast and would be back soon. I smiled as I got out of bed and pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from my stash in his dresser. Ben had an off campus apartment that he shared with his best friend, Mike, whom he'll live with in Boston.

We had celebrated both my new job and his internship last night. I was so excited for him because it's what he really wanted. He was hoping that this would lead him to a permanent job at Premier Designs when he graduates next Spring. I was so proud of him for getting the internship because I knew that he worked so hard for it and he wanted it so badly he could taste it.

I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail and wandered out into the living room. Mike was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal. He waved at me with his spoon when he saw me. I smiled back him, shaking my head and went into their small kitchen to make some coffee. While I waited for it to brew, I got down three mugs and pulled the creamer out of the fridge. Mike appeared in the doorway and said, "Good morning, Molls Dolls."