“And this one too.” She scrolled to another photo of Jack smiling while closing the door behind his new friend.
I fought off the heat rising in my body. “It looks like him.” I sniffed in dismissal and forced myself to hold it together while I walked away with my head held high.
The sound of giggling echoed in my ears as I forced back the tears that burned in my eyes. I refused to let the mean girls see me crumble.
I strode toward Dean, my gaze burning holes through him. “What was that?” he asked when I got close enough to hear.
I dropped into a seat at their table. “That was a picture of some chick walking into Jack’s hotel room.” My eyes began blurring from the tears that threatened to fall. “And then another one of him closing the door behind her. Did I mention the smile plastered all over his face?”
“No way.” Dean shook his head.
“Yes, way.” Unease quickly spread throughout my body, making itself at home. “ Fuck. I’m such an idiot.”
Dean put his hands on top of mine and squeezed. “Maybe they’re old?”
“What are you talking about?” I yanked my hands away.
“There are a lot of pictures of Jack and other girls out there, Cass. Maybe they’re old?” He shrugged.
I winced, suddenly feeling vulnerable in my surroundings as the mean girls watched me greedily like coyotes from several tables away.
“Jack wouldn’t do that to you.” Melissa attempted to reassure my splintering ego.
“I wouldn’t go that far.” I choked out the words, my tone cold.
Melissa frowned at me with annoyance. “Why would you say that?”
“Because she knows my brother.” Dean glanced at Melissa before looking back at me. “And she’s waiting for him to screw up because he keeps telling her he’s going to.”
“Well, for the record, I want it noted that I don’t believe it. Not for one second,” Melissa said with confidence.
“I don’t either.” Dean gave me a soft smile.
“Well, it was definitely Jack in those pictures. And the shirt he was wearing was packed in his bag. I saw it the other night.” I could no longer hold back the tears as they rolled slowly down my cheeks. Refusing to allow my tears to be fodder for the mean girls’ gossip, I rose from the table and darted into the bathroom.
Once I was safely behind the locked stall door, I let the teardrops fall. My heart ached inside my battered chest. I felt stupid and embarrassed for letting Jack Carter ever get close to me.
A knock on the stall door caused my breath to catch. “Cass?” Melissa asked in a soft voice. Without a word, I unlocked the latch and she pushed the door open. She took one look at my tear-stained face before grabbing me in her arms.
Hugging my best friend only made the tears fall harder. “Why would he do this? I don’t understand.”
“Cassie, I’m not trying to be a bitch, but you’re really jumping to conclusions here.”
“You’d do the same thing if you were suddenly dating the one guy who’d never dated anyone before.” I winced, my head pounding in time with my heartbeat.
“I know it looks bad, but didn’t he call you last night?”
“So what? He calls and texts me all the time. Doesn’t mean he can’t hook up with some girl after we get off the phone. Doesn’t mean he can’t send me a text while some random chick is in his room.” The logic made perfect sense to me.
“That’s true, Cass, but I just think you should give him a chance to explain.”
“Explain that I’ve been a complete idiot? That I got played by the biggest player on campus? You even warned me about him.” I buried my head in my hands, my chest literally aching with each breath I took.
“But I was wrong. I mean, I wasn’t wrong that he was a jerk to all those other girls. But he’s not that way with you. You know that, Cassie. There has to be some sort of explanation.”
“Why are you defending him?” I glared at her through my sobs.
“Because I see the way he looks at you. And I hear the way he talks about you.” Melissa’s forehead creased in sympathy.
“I don’t want to look like a fool in front of everyone! Those girls with those pictures…” I paused to gasp a sob. “I’m mortified. Do you know how embarrassing that was?”
“Those girls got exactly what they wanted. They don’t care about you. They’re so freaking fucking bitter that you’re the one with Jack that they’ll do and say anything to tear you two apart. Can’t you see that?” Melissa tried to reason with me, her voice tinged with disappointment.
But nothing she said made me feel any better. I couldn’t get the image of Jack’s smiling face as he ushered the girl inside that hotel room out of my head. It was simply that easy to make me question everything and assume the worst.
“I have to go.” I pushed past Melissa and stormed out the bathroom door.
My mind didn’t stop racing until I got to our apartment and crashed on top of my bed. I begged my brain to shut off and pleaded for my body to find some peace in sleep. The sound of my cell phone beeping startled me. I glanced at the screen, which read One new text message from Jack. My stomach dropped as I read his name. I pressed the Read button. Heading off to the field. Call you after the game. Miss you like crazy.
I didn’t respond.
I couldn’t.
My stomach twisted into pretzel-like knots as my heart yearned for the truth. I curled my body into a ball, clutching a pillow tightly as the pounding in my head resumed. Closing my eyes, I reached for an escape.
The sound of my ringtone blared loudly from the floor, waking me from a dream-free slumber some time later. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand, its red numbers alerting me that almost four hours had passed.
My phone continued blaring the music I’d picked out for Jack’s calls.