“What about this one? I’ll buy it for you. It’s a good place to start your sexual adventures.”
“I’m good, but thanks anyway, Keely.”
She pouts but puts it back on the shelf a little too easily. “Zoe, I’ve been thinking.”
“Can we check out before you lay it on me?”
“No, because you’ll try to walk home or get out of the car. For once, I want you to listen to me.”
“I’m listening. The whole store is listening.”
“Nobody cares, Zo. Anyway, you’re a senior in college. Think about that—all the guys at your disposal each and every day. But you haven’t given a single one a shot, and I know for a fact that there have been guys who have shown interest.”
“Nobody has ever asked me out, Keely.”
“Because you brush them off before they have a chance. Yes, this is college, and this is where we’re supposed to learn our craft that will keep us from being unemployed in the future, just like Mom and Dad have told us a million times, but this is also an experience life will only give us once. This is a period of time you’ll never get to do over again—and you’ve missed out on nearly all of the parties, all the guys, and most of the fun.”
“I’ve had fun.”
“Bullshit. You study until your nerdy meter is full enough and then you go to bed. Face it, you’re boring, Zoe.”
“So what? Maybe my dream job means more to me than getting drunk and making out.”
“But you’re missing the point. It’s all a part of life. My grades might never be as good as yours, but where you have book smarts, I have street smarts. They’re both valuable, and you can’t shut certain parts out just because they’ll take away from class.”
“It’s been working pretty well for me so far.”
“On paper, it has, but I knew you’d disagree with me. That’s why I’ve put a plan in place.”
“Your plans always end up with me embarrassing myself. I’m not interested.”
“This one is different. It’s not going to end up with you on a roof, underdressed, or throwing up. I’ve apologized for all those things.”
It’s no secret her bright ideas are always at my expense. “How so?”
“Unless you can find him on your own, which I’ll give you a little time to do, I have someone for you to date.”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“I haven’t. I’m not looking for the guy you’re going to marry. I’m searching for the one who is going to toss you around in bed and hopefully break your heart. And you’ll have a blast making those memories. It’ll also make the one you end up with that much better.”
“I don’t think I have to do all that to realize I’m with someone worth having.”
“What’s the saying? You have to kiss a few toads before you meet your prince.”
“That’s pretty much telling me to go slut it up. I don’t have time for all that.”
“Zoe, if you can make time for what’s most important in your life, you can make time for this. Next year, you’ll still be here because you picked the one profession that makes you stay in school most of your life. But I won’t be here. For the first time in our lives, we won’t be living in the same town.”
“You’ll make an awesome teacher, Keely. You’ll be able to spot the kids who are struggling better than any other teacher in the school.”
“There was no doubt I’ll be awesome, I’m just saying you need to rethink your plan. It’s not as perfect as you think. Maybe a family isn’t so glamorous right now, but you’re a family person.”
She has a point, and she’s not totally crazy. I’m not against the idea of getting married someday. I’d like to have a family—even kids. It’s the whole process of dating that weirds me out. The only guy I’ve ever felt comfortable around is Dylan.
“So you’re saying all I need to do is screw one random, so I’ll know what I’m doing when I do meet someone I want to date?”
“Yes, I’m encouraging you to pay attention to guys. But you should probably practice with more than one guy. After all, practice makes perfect.”
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’d do just about anything for my sister. “All I can give you is one right now. School still has to be my priority.”
“Okay, fine. But it has to be a solid effort. And you have to use some of the stuff in this store.”
Luckily, I’m standing next to a rack of condoms. I grab the first box I see and hold it up. “Ribbed for her pleasure. Will that work?”
Realizing I’ve beat her at her own game, she reluctantly nods. “They’ll do.”
The drive back to the dorms is quieter than I expected. But once Keely pulls up in front of mine, she’s quick to shove the bag of condoms she bought me in my hands. “Can’t forget those.”
“Of course not.”
I take them from her, shielding the bag tightly against my body. As I trudge up each step to get to my room, I’m taken back to the slutty outfit Keely bought for her sexcapades with Dylan. She can’t possibly expect me to act like that—it’s not me at all.
I’m not even halfway down the hall when I spot Dylan leaning against the door to my room. He smiles when he sees me, glancing at the bag in my hand. “I would have driven you to the store, Zoe. It’s too cold to walk.”
Cringing, I unlock the door as fast as I can. I can’t have a conversation with Dylan with a box of condoms in my hand. It’s wrong on so many levels. Only it doesn’t get any easier once I stash the bag in my closet. “I can’t hang out right now. I have to wash my hair.”
He stuffs his phone in his pocket and narrows his eyes. “Why are you acting weird?”
I run through a couple lies that he’d probably believe without question, but I don’t lie to Dylan—ever. He’s the one person in my life I trust unconditionally, and I’m not about to ruin his trust today or any other day. “It’s nothing, really. Boring, actually.”
“Zo, whatever it is, you can tell me. I can handle it.”
I suck at keeping secrets, especially ones about Keely seducing him, so before I lose the nerve, I let it out. “Keely wants to screw you and couldn’t figure out what’s holding you back. She took me to the adult store on Poplar Street. I’m probably scarred for life now that I saw everything she bought for the two of you, but those are the facts. Considering she’ll kill me for ruining her surprise, maybe you can keep this between the two of us. Just this once.”
Dylan listens to every word I say, but his reaction isn’t at all what I was expecting. Instead of boasting, laughing, or making fun of the way sex makes me cringe, all I get is a barely noticeable nod.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, sorry. You caught me off guard.”
“I won’t be offended if you want to leave. Sex is way more appealing than talking to me.”
He distracts himself with the candy dish on my desk, rooting around for his favorite kind. “I do have to get going, but it has nothing to do with Keely. I’ll see you after class this afternoon, okay?”
“Okay.” Before he’s gone, his name tumbles out of my mouth all on its own. “Dylan.”
He glances over his shoulder before turning around. “Yeah?”
He doesn’t look like a guy who’s about to get his world rocked. He looks like a guy who has a lot on his mind and doesn’t know what to do with it. Which is why I ask him, “Does Keely make you happy?”
“You make me happy, Zoe.”
CHAPTER TWO
Dylan
“Dylan, wait!” Keely yells down the hallway of Everett Hall.
I should have known better than to try to handle this here. If I were smart, I would have waited until we were alone so she could hand my ass to me without the eyes of a hundred other students on us.
“Not here, Keely,” I tell her with a frustrated sigh.
She latches onto my arm, digging her nails into my skin. “What is this? Nobody’s ever done
this to me before.”
I believe it because Keely is nothing short of a magician. She lures you in, gets you where she wants you, and then attacks. Only I’m not ready for that sort of assault—at least not with her.
Her hand trembles as she holds onto the note I wrote her because I was too chickenshit to look into her familiar eyes and tell her the truth. Turns out it wasn’t any easier on paper.
It’s why I have to word what I’m about to say in a way that won’t hurt her. That’s the last thing I want to do. I care about Keely, but I started dating her for all the wrong reasons. Reasons that have everything to do with Zoe. Plain and simple, I wanted to make Zoe jealous so she would see me as more than her friend. But by trying to get closer to one sister, I only hurt the other.
“I thought I could do this, but I can’t give you what you need. There’s better out there—a guy who will spoil you and love you the way you deserve.”
“But you’re a good guy, Dylan. When you asked me out, I said yes because you were the safe bet. I needed something easy for a change,” she admits with glossy tears in her eyes.
I hate that she only chose me because I was safe. She should choose a guy because she’s so into him, she can’t imagine another day without him. Not because she’s tired of failed relationships with guys who don’t treat her right.
“Not every guy is going to be a challenge. When you’re with the right one, it’ll be easy.”
“And I’m not the right one for you. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but you’re amazing. You’re smart, talented, bold, assertive. You can have anything you want in life, Keely. And you’ll get it.”
“I just can’t have you, though. Right?”
I hate telling her no, so I shake my head. “I’m sorry, Keely.”
“Does this sudden change of heart have to do with Zoe?”
For a minute, I think she’s on to me, but then I remember where they were this morning. “I was waiting for her when you dropped her off.”
“And she just had to go and ruin it for me. God forbid she let me have something I want.”
After hearing what Keely had planned for the two of us, I knew I couldn’t go through with this sham of a relationship any longer. Keely’s right, I’m not that kind of guy. I don’t play games for attention, and I don’t screw with girls’ hearts. It was wrong of me to assume Zoe would get so jealous that she’d ask me to stop seeing Keely. It was also wrong of me to pretend I cared about Keely when all I can think about is Zoe. I was with the wrong girl, and I’m done playing games that aren’t going to get me any closer to the one I’ve always wanted.
“She didn’t ruin anything for you. I’ve been feeling this way all along. I’m the one who did this, not her.”
I wait for her to yell at me and call me every name under the sun, but the tears I thought I saw in her eyes are gone. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad she’s taking it as well as she is, but Keely usually has a flair for the dramatics. Where Zoe hides her emotions, never letting anyone close enough to see her fall apart or explode from happiness, Keely lets hers fly. And then it hits me. “You want this, too, don’t you?”
She shrugs, her once shaky hands now steady. “It’s okay, Dylan. I get it. You wanted to try with me because you thought I was safe, too. And you needed someone safe to test the waters with.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, it’s okay if you’re gay. There’s nothing wrong with it. You’ve always been picky, and now it all makes sense.”
“Why would you think I’m gay?”
“Because you haven’t tried anything sexual with me—you break up with me as soon as you find out I’m about to dress up and rock your world. Face it, the idea of being with a woman terrifies you.”
Stunned stupid, I can’t come up with a single thing to say to her that would convince her I’m not the least bit attracted to men. It’s the worst thing I can do, though, because she mistakes my silence for an admission of guilt.
Reaching for my face, she strokes her thumb back and forth along my cheek. “I’m flattered you chose me, and I won’t tell Zoe. But I think you should. She’ll support you, too.”
Before I can say a word, she turns and walks away with her head held high. That’s exactly what I wanted for her, but I wasn’t expecting her to assume I’m batting for the other team.
I can promise you Dylan Turner isn’t gay. There’s no chance of it, considering I’ve been in love with my best friend since freshman year of high school. I’ve had Zoe on a pedestal from the day our paths crossed. Since then, nobody has ever come close to making me feel the way she does with one simple smile or her addicting laughter.
“Shit,” I hear her mutter as she tries to untangle herself from the volleyball netting inside the equipment closet. We’ve had a bunch of different student managers since I started playing in middle school, but Zoe’s never been one of them. I would have noticed her pretty face the second she walked into the gym.
She’s one of the few girls our age who makes glasses look hot. Hers are almost falling off her nose as she tries to get her arm free from the twisted net.
“Do you want some help with that?”
She turns her head so fast, the glasses I was just thinking about tumble off the tip of her nose and slide across the floor.
“Shit,” she says again, with more determination than the first time she spoke. Her swearing only makes me like her more.
Bending to pick them up for her, I smile when I catch a glimpse of her shoes. She’s wearing the same Chucks I am, only in red.
“Nice shoes,” I tell her as she takes her glasses from my hand, our fingers brushing ever so slightly. It’s enough to make my heart beat double-time. That’s when I notice she’s not wearing a bracelet like most of the other girls in our grade.
“Thank you, Dylan.”
“Didn’t realize you knew my name,” I blurt out like the overly excited idiot I’m trying not to be.
“I’m the manager. It’s my job to know the entire roster.”
“Makes sense.” I try to keep the disappointment out of my voice, but it’s impossible. As much as I don’t want her to be like all the other girls, I wouldn’t mind her trying to flirt like they do—to give me some kind of sign she might be as interested as I am.
“I’m glad it makes sense to you. I’m still wondering why I thought this whole managing thing was a good idea. Sports aren’t really my thing.”
“You don’t like volleyball?”
“Not really,” she admits freely, not even trying to pretend she enjoys the sport I play. “I’m here because it’ll look good on college applications. And in case you’re wondering, it’s as selfish as it sounds.”
I sit down next to her on a pile of mats, thankful when she doesn’t tell me to get lost. “I think it’s okay to be selfish from time to time, especially when you have a goal in mind.”
“You do?”
“Sure. You have good intentions, and from the looks of it, the only person you’re really hurting is yourself. Is your arm okay?”
“I’m fine, just got myself a little tangled up.”
She’s so pretty, I risk embarrassing myself. “Can I tell you a secret, Zoe?”
“How’d you know my name?” she asks softly.
“Because you stand out in a crowd. When I first saw you, I had to find out who you were.”
“Oh,” she whispers shyly. When she looks at me again, she smiles and asks, “Are you going to tell me your secret?”
I nod, my words getting lost as her sweet smile mesmerizes me. When I finally stop tripping over my own tongue, I tell her, “Between you and me, I only play volleyball because it’ll look good on college applications.”
“Really?” she asks with an even bigger smile on her face. I love that I put it there.
“Well, that and I’m freakishly tall for my age. I sucked at basketball, so here I am.”
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Eyeing me from head to toe, she seems to agree but says nothing. I’ve never met a girl of so few words. It’s now or never; I may never get another chance like this one to talk to her. So, even if I crash and burn, I go for it.
“Did you take your bracelet off?” I ask her cautiously.
She glances at her bare wrist. “No, I don’t have one.”
“But you’re helping clear out the gym for the dance tomorrow night, right?”
“Yeah, Coach Kelly said everything had to go.”
She sets me up perfectly, but I’ve never been this nervous to ask a girl out in my life. Probably because I’ve never felt the way I do when I’m around Zoe. “I was wondering if you’d like to go to the dance with me.”
“Me?” she asks as her cheeks turn a cute shade of pink.
“Why not you?”
“Um, I don’t know. I’ve never been asked to a dance before.”
“All the more reason for you to go with me.”
She plays with the netting in her hands, smiling shyly. “You really want to take me?”
“Of course I do.”
The invitation wouldn’t be official without the bracelet, so I reach into my pocket and pull out the string of candy that’s been there all day long.
Before I open the plastic wrapper, I look into her eyes, checking for any signs she’s about to stop me. When I don’t see anything other than happiness, I continue. “Zoe, will you be my date to the Sweetheart Dance?”
Her eyes fall to the candy, and though she looks like she wants it more than anything, she still hesitates. I couldn’t have read her wrong. I saw it.
“I wasn’t planning on going to the dance. My parents encourage me to focus on school. Boys really aren’t an option in our house, even though my sister sneaks around without them knowing.”
“Do you want to go?”
“Yes, I do, but I don’t even have a dress.”
“Tell your parents you’re going with a friend.” Even if I have to demote myself from potential boyfriend, it’ll be worth it.