Beware of Bad Boy Read online

  “I’m not,” I told him. Truthfully, I really wasn’t sorry at all. Josh suffocated me with his attention and possessiveness. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, the weight of a smothering ex-boyfriend.

  His expression transformed from nervous to relieved. “I know this is kind of soon, but I was wondering if maybe you’d want to go out with me after the game on Friday night?”

  Hearing an obnoxious giggle, I turned my head around to see Caleb and that idiot girl leaning into each other in a flirtatious manner. I spun back to the guy next to me. “That sounds like fun, Seth.”

  His shocked face made me smile. Seth reached out for my hand. “Thank you.”

  “What?” I asked, laughing. Did he just thank me for agreeing to go on a date with him?

  “Oh, I mean, I’ll meet you in the parking lot after the game,” he rushed to say, blushing.

  “Okay, see you later,” I responded, entering my first class. I’d never thought of Seth in a romantic way before and I hoped I didn’t regret going out with him. I hadn’t foreseen him asking me out, being Josh’s friend and all. I probably would’ve said no, but seeing Caleb flirting with another girl after the weekend we just had made me jealous as hell. So, I figured, why not?

  My first few classes were a nightmare. News spread fast about me and Josh breaking up. I’d had three more guys ask me out already. I declined by saying I was already dating someone new. Hopefully news would spread just as fast about me being off the market again. A lot of girls liked Josh so he was probably going through the same thing.

  Hurrying to third period across the building, I felt someone grab me from behind and pull me out of a set of doors leading to football field. As I was pushed up against the brick wall, I saw it was Josh who’d yanked me out of the building.

  “What are you doing, Josh?” I yelled at him, getting scared at the hostility in his eyes.

  “I should be the one asking that,” he gritted out. “What’s this I hear that you’re already dating someone new, Gianna? Since when? Were you cheating on me the entire time?”

  I fought against his hold, but he was too strong. “No, of course not. And I’m not really dating anyone else yet. I have a date Friday night, that’s all.”

  He pushed his body harder against mine. “With who?”

  “None of your business!” I tried pushing back against him, alarm flashing through me, but couldn’t move.

  He squeezed my jaw roughly with one hand and planted his lips onto mine. His tight grip was hurting my face and I couldn’t help crying. “Shh, don’t cry, baby. I’m sorry. It’s just that I love you so much and the thought of you with someone else drives me fucking insane. Tell me you won’t be with anyone else, baby.”

  Not wanting to antagonize him, but refusing to get back together, I told him, “We’re not getting back together, Josh.”

  His face turning red, he grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me against the wall. I cried out from the pain of hitting my back and head against the brick. “Don’t say that!” he screamed at me.

  I started crying harder because he was still hurting me. “Please let go of me, Josh!”

  He swooped in for another kiss, but I turned my face to the side and his lips met my cheek. Enraged, he slammed me against the wall again, but the doors suddenly opened and a P.E. class filed out. He released me at once and I took the opportunity to run away from him and around the building. I didn’t stop until I reached Caleb’s car in the parking lot. Checking the doors, they were locked, so I circled around to the other side of the car and crouched down against the side of it. I was worried Josh would come looking for me and I didn’t want him to find me if he did.

  I pulled out my cell from the front of my backpack and sent Caleb a text.

  Me: Can you give me a ride home?

  I was relieved when he answered immediately.

  Caleb: Right now?

  Me: Yes PLEASE!

  Caleb: Ok meet me at my car

  No problem, I thought to myself. I still sat against the side of his car when he showed up. “What are you doing down there?”

  I quickly wiped my face with my hand and said nonchalantly, “Just waiting for you.”

  “Why were you crying?”

  “I wasn’t crying,” I denied, then changed the subject, “Hey, if you don’t want to miss class, I can just take your car and pick you up after school.”

  “When did you get the impression I gave a fuck whether or not I missed class?” His hazel eyes still roved over my face, taking in what I was sure were red eyes and blotchy cheeks. “Come on, get in the car.”

  I had to circle the car again to the passenger side. Once we were out of the parking lot and on the street, he demanded, “Tell me why you were hiding on the side of my car, crying.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty.”

  -Edmund Burke

  CALEB

  When Gianna ignored me, I repeated, “Tell me why you were crying.”

  “It was nothing,” she stalled.

  “If it was nothing, then why do you need to go home?” I continued to interrogate her ruthlessly.

  “I just had a fight with Josh,” she finally admitted, leaning her head against the window dejectedly.

  I’d met plenty of guys like Josh before. I knew the type and I wanted a full explanation. “Tell me, Gianna, or I’m just going to turn this car right around, pull him out of whatever class he has right now and beat the shit out of him.”

  She looked alarmed by my threat. “You can’t do that!”

  “I can and I will, if you don’t tell me.” I made sure to look her straight in the eyes so she could tell how serious I was.

  She sighed in resignation. “Fine, I was walking to third period when he pulled me outside and demanded to know if I was seeing someone new.”

  Her eyes avoiding mine gave her away. “Gianna, what are you leaving out?”

  She glanced down at her hands and said softly, “Um, he yelled at me and kissed me a couple times and slammed me against the wall a of couple times.” She lifted her head with new tears in her eyes and her bottom lip trembling.

  I screeched over to the side of the road and she jumped in her seat in alarm. Unbuckling her seatbelt, I pulled her in for a hug. She rested her head against my shoulder and I reached up to feel a bump on the back of her head. He was going to pay for this.

  “It’s okay now. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  She drew back to look into my face. “What are you going to do?”

  “Beat his ass next time I see him.”

  “What if he wins? I don’t want you to get beat up.” She was so cute.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t. What did you tell him when he asked if you were seeing someone new?” Brushing the hair back from her forehead, I kissed her red nose.

  “I told him I wasn’t actually dating anyone new yet since our first date isn’t until Friday.”

  Shit! Did she think we were dating? “Who exactly are you going on a date with?”

  “Seth.”

  “Who the hell is Seth?” I practically yelled at her, making her flinch.

  “Seth Nichols. You’ve met him, right? He sits at the same table at lunch as you do. Just at the other end by where Josh and I usually sit.”

  I finally realized who she was talking about and had to admit myself it was jealousy I was feeling. “What about your plans to have sex with Jared?”

  Her expression turned guarded. “Oh, Jared is Saturday night. Seth is Friday night.”

  “Will you be fucking Seth also?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  She pinched my stomach hard. “Don’t be an ass, Caleb, of course not. I mean, at least not yet. But you never know what will happen in the future. I figure, once I lose my virginity and get that out of the way, everything will change.” The sly look in her beautiful blue eyes worried me.

  “What do you mean?” I asked her, not
knowing if I wanted the answer.

  “Well, look how miserable I’ve been in the past and look how happy you are with the way you live your life. I want to be a player like you. From now on, I don’t even want to hear the word boyfriend because it’s a new bad word in my dictionary, the B-word. Just think of me as your protégé!” She seemed delighted at the prospect.

  Jesus Christ, what had I done? I’d turned an innocent girl into a female player! There had to be a way to prevent this all from happening. But who was I to scold her about it? She was just following my example.

  GIANNA

  Oh my god! This was hilarious. I could totally tell Caleb was freaking out in his head. His eyes weren’t even focused anymore. I couldn’t believe he was buying it! Like I was just going to go whoring around for the fun of it! When I finally had sex for the first time, I wanted it to mean something. Maybe his way of thinking about sex was so ingrained that he could easily imagine someone else adopting the same attitude.

  Without a word, he buckled me back in and drove us home. The house was quiet with my mom and Scott at work and Chance at school. Fortunately, we wouldn’t have to answer any awkward questions about what we were doing home in the middle of the school day.

  Caleb finally spoke again when we entered the house. “You know, this is number ten on the list, ditch school. This isn’t really your first time ditching is it?” The way he said it, he made me sound lame.

  “It’s the first time without my mom’s permission,” I informed him. “But, I’ll probably have her excuse this one. I’ll tell her I wasn’t feeling good.”

  “It doesn’t count if you do that. Plus, to ditch school and only go home is lame. Some other time we’re going to do it right.”

  “Should we go back to school then?” I asked, not keen on the idea.

  “No, we’ll stay here and watch a movie or something.”

  “Sure, but I get to pick it,” I announced and headed over to the DVD collection in the living room. I took out 28 Days Later and put it on.

  After I pushed play on the remote, Caleb asked, “You like zombie movies?”

  “I love zombie movies, but this isn’t a zombie movie. The people in this movie have The Rage virus.”

  “Whatever,” he replied indifferently.

  I glared at him. “You don’t have to sound so excited.”

  “Okay, I won’t.” He grinned at me in a way I was starting to like. “What if I get scared, Gianna? Are you going to hold me?”

  My first thought was to call him a wimp, but then I thought better of it. I was supposed to be playing the part of player protégé. Instead, I scanned his body and finally settled my eyes on his crotch. “Where exactly would you like me to hold you?”

  His mouth dropped open in shock. He was about to say something but closed it. Caleb’s gaze took in my own body. “Princess, you’re asking for trouble.”

  I blanked out my face. “Would it be like a lesson of some sort?”

  His eyes clouded over for a moment as if he was going through some sort of internal debate. “I don’t think that’s a lesson you need to learn yet.”

  I shrugged carelessly. “Whatever, I guess I’ll learn it soon enough.”

  Going into the kitchen, I searched for something for us to eat and drink. When I returned to the living room, Caleb was laying down on the couch, so I sat in front of him on the floor, with my back against the couch.

  Soon after the movie started, Caleb began playing with my hair. I couldn’t help remarking, “I wonder what my mom would do if I dyed it black.”

  “Probably dye it back to dark blonde while you’re sleeping. Don’t dye it, though, I like it this color.” The compliment made me all happy inside, which was stupid.

  I turned around to ask him why he liked the color and he leaned forward to capture my lips with his. As usual, I kissed him back, prompting him to pull me up onto the couch with him. Sucking his bottom lip into my mouth, I luxuriated in his taste. He groaned, pushing his hips up against mine. His own lust fueled mine. I was kissing his neck when I got to where I gave him a hickey yesterday. A giggle slipped through my lips.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked playfully.

  I sat up, looking down at him. “I guess the hickey didn’t work. It didn’t stop that slutty girl this morning from throwing herself at you.”

  “No it didn’t. Actually, I have a date Friday night, too.”

  “What?” I shouted while jumping off of him. I was incredibly pissed now. Maybe I didn’t have a reason to be mad, since I had a date also, but he started it! He was flirting with that girl before I agreed to the date with Seth. If he hadn’t been, I may have turned Seth down.

  “What’s wrong? Jealous?” he taunted.

  “No, I would never be jealous of a guy like you. Who was that girl anyways? What’s her name?”

  His eyebrows drew together in concentration. “You know, I actually can’t remember her name. She did put her number in my phone, so I guess it’s in there.”

  “You know you’re horrible, right?” I was in twisted awe of him. It was incredible what a player he was. I’d think the guy deserved a medal if it didn’t irritate me so much.

  “Hey, I thought you wanted to be just like me?”

  Dammit, I’d forgotten about that. “You know what? You’re right. Jeez, I suck at this player thing.” An idea came to me. “I have a great idea! How about we all go out on a double date Friday?”

  “A double date?” he repeated skeptically.

  “Yes, a double date. How better for me to learn from the master?”

  “A double date?” He appeared to be having trouble with the concept.

  “Just say yes,” I ordered him.

  “Um . . . yes?” His gorgeous face showed evident pain at the idea.

  Good, I thought to myself. I was going to ruin his stupid date. He thought he could keep kissing me and still mess around with other girls. I didn’t think so. I mean, what the hell? He kissed me and then was like, oh by the way, I already have plans to be kissing some other girl on Friday and I don’t even know her name.

  Screw that!

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Love is the attempt to form a friendship inspired by beauty.”

  -Marcus Tullius Cicero

  CALEB

  Seething over Josh attacking Gianna, I was in my room later that night drawing a comic strip of me hitting him with my car. The impact was hard enough that his body parts were strewn across the road. As I drove away in the last picture, my back tire went over his head, squashing it. He obviously hadn’t learned his lesson Friday night, so I’d have to teach him another one. I didn’t ever want to see Gianna hurt again and I couldn’t be with her all the time at school, so the lesson would have to be a good one.

  I needed to learn a lesson of my own and stop kissing her all the time. I couldn’t seem to help myself with her. She was so beautiful and fun to be around. Too bad she was a virgin and my stepsister. That made her double off-limits.

  The double date she’d talked me into for Friday seemed like a bad idea. Who did that other than cheesy people on sitcoms? How was I going to get any action with Gianna there? I especially didn’t want to be around her and that Seth guy while they were on a date. I hadn’t talked to him yet, but if he was Josh’s friend maybe I wouldn’t approve. Maybe it was a good thing we’d all be hanging out on Friday, so I could keep an eye on him. It was unreal that she already had a date with another guy. She just broke up with Josh this past weekend.

  As for her plans to sex with Jared on Saturday, that wouldn’t be happening. I’d stick by her side and not let her out of my sight all weekend. It was no hardship hanging out with her anyways.

  With music playing, lying back on my bed, I got an idea for the first part of Josh’s lesson. Eager to make him pay, I changed my clothes and slipped on shoes. Leaving my room, I lightly knocked on Gianna’s door. She opened it wearing just boy shorts and a tank top. Damn, I wanted to fuck her. Gianna deserved to be made
love to and I didn’t think I had it in me.

  She snapped her fingers in my face. “Caleb! What do you want?”

  With great effort, I dragged my gaze away from the bit of skin showing above her waistband. “Oh, um, get dressed.”

  “Where are we going?”

  Trying not to leer at her cleavage, I told her, “On a field trip, my apprentice. Wear black.”

  She shut the door on me and emerged less than a minute later wearing black leggings and a hoodie. We quietly went down the stairs and out the front door.

  In my car, I asked her, “So, where does Josh live?”

  She twisted in her seat, her eyes wide. “What are you going to do?”

  “You mean, what are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to beat him up together?” she guessed, eyes going impossibly wider.

  “As romantic as that sounds, princess, we aren’t even going to see him. Now, where does he live?” She supplied me with directions and I parked my car a few houses down from his ten minutes later. Reaching into my backseat, I picked up the shopping bag which still had the cans of spray paint. There would be just enough left.

  “Oh my god, we aren’t going to do what I think we are, are we?”

  “See, you’re already learning from me.” Opening my glove compartment, I took out a black beanie. I placed it on Gianna’s head, hiding some of her dark blonde hair. “There, now you look like an adorable little robber.”

  Josh’s truck was black, so we only used the white, aqua blue and hot pink paint. The truck was parked in the driveway, with the driver side closest to the front door, so we painted the passenger side. When he got into his truck the following morning, he probably wouldn’t even see what we’d done. We gathered up the cans when we were finished and put them back in the shopping bag.

  Once we were back in my car and driving away, Gianna busted up laughing. “I can’t believe we did that! He’s going to freak! Oh no, what if he figures out it was us?”

  “Don’t worry, princess, I’ll take care of him,” I assured her, turning up the radio.