Kissing the Player - Maggie Dallen Page 0,37

say about me, okay? You can try to protect me all you want, but no one gets why you’re even my friend, let alone why a loser like me was even invited to a party like this.”

“Simone, that’s not…no one thinks…you are not a loser.” I found myself sputtering to come up with a good defense and in return she just rolled her eyes and waved away my attempts to console her.

“Whatever. It’s what everyone thinks. Just like everyone thinks that Rose is too into herself to care what people say…” She eyed me meaningfully. “Or do.”

I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. “Fine. Point taken.”

Her whole body seemed to slacken as the intensity drained out of her, replaced once more by her normal laid-back ease. “So, you’ll do it?”

There was definitely a gloating tone to her voice.

“Do what?” I asked warily.

She smacked my arm. “You’ll try to get to know her before you do something too stupid to take back.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked. “Eavesdrop on her next therapy session? Read her diary?”

“Just talk to her,” Simone said.

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been talking to her,” I said, gesturing to the spot by the fire where Rose and I had been hanging out for the last hour.

“From the looks of it, you were talking,” she said pointedly. “But what did you learn about her?”

I opened my mouth to protest but shut it as a rush of embarrassment swept over me before I could stop it. Crap. She had a point. Rose had kept turning the conversation back to me, and I’d been all too happy to be the center of her attention.

“Fine,” I snapped, already turning away. “I’ll try to get to know the vast depths that make up Rose Parson.”

Simone ignored my sarcasm. “Good. Then I’ll leave you to it.”

She disappeared and I was back to wandering the woods in search of my date. Nope. Nothing humiliating about this. Nothing at all.

Freakin’ Rose.

I heard her voice before I caught sight of her. She was closer to the house then I’d thought, and I only heard her when I’d started to head back to the party.

“I heard you the first time,” she hissed.

I froze at the tone of her voice. I’d never once heard her like this, so…unpleasant. So…unhappy. So…emotional.

“I said fine,” she snapped, her voice a little too high.

Yup. There is was. There was no denying it. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

“I don’t need the details, thanks. I got it. You want me out of the house, I’m gone. I won’t come home tonight.”

I stopped again, but this time I was close enough to see her. She was leaning against a tree trunk again, but this time she wasn’t posing. She was slumped over, one hand covering her eyes as she said something softly that I didn’t catch.

My heart lurched at the sight of her like this. So…human. Fragile. Vulnerable.

Crap.

When my heart started up again, it was racing too fast and Simone’s voice was loud in my head, phrases jumbled but the meaning clear. Everyone has their stuff…she’s not as tough as you think… Don’t hurt someone for the sake of stereo equipment….

Freakin’…crap.

“Don’t worry about it.” Rose’s voice was a little louder as she straightened and for a half second I thought she was talking to me.

Holy freakin’ crap.

Was Simone right?

Was I wrong?

But Rose didn’t see me. She looked off in the direction of the party. “Yeah. Fine. See you in the morning.” She took her phone away from her ear and I realized I had to move. I had to say something. I couldn’t keep standing there like a creeper in the shadows…

But then it happened.

She…cried.

At least, I was pretty sure she was crying. She covered her face with her hands and her shoulders moved, a little sound escaped…

And I was a statue.

I was a freakin’ deer in headlights.

I was a statue of Bambi in oncoming traffic.

Then two things seemed to happen at once. She sniffed and straightened, and I moved. I wasn’t even sure what I’d been intending to do, but I couldn’t just stand there and watch a girl cry.

Not any girl.

But especially not this girl.

My heart felt like it was taking a beating at the sight of Rose crying.

I froze again when she looked my way.

I couldn’t see her eyes in the darkness, but I could see her body tense. “Who’s there?” She leaned forward at the same time I took another