Unraveling (Second Chances) - By Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,40
Jared,” Karlie held her hands up and took a step back.
“Are you lying, Karlie? Did he have sex with you and that’s why he’s acting so weird?” Jared pointed at his sister, a vein pulsing in his forehead. He looked like he was close to losing it.
Karlie snorted. “I would not have sex with ‘Marky Sharky’ if my life depended on it,” color stained her cheeks. “I don’t know what his problem is.”
Jared began to calm down. “Don’t make jokes like that, ever again,” he warned.
“I won’t, promise,” she said.
“Good,” he took a deep breath. “And don’t ever get me that worked up before a match ever again.”
Karlie rolled her eyes. “Pull that stick out of your butt, Jare.”
“Just go sit down,” Jared pointed to the bleachers. “You’re getting on my nerves.”
“Good luck,” I told him.
He flashed me a small smile. “Sorry about freaking out. I just can’t stand the thought of someone hurting my sister. Let alone my best friend.” He ran a hand through his short dark hair.
“I completely understand, really.” I put my hands in my back jeans pockets. “I’ll be over there with your sister, cheering you on.”
His smile widened. “Nothing would please me more.”
I was tempted to stretch up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek, but I was afraid of what might happen if I did.
It would be really awkward, if all I did was kiss his cheek and I’d end up running away.
No, my lips would be staying away from his cheek.
“Good luck,” I said again and took the seat beside Karlie. “So,” I said, “Did you call Holden, Marky Sharky?”
She laughed, shaking her hair in her face. “That’s what everyone in the gym calls him, since his last name is Marks. He hates it.”
“You like him,” I stated.
She looked up at me, her large brown eyes, blinking owlishly at me. They were a lighter shade than her brothers, but no less stunning. “Is it that obvious?”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I just notice things more than other people do.”
“Please don’t say anything,” she begged. “I hate being a cliché, crushing on my older brother’s friend,” she bowed her head. “It would never work anyway, I mean, he’s eight years older than me.”
“You never know,” I said with a shrug.
She snorted. “It doesn’t matter anyway, he’s an ass-hat.”
“What about Rodney?” I questioned.
Karlie looked down at her beat up pair of Converse. “I don’t know. He’s my dance partner. I don’t want to complicate our working relationship with a romantic one. Besides, I’m only sixteen.”
“You’ve definitely got your head on better than most sixteen year olds,” I told her.
She smiled widely. “I have Dan and Patsy to thank for that,” she paused, “and my brother.”
“What happened to your parents?” I asked.
She looked up at me with a sad smile. “That’s not my story to tell, it’s Jared’s.”
I looked across the room at Jared. He was talking to Dan but his eyes caught mine and he grinned.
From beside me, Karlie said, “I don’t know if you’re dating my brother, or not, but I’ve never seen him happier.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Really,” she nodded, with a smile. “He smiles and laughs more. I’ve never seen him happier and I just want to say thank you and…”
“And what?” I asked, when she didn’t continue.
Shimmery brown eyes met mine, “Please, don’t break his heart.”
I didn’t tell her, that she shouldn’t be worried about Jared’s heart; it was mine that would be shattered if something happened.
“I won’t,” was what I said, instead.
“He’s a great guy,” she said. “I’ve never seen him in a relationship before, so it’s nice to see him sticking with one girl that he actually cares about.”
“Has he –uh- been with a lot of girls?” I asked.
“Honestly? Not really. Jared’s too busy, being Jared, to waste his time with a girl, even a one-night stand. I’m not saying he’s a saint, because I know he’s not, but he doesn’t sleep around, if that’s what you’re wondering. That’s just not him. Now Holden, on the other hand, has slept with practically every woman under the age of thirty in a ten mile radius.”
“That really bothers you, doesn’t it?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It shouldn’t, he’s not my boyfriend or anything, it’s really just the point of it. I don’t think it’s right to sleep around like that. I’m not saying you have to wait for marriage or anything, but I think you should wait for that one special person. The person that leaves you breathless when they walk into a