Perfect Regret (Bad Rep #2)(23)
Author: A. Meredith Walters

“Oh come on. Are the two of you still not back together? I thought you were absolutely perfect together. Riley, people make mistakes. You can’t hold grudges. It’s not good for your karma,” she lectured.

I listened as my mom started to regale me with the ways I could cleanse my energy. I typically tuned out at this inevitable point in the conversation. The loud thumping of bass caught my attention. Why do people have to listen to music at internal organ shutdown levels? Particularly when it was seriously crappy music?

I debated on blowing my horn at the jerkoff sat beside me in traffic. I could only see the back of his head because he was facing someone in the passenger seat. The windows of my car were vibrating and I could feel the thumping in my bones. I noticed the blonde hair of the passenger and realized it was Gracie. She must have felt my eyes on her because she started waving, her mouth moving as she spoke to the driver, pointing in my direction.

The driver turned back around in his seat and glanced at me and I was glad I wasn’t driving because I would surely have crashed. What the hell was Gracie doing in Garrett’s van? My hands gripped the steering wheel. My mouth fell open in absolute and complete shock. I felt sick at the realization that Garrett was most likely playing “tag that ass” with one of my friends. Because everyone knew it wasn’t that difficult to get Gracie to agree to a naked meet a greet.

As soon as our eyes connected, I looked away and was thankful that the light turned green so I could speed away, squealing my tires in the process.

Shit.

What if Gracie slept with Garrett!? Aside from the fact that it meant Gracie and I were now intimately familiar with the same person, I couldn’t help but feel supremely dejected. Okay, and maybe a tad bit jealous.

Only a tad, I swear!

“Riley!” my mom yelled and I realized I had completely forgotten she was still on the phone.

“Sorry, Mom. What were you saying?” I asked, feeling distracted and out of sorts. My mind was too busy inventing horrific scenarios of Gracie and Garrett together.

Having sex together.

Oh God!

My heart squeezed painfully and I told myself it had everything to do with the uncomfortable idea of Gracie Cook and Riley Walker sharing bed partners. It had NOTHING to do with any sort of emotional connection I had felt with our particular bed partner.

No way!

Garrett Bellows was nothing to me. Just some sad, regretful mistake I had made in the heat of some serious self-pity.

“I was asking whether any other boys have caught your fancy. You’re entirely too serious and focused. You need a little fun, sweetie.” My mother’s question coming on the heels of seeing Garrett and Gracie together had me ready to duck and cover. Shit was about to get ugly.

“No, Mom. And I’ve got to go,” I said hurriedly, whipping into a parking space outside my apartment building. Without waiting for a goodbye, I hung up the phone.

“Is Gracie sleeping with Garrett?” I asked as soon as I entered the apartment. Maysie and Jordan were sprawled out on the couch watching TV. Under normal circumstances I would have made a snide comment about confining their excessive PDA to behind her bedroom door but I was feeling a bit frantic.

Maysie looked at me in surprise and Jordan lifted his head from its resting spot on his girlfriend’s chest with an expression of complete confusion.

“What?” Maysie asked, sitting up. I dropped my bag on the couch and realized how my question must have sounded and I wished I could take it back.

Why the hell did I care if they were sleeping together? They were consenting adults doing what consenting adults do. There was nothing wrong in that. But it didn’t change the fact that the very thought of it made me want to puke.

I let out an embarrassed huff and then laughed. “Nothing. Forget it. Get back to your pre-coital cuddling,” I muttered, shuffling off to the kitchen as quickly as I was able without looking as though I were running.

“Uh, uh, Riley Walker. Why would you ask that?” Maysie asked, following me like a terrier nipping at my heels. Clearly, she felt this fell within her best friend duties. Interrogation and persistent nagging would follow unless I gave her something to make her happy.

“I just saw them together. I had no idea Gracie was even interested in Garrett,” I said nonchalantly.

Woohoo! Point for Riley and her super powers of indifference!

Maysie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall as I pulled a bag of Doritos out of the cabinet. “I really have no idea. I mean, Gracie has made comments about thinking Garrett was hot but I don’t think they’ve ever hooked up,” Maysie said and then crinkled her nose.

“Oh, ew. I get it now.”

I leveled my roommate with a narrowed look. “She doesn’t know about Garrett and me right?” I asked her. Maysie looked instantly offended.

“As if I would go around broadcasting your business. Plus it’s not like it’ll ever happen again, so what’s there to tell?” Maysie asked.

I nodded, thinking about Garrett’s starring role as ass**le of the hour at his house all those weeks ago.

No, that would definitely not be happening again. He and Gracie could have each other.

And there was no way that twinge in my gut had anything to do with a seething, hateful jealousy.

Absolutely not.

“Come out with Jordan and me tonight. We’re going out for a few drinks. Should be fun,” Maysie suggested.

“Playing third wheel sounds like a blast, Mays,” I remarked, popping a chip in my mouth. Maysie peeked out into the living room. I followed her gaze and saw that Jordan was still laid out on the sofa watching TV. I looked closely at my friend and realized there was a sadness there that was new. God, what new batch of drama was brewing between those two? I thought they were past all that.

“What’s going on?” I asked, dropping my voice so Jordan couldn’t hear me. Maysie’s eyes turned back to me and her lips stretched into a strained smile.

“Jordan and the guys are going on tour again,” she said tightly. I crunched on another chip, watching as conflicting emotions warred on her face. I could tell she wanted to be happy for her boyfriend. But that insecure girl still lived inside of Maysie Ardin and I knew better than anyone that it would take a long time for her to go away. Even after everything Maysie and Jordan had gone through to be together.

“Wow, when? For how long?” I asked, feeling my gut twist at the news. I told myself it had everything to do with worrying about Maysie. No other hidden reasons for feeling as though my stomach had hit the floor.