Babysitter or Boyfriend?

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve



When I left Becca's apartment over three hours later, I had a very bittersweet feeling in the pit of my stomach. A part of me wanted to go straight to Conner, and tell him that his ex loved him and she knew she made a mistake and she wanted him back...

While the other, much more selfish part of me wanted to push aside any sympathy I had for Becca, and keep Conner for myself.

He'd never really be yours, Avery, the obnoxiously logical voice in my head interjected.

I was nearly in tears by the time I walked into the apartment, so the fact that Alex and Brooke were snuggled together on the sofa didn't help much at all. Did they really have to snuggle in public? Then again, the thought of them up in the privacy of her bedroom made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Hey, Ave," Alex said, cheerfully at first. His grin faded when he saw the melancholy expression on my face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing," I grumbled. "I'm fine." As if I was going to tell him anything with Brooke sitting right there, glaring at me for interrupting their 'moment.'

I had barely made it to my room and closed the door when Alex walked right in behind me, not bothering to knock. "Seriously, Ave, what's the matter? You look like you're going to cry, and you know I hate it when you cry."

I nudged him. "You've only seen me cry a few times, Everett, so watch what you say." I meant it to be playful, but my heart didn't feel lighter. With a sigh, I plopped down on the bed. "You should go back out there. I didn't mean to interrupt your date."

Alex shook his head. "Nice try, kid," he murmured, sitting beside me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "I've been with Brooke all evening-she can wait a few minutes. Tell me what's up. I'm not going to have to tickle it out of you, am I?"

I grinned in spite of myself. "No," I grumbled. "I just...I was studying with Becca tonight, you know," Alex's eyes widened, but I continued without pausing. "And she had a framed picture of her and Conner on her nightstand, so I innocently asked about him and how they broke up and all that."

Alex cleared his throat softly. "What'd she say?"

I sighed. "She told me everything, Alex. I mean, she told me the truth-stuff she never told Conner, apparently," his eyes widened further, and I nodded sadly. "And here's the killer part: she wants him back. Becca knows she made a mistake breaking up with him, but she doesn't feel she has the right to ask for his forgiveness. She really loves him, though."

Alex sighed heavily. "Hell almighty, this is getting complicated," he said grouchily. "What did you say? Does she know you know Conner?"

I nodded, a little embarrassed though I wasn't sure why. "I had to tell her," I said. "I mean, she was sitting there bearing her soul and crying and confiding in me...I couldn't just lie to her. I know Becca and I met only yesterday, but I really think we could be good friends. I don't want to keep secrets from her."

"Okay, I can't blame you for that," he nodded. "So what happens now? You tell Conner, they get back together, and you're...what? Heartbroken?"

I stared up at him, surprised. "W-What? Who says I'd be heartbroken?"

Alex gave me a 'duh' look. "Come on, Ave. I know you like Conner, against your better judgment. And it's not like I'm going to say 'I told you so.' I just don't want to see you get hurt by something you can't really control. I mean, it's kind of always been Becca for Conner."

I nodded, unable to stop the tears from filling my eyes. "I shouldn't have let this happen," I said. "I should've known better. It's like the first nice guy I meet in a new place and all of a sudden I'm in way over my head."

I was staring down at my lap, and Alex gently took my chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning my face towards him. "Stop," he murmured. "I don't like to see you be so hard on yourself. Conner's a great guy-no one could blame you for liking him. And I don't know if this will make things better or worse, but I think he actually likes you, too. More than he's willing to admit."

I dropped my head onto Alex's shoulder. "Thanks," I whispered. "You always know how to make me feel better. Well, almost always."

Alex nudged me playfully, and then sighed. "I'm sorry, Ave, but I should probably get back out there. Brooke's already going to harass me for ignoring her."

I felt myself bristle defensively, and wanted to ask what the hell he saw in my roommate, but I knew now wasn't the time. I nodded. "Okay," I said. "I'm going to go to bed before my brain explodes."

Alex kissed my forehead. "Sleep good, Ave-ster."

"You too," I replied, and he winked at me before slipping from the room.

Flopping backwards onto the pillow, I sighed for what had to be the millionth time that evening.

What on earth was I going to do?

* * * *

My phone buzzed with a new text message, and I pressed OPEN on the small screen: Be there in five. From Alex.

I tried to ignore the butterflies in my belly, but it was nearly impossible. In five minutes I'd be on an official date with Conner-the guy that would never be mine. It was too late to back out, but if you ask me, I was only inflicting torture on myself. Twisting the knife, so to speak.

Wandering into the front room, I found Brooke waiting, checking her teeth in a compact mirror from her purse. She looked flawless in a pair of tight, low-rise jeans, and a frilly tank top that showed off more cleavage than I'd ever be comfortable displaying. Then again, I didn't really have it to display.

"Hey," I said in my friendliest voice. "You ready for tonight?"

Brooke nodded without looking at me. "Yep," she replied. It was amazing how, over the past week, Brooke's attitude towards me had cooled considerably. "Who wouldn't be ready for a date with the hottest guy in California?"

Involuntarily, I felt my fists clench at my sides. I didn't like her talking about Alex that way-not that it wasn't obvious how 'hot' he was, but the way she said it implied that she was only in it for his looks. Which was absurd, because Alex had an incredible personality. There were so many other things to appreciate about him.

Like the way he loved sports, and could run ten miles without stopping, but also had been known to lounge in front of the television all day long, watching stupid shows like Fresh Prince.

Also, the way he complained bitterly about chick flicks, but had stayed home many a Friday night, giving into my pleas to watch "just one."

Or the way he tried to dance, but failed miserably, and ended up looking like a broken robot.

The way his macho attitude quickly became one of concern, if I was sad or in trouble.

The way he ran his fingers through his hair when he was nervous, cracked his knuckles when he was bored, or clenched and unclenched his fists when he was mad.

Ding-dong! The sound of the doorbell forced me out of my thoughts, and since I was closest to the door, I opened it with a smile on my face.

Alex was standing in front, and Conner was slightly behind him. Both of them looked stunningly handsome, and I couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world. One of them, anyway. Brooke nearly knocked me over in her haste to wrap her arms around Alex and press a hard kiss to his lips.

Swallowing my annoyance, I pushed past them towards my date. "Hey, Conner," I said.

He grinned at me. "How's it going, Avery?"

I shrugged. "It's going," I replied. "You?"

He nodded. "Same."

I couldn't help but notice that with Conner, it was much harder-though not impossible-to spark a steady conversation. Not like Alex, who as soon as he saw you had some crazy story or idiotic joke to tell. I told myself it was simply because of Conner's current...condition, and once I got to know him better, it would be much easier to talk about things.

Moments later we were in Alex's car, and from the backseat I saw Brooke reach for Alex's hand across the console. Geez, couldn't she just let him be? If he wanted to hold her hand, he'd do it. My eyes immediately went to his face, and I watched him give Brooke a quick, almost un-Alex-like smile. It gave me a sense of triumph to know that that wasn't how he smiled at a girl he was totally interested in.

I would have to talk to him about that later.

"So, Avery," Conner said softly from beside me. "Tell me about home. What's your family like? You said you're brother's pretty protective, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Jake's convinced he's my caretaker, or something. It was fine when I was a kid, but now I'm an adult and I think he's having a hard time breaking the habit. I don't mind it some of the time-he's a good listener, and gives good advice. My mom's great, too. She's funny and smart and sweet..."

"Plus she's an awesome cook," Alex interjected from the front of the car. "I swear to you, aside from my buddy, that's the number one thing I miss about Sacramento. Your mom's freaking food."

I laughed. "And it's a miracle you're not three-hundred pounds, because you certainly eat enough of it when you're home," I teased, nudging his shoulder with my hand. "My mom triples the recipe of something when she knows you're coming over."

Alex laughed. "I'm a growing boy, Ave," he joked. "I need as much food as I can get."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Conner. "What about you? What's your family like?"

Conner shrugged, and smiled sweetly at me. "We're a pretty typical family," he replied. "I have two sisters and one brother. I'm the oldest, so I always have to be the responsible one. Which is fine, they're cool kids and we get along. My parents are your average old, married couple- a little on the dorky side, but they're good people."

I grinned. "That's awesome," I said. "What are your siblings' names?"

"There's Katelyn, whose seventeen and the second oldest. Josh is fifteen, and my parents say he's becoming more and more like me every day. Emma's the youngest at ten, and she's a sweetheart. Every time I come home to visit she follows me around the house, and asks if she can comes with me and my friends," Conner smiled wistfully, glancing down at his lap. "I miss them."

"Sounds like you're a good brother," I said, and without thinking, I nudged his leg lightly with my hand. I drew it away quickly, and he glanced at my hand, then up at my face.

"Thanks," he murmured. "I try to be."

I glanced away, and in the rearview mirror, Alex's eyes met mine. I held his gaze for a moment, and then turned to look out the window. I didn't even want to know what Alex was thinking.

* * * *

We ended up having a picnic at the beach, which, as cliché as it sounds, was actually really fun. The guys had made the food, and surprisingly enough, it was good. There was even an impressively wide variety of dishes.

After we'd eaten, we all sat back on the blanket to let our food digest. Brooke, of course, snuggled right up to Alex, who simply put his arm around her. Conner shifted, and I was surprised when he sat close enough that our legs nearly touched.

A moment of silence passed, and then Brooke suggested we play a game of Truth-basically Truth or Dare, without the dare. I thought it was kind of a silly idea, but since I didn't have a better one, we all agreed.

Brooke offered to ask the first question, and of course it was directed at Alex. "How old were you when you first kissed a girl?" she asked, her face annoyingly close to his.

Alex laughed. "I was twelve. But she kissed me-I was helpless. We were at recess, and everyone was playing tag. Stacie, always a flirt, chased me into a corner and kissed me before I had a chance to escape her childish grasps."

"Yeah, right!" I cried. "You had the hugest crush on Stacie Whitmore; don't even try to deny it. Her kissing you was the best day of your life."

Alex threw a small handful of sand at me, and I stuck my tongue out at him. "Okay, so since Brooke asked me, is it my turn to ask a question?"

Brooke nodded, apparently having played the game many, many times.

Alex thought for a moment, and then grinned slyly at me. "Who was your first crush, Ave? And don't you dare lie. We both know I can tell when you're lying."

I smirked at him. "My first crush...hmm...probably Parker Stewart. He was dreamy."

"Psh," Alex scoffed playfully. "You would. Didn't he win Prom king your senior year?"

I ignored him. "My turn, and I choose Conner," I said, grinning at my date. "My question is totally random, but if you won a million dollars in the lottery, what's the first thing you would do with it?"

Conner smiled, and thought for a moment about his answer. Finally he replied, "Probably leave school, at least temporarily, and take a really elaborate trip to Europe. I've always wanted to go. I'd stay in the nicest hotels, eat the nicest food, rent a super nice car...wow, that all sounds really shallow of me, doesn't it? Maybe I should've said give all the money to charities."

I laughed. "No, Europe sounds great. You can give the leftover money to charities." Conner nodded and returned my grin.

The game continued on in that silly, playful manner for over a half an hour. It was a little childish, but we had fun and it definitely made for interesting conversations.

Then Brooke just had to ruin the light, good-natured mood of the game, and looked at me with her heavily made-up eyes narrowed slightly. "Avery," she said in a sly voice. "Have you ever had more than friendly feelings for Alex?"

Alex's nonchalant expression turned to one of shock, and I was pretty sure mine matched it. "Um," I stuttered a little, the question taking me off guard so much that I literally had no idea how to respond. "I'm not sure. I've never really thought of Alex as more than a friend. Obviously he's really, um, good looking, but we've known each other forever. Literally."

Alex nodded. "Right," he said firmly. "Forever."

Brooke stared at me for a long moment, then looked at Alex and smiled sweetly.

Needless to say, the game ended shortly thereafter.

I only wished I could explain to myself why Brooke's question rang over and over again in my head:

Have you ever had more than friendly feelings for Alex?

Alex and I were friends. We always had been. We'd never held hands, never kissed, never snuggled...okay, that last part's not true. We'd snuggled before, but it wasn't anything remotely romantic. We were friends.

So why had the question been so hard for me to answer?





A/N
So what did you think?? :D aren't Brooke annoying? xD