The Players Next Victim

Chapter Twenty-Two

I'm sorry for last night – it wasn't supposed to end like that. I think we need to start over, with everything.

I looked at the text Austin sent me on Sunday morning for the fifth hundred time.

There's something Tyler, Austin and Natasha are hiding from everyone, but what is it? And is Austin going to tell me now, since he wants to start from the beginning? Maybe I'm just over analysing everything.

“You ready?” Olivia asked, before opening my front door and walking to her car.

“So... you and Jay, huh?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I got in the passengers seat.

After Tyler had left angry and disappointed, and Matt had followed Natasha, and after Austin left silently, Jay ran after Olivia to make sure she was okay.

When I went to find Olivia, I had found her hugging and laughing along with Jay. And ever since that night, she's always been smiling.

“Something like that,” Olivia grinned. “But, we're more like flirting friends.”

I raised my eyebrows at her as she pulled out of my driveway. “What does flirting friends mean exactly?”

“You're friends but you flirt a lot, like you are going out, but you're not. Just think of it as you and Tyler. But you know, with less chemistry involved, because I still need to get to know him properly yet,” Olivia told me.

“Me and Tyler are not flirting friends and we definitely do not have chemistry!”

“Saturday was a wake up call, not only for me, but for you too. Maybe that incident explained everything,” Olivia said, taking a quick glance at me.

“How could that be a wake up call for me?”

“Well, it shows that Tyler isn't the only one who is hiding something and maybe you shouldn't always blame Tyler for everything,” Olivia explained.

“I don't always blame Tyler and who else is in the wrong?” I asked.

“Isn't it obvious?” Olivia asked and at that moment of time, the only person I thought of was Natasha, but Olivia had someone else in mind. “Austin.”

I sighed. “I know. I know Austin is in the wrong too but he always has a reason and he always tells me the truth eventually, unlike Tyler.”

“How do you know Tyler doesn't have a reason?” Olivia questioned.

“I don't know and that's because he doesn't tell me anything!” I told her.

This time Olivia sighed. “It's because of Austin.”

“What? And how do you know?” I asked confused.

“Tyler clearly doesn't like Austin and the more you hang out with him, the more Tyler will be reluctant to tell you stuff. And anyways, Austin doesn't seem to be that innocent!”

“I don't know.”

“I think Tyler's going to try and win your heart over again,” Olivia said, parking her car in the schools parking lot.

“This is real life. Tyler doesn't like me and your fantasy doesn't exist.” I said, opening the car door.

“That's what you think,” Olivia winked. “So, do you like him?”

“No!” I lied. I've come to the conclusion, that I keep saying that I don't like Tyler in order for me to stop liking him and so far it isn't working. I never liked him, so why do I like him now? I can't admit to Olivia that I actually like him – it took me a while to understand that I do but I also want to stop liking him, if that's possible.