The Players Next Victim

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Well?” I asked impatiently. “What is it?”

Austin sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to see if I can explain it to you without making one of us seem better than the other.”

I rolled my eyes at the thought of either of them being that innocent. Both of them must have done something to have made each other this angry.

“You know that me and Tyler used to be like brothers before,” Austin began. “Well, whenever we needed each other’s help, we were always there to help – just like any friends, right? Well, there was this girl named Daniela, she’s a junior now. She was breath-taking. Literally.”

I looked anywhere but at Austin. I felt uncomfortable as he told me about this other beautiful girl.

“I liked her. Everyone knew that – she knew it too. I could get any girl in the school but she was the only one that didn’t really acknowledge me, so I asked Tyler to help me get her and he did help. But he helped for his own reasons.”

“What do you mean? What did Tyler want?” I asked, confused.

“He wanted Daniela,” Austin let out a loud, exasperated sigh.  “I didn’t know it at the time but I should’ve guessed it. He spent every moment he could with her and I thought he was helping me, but he wasn’t!”

I felt my heart sink at the idea of Tyler wanting someone else. I had grown use to the fact that I liked him, and I was reminded frequently about him being a player, but it never occurred to me that he would’ve and could’ve stooped so low.

“But how could you not tell, if he was with her all the time?” I asked, hoping there was a good and understandable explanation.

Austin leaned against the wall and his pale grey eyes stared straight into mine. “Daniela came and talked to me quite a bit after she found out that I liked her. I would be lying if I said we never flirted, but every time Tyler was near, she would stop. As if she was picking his side for no apparent reason. Then, of course, rumours spread round school about Tyler and Daniela but I didn’t believe it. I ignored it completely. And just to make sure I was right for not worrying about them two, I asked Daniela to be my date for a school festival and she said yes.”

I let out a sigh of relief, but something tells me there’s more to this story and I’m about to find out.

“We went on a few dates after that and I finally had her. She was my girlfriend,” Austin explained with a smile but he suddenly frowned. “Until I caught her and Tyler kissing.”

A gasp escaped my mouth. “What?!” My knees became weaker and I had to balance myself as I took it in. All this time Tyler had been telling me to be careful of Austin when he’s the one who back-stabbed him.

Every inch of me was hoping Tyler wasn’t that guy.

I knew he was a player. I knew that well. But I just didn’t know he hurt his friends as well.

Austin shrugged as if he was used to this kind of reaction. As if he was used to people finding out their ‘secret’. “After that day, my relationship or friendship with them was never the same. We kept on arguing and at one point it turned into a physical fight.”

All for that one girl.

She must’ve of been something special because it sure as hell broke a good friendship that will never be fixed. I felt a pang of jealously spread through me and I tried to ignore it but I couldn’t help it.

“Well she was pretty much of a bitch for cheating on you!” I spurted out and quickly slapped my mouth shout when I realized what I said. “Sorry! I know you like her and all but she shouldn’t have cheated on you.”