My Kind Of Perfection(EDITING)

30. Talk It Out

"I'll call you! Ti amo!" I call as I close the door to Jake's truck. "That went well." I sigh.

Jake peers at me.

"What?"

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not..." He says slowly.

"Honestly? I don't know either. This night could have gone without having to see Tony." I say, clicking my seat belt into place.

Jake is silent as he slowly turns out of the parking lot onto the street.

"Okay, Jake. What gives?"

"What? No nothing."

I raise my eyebrows at him, even though he doesn't look my way. "Don't even. I know your lying face."

He snorts. "We've been dating for like, a week, Kasey. I doubt you know me that well."

I sit back, a little stung. "Well, even if I don't, I know that Jake Taylor never not drifts."

"That sentence made no sense." He mutters, putting on his turning signal before switching lanes.

Weird

"The point is you don't know how to drive well."

He turns to me with a frown. "Oh, yeah. That's so much better."

"No. I mean, I know you pretty well. You don't usually signal, and you ALWAYS drift out of the parking lot and drive like ya stole it."

"Maybe you don't know everything about me, Kasey. I mean, I thought we were pretty honest with each other, but I guess not."

I let out a gush of breath and finger one of my braids. "Is this about him?"

"Who? That bastard of an ex you have that you never told me about? What's his name again? Oh yeah. Antonio." He says it in a mocking tone.

"Jake, Tony isn't part of my life anymore."

He snorts. "You know, Kase...I somehow had this crazy thought that you were smarter than this."

"What?"

"Really? You're gonna go there? 'Tony isn't a part of my life anymore.' Sure." He huffs, shaking his head.

"First, I don't sound like that, and I don't appreciate you mocking me." I frown. "Also, he isn't. I don't know why you don't believe me."

"He made it sound like he was."

"We've already established that he's an asshole." I roll my eyes.

"See, most people don't go around hugging assholes." He sneers.

I let out a frustrated breath. "It's called being polite. Our families have been friends for as long as I can remember."

"Yeah, and the general rule, if y'all are gonna be friends with benefits, don't choose someone if you won't be fine with losing them.* There's always a chance something will go south."

"I was young and stupid. How could I have known?"

"You guys have family connections. That's a line you don't cross. Situations like this are exactly why."

"You don't need to sound like you're lecturing me. He was the only non-dancer that ever showed interest in me, and also I couldn't have predicted that my friend of how many years would randomly cheat on me." I feel the sharp prick of tears against my lids and I look away.