The Cell Phone Swap

Chapter 7 iBelieve He's a Dog

"Keeley," he gently whispered and drew her hand toward him. "I've liked you since the first time we talked," he confessed. "Please tell me you feel the same way." He placed a chaste kiss against the back of her hand.

Keeley's eyes widened with surprise. "You...you do?" she stuttered.

He smiled at her astonished face. "Yes. You drive me crazy," he murmured affectionately. He tugged her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. "All I can think about is you. I can't concentrate on anything else."

She stared at his chest, not being able to look him in the eye. "Really?" she asked faintly. Her heart was beating so loudly, she feared he could hear it.

"Really," he confirmed. He gently placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "I like you, Keeley. Be my girlfriend."

Keeley's breath hitched at his words. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her voice seemed to have deserted her.

He leaned toward her, watching her face intently. "Keeley?" he prompted.

She slowly nodded, still too stunned to speak.

He let out a sigh of relief and cupped her cheek. His thumb gently traced her bottom lip, making her shiver at the contact. He gently drew her face upwards as his descended. Right before their lips touched, she whispered, "Brent...-"

The Darth Vader theme song woke Keeley up with a start. She groaned and closed her eyes when she realized Brent and the almost kiss was all a dream. It had felt so real to her. The ominous song played again and Keeley let out a string of curse words. She knew exactly who was calling her. Before she went to bed that night, she had programmed her number into Talon's phone and assigned Darth Vader's ringtone to his name.

"'Ello?" Keeley muttered into the phone. She threw an arm over her face and tried to retain the image of Brent leaning down to kiss her.

"Your brother is fuckin' annoying," Talon mumbled, his voice sounded sleepy and deeper than normal.

"Hmmm?" Keeley asked, still thinking about her dream. Talon's words barely registered in her brain.

"Your brother keeps calling and texting. He wants you to pick him up from some chick's house," he told her grumpily. "I think her name is Laura or something."

"What?" Keeley asked as she tried to shake off the haze and concentrate on what Talon was telling her.

Talon grunted. "Pick up your damn brother," he muttered impatiently.

Keeley sighed and rolled out of bed. It figured that even though Zach was mad at her, he would still call her to drive him home. "What time is it?" she asked him as she rummaged in her closet and pulled out a zip-up sweatshirt.

There was a slight pause before Talon answered. "2:30." He groaned. "Why the hell is he calling you to pick him up? Can't he get home by himself?"

Keeley shrugged her shoulders in response but then realized he couldn't see her. "He's drunk." She quickly put on the sweater and tromped toward the corner of her room where all her shoes were piled up.

"So?" he asked callously.

"So, he can't drive. I'm his sober driver," Keeley explained. She pulled on a pair of Uggs and grabbed her wallet from her desk.

"Seriously?" Talon asked in disbelief. "He calls and you just do his bidding?"

Keeley frowned at his tone. "I'm his sister Talon," she said simply as if that explained everything. She opened her door and crept down the hall, making sure to be quiet so she wouldn't wake up her parents.