Behind Her Smile

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two: Payback Is Sweet

Dex doesn’t look at Stefan as she steps out of his truck. It fits him, she decides. A truck that is presumptuous as the owner is.

She had asked him about what happened with him and Ro, but he said, and she is quoting, 'he didn't know what his deal is.' Dex decides to drop it. She would just ask Ro later.

She did notice Ro's nicely dressed self with a suit and tie that made him look like a red-haired James Bond. The thought made her nearly giggle. But then she realizes that she probably dressed up for his new girlfriend. Ugh. Dex wasn't sure why, but that Sofia made her mood sour faster than a drop of milk out in the sun.

"Why are you frowning so much dudette? You should smile."

She did not like to be referred to as dudette. Dex resisted the urge to step on his foot with the heel of her shoe, instead she send him a fake smile and a pinch on his cheek that makes him wince. "Of course, dude." She coos at him.

He moves his face away with a dirty look directed at her. It is the first time that he wasn't trying to smile or flirt with her. With him nearly pouting that Dex isn’t falling for his charms, he is almost cute.

Almost.

She links an arm with his and smiles at him. "Are you ready to dance and do all the cheesy stuff that happens in the movies?"

Stefan just looks uncomfortable and...she leans closer. "Omg! Are you blushing? That is so cute!" She gushes and pokes his cheek.

"Shush!" The basketball player grabs her wrist and shushes her as he looks around to see if anybody is in hearing distance. He spots a group of girls looking at them and giggling. He glares back at Dex who looked like she is immensely enjoying herself. "You are going to ruin my reputation, Dudette." He hisses.

Dex huffs loudly blowing air. If she is going to enjoy tonight, she is going to have to set some ground rules with her date.

Dex just flicks him on the forehead. "First of all, don’t call me Dudette. I am not one of your football buddies. Second, I came as your date because I am weak to peer pressure and you blackmailed me. Third, don’t tell me how to act around you. If you don’t like it then you can find another date. And fourth..."

Stefan actually looks scared for a moment which Dex had to admit she is enjoying. "And fourth?"

"I will figure it out later. Now come on!" She grabs Stefan's shoulder and pulls him to the entrance while running. She notices the stares and amused glances they were drawing towards them and Dex smiles. This is what Stefan gets for insisting on him and her going on a date.

Payback is sweet.

....................

Ro is in a sour mood. Sofia tries to cheer him up by saying cheesy pick up lines, some of which she had actually heard guys say to her.

"Did it hurt?"

Ro looks at Sofia with a less than amused face. "I did not fall from heaven, Sofia.

Sofia slaps him on the arm and glares at him. "Fine. You aren’t an angel anyway, you jerk."

Ro sighs. He really shouldn’t be taking out his hurt about Dex on Sofia. Not when she has worked so hard to help him. "I’m sorry for being a jerk Sofia. I just expected this night to turn out differently, that’s all."

Sofia turns to Ro and gives him a side hug. She looks up at him. "It's her loss, Roman. Let's just...forget about her, Okay? Just for tonight."

Ro smiles as he returns the hug. "Just for tonight." Tonight he will have fun and tomorrow he will probably lick his wounds in private.
Sofia beams widely and grabs Ro's hand. It didn't make Ro turn red as he would if Dex had grabbed his hand. He shakes his head, he is supposed to not think about Dex. "Oooh. I love this song. Roman, come dance with me."

Ro just smiles as Sofia leads him to the dance floor as the opening notes of All Of Me comes through the speakers.

..................

Dex and Stefan step inside the school's gym that is filled with students. She recognize some from her classes, but she had a hard time finding any of her friends.

"I’m going to get punch. You want some?" Stefan asks and Dex just nods.

She uses that opportunity to ditch him. Dex pushes her way through the bodies and she is just about to call Rosie when she catches sight of a couple on the dance floor. She stops dead in her tracks as she watches Ro and Sofia. He is holding her close and smiling down at his girlfriend, while they slow dance to the song. Sofia has her head leaning towards Ro's and both of her arms around his neck.

Dex felt oddly self-conscious as she looks at Sofia. How is she so perfect? She didn't even have fly-aways. Dex knew it was immature and petty, but she still had an urge to go over there and mess up her perfect curls.

No wonder Ro fell for her.

Dex didn't know how to feel about that. Was she happy for him? Truthfully, no, but she refused to acknowledge the why. It would only complicate things. There is a reason she had not dated again after breaking up with Axel. She is afraid that anybody she dates will end up getting killed. If Axel himself didn't do it, then he sent one of the goons to finish the job.

She wouldn't take the chance. Ro is too precious to her.

Dex hoped Ro is happy, but Dex could not be happy for him.

No. She is his best friend. He should have gotten her approval before he dated any girl! He didn't even tell her he was even thinking of dating. That is something they should talk about.

"Dex!"

Dex momentarily forgets her anger at Ro. She turns her head to look at Rosie who had called her name. She is trailed by Kit who just nods in greeting and Felipe who very obviously checks her out.

"Take a picture. It would last longer." she teases.

Felipe takes her seriously as he takes out his phone. "Say cheese!"

Rosie laughs, "Sure thing." She then takes his phone out of his hand.

"Hey!"

She then slings an arm around Dex's waist and brings the phone up to do a selfie. Dex sticks out her tongue and Rosie crosses her eyes.

Rosie gives the phone back to a peeved Felipe. He stares at the photo for a long moment. "Aw. Come on, Rosie. You ruined the photo."

Rosie growls playfully. "How about I ruin your face?"

Felipe steps back with a smirk. He then turns to Kit. "Come on. Let's bounce."

Dex and Rosie giggle as Kit and Felipe run away.

Rosie gasps as if she suddenly remembered something. "What happened to your boy toy?"

"He is NOT my boy toy! And I think I scared him off." Dex shrugs. He wasn't her type anyway. She preferred shy and sweet over suave and macho.

"Dex!" Rosie admonishes.  "What did you do to him?" She then pauses and looks around as if to make sure no one is listening. "You did not kill him did you?"

Dex rolls her eyes. "You are never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope." Rosie giggles. "I’m suddenly really thirsty. Do you want something to drink?"

Dex shakes her head. Out of the corner of her eye, he spots Sofia leaving the dance floor and she heads towards the bathrooms. "No. You go on ahead."

Rosie nods. "Sure." Dex waits a full minute ten seconds before she makes her way over to Ro.

................

"Ro!"

Ro nearly jumps as he hears the voice of the person he has been trying (and failing) to forget about. He turns around slowly.

"Hi."

She looks even more beautiful when she is angry. "Don't hi me." Dex grabs his hand. "Come with me. We need to talk."

Ro gulps.

He couldn’t have protested even if he wanted to as Dex leads him out the side doors and to the hallway leading to the gym lockers. Where were they going?

She stops and releases his hand.

Ro waits as she huffs and then turns towards him with her arms crossed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ro blinks. "Huh?"

Dex stomps her foot like a little kid. "Why didn't you tell me you were secretly dating Sofia? How long has that being going on?"

Ro is still at a loss of words. He didn't know what to say. What is Dex finds out that they were lying to her. She would never forgive him! "....uhhhh." Came his most intelligent response.

"A few weeks? A month?" When Ro doesn’t answer, her eyes widen. "A year?!"

Ro frowns. "Dex. No offense. But that is none of your business."

"I am your best friend, Ro!"

Now that made Ro angry. His felt irritated and hurt and he is tired of being careful with Dex. "Are you? You haven’t been talking to me for weeks and you still won't tell me why. You only talked to me after you were sobbing on the floor. And you won't tell me anything about your time before I met you. All I know is that you have a brother. Why should I have to tell you everything going on in my life, when you won't do the same?!" He didn't realize he was yelling until he finished. "How is that fair, Dex?" He asks much more quietly.

Dex looks at him wide eyed. Her eyes become watery the longer she stares at him. Ro turns his face away from her pained face. If he saw it, then he would gather her in his arms and apologize profusely. He didn't want that.

He wasn't sure of what exactly he wanted, but something needed to change.

"Is that what you really think?" Ro looks at her.

Ro nods. "I do." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. So many things he wants to say, but he couldn’t. "I want you to be honest with me."

Her face crumbles as the first tears leak out of her eyes.

Ro curses at himself, as he walks towards her with arms outstretched.

She shakes her head and he stops. "I’m sorry, Ro, but I....I can't."

"What?"

Dex looks at him with red rimmed eyes. "I can't...do this."

Now Ro is crying. He shakes his head. He couldn’t believe Dex didn't trust him enough to not be honest with him. He refused to believe that.

He grabs her arms and forces her to look him in the eye. "No. Dex. Dont do this."

Dex eyes drops to his lips. "I’m sorry, Ro." She leans up and connects their lips.

Ro's eyes widen as he is frozen. Before he could even process the fact that Dex is kissing him, she pulls away and she runs away from him.

He lets her go.

...............

Dex doesn’t go back into the gym.

She was crying too hard for someone not to notice and she could just imagine she looked like a raccoon with wet mascara and eyeliner on her cheeks. She grabs her phone and texts Rosie.

Instead she goes outside.

'Waiting by your car. Can I stay at your place? xoxo.'

Dex leans against the cool metal of the car behind her. She didn't want to stay at her home, when Ro is literally right next door. She needed space and she would imagine he needed it too.

Her fingers unconsciously trace her lips. She didn't know what had spurred her to kiss Ro, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it.

Her phone vibrates. She smiles slightly through her tears at the message.

'KK. I'll b right out. Kit staying w Felipe. Wooo! Girls night! Xoxoxo. (;'

11/7