Straight To The Heart (Three Of A Kind #3) Page 8

  I shook my head in amazement. What the holy fuck? I had been seeing this chick for two weeks. Who the hell was she to question anything of me? “Um, not that it’s any of your business, but she’s a really good friend of mine.”

  “Really? And do you always kiss your friends like that?”

  “In case you didn’t know, there’s a thing called photo-shop where they can manipulate photos into anything they want.”

  “Bullshit! You are not going to sit here and tell me that photo was photo-shopped. Who is she? Your little piece of ass on the East Coast?”

  Okay. Now she was just getting under my skin and the last thing I wanted to do was get into it here, in front of a few dozen people, only to make it on the cover of next week’s edition. “You know what, Jessica. I’m not gonna sit here and tell you anything because I don’t owe you anything. I don’t answer to anyone, especially not a chick I’ve known for only two weeks. I came here tonight to be honest with you and let you know that I’m not looking for any type of committed relationship. Which means I don’t have to call you and report in to you with every detail of my life and I sure as hell don’t have to give you a rundown of every person I’m friends with.”

  Her eyes widened. “Fine, Cam. Obviously, we’re at two different stages in our lives. I choose to act my age and you choose not to.”

  I shook my head and took another swig of my beer. “It has nothing to do with acting my age. I’ve known you for two weeks, who the hell are you to question my relationship with a girl that I’ve known my entire life?” I raised my voice in defense.

  “A girl you obviously have strong feelings for or you wouldn’t be getting this defensive.” She got up and flung her purse over her shoulder. I rolled my eyes and didn’t respond. Yes, I had strong feelings for Gia. I loved her like a sister. Although lately the sister part was becoming less and less believable. “I will say this…she must be something pretty special to win over Cam Hamilton.” She snarled before walking away.

  “Yup, she is pretty special,” I whispered, staring straight ahead, trying my best to snap out of it.

  Gia must have been reading my mind as I walked out of the bar and looked down at my phone to see she was calling.

  “Hey, no Facetime tonight,” I answered as I got into my car.

  “No, I look like shit, and I didn’t want to chance any of your hot team members seeing me in case you were with them.”

  I let out a loud laugh. “Well, you would have been safe and do you ever sleep?” I asked as I started the car and glanced at the clock to find that it was almost midnight my time which meant it was close to 3 a.m. her time.

  “Yeah, I know. Sleep and me….we haven’t been mixing well lately. So when are you leaving for your trip?” she asked.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Who are you going with?”

  “A couple of friends from college and one of the guys from my team.”

  I switched the phone over to Bluetooth and pulled out of the parking lot. “Why? Do you want to come?” I teased, but in the back of my mind I was crazily hoping that maybe she would say yes.

  “Ha ha so funny! I’m going to have to do enough damage control tomorrow over that magazine cover, I don’t think I want to create another scandal.”

  “Oh….did you like that?” I laughed.

  “Oh, it was just lovely….bastards!” she laughed back.

  “Who are you going to have to do damage control with?”

  “Umm….let’s see…..my mom, Carrie, your mom.”

  Ah fuck my mom! That would explain what the three missed calls and the text demanding me to call her were all about. I would deal with her when I got back. Hopefully by then Gia will have already explained it to her and she’d be satisfied with that.

  “What about what’s his face?”

  “I’m hoping he didn’t see it, although I really couldn’t give a shit if he has.”

  I put on my blinker and turned down my street, feeling like an ass for actually wishing she would say yes to the next question I was about to ask. “Trouble in paradise?”

  She let out a deep sigh that said it all. “Okay, if I tell you this, you have to promise that you will keep your lips sealed. I DO NOT want this getting back to my mom, so she can say ‘I told you so’.”

  “I promise,” I responded, hitting the garage door opener and pulling into the garage.

  “Do you think it’s weird that a guy going through a divorce would want to spend three days in Cape Cod with his ex, just because he wants to keep things normal for his kids?”

  Why did she have to ask my opinion on these types of things? The guy already lost a few points in my book just for the simple fact that he was dating my favorite girl.

  “Umm…..well…” I stammered for the right words as I walked inside.

  “Okay….you do!” she answered for me.

  “No, I didn’t say that….it’s just….are you guys exclusive or is it just a casual type thing?”

  “Well, he just bought me a bracelet that costs about the same as a yearly salary for some people.”

  Okay. Not a big deal for a guy in his position.

  “And he told me that he cares about me a lot.”

  Again, not a big deal. Guys will tell women anything they want to hear just to get their way, but I didn’t want to bring Gia down by telling her that. Maybe this guy was an exception, maybe he really did care about her or maybe he was planning on breaking her heart. Whichever it was, I wasn’t too crazy about either scenario.

  “Are they staying in the same hotel?”

  “He has a house up there and according to him, they’re sleeping in separate bedrooms. I want to believe him so badly, Cam, but I also don’t want to be strung along.”

  I sensed a hint of desperation in her voice, something I never thought I’d hear from Gia when it came to a guy, and if I had to guess, she was really starting to fall for him.

  “Look, Gia, I don’t know this guy…..” And I hoped that I never would. “So, I really can’t give you my opinion, but I will give you my advice. She is still his wife and they have kids together.”

  She started to speak in his defense. “Yeah but he said –”

  “I know what he said…. he cares about you a lot and maybe he does. Just like maybe his intentions are really honorable and he is doing this for his kids, but just be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt over this.” I walked up the stairs and into my bedroom, listening to nothing but silence on the other end before she let out a deep sigh.

  “How do I get myself into these messes, Cam?”

  “Because you wouldn’t be Gia if you didn’t.” I laughed as I stepped out of my jeans and pulled my shirt over my head.

  “See, now why couldn’t I be like my sister and end up with a nice and normal everyday guy like Jason…. or someone as awesome as you?”

  I bit my bottom lip, wanting so badly to reply, but instead I just laughed it off as I pulled down the covers and slipped into bed.

  “Seriously, Cam why can’t I just be normal?”

  “You are normal, Gia,” I whispered.

  “You have to say that because you’re my friend and that would make you abnormal for associating with someone like me.” She giggled.

  “Then, how’s this sound? Let’s be awesomely abnormal together.”

  “Hey, I like that!” her voice perked up.

  I fluffed up my pillow and pulled the covers over me, suddenly liking the sound of that too.

  Fifteen

  Gia

  It was only 10 a.m., and I’d already completed a two-hour rehearsal and attended a conditioning class. Not bad only having three and a half hours’ sleep, but as I dragged myself into my apartment, I was certainly paying the price. I was beyond starving, but at the moment my exhaustion was winning out over my hunger. I’d called my mom earlier and left her a message letting her know about the new plans that I’d come up with for Thanksgiving, and I was really hoping that she would be up for it. I dec
ided to lie down for a few minutes just to rest my eyes. Jasper had sent me a text telling me to meet him at his office at noon for lunch, so I had a few minutes to take a power nap before heading into the shower. I grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and cocooned myself inside, falling asleep in minutes.

  I shot up from the sofa and looked around trying to remember what day of the week and what time of the day it was. I was so out of it and still felt completely wiped. I picked up my phone and panicked upon seeing that it was already after one. Jasper was going to be pissed that I didn’t show up for lunch, a fact that was confirmed by the three missed calls and the text asking me where the hell I was. I hit his name in my contacts hoping to get ahold of him.

  “Yeah, Gia,” he hurriedly answered.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. I lied down for a little bit after rehearsal and I must’ve passed out.”

  “Yeah, well, I have to run. I’ve got a meeting I have to be at in fifteen minutes, then I have to pick the kids up from school.” His tone was short and sharp, and I knew he was pissed at me.

  “Oh, okay. Then I guess I’ll see you when you get back from your trip.” Even though I was bothered by his nasty attitude, I wasn’t going to let him know it. Nope, I was going to pretend that I was A-Okay with the fact that he was going away for the next four days with the mother of his children and he was leaving pissed off at me.

  “Yeah, I have to run Gia.” The ruckus that was in the background faded away when the phone disconnected.

  “Well. Fuck. You. Too,” I shouted into the phone, wishing he was on the other end to receive that message. I couldn’t believe how childish he was being. God forbid I be tired and fall asleep while King Jasper was waiting for me. “Fuck you and fuck you!” I shouted again, feeling my anger growing just thinking about it.

  I tried to go from angry-lunatic Gia to happy-go-lucky Gia when I answered my mother’s call that was just coming in. I was praying that she wouldn’t say anything to make lunatic Gia come out again.

  “Hey, did you get my message?” I answered.

  “Yeah I did and Ben is all up for it, but I don’t know…..”

  “What don’t you know, Mom?” Angry Gia was rearing her head ever so slightly.

  “Well, it’s not going to feel like Thanksgiving if I don’t cook.”

  “Oh, Mom. Come on! It’s okay to break tradition every once in a while.”

  She was silent for a moment and I didn’t question it. I knew exactly what she was doing, battling in her mind with what she wanted to do. “Well, okay….did you mention it to Carrie and Jason?”

  “Yup! Already texted her this morning and they’re good with it.”

  “Oh, Gia, hang on one sec, Jodi’s trying to call and we’ve been playing telephone tag all morning so let me see what she wants.”

  “Okay.” She switched over to the other line and we disconnected. Why on earth could she never get the hang of her call waiting?

  I put my phone on the table and waited for her to figure out that she’d hung up on me, knowing that could take a few minutes.

  “When are you ever going to learn how to work your call waiting?” I answered when I saw her name flashing across my caller ID.

  “Hello Gia!” Aunt Jodi’s voice radiated through the speaker of the phone. That was weird the caller ID said MOM.

  “Umm…..Gia, I think you have a little explaining to do.” Now it was my mother’s voice coming through the phone.

  She may not have known how to work her caller ID, but she certainly knew how to work her three-way calling. Shit. I totally wasn’t prepared for these two to tag team me over the magazine cover.

  “It was a friendly kiss on the lips. That photographer got incredibly lucky when he snapped that picture because it really does look like it’s more, but trust me it wasn’t.” I defended myself emphatically before they could even go any further.

  “Gia, you better not be holding out on us,” my mother pleaded, almost sounding as though she wanted me to tell her there was more to that picture.

  “Nope. Sorry girls but I’m not.”

  “Gia, believe me there is no girl in the world that I would rather see Cam hook up with but I just don’t want you getting hurt.” There was seriousness and concern in Aunt Jodi’s tone that I almost didn’t recognize it.

  “Well, I’m not gonna get hurt because there is nothing at all going on. Cam is, and will always be, my good buddy.”

  Aunt Jodi seemed relieved while my mother seemed disappointed. I knew she’d be thrilled if I started dating someone if it meant I would break up with Jasper, which wasn’t very fair considering she hadn’t even met him.

  The rest of the conversation was my mother and Jodi yammering on about some girl from high school that Jodi had seen in the supermarket. I tried to disconnect about three times but each time, just as I was about to interrupt the conversation, they would somehow lure me back. So I sat and listened to the two of them prattle on, responding appropriately when required, while my mind was a million miles away. I found it ironic that Aunt Jodi was afraid that Cam would ever hurt me. Cam was the one person besides my sister and mom that would always have my back and I trusted him just as much as I trusted them. The person that had the potential to hurt me most was the one that I was still so angry at for hanging up on me, the one that I was still fuming at over his plans for the next four days and the one that I found myself yearning for more and more with each passing day.

  After I finally found an out to disconnect, I jumped in the shower. It was a chilly, rainy, day that kind of matched my mood at the moment. I was still feeling rundown so I decided to use the bad weather as an excuse to veg out in front of the television in my sweats and with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. There weren’t many days where I had the opportunity to just relax and do nothing at all, so I was going to take advantage of it. I flicked through the channels, stopping at my grandmother’s favorite soap opera. I remembered watching this all the time with her when I was a kid and was pretty sure that if I paid close attention, I’d be able to pick up on the years and years of story line that I’d missed out on just like it was yesterday. I smiled just thinking about my mother and Aunt Jodi actually thinking there was something to that picture. Even Carrie, who I thought would really believe it, knew that it was all a big fabrication. The idea of Cam and me as a couple had crossed my mind plenty of times when I was younger, but now I was fully aware that he was way out of my league, relationship wise. He only dated girls with smoking hot bodies and perfect faces to match; not short, boobless girls who, more often than not, could be a total hot mess. I was perfectly happy with having the title of his friend/pain in the ass “little sister”. I picked up my phone to text him, wondering if he’d made it to Cabos yet.

  Hola, Senor! Hope you arrived safely and are having a great time!

  The buzzing of my intercom startled and annoyed me at the same time because I really didn’t feel like getting my ass off the sofa to see who it was. I threw off my covers and marched over to the front door, taking my frustrations out on the intercom button.

  “Yeah?” I grunted, not hiding my annoyance at all.

  “It’s Jasper.”

  I felt my heart flutter as I buzzed him in immediately, frantically searching for a piece of gum at the bottom of my purse to disguise my peanut butter breath while using my other hand to gather my hair back into a ponytail. Sometimes it was just so exhausting, I wish that I could just let him see me as me. I took a deep breath and unlatched the door, waiting for him to come up.

  My heart began to flutter even more when he came into sight. Just once, I would love to see him look somewhat unkempt but it had yet to happen since I’d met him. He was always perfectly put together, perfectly sexy, and that’s what drew me to him.

  “Hey,” I greeted him, opening the door wider and allowing him inside.

  He looked around my living room which screamed emotionally distressed female, right down to the bunched-up blankets thrown on the couch, th
e soap opera blaring on the television, and the opened jar of peanut butter with a spoon sticking out on my coffee table. It was a far cry from the Gia that I always tried to be in front of him.

  “Don’t judge, I’m having a me day,” I said, throwing myself back down on the sofa. He shook his head and gave me a slight smile, taking a seat next to me. “So what brings you here? I thought I wouldn’t be seeing you until you got back.”

  “Kathy ended up picking up the kids so….”

  I nodded. Kathy. Kathy. Kathy. Ugh! “So, what’s up?” I forced a smile.

  “Well, I told you I wanted to see you before I left and since I didn’t get to take you to lunch, what about dinner….provided you didn’t fill up on peanut butter.” His eyes shifted over to the jar of peanut butter.

  I picked up my phone and looked at the time. “Now, I know you’re older than me, but I didn’t think you were that old.” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “To be ordering off the early bird menu.” I giggled.

  “You think you’re funny?” he smirked, reaching over and tickling me as the rare playful side of him came out. I was laughing so hard and trying to squirm away just as my phone that was still in my hand beeped with a text message. He stopped long enough for me to break free and look down at the message that just came through from Cam:

  Would be a lot more fun if my favorite girl was here….talk to you when I get home.

  I nervously cleared my throat, hoping that Jasper wasn’t paying attention to the text that was just under his nose, but it was too late. I could tell by the look on his face that he saw it. “Oh, that’s just my friend Cam, I’ve known him forever. His mom and mine are best friends.” Do I go on further and tell him exactly who Cam was?

  “So where did you want to go for dinner?” he asked, seeming totally unfazed by the text. What the hell? Did he not care that other guys were texting me?

  “Oh umm….I don’t care. I just have to get myself together.”