Unsocial (24 page)

She
kind of smiles, “That’s what Dylan said.”

“Well,
maybe he’s smarter than you think. It wasn’t that long ago that he was in high
school so he can’t have forgotten too much.”

She
gives me a big hug, “Thank you, Brooke. I really have missed you. Do you
promise you’re going to try to be around more?”

I
hug her back, “I missed you too, Cass, and yes, I
am
going to be around
more,
and
you can call me anytime, just like before.  But you know you
can always give Stacey a call to, a best friend who knows all the dirt on
everyone at school, just think of the gossip. And best friends are wonderful to
watch bad movies with while you eat gallons of ice cream and talk trash about boys.”
Stacey is a girl that Cassie met this summer during cheer camp, and they hit it
off. I want to be there for Cassie, but I need to encourage her to open up to
people her age, and not just me.

She
grins, “Yeah, I sent her a text when I got home, but she’s had the flu most of
the week. I’m sure she’s sleeping.”

“Ah,
well then you two have a ton of stuff to catch up on when she feels better.”

She
laughs, “Yeah.”

I
stand up, “Why don’t you get some rest now.  I’m going to check on your
brother.”  I walk toward her door and then turn back to her. “Oh and Dylan is
going to yell, and he’s probably gonna ground you for longer, but take it easy
on him okay? This job of his isn’t that easy.”

She
nods and climbs under her covers on her bed, obviously worn out. “Okay, I’ll
try.”

I
smile and go upstairs. I pick my heels I left by the door at the top of the
stairs and just hold onto them. I find Dylan sitting on the couch in the living
room leaning his head back with his arm over his eyes.  “Hey.” I get his
attention.

He
removes his arm and looks at me, “Is she okay?”

I
nod and walk over to the couch. I sit in the middle and turn toward him. 
“Yeah, she will be.”

 “Ahh,
so you can’t tell me anything,” He says knowingly.

“I
probably shouldn’t, but just know she’s gonna be fine.”

He
sighs deeply and looks at me imploringly.  “Can you please just tell me one
thing? And you don’t even have to flat out tell me. You can just nod your head
once.”  He swallows like he has a bad taste in his mouth and barely gets out,
“Is she still a vir….a virgin?”

Yeah,
that couldn’t have been easy to ask. I have to give him something. I nod my
head slightly, and relief washes over his face. “Your talk with her the other
day stuck with her.”

“Oh
yeah, I can tell by the way she snuck out tonight.” He stretches his arms above
his head and folds them behind his neck. His muscles flex, and I catch myself
staring for far too long.
Real professional Brooke.

“Trust
me, it was a good talk.  How was your talk with Luke?”

He
lowers his arms, “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. It’s one thing or
another with these kids. I yelled, he sneered and ignored me while I tried to
lecture him on responsibility, girls, blah, blah, blah.  I just ended up
sounding like our father.  And that shit bugs the hell out of me.”

I
move a little closer to him. “You are doing a great job. I think that’s just
life raising kids, it’s always something. But you are handling it well.”

He
shakes his head, “This could have been really bad, Brooke. I can’t believe she
snuck out. She could have been hurt.”

“But
she wasn’t, and I think she learned a lesson tonight. I really do.”

He
stands up and stretches causing his shirt to raise and show skin stretched over
some serious muscle definition.  I shiver, and he notices.  “Let me find you
something to wear, you’ve got to be cold.”  Before I can say anything, he
disappears into the laundry room and returns with a long-sleeve t-shirt and a
pair of boxers.  “Here these will be more comfortable and obviously warmer. You
want some coffee or some water or something.”

I
should ask him to take me home. We probably shouldn’t be alone.  I shouldn’t be
heading to the bathroom to change into his clothes.  But all I do is say,
“Water would be great, and thanks for the clothes.”  Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to
hang out for a little while.   He goes into the kitchen, and I change.

When
he comes back with two bottles of water, he joins me on the couch.  I take a
big drink because I’m obviously dehydrated from all the drinking tonight, or it
could be because I’m here with him and remembering our night at the club has my
mouth going dry.  I have never had a guy look at me like that, touch me like he
owned me, or talk to me like he did. I take another smaller drink, and Lord
knows why I just blurt, “So, you had a girlfriend?”

He
looks over at me surprised, “What?”

I
want to rewind, but it’s too late. “Cassie said that you told her about a
girlfriend you had in high school. Did you make that up?”

He
laughs and puts his water on a coaster on the table by the couch. “No, not
exactly. I didn’t make her up. I did have a girlfriend once, for about a
minute.”

That’s
really…odd?
I suddenly want to know everything
about her. That’s rational, right? “Really? When? For how long?”
That didn’t
sound too eager at all, dumbass.

He
looks at me questioningly, “You really want to know about my high school, uh
girlfriend?”

I
shrug deciding to try to seem casual, because, before, I did sound way too
interested.  I’m just not so sure I’m pulling it off, though. “Sure, why not? 
Only if you want to.  I don’t want to pry, but you can tell me anything.  You
know, I’m a wonderful listener.” I’m sure that way-too-eager smile and blush
covering my face are a dead giveaway that I’m dying to hear this.

“Okay,
I dated her my freshman year for a little bit. She was older and loved football
players.”

Absolutely
nothing he says is making sense, and I know I’m not drunk anymore. “Oh, how
much older?”

“She
was a senior.”

“How
did you meet her?”

“At
a football party. She was a cheerleader, and I was the new starting receiver.
She zoned right in on me and walked right over. We flirted for a while, and
then bam, we’re in an empty bedroom, clothes are on the floor, and in my
delusional young mind I had a new girlfriend.  It was just that quick and
easy.”

Don’t
ask Brooke, just leave it at that. “So was that your first time?” 

He
grins that sexy Dylan grin. “Wow, tequila removes your filter.”

I
place my hand on my head; I can’t believe I asked that. “I’m sorry, that’s not
appropriate.”

“No,
I like it. I like that you’re interested.  I miss that. Like you said, Brooke,
we should be able to talk about things.”

I
smile at him and nod. He’s right, this is just two people talking. Right?
“Okay.”

“And
yeah, that was my first time, and then there were many times after that with
her until she went off to college.”

“So
what, she just used you?”

“Yeah,
I guess so. And I was pissed at first, but then I got a fucking grip. I mean
what 15-year-old guy doesn’t want to be used for sex. And I wasn’t the only one
she had fun with that year.”

“She
cheated on you?”

He
laughs casually, “No, I mean not really. I was young; I had no idea how to do
the relationship thing. We never talked about being exclusive or anything.
Looking back, it was pretty much just sex. Hell, I couldn’t even legally drive
yet, Brooke.”

Part
of me is relieved that he doesn’t seem to have any real attachment to her. My
relief is shot to hell when he says, “So you know all about my first time, I
think it’s only fair you share yours.”

Oh
damn. This backfired quickly.
Before I say anything
he smirks over at me, “Hmm, let me guess, prom night, senior year. Shriller
rented a nice hotel room and snuck in some cheap champagne.”

I
can’t help but laugh out loud at that. He is so far off.  “Oh God, no.  Prom
night Shriller the Thriller had a huge race, with a Mustang Shelby.”

“And….?”

“And
you already know what happened.  He got beat.” I say stalling.

“Brooke.”

 
Hmm.
Am I seriously going to tell him about this?

Dylan

Fucking
hell she looks good sitting there on my couch in my boxers and t-shirt.  It
blows my mind that I think she looks better in my clothes than she did in the
barely-there dress she had on earlier.  Now, if I could get her out of my
clothes and in my bed for a few hours, or for a night, that would be the best
look of all. Since laying eyes on her tonight, future fantasies of Brooke have
flashed through my dark mind one after the other.  Something tells me that all
the things I want to do to her may take
more
than one night.
I could
bend the rules, after all, I’ve kissed her.  So what’s one or ten more?

I
halt my thoughts and wonder why she’s holding up this conversation.  Why is she
thinking so hard about this? I can’t imagine what’s holding her back.  Makes me
wonder if Shriller wasn’t such a thriller.
Damn, I hope so.
I shake that
thought because really, why does it matter?

She
shakes her head like she is going to back out of answering. I like how open she’s
been all night, and I don’t want to lose that vibe right now.  “Brooke, open
book, remember? I may never trust you again if you don’t share. ” I smirk at
her trying to tease her back into the conversation.

She
laughs, “Okay, okay. So my first time wasn’t with Adam Shriller.”

“Wait.
You never slept with him? So what, you waited for college then?”

She
shakes her head, “No, I didn’t say that.”

“You
said you only had two boyfriends, Adam and the guy in college.”

“True.”
She sighs, “Maybe I need to explain a few things.”

I
look at her confused.  “That would be good because I’m all kinds of confused.”

“No
one knows about my first time, not even Alex.”

What
the hell is she talking about?
“Not even Alex? I
figured you two were the type to tell each other
everything
.”

“We
are, but just not this. It’s stupid really and not that big of a deal now.”

“So
then tell me.”

“Okay,
so you met Trevor tonight, Alex’s brother.”

Some
sound comes out of my mouth, a growl or a grunt, but it’s not actual words.
What the hell does Trevor have to do with this? I simply nod and give her a
confused look.

“Well
I spent a ton of time at Alex’s house, and I guess developed a stupid crush on
him. I mean I was always around him, and he was a hot older guy in a band. But
he didn’t notice me, I mean like at all. I was just his little sister’s best
friend. I kind of pretty much forgot about it when we were sophomores, and he
went away to college. I started tutoring Adam and got the biggest crush on
him.  But he didn’t notice me either.  He would invite Alex and me to his
races, and I would watch all these girls from school and college flirt with
him. I knew little innocent Brooke Porter could never compete with that. But I
fell in love with racing and cars. Adam and I would talk forever about them. 
We just kind of got closer because of that, but he still never saw me as a
girlfriend.”

Where
in the fuck is she going with this?
“Okay.”

“During
spring break that year, Trevor came home for the week to play a couple of clubs
around here.”  She shakes her head.  “I stayed at Alex’s house all the time,
and spring break we were together the whole week since her parents were gone
for the week on vacation.  Instead of going with them, Alex and I talked them
into letting us stay home since Trevor was going to be there, and they agreed. 
So, while Trevor was out one night playing a gig we thought it would be fun to
go through his things, totally Alex’s idea,” she laughs.  “We ended up finding
a bottle of some liquor and started drinking. We decided that I needed to lose
my virginity and learn how to flirt or seduce a guy if I wanted to get with
Adam.  Obviously, we had way too much to drink.  Unfortunately, there were no
prospects for the little job…..”  Her voice trails off.

“Eventually,
Alex passed out, and I laid there thinking about what we talked about. I had no
clue how to seduce a guy, especially one like Adam.  He seemed larger than
life, especially with all the racing stuff.”

“I
can see that.  That’s kind of how it was with the cheerleader when I was a
freshman.  I had noticed her with other football players, but I knew there was
no way she would ever be interested in a freshman.  She was pretty, though, and
I wanted her to notice me.”

”Yeah,
that’s all I wanted at the time.  So while Alex was passed out, Trevor came
home, and he was drunk.”
Why is she talking about Trevor again?
She
continues, “I heard him stumbling around in the hall. Alex was dead to the
world, so I went out and helped him into his room. We were hanging out, then he
kissed me. This is where it’s proof positive that alcohol makes you really
stupid.  In my inebriated young mind, I got the bright idea to try to seduce
Trevor. I started kissing him back and….well, it just happened.”

“What
just happened?”

She
laughs a little uncomfortably, “Sex, Dylan.”

“Wait,
you had sex with Trevor? Your first time?”

She
nods. “Yeah. I know.  It was really stupid of me to do that.”

Obviously.
Her first time was just on a whim or something? “So, are you saying it was
like, a means to an end.  Get rid of your cherry so you could get to the guy
you wanted? Did you guys have a secret relationship or something?”

She
laughs again, “God no. It was just a one-time thing.”

“But
you said you don’t do casual sex,” I say accusingly.

Trevor?
Really?
  That bothers me for some fucked up reason.

“I
don’t. It was just that one time, and then it was so weird afterward. Right
after we had finished neither one of us said a word.  I just got dressed and
snuck back to Alex’s room.  Right before he left to go back to school we talked
and decided we would never tell anyone, and that it was so awkward with having
known each other practically our whole lives that we would never do it again.
We just pretended it never happened all these years and went back to being
friends.”

I
just sit there gaping at Brooke.  I have no clue what to say.  This whole thing
is bugging the shit out of me for some reason. The way Trevor was acting
tonight did not say he never wanted it to happen again. He was all over her. He
was the first one to have sex with Brooke. He knew exactly what it was like to
be inside of her.  I swallow back a really bad taste in my mouth at that
thought. “Um, wow. So you guys never hooked up again?”

“No,
never. Right after I just went right back to being his little sister’s friend.”

I
scoff at that, “Yeah it didn’t look like he just wanted to be friends tonight.”

She
does that laughing shit again like I just said the most hilarious thing in the
world. “No, he’s just flirty by nature, but there’s nothing there.”

I
don’t believe that for a goddamn minute. There may not be anything there for
Brooke, but there damn sure is for Trevor. Why I care, I don’t know.  “So, you
obviously ended up with Shriller.  How did that happen?”

She
grins all seductively. “I’m a brilliant study, Dylan.  I observed all those
girls flirting with him, and just put everything I learned to use.” All I can
do is stare. “Seriously, though, the more we hung out the closer we got, and we
just kind of drifted into a relationship.  I think it was because I loved all
the cars and motorcycles so much, and after that one time with Trevor I just
wasn’t so scared of trying to get his attention anymore.  We ended up seeing
each other until we graduated.  I wanted to stay and go to college, and he
wanted to go on the circuit.”

“And
then the college boyfriend.”

“Will.”

What
a pussy name.
“So you’ve just been with those three
guys, or were there a few more before you stopped doing casual?” I have to
wonder why my voice sounds a little bitter.

“Just
those three.”

I
sink further into the couch, putting my feet up on the coffee table. “Wow. 
Does that mean you’re just really not into casual, or are the men in this town
blind and stupid?”

She
laughs and puts her feet next to mine on the coffee table, “Really, I just
don’t do one-night stands. The whole Trevor thing was just a result of being
drunk, young, and dumb. Do you even know your number?”

“Number?”

“Of
women, Dylan.  Do you know how many you’ve slept with?”

I
think about it, “I have no fucking idea.” That’ll probably scare her off. I
probably disgust her.

Then
she surprises me. “I get it, Dylan, and its okay.”

I
stare long and hard into her face. “How can you even think that, Brooke?”

She
puts her hand over mine, “It’s because I think sex to you is just a release, an
escape. Everyone needs one. Some people use reading books, television, or
shopping. You use sex.”

I’ve
never thought about it before, but I guess she’s right. I drop my feet and sit
up straight, still looking at Brooke, “And what is your escape?”

She
bites her lower lip, something that drives me wild every fucking time. “Hmm, I
don’t know anymore. It used to be going to the races. Something about the
tension in the air, the noise of the engines, the smell of the gas and burning
rubber, and just watching them fly around the track.  I ate it up; it turned me
on, and I think that’s what freed me enough to make my move on Adam.”

She
had me until she mentioned Shriller’s name.
  It feels
fucking strange to be jealous of someone you’re a fan of.

She
leans up and smiles.  She’s sitting close to me now.  Our thighs are touching,
and our faces are close enough that I can feel her breaths- small pants- that
let me know she’s as affected as much as I am.  And I’m affected judging by how
fucking hard I am right now.

“We
should go sometime.”  I don’t have a clue what the hell she’s talking about
because I’m zeroed in on her scent and those lips. 
I want those lips.

I
try to get back on track. “Where?”

“To
watch Adam race.  He’ll be here in March, and we could go with Luke.  I could
introduce you guys to him.”

I
have to ask myself, as much as I like watching him race, do I want to meet
another one of Brooke’s three?
No, but Luke would come in his jeans at the
chance.
Honestly, though, I would probably take anything I could get from
this girl. “Sounds like a plan.”

Our
faces have drifted so close that I lean my forehead to hers.  I’m going to kiss
her.  I know she’ll kiss me back too. I skim my lips across hers, and when she
parts her lips on a sigh, I decide to go full throttle. I tilt her head for a
better angle and go back in stronger.  I love her lips.

Then
the front door slams and Brooke jumps back like she’s been caught stealing the
last damn cookie. I look up at Jax standing just inside glaring at us. He’s
taking in the whole scene, and he’s not liking what he’s seeing.

“So,
how’s Cass?” He asks snidely.

I
stand up pissed off at the obvious cock block not to mention the attitude in
his voice. “What are you doing here?”

“I
came to make sure everything was okay…with Cass.”

Yeah
right, asshole. We both know damn well he’s here to check on Brooke and me. We
stare each other down, and Brooke stands up to diffuse the situation, “Cassie
is doing better and is asleep. I was just about to ask Dylan to take me home.”

His
eyes take in her appearance.  “Yeah, I could see that when I walked in.  But
since Cassie is alright, I’ll head home and give you a ride on my way.”

No
fucking way
. “No, I brought her here, I will
take her home.”

“It’s
no trouble at all. I’m going home, and she’s going home.  You need to stay here
with the kids.”

Brooke
looks cautiously over at me and then at Jax, “Uh, sure. If you don’t mind. That
would be great.”

“Brooke,
I can take you home.  It’s no big deal.”

“He’s
already going. It’s okay; I’ll see you Tuesday.”

This
isn’t happening
.
“Jax, I need
to talk to you for a minute before you go.” I start walking to the kitchen, and
he follows me.

When
we’re out of earshot of Brooke, I glare at him, “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m
saving your ass.”

“What
are you talking about? Saving me from what?”

“From
being a fucking idiot and losing the kids. It’s pretty damn clear you aren’t
giving up getting your little social worker’s ass in bed, but with kid’s in the
house. That’s not smart, buddy.”

“Her
name is Brooke.”

“It
doesn’t fucking matter what her name is.  Think of her as Ms. Porter if it’ll
get your head out of your ass.  You can’t have her.  Your fascination with her
is because she’s forbidden fruit. Trust me it isn’t worth it. As soon as you
fuck her you will be done, and then what?”