How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

Dear Asshole

"Hey." He kissed me before I could do or say anything, then shot a look in Liam's direction that would have paralyzed most people where they stood.

Everyone else started to feel what I had long before he'd sat down and Bryan grew tense on my left, his hand curling into a fist as if he were ready to break up the fight that was about to start.

"So, Liam," there was a harsh bitterness in Jay's voice as he spat his teammates name. "how was the clean up after the party? I know it must get pretty lonely and hard to be in that house all by yourself. Especially when you have to clean up after others."

Shay made a noise that resembled a mouse as I whirled around and stared hard at Jay.

Did he really just say that?

"Mm, it was actually peaceful." Liam avoided my eyes, but I could feel the anger radiating off him from across the table. "Especially since I got to spend the night with your girl."

In a quick, not-so-graceful movement that included Jason's knee jerking into the table, my coffee tipped and drenched my lap. I jumped, feeling Bryan immediately grabbing at the napkins in the center of the table. Jason didn't even flinch, but was glaring down at Liam.

"If you wanted her so fucking bad, all you had to do was say something, Scott!" Jason growled. "Instead you're over here pretending to be Mr. Nice Guy, the poor, sad little boy to try and steal my girl."

"Enough!" Bryan's voice was so loud that the entire lunch room looked in our direction. "Both of you need to grow the fuck up before you end up hurting her!"

Without another word, Bryan grabbed both of our backpacks and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the lunch room before anyone could try and stop us.

*

"Children!" Bryan yelled at his steering wheel. "They're both acting like damn children."

I stared at my intertwined fingers on my lap, "I never meant to cause a bunch of problems, Bry."

"You didn't." he reached across the console and rested a had on my knee. "You did nothing wrong, Reese. You were only trying to show Liam there was more to life than being a dick. Which you did. You couldn't have known he would develop feelings for you or that for whatever reason McDermott would throw himself into the mix."

"But didn't I?" I whispered. "I've read enough books to know how these things end. And you and Brianna warned me. You told me that I'd end up falling in love with him, Bri warned me that I'd lose myself in all this. Look where I'm at now, Bryan. This is a shitshow."

My best friend's anger fizzled into nothing hearing my response. "Coming from someone that loves you, shut up, Reese. I know what I said, I still kind of feel that way, but this isn't your fault. Sure, breaking up with Jay would solve a lot of problems, but as you said, would also create new ones. That also won't help that both of them need to grow a pair and grow up. Liam has changed, okay, I'm not denying that. But what he said this afternoon was bait. He wanted to fight Jason."

"He's going through a lot, Bry. The anniversary of his parents death is Friday night."

"So that gives him the right to thrust you into the middle of it all? Those two have issues, fine, but when they start to drag you into the crossfire that's where I draw the line."

I slapped a hand against my forehead. "I'm the reason why they have issues, Bry. It's only fair I be—"

"I loved you too, Reese!" Bryan said, jaw clenching. "Did you ever see me trying to bait and fight every guy that flirted with you? That tried to ask you out? No. Because I understood that it would hurt you and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Both of those guys are so caught up in their own selfish little fantasies that they don't see that they're pushing you away in the process."

I retreated into myself, my eyes out the window as the night flashed outside the window in a blur. Bryan was always right and sometimes it pissed me off. There was no point in trying to argue my side either, because he'd come out victor of the spat. He always did.

"Look, Reese, I love you. I care about you. I think Liam does too, I truly do." His voice was soft and composed again. "But if there's even the slightest chance that Nicola is right about you being just a distraction for him, whether its subconscious or not, you need to be on guard. I don't want to have to piece you back together again, not after you just found yourself again. But no matter what, I'll be here. Always have been and I always will be."

*

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse I walked into my house to my father sitting on the couch, my mother was across the room behind the recliner. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know something was wrong. Between my mother's tear stained cheeks and father sitting with his head in his hands, I knew it had to be a whole different level of bad.

"What?" I shut the door harder than necessary behind me. "What's going on? Mom?"

Neither of them responded.

"Is someone going to say something?"

"Reese, sweetheart." My mother met my eyes and somehow I knew the words that were going to leave her mouth before they did. "I'm pregnant."

**

I couldn't wrap my head around my mother's words. Raya and I had always wished for a younger brother or sister, had prayed for it even. A little baby to help take care of and dress up. That had been before she died. Before our parents marriage fell apart and Dad started getting abusive. Now, just when Mom was starting to smile again, was happy, this happens. I thought about calling Brianna or Bryan, they were practically family too. But I couldn't. I couldn't talk to Bryan right now and listen to his practical reasoning and logic.

Instead I found myself, a puffy eyed, tear stained mess, calling Liam. He answered on the forth ring, and when his face came into view his expression was one of a shock,

"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me after what happened at lunch." He said, then took in my appearance. "What happened? Did Jay—"

"My mom is pregnant."

Liam considered my words. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"You've met my dad, Liam. What do you think?" I answered. "I don't want a kid raised in this hell. I also don't want them to have to be raised in a broken family."

"Reese, that isn't your decision to make." He looked as if he wanted to reach through the phone and hug me. "I know you're only looking out for the baby's best interest, but what your parents decide to do is on them. All you can do is try to be the best big sister you can be."

I then said what was really bothering me. "But what if I end up leaving them like Raya left me? What if—"

"You won't." he cut me off. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Reese. You aren't going anywhere, except out of state for college maybe. Otherwise, you'll be there for them every step of the way."

"I'm not someone that kids should look up to." I tried again.

Liam snickered as if I'd said the dumbest thing imaginable. "You are literally the epitome of who kids should look up to, Reese. Hell, most adults should look up to you."

"I'm sorry about what I said at the party." My cheeks flushed. "I didn't mean to make things weird."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry for what I said at lunch. I should have been the bigger person. It's just. . . he pisses me off."

He fell back on his bed, sending his hair into his eyes, the right side of his mouth curving into a half smile. "You know, every time I think I've got you pinned, that I know who you are, you throw a damn curveball my way and I have to start all over again."

"Maybe it's best it stays like that."

He sighed. "Reese?"

"Hmm."

"No matter what happens, you can always click those ruby heels together and it'll take you back home. Goodnight, Dorothy."

He ended the call and I let my phone fall on to my bed beside me, my eyes on the ceiling. I wish he was right, I wish this was a story. But in reality, nowhere felt like home anymore, nothing was as it used to be.