Best Friends with the Player ✔️ (The Player #1)

Chapter Twenty Three-

Like I said. The man in the sky liked to mess with me.

"I'll get some popcorn!" Jenny exclaimed as we set the snacks and refreshments on the coffee table.

"We don't need popcorn!" Jesse argued as he played with his phone, probably messaging one of his many admirers, planning a date, already.

The guy moved fast!

We just broke up and already... Right! We hadn't even dated in he first place!

Maybe Jesse hadn't only messed with my shoulder, maybe he'd messed with my brain too.

"Popcorn creates a cinematic feel, Jesse. I'm making it."

"I'll help," I offered as I got up from the sofa. It was my house, and here I was making the guests work.

"Nah," Jenny brushed off my offer. "It's pretty simple to make San. Just relax. How hard is it to make popcorn, right?" She smiled as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Oh, oh," Jesse says, no hint of malice, surprisingly, just fear. "You got the fire department on speed dial, right?" He looked at me. No glare, just a look.

I nodded.

"Be ready to dial."

I shoot him a look of confusion.

"She burns toast. Heck, she's already broken about four... Wait, five toasters. She's broken five toasters. Not to mention the waffle irons she's turned charcoal black."

I chuckled. "You're exaggerating."

He shook his head, just as a smell of something burning drifts towards us. He gives me a 'you see' look.

I hurriedly got up and rush to the kitchen just as Jenny pulls a smoky black bag of popcorn out of the microwave.

"How do you like it?" She turns to me. "Crispy black or charcoal?"

After taking over with the popcorn department, I ask her to make some onion dip and guacamole. Surely she can succeed in not turning it black.

I head to the living room and sat down, waiting for Jenny to come with the dips for the chips.

Jesse and I envelop ourselves in silence as I pick at the popcorn and he tapped urgently on his phone.

How many girls was he texting?

After minutes of silence, his voice surprises me when he says, "Daemon's got the whole knight in shining armour thing going for him, right?"

I look at him questioningly.

"Today," he answered, sensing my look even without a glance at me. "During gym."

I shrug.

"Typical," he says under his breath, probably in the hopes of me not hearing him.

"What is your problem exactly?" I snapped, without meaning to.

He pauses his hasty typing session with whatever desperation lay on the other end and looks up at me. He stares at me for a while. Then he looks back at his phone and types away again, furiously.

"Now, you can't even give me an answer! Is that slut that interesting?" The words slip out without me meaning it to. Stupid lack of a filter!

He looks up, confused. "Slut?"

Trying to save face, I act uninterested as I shove some popcorn into my mouth. "Whoever you're texting," I reply as I prayed Jenny would enter the room sooner.

He looks at his phone, and smirks before he looks back at me. "Jealous, aren't we, Candy Canes?"

I snort at him. "Not in the least. I'm as interested as a jock in algebra."

He smirks. "I'm interested in algebra."

I was just about to let a set of colorful words fly before Jenny walks in, a sly smile on her face.

"Dips here."

We settled on watching Rushed, the movie starring Dylan Rush and Alex Hunt. Apparently everyone had been talking about it.

I took a seat on the sofa with Jenny while Jesse said on the carpet, his hand constantly in the popcorn bowl.

My stupid shoulder starts screaming in pain halfway through the movie, and refuses to cease.

Jesse definitely packed a lot of anger in that throw of his.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat and try to sooth it slowly, hoping the movie would just hurry up and end.

The last thing I wanted was for one or both of them to notice my pain.

I didn't want to become anyone's pity parade.

I wince silently every once in a while but thankfully neither of them seem to notice.

The movie ends after an hour of torturous pain.

"I'll come later," Jesse says as Jenny says her goodbyes and walks out.

I grab the remaining empty packets of chips and head to the kitchen to throw them away.

What was he still doing here?

"Santana," his deep voice makes me just an inch from the garbage disposal.

And that was the third time he addressed me by my first name.

My heart did a little stutter, shockingly.

"What?" I snapped as I wash the few dishes left in the sink.

"Can we talk this out?"

"Talk what out exactly?" I shove the dishes into the soapy water surprised none of them shattered.

"You. Me. Us," he replied.

"There is no us, Jesse," I said.

"Yet," he muttered.

"What?" I asked, confused on whether I heard him right.

"What if you gave up this whole 'Get Daemon' mission you're on, huh?"

I chuckled drly. "And what? Come to you?" I snorted. "Daemon is the whole reason we started this whole dating bullshit, remember?"

"I know," he snapped.

"And you expect me to get over him? Just like that?"

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Fine," he snapped. "Fine. Go after Matthews. But know this, I'm going to do everything I can to stop you."

"What?" I snapped, confused. Why?

"You heard me," he said as he opened the deep fridge.

"What are you doing?"

Next thing I know he's gotten out the ice pack and is walking towards me.

"Stay away from me." I warned.

He doesn't listen as he stops inches from me. "Stop acting like you don't feel anything, Marie. Get some ice on that shoulder."

I stare at him in shock.

He knew?

He turns around and moves to walk out of the kitchen. He pauses just before he disappears and turns back. "I'm sorry."