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

Chapter Twenty Four-

I needed to do something and not lie down here, letting my crazy thoughts get the best of me. For all I know, by the time I got up for school, I'd have already envisioned two kids running around, one boy and girl that looked like me and Jesse.

Nope! No kids! Definitely not with him!

I rush downstairs, catching dad in the kitchen, drinking a protein shake.

"Morning sweetheart," he says as he places his glass on the counter. "Early bird?"

I shrug. You can only be an early bird once you actually got some sleep. "Can I join you?"

He eyes me, surprised, before nodding. "Love the company."

* * *

Thirty minutes into the run, I concluded that I really, really, really need to build my currently nonexistent muscles and exercise more.

My dad, aged thirty nine was literally leaving me in the dust. Every once in a while, he'd slow down his pace to match mine.

I definitely felt like dead weight.

"Everything alright with school, honey?" Dad asked as we entered the park.

I nodded as I tried to keep my breathing in check. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.

"Everything okay with you and Daemon?" He slows his pace again. "He hasn't been coming around lately."

I nodded again. "He's... busy." Shagging everything with boobs.

Dad nods. "I see. So... you and the Archer boy, eh?"

I arch a brow, confused.

"Dating."

I chuckle, masking the feeling of guilt that hits me. "We broke up. Already."

"Did he hurt you?" Dads tone was the whole 'my shotguns in the attic' tone.

"No! No!" I protest, worried he might actually beat Jesse up for the a misunderstanding. "It's my fault."

Why am I defending the prick?

"Let's rest a bit," dad suggested as we came up to a bench.

I nodded gratefully as I nearly tumble onto the bench. Who knew running and talking neary killed a person?

I stretched my body along the length of the bench and close my eyes, relieved at the break my muscles got.

One good thing came out of this run. I was dead tired and ready to sleep for weeks on end.

"Great morning for a run, eh?" Dad's voice echoes.

I shook my head, energy too zapped to reply.

"Yea," a familiar voice replies.

No freaking way!

Instantly I'm full awake, again. I still keep my eyes closed. Maybe I'm too sleep deprived to think straight.

But then what would he be doing in my dream?

"Morning Marie," the person greets.

I open my eyes slowly, widening them instantly as Jesse stares down at me.

I groan.

"Now, Santan, that's not very polite," I hear dad scolds. Turns out daddy dearest now blamed me for breaking golden boys heart.

I sigh.

"It's alright Mr Klaus," Jesse reassures him. "Not everyone's a morning person like me."

I roll an eye.

"See ya around at school, Marie," he says before bidding dad a goodbye and continuing his run.

Oh and did I mention that he was shirtless?

Who in his right mind runs around shirtless at half five in the morning with the temperature still brimming cold?

Who wants to see his body?

I'm pretty sure he was being a public nuisance right now with the whole inappropriate nudity thing going on.

But deep down, I acknowledged that his abs were pretty well defined.