The Way You Make Me Feel | ✓

1 | 1 PIANO GIRL

"But it just doesn't make any sense," Jae murmured, her eyebrows furrowed, as she munched on a baby carrot. "It's the third date and he hasn't dumped you or had sex with you? Has he thrown himself on you at all?"

I shook my head. Our normal group was fully assembled under a tree in the courtyard today for lunch (except for Illiana). It was much more private out here. Less eavesdroppers and players. "Nope. He's taking it really slow," I repeated what I said to Skylar and William just yesterday. "Do you guys think he's still trying to play a hump 'n dump?"

"Why would he put in so much effort?" Alyssa wondered. She stole a baby carrot from Jae's Tupperware. "I mean, if the end goal is sex, then why put in so much time and effort? Why not go for an easier girl who wants sex?"

"It's the thrill of the chase, ladies," Pierce chimed in. His arm was draped around Gia as he said this. None of us considered it arrogant of him, though. He was used to us talking about these things and whenever he pitched in his thoughts, they were pretty matter-of-fact.

"Oh yeah?" Katherine hummed. "Elaborate."

"Well," Pierce pointed at her with his wooden chopsticks, "some guys like it when girls play hard to get. It feels almost rewarding once they catch their victims and they give in. Maybe it's sexual tension, maybe it's sport. I wouldn't know."

"Especially with his group of friends," Holly said. She finally glanced up from her notebook. "They're even more motivated. It's almost like a game to them."

The group nodded their agreement, but Holly had hit the nail right on the head. It was all just a game to them. They flirted and seduced. They laid their trap. They played and screwed around. And then...

And then, they laughed and goaded about their (in Vince's words) conquests.

Kyle was being incredibly convincing. He really must have been that bored.

"It's a hard pill to swallow," Pierce sighed. "I wish Lia were here. Maybe she could clear some things up."

"What if it's for revenge?"

All heads perked up at this notion.

Gia explained, "Maybe it's just me being cynical, but maybe he's putting so much time and effort for the anticipation. The longer and more real it gets, the more it'll hurt in the end if he has ulterior motives."

I just got fucking chills.

Everyone seemed to stop moving. They glanced around at each other, at me.

"Have you--"

"No," I shook my head. "Not that I remember, at least." I didn't do anything in our past to cause this big of a revenge scheme. At least, out of what I could recall.

"What about Illiana? Would he do it to spite her?" Alyssa offered.

Katherine shook her head. "He and Lia have always been pretty chummy."

"Yeah," I agreed, "even Nathaniel said it hadn't been Illiana specifically who ruled me out from the very beginning. I mean, apparently, Illiana hadn't been the one to explicitly say I was off the table in the first place."

Now everyone had one of those uber confused expressions. "Then who did?"

"Vince."

"Ohhh." All of those confused expressions vanished into nothingness. But not me. Of course, I had no idea what epiphany they all just had at the exact same time.

"What am I missing?" I asked and lifted my apple juice box to my lips.

"It's obvious that Vince still cares about you," Jae said.