Babysitting the Player

Chapter 9

"Good idea. Let's go." I grab Johnny's wrist and pull him out of the kitchen and down the stairs before pulling him out the front door and slamming it shut behind us. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" he asks.

"Could you have been any more disrespectful?"

"I could've, actually."

"Johnny!"

"What?"

"You're unbelievable."

"Thanks, babe." He winks at me.

"You should go."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am. Go."

"Unbelievable."

"Believe it." I cross my arms.

"What about our date?"

"I'm not going on a date with you."

"Fuck you, Alex."

"Fuck you too, Johnny."

He gets in his car and I see Bryce standing in his driveway. Johnny pulls out of the driveway and takes off up the road.

Tears form in my eyes and I try to blink them away but they escape down my cheeks. I sit on the steps and bury my face in my knees. After a few seconds, arms wrap around me and a small part of me hopes it's Johnny here to apologize. I look up and see Bryce.

"I'm not gonna tell you you should be with me, but you shouldn't be with him." He kisses my forehead and I lay my head on his shoulder.

"What did I do to deserve a guy like him?"

"You didn't do anything. Alex, the sooner you break up with him, the sooner you'll feel better."

"I can't believe he showed up with flowers and I actually thought things could be different now. God, I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid. He's manipulative and the flowers were just a tactic."

I pick my head up and see that my tears have turned tiny patches of his baby blue shirt a dark navy. "Sorry for crying on you."

"Don't apologize. I want to be there when you need me."

"Do you want to come inside?" I ask.

"Sure."

He stands up and holds his hand out for me. I take it and he helps me up before I open the door to let us in.

"Back already?" Mom asks. "There better be an apology for that outburst."

"I'm not with Johnny." I climb up the stairs. "Bryce is here."

"Oh, perfect. The two of you should come sit so we can have a chat."

Does she know about us? She couldn't.

I lead Bryce into the dining room where my mom and grandma are sitting at the table together.

"What is this, an intervention?" I laugh.

"Actually, yeah." Mom nods.

"What? Did you know about this?" I ask Bryce.

He silently nods and looks down to avoid my glare.

"I talked to him when I got home and he seemed to agree with my thoughts."

"Your thoughts on what?"

"Why don't you sit down?" Mom points to the chair across from her.

"If I have to sit, so do you." I order Bryce and he sits down with me.