Two Outta Three (Two Outta Three #1) Read online

  But what if I don’t want to go back to that?

  I crossed my arms and looked down at my scuffed shoes—cracked and darkened, just like my heart. “Just so you know, I don’t do shit like that. Stealing kisses and stuff, I mean.”

  He let out a puff of air from his nostrils and chuckled. “Ah, this boring prude thing is just an act. You can drop it around me, you know.”

  I clenched my fist and punched him in the shoulder. “Who are you calling a prude?”

  “Certainly not you. You wouldn’t have tried to suck my face off if you were.”

  My vision darkened at the corners. I didn’t know whether to feel embarrassingly mortified or downright furious. “I was just caught in the moment. You know, New Year’s night and everything.” I paused and snarled, “By the way, you’re wrong. It’s not putting us back on the right track. If anything, it put us back further than when we started because you are seriously annoying me right now.”

  “Caught in the moment? Are you serious? What moment was that? A cheap sweaty night club with watered down drinks and lame music? Oh yeah, that was such an awesome moment, Rocky.” His eyes lit up as if he had just come to a grand epiphany. “Hey, is that why you only like tips? You have to be in a certain ‘moment’ or whatever?”

  “You’re such an asshole.” I spun on my heel and pushed my way through the tiny door of the cash wrap. I had no idea where I was going, but I was so over the conversation and needed to get away fast.

  Jesse ran up behind me. “I’m not trying to offend you or anything, but now I can see why you’re so weird with Ethan.”

  I threw my head back and let out an exasperated groan. “Really? You feel a need to bring him up again?”

  “Thought all girls liked talking about their boyfriends.”

  I turned around and glared at him. Without bothering to remind him that Ethan was not my boyfriend, I demanded, “Why are you pestering me about this?”

  “Because I can see that after I left, you lost all ability to dabble into that wild side I know is in there. I never dragged you around with me; you did that all by yourself. You liked it.”

  I stiffened. “What do you mean?”

  “You, Stephanie, and I made quite a trio, right? Stephanie, the wit of the group. You, the creative conscience, and me, the spice in what can only be described as a bland blend.”

  “Really? You’re a Spice Girl now?”

  Ignoring me, he pressed on. “What I’m saying is that the perception of our little group was nothing but bad assumptions.”

  “Not following.”

  “We all thought we were different, but we really weren’t,” he explained. “Our trio would never have worked if we weren’t all a bit similar to one another. I mean, look at Steph. She definitely learned how to explore her animalistic side. But you…”

  “What about me?” I ground out through gritted teeth.

  “Why are you trying to hold it back? I’ve seen it before. Where did it go?”

  “I’m not trying to hold anything back. What ‘it’ are you even talking about?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “The certain ‘it’ factor that, despite your naivety, allowed you to call me out on my bullshit. The ‘it’ factor that, despite your good girl qualms, pushed you to party and skip class with me even if I could tell you were scared.”

  “I only did those things because I cared about you! You were so caught up in a downward spiral that I was afraid you’d go under if nobody was with you to yank you back up. Also, I called you out on your bullshit because, just like right now, you can be a stupid son of a bitch. I followed you around to protect you!”

  “Protect me? That skinny little girl with the bright pink retainer wanted to protect me?” He laughed as if it were the most hilarious thing in the world.

  “Not physically,” I scoffed. “More along the line of keeping you in line.”

  He looked unconvinced. “Why are you denying it, Rocky? Your bad side is desperately trying to get out. I mean, why else do you think you kissed me?”

  Because I’ve always loved you.

  I shrugged. “Like I said, I was caught in the moment.”

  He shook his head. “Because I always represented your rebellious nature. Think about it; once your inner self saw me, she couldn’t contain herself!”

  “Inner self? When the hell did you get into all this philosophical crap?” My head shook from side to side.

  “As odd as it sounds, I feel responsible for stunting your growth. Without me, you have remained the seventeen-year-old I left behind.” He eyed me up and down. “Well, not all parts.”

  “Is there a point to this?” The apprehension I felt earlier was beyond ridiculous. If I had known the morning would have turned into him trying to pick my psyche apart, I probably would have kept Jesse locked out in the cold.

  “My point is I want to prove to you that you never needed me to explore your rebellious side. It was always deep inside. It was in your soul.”

  “This is the weirdest after school special ever,” I muttered.

  He licked his lips and sighed. “You wanted to be friends again, right? Like old times?”

  I shifted awkwardly. I wanted to be more than friends, but now I knew that was never going to happen. In spite of myself, I nodded my head. “Yeah.”

  “Okay then. From this moment on, we are once again Rocky and Jesse…and Stephanie. I will show you that once we hang out together, it’ll awaken that little vixen I know you have inside you. Just give me some time to figure out how to get her out of whatever cage you put her in. I’ll show you there’s a rebel there. Shit, she showed herself on NYE.”

  “And then you left…again,” I reminded him.

  His lips tightened. “I promise I’ll never do that again.”

  We stood there for a moment merely staring at each other. Then recalling what he said earlier, I asked, “What does any of this have to do with Ethan?

  He lost the smile on his face. “Ethan?”

  “You said that now you can see why I always acted a certain way with Ethan.” I scratched my head, feeling so lost.

  “Oh. Um, just forget about it.” He swallowed visibly and tightened his lips.

  “What? Why?”

  “I said forget about it.” He turned and quickly escaped to The Dungeon, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened.

  ***

  Jesse and I didn’t speak for the remainder of our shifts, though there were often times I felt as if someone was staring at me from The Dungeon’s direction again. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ethan wasn’t as quiet and kept texting me all day.

  Hey gorgeous, can’t stop thinking about you.

  How’s work? Wish I was able to share a lunch with you again.

  Are you okay? I haven’t heard from you all day.

  Without responding, I threw my phone back onto the counter at the same time my dad came sauntering up.

  “Raquel, there was some trouble with our new shipment. I’m going over to the Parcel Office to sort it out.” Dad wrapped a scarf around his neck and reached for the spare keys in my drawer. “You okay manning the store for a bit?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Dad. I’ve been working here, illegally might I add, since I was nine. I think I can hold the fort.”

  Dad snorted. “Okay, well, call me if you need anything.”

  “Uh, sure.”

  I watched him walk out of the store while fighting an internal groan. It had got to be my longest shift ever and I wanted nothing more than to go home and drown in my sorrows. Besides still wallowing in the depths of embarrassment, I finally saw point black and “Jesse and Rocky” was never meant to be.

  “Hey, can you help me out with this?” Jesse’s voice snapped me back to attention.

  Feeling irritated from his hot and cold demeanor, I didn’t even bother to glance at him. “Shouldn’t you be back in The Dungeon?”

  “Your dad told me to put these in the aisle, but I don’t know which one.�
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  Sighing, I finally turned around to see a wall of cardboard in front of my face. Jesse’s head was barely visible above the gigantic box in his hands. Once he entered the cash wrap, he dropped the box with a thud.

  I kicked at the monstrosity and shot him a bewildered look. “Whatcha got there? Funny, my dad didn’t tell me were stocking new items.”

  “Oh, well, maybe he didn’t tell me to take these out after all. Maybe I’m making an executive decision to put these on the shelf, as I think they’ll be quite popular.”

  I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. I recognized the expression as one he’d wear just before sharing a wacky scheme. In a stern tone, I demanded, “Jesse, what’s in the box?”

  With an evil grin, he opened the lid to reveal what looked like hundreds of penises.

  “What the fuck is that?” I gasped in horror.

  “Funny thing is that I found this box stashed away in the back. Apparently your parents don’t really like bachelorette parties.” He reached inside and pulled out a penis shaped straw. “Shame, I’m sure these would be best sellers.”

  “Put that away!” I hissed, slamming the lid shut and kicking the box towards him. “Put those back! My dad will kill you if he sees this out on the floor.”

  Laughing, Jesse picked up the box as if it weighed close to nothing. He perched it on his shoulder, causing his Henley to ride up his stomach. The small sliver of exposed skin teased me, beckoning me to touch each individual muscle on his abdomen.

  “Rocky? Rocky!”

  My eyes blinked quickly. “I’m sorry, what?”

  He smiled knowingly. “What are you guys doing with these, anyway?”

  “We sell overstock items,” I reminded him. “There was a mix up once when my dad was told we’d be getting party favors. He didn’t realize it meant those kinds.”

  “Seems like a good time.” Catching the scowl on my face, he laughed. “I’m just messing with you! Lighten up, will ya?”

  “If this is your way of waking up that rebel you think is inside me, well, it’s just plain weird.” I was joking of course, but the look on Jesse’s face said otherwise.

  He grinned and patted the box. “I’ll have to warn you that my methods skim along the lines of what one may misconstrue as sexual harassment.”

  “What?” I demanded.

  “The game’s just begun. That’s what you get for opening the door.”

  “Jesse—”

  He turned around, ignoring me. “Sorry, my boss told me to put these back. Unlike some people, I don’t like getting in trouble.”

  Chapter 12

  “What do you think he meant by that?” I had spent the rest of my shift replaying Jesse’s words over and over again, trying hard to decipher any hidden meaning. I got nothing.

  “I don’t know,” Stephanie mumbled, sounding distracted. Perking up, she read out loud. “So what do you think of this? ‘It’s amazing how much we have in common even after all these years apart! I can’t wait until we’re under one roof again.”

  I pulled my eyebrows together and groaned. “Are you serious right now?”

  “What? Too strong?”

  “Why are you still messaging Daniel? You don’t really believe this is going anywhere, do you?”

  “He’s supposed to be coming into town this month to visit his parents.”

  “So?”

  Stephanie smiled sheepishly. “I may have hinted that he was welcome to visit me too.”

  My eyes widened. “Stephanie! No!”

  “Why? We know him. It’s safe.”

  “Yeah, from high school. Who knows if he’s some weird freak now?”

  Stephanie clicked her computer mouse once, obviously not paying attention to me. With a satisfied nod of her head, she asked, “If you’re reliving your past, why can’t I?”

  I pressed my lips together. “It’s not like that.”

  “Skims the edge of sexual harassment? The kiss? Come on! We both know this is your way to catch the guy who got away.”

  “Not this again.” I rubbed my eyes and groaned. “Besides, if this is what I have to put up with then…You know what? I don’t even know!”

  “I really don’t know why you’re complaining.”

  I shot her an annoyed look.

  She shrugged. “I mean, would you rather him go back to ignoring you?”

  I stayed quiet. For as weird as Jesse was acting, it was nice having him speak to me again.

  Stephanie nodded her head. “Thought so.”

  I yanked at a loose strand of thread on her duvet. “I just have a really bad feeling about all this.”

  “Speaking of bad feelings, did you decide what you’re finally going to do about Ethan?”

  I shut my eyes. That was another thing that had been plaguing my mind. Though I was still striving for any feelings of attraction towards him, I still couldn’t bring myself to dump him. I didn’t know why and it made me feel like the most horrible person in the world.

  I bit the inside of my cheek and frowned. “I think I’ll just see where it goes. No use jumping the gun and ending it quick, right?”

  Stephanie did not look amused. “You do know that’s not fair for either of you. You either like him or you don’t.”

  “What if I don’t know yet?” I let out a stale laugh. We both knew I was completely bullshitting my ass off.

  She rolled her eyes and replied with only two words. “He’s consistent.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “That’s why you can’t let him go. He’s predictable. You really haven’t gotten over your bad boy stage because a part of you likes the chase. However, you’re trying hard to overcome it by reaching for something consistent. If you ask me—”

  “I’m not.”

  “—you’re having some weird existential crisis. You’re trying to decide whether you’re the good girl Mom and Dad made you out to be, or the bad girl Jesse swears you are.” She nodded her head in satisfaction. “Think of it as the devil and angel on your shoulder. You’re trying to figure out which way your life is headed and these two guys are just that for you.”

  I pictured the cartoons I used to watch when I was younger and how they depicted caricature versions of both iconic figures. The cute little angel and mischievous devil soon morphed in Jesse’s and Ethan’s faces.

  I shook my head. “It’d be different if I actually had a choice between the two guys. Like I said, I’m just giving Ethan a chance.”

  Stephanie snorted. “Listening to your mom again, I see.”

  I reached out and threw a pillow at her face. “That’s what good girls do.”

  ***

  “Seriously? Why so last minute?” I threw my hands in the air in disbelief.

  My mom smoothed back her frizzy hair, looking utterly exhausted. A pair of bags lined the bottoms of her eyes, screaming for some much needed sleep. “I’m sorry, Rocky, but my hands are tied. It’s a last minute convention your father somehow finagled his way into and he won’t let us miss it.”

  “I told you, if we don’t get these tickets someone else might. We could lose vendors, Marie! Vendors!”

  Mom rolled her eyes. “As if we don’t already have enough stock.” Buttoning her calf-length winter coat, she lifted an eyebrow, which was in dire need of some plucking, if you ask me. “You can handle the store by yourself, right?”

  It was more of an order than a question.

  Usually, I’d be rolling my eyes and answering with a resounding yes. This time was different. My mind automatically flew back to Jesse.

  “Why do you both have to go?” I practically whined.

  Dad’s thick accent always sounded thicker when he was annoyed. “Your mom’s the good cop and I’m the bad cop. We need balance if we’re going to negotiate well. Balance is important, Rocky. Can’t have the bar tilting one way, it’ll just cause everything to slide off.” He glanced up at my mother. “You ready? It cost me an arm and a leg to get these tickets. I’m not about to waste
them because two out of the three women in my life are belly aching.”

  “I’m not belly aching.” I grabbed Dad’s suitcase and heaved it down the front steps of our house. “If you’re gonna go, just go. I’ll be fine.”

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t so sure I would be.

  “Just call us if you need anything, Rocky. From the sound of the convention schedule, we’ll be busy schmoozing day in and day out. We won’t really have time to check in,” my dad grunted as he dragged another bag behind him.

  My mother’s eyes sparkled. “Or you can always call Ethan. He might be able to help you out if we’re not here.”

  I was not even going to dignify that suggestion with a reply.

  All the while, my dad just kept going on and on about the convention and those stupid tickets. “It was pure luck I ran into Randall at the Parcel Office yesterday. He was about to let those passes go to waste! How stupid would that have been?”

  “Why couldn’t he go again?” I asked.

  “Some family issue. Regardless, his loss is my gain.” Dad puffed his chest out with pride.

  “Classy, Dad. Really classy.”

  Dad joined my stressed out mother in the car. She didn’t want to go any more than I wanted them to.

  I watched my father turn on the car’s ignition and do his pre-drive ritual. Adjusting the mirrors, he shot me a quick look. “Well, we’ll see you when we get home. Try not to burn down the store.”

  “I’ll do my best,” I sighed. I took a step back onto the porch and waved as my parents drove off. “I’ll try my best not to burn anything else down.”

  Lord knows my friendship with Jesse already seemed as if it were up in flames.

  Chapter 13

  Begrudgingly, I parked in the private lot behind the store and unbuckled my seatbelt. “This day is going to suck.”

  Before I could even make it out of the car, a loud bang sounded and the vehicle began to shake. Fearing I was under attack, I began to scream at the top of my lungs. My heart pounding, I looked outside my window and saw Jesse laughing hysterically. His gloved palms were flat against the driver’s side window, fogging the glass. Furious, I opened the car door and stepped outside. The snow crunched under my boots and I couldn’t help but imagine it’d be the same sound as me breaking off one of Jesse’s fingers.