Bittersweet Hate (2 page)

I put on my favorite pair of skinny jeans, a pair of black pumps, and a glittery tan
k top. Then I brush through the mass that I call my hair. The curls at the ends are snarled, and I let out a growl getting frustrated. Why is being beautiful so hard to manage?

“Are you ready to go, Jenna a
n….” Corey’s voice suddenly cuts off behind me. There’s a deep look in his eye when we make eye contact in the mirror. His are dilated as he looks me up and down; his gaze stopping at my ass for a moment too long. I think he likes what he sees, because he covers up what I think is a growl with a cough.

“Are you ready to go?” He
asks, his voice deep. I gaze into his eyes through the mirror, as I move my hair from one side of my neck to the other putting it in a fish tail braid. His eyes stay trained to that little strip of skin that I just removed my hair from. I watch him for a moment longer as I begin to feel the air in the room electrify. Our eyes meet again, and I can practically hear the crackle and pop of our gaze meeting.

“Yeah, just give me a minute.” I somehow
manage to get out ending the moment. He shuffles his feet across the floor, turning around slowly. As soon as he’s gone, I take in a deep breath. Fuck. It’s been less than a week since the towel incident and his eyes have been glued to me since. Maybe getting naked in front of him had the opposite effect on him.

I finish the braid, and grab a pair of socks so I can bowl. I don’t feel like trying to kill myself
out on the bowling alley floor. I walk into the living room, my heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Everyone looks up, and I take notice of the fact that Ryder is coming with us too. Well this just got awkward.

Jenna gives me a bright smile, as she pulls herself from Rex’s hold. She runs up to me wrapping her arms around me. I throw mine around her giving her a tight squeeze.

“You look cute.” She says, pulling away taking a look at my outfit.

“Duh,
don’t I always?” I smile at her. I love her. When I think of friendship I think of what Jenna and I have. I fucked up keeping something from her, and in the end she took me back. Sometimes holding onto grudges and the past hurts you more than the other person and when it comes to Jenna, she’s the strongest person I know.

“What’s he doing here?” I say gesturing towards Ryder who’s talking to Corey about something.
It’s not that I hate Ryder, because I don’t. I just think he’s misunderstood, he’s hard to grasp, and I’m seriously wondering if he has some type of disorder because generally he’s moody as fuck.

A sour expression
crosses Jenna’s face, “What was I supposed to do Mimi? He’s Rex’s brother and ever since he moved out he’s been distant. I mean we never see him. Rex is worried. I just thought it would be a good idea, and give Rex and Ryder a chance to spend time together.” She says her voice hushed. I can’t help but roll my eyes at her wariness.

“Yeah well
; he should be more worried about the fact that his brother tried to get in your pants. Fuck he kissed you Jenna. That’s kind of a big no-no when you’re dating someone, especially if that someone is his own brother.” Honestly, I’m flabbergasted that after everything she’s still sticking up for him. Ryder that is.

“Stop
, Mimi. Yeah I was pissed off and confused by it but I don’t hate him. You know more than anyone I can’t truly hate someone. Whatever is going on with him, it’s not his fault.” There’s a deep sadness in her voice when she talks about Ryder

She’s not hard enough on people.
That’s the thing about Jenna that’s probably caused her problems since the beginning of time. It’s fine to give them the benefit of the doubt, but being hurt repeatedly should warrant some warning in your brain to protect yourself. I’m pretty sure her warning sensor is broke.

“That is not reason enough to kiss someo
ne.” I say in a hushed whisper back to her.

“Oh, really…” She replies
, an evil smile forming on her face as she pauses “Is that why you kissed Corey when you knew he was dating someone?”

I glare at her.
Oh really she wants to bring this up. “That was different, he was with a slut. Which in turn totally equalizes, and justifies me doing so.” I reply in an overly snarky tone. I have my reasons for such things.

She shakes her head at me, giving me
a look that lets me know she thinks I’m crazy. 

“Well, are we ready to go?” Rex says standing and making his way over to
me and Jenna. He smiles down at me as she steps back into his open arms. They look at each other smiling. It looks as if there’s a gravitational pull between them, where one moves the other moves. I want a love like that; I want a love where when he looks at me he sees the world. I refuse to have anything less than that.

Ryder
and Corey make their way over to the rest of us, their paces slow, and eerily similar.

“Yup,
let’s get the fuck out of here.” I yell grabbing my purse as we all head out the door, and down to the parking lot. In the short distance it takes to get downstairs not a word is said between any of us. We all pile into my jeep, the love birds, and Ryder in the back seat and Corey in the passenger seat, watching me curiously.

“Stop staring at me.” I say to him, backing up out of the parking spot.

“Why does it bother you?” He questions. His tone awfully smug. With my foot on the break I lean over the center counsel.

“No. You fucking bother me.” I
say, my eyes delving into his.

***

After my small spat with Corey the drive to the bowling alley is quiet; too quiet. It’s as if everyone seems to think they have to walk on egg shells around Corey and me. As if at any moment we will combust. That’s why by the time we get to the bowling alley, I’m ready to pull my hair out.

“What is wrong
with all of you?” I say as calmly as I can. It kind of pisses me off that we can’t have a good time.

The
y all look at me like I’ve grown a second head, and then asshole number two has to throw his two cents in.

“If you guys would just fuck already there wouldn’t be all this tension
.” Ryder says from the back seat. I turn around; wishing I could shoot laser beams at him from my eyes.

“No fucking way. You couldn’t pay
me to have sex with him.” I state turning back around and grabbing my purse so I can get out of the car. My temper is on the verge of snapping, and it’s pissing me off more, the longer I sit in this car. I reach for the door handle and open it, allowing myself to escape just for a moment.

Its short lived though as a
hand lands on my shoulder, and I swirl around almost losing my footing. Ugh, heels. Slow down Mimi. Corey’s smoldering face is focused solely upon me as he reaches his other hand around me to steady me.

“He didn’t mean it.” He says into my hair, before letting me go. I turn on him.

“I’m pretty sure he did Corey.”

I don’t hate Corey
. I mean sometimes I do, but he’s been here for me. But he has also been an asshole, bully, and arrogant bastard, and that alone gives me reason to make his life hell.

We walk into the bowling alley
, pay for our shoes, and pick a lane. “Not a Bad Thing” by Justin Timberlake blasts through the speakers, and I find myself swaying to the words of the song.

I sit pull
ing off my pumps, and let out a sigh. Heels are a bitch. I pull my socks out and slip them on my feet, and then my shoes. I look around, and find Corey over by the balls. I smile a sheepish grin. He would be feeling up the balls. What a sicko. I make my way over to him, in my hideous bowling shoes.

“Feeling up the balls are we?” I ask, a small laugh escaping me.
 

He looks up at me and then back down to the ball in his hand.

“Definitely, you got to know if you can handle them.” I look at the ball closest to my hands, sinking my fingers into the holes.

“Oh really?” I ask curi
ously; acting as If I’m completely naïve.

“Yup, there’s a science to it.” He says un-phased by the fact that, I find it hilarious that he’s feeling
up a bunch of balls. Then again, that could be the child in me.

“So what
is so important about these holes?” I ask working my fingers in and out of them trying to get a stir out of him. I hear his sharp intake of breath and look up into his eyes. I flutter my eye lashes laying it on thick. Keep it up Mimi and you’ll have him eating out of your hand in no time.

“The ho
les… holes…” He says stumbling over his words. Holy shit, does little old me have Corey mumbling, and stuttering?

“Are you stuttering?” I ask, letting out a short laugh. His brow furrows, and a dark look shadow’s his face.

“The holes are for your fingers, you should make sure they’re nice and tight, don’t want anything slipping out.” I feel like I’m in a trance as I stare into his eyes, the hazel, and brown color mixing together reminding me of deep rich coffee.

“Hey are you g
uys done with the foreplay? We got have a game to play?” Jenna yells over at us from the bowling lane. I gaze over Corey’s shoulder at her giving her the evil eye.

“Yeah Mimi, are we done with the foreplay
?” He questions me in a teasing manner. His demeanor is kind of turning me on. Then again maybe that was the whole point, however he’s pissed, and like I said I thrive off of that.

“Nope.” I say back, as I skip over to Jenna and Rex who’re looking awfully cozy at our table.

“What was that about?” Jenna asks, curiously. Which in reality isn’t out of curiosity it’s because she’s my best friend and she’s nosey. Ever since this stuff with Corey started I was afraid to share anything with her. I knew what Corey did to her, and I felt for her. That’s why I did all I could to make his life a living hell. But then he laid on the goods and the relationship I had with him started having an onion affect. I was slowly peeling away his exterior, layer by layer. Did I know everything? No. Some things would take time, but I knew why he did what he did to Jenna. Was it okay? No, I wanted to kick his ass every day for it then, and still do now. However, people change, and I think he’s in the process of doing so.

“Oh Corey was just teaching me the IN’S and OUT’S of picking a bowling ball.” I lay on the sultry tone. Rex
gets up to bowl first and everything moves along slowly. The tension eases out of everyone, and for the first time since the incident with Brody I’m actually engaging in something fun.

I get up and go to bathroom, and stop at the bar on the way back so I can
get something to drink. As I’m making my way back to the table, I see a blonde, sitting between Corey and Ryder. Her hair is long, and curly. She’s pretty in an “I think I need makeup to look beautiful” kind of way. I watch from afar as she starts frowning at both of them. They’re laugh about something, or at something. Who knows which?

“Who is this?” I as
k making my way up to the table after biding time at the bar. I don’t mean to come off as a total bitch but that’s me and I refuse to be anything different.

I look between Corey and Ryder who don’t even take the time to step up and claim her.

“Well…?” I look at every one of their faces, my eyes wide. Either they have gone mute, or this blonde chick has no name.

Jenna grabs me by the arm and pulls me from the table and over by the arcade.

“Her name is Bridget.” She says into my ear, as I sneer at her. Corey doesn’t belong to me, by no means, but I feel the territorial traits coming out. That can only mean one thing. I feel an unknown emotion in me. The need to cut that bitch is strong. Right here, right now. It only gets worse as her hands paw at his shirt. I watch her as a sick smile forms on her face. She’s a bitch, I know it, she knows it, hell probably everyone here knows it.

“I don’t give a fuck what her name is, her name
is going to be on a tomb stone here real soon.” My attitude went from butterflies and sunshine, to I want to rip her arms off real fast. No one touches what is mine. Wait…. What….?

“Slow down
Mimi you’re being completely irrational right now, take a step back and look around. Corey doesn’t belong to you. If he wants to sit with her and let her paw at him then he’s not worth your time.” Jenna’s voice is strong and I can tell she’s trying to be as convincing as she can. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she’s gives me that mother hen look she gives everyone when they’re on the verge of losing it, and I’m pretty fucking close.

I let out a defeated sigh
, knowing that I can’t win this one. “Okay… Okay… Fine; But I don’t want to hear a peep out of her, I haven’t even talked to her yet and I’m already fucking annoyed.” I hate it when girls try too hard. If you want to be something, be it. Don’t act giggly, portraying this ditzy chick who doesn’t know shit. Guys want strong independent women.

“Just stop, I don’t even think she’s here for Corey, she’s been eyeing up Ryder all night.” Taking one look at Ryder I know why. But he seems to be more interested in stirring the straw in his drink then her.