My Brother's Playboy Best Friend

14

Vince's point of view.

When I arrive in the cheerleading squad's lobby, it's empty except for Eve. She's leaning on a wall, wiping off the atrocious amount of lipstick she's wearing with a tissue. It's probably because I don't like tasting lipstick when kissing. Little does she know, I'm not about to kiss her at all. She throws the tissue in a trashcan when she notices me and pretty much jumps all over me. I push her off softly and her face now wears an offended frown.

"What's your problem?" she asks, grimacing at me.

'You', I think but I refrain from saying it. She's not a bad person after all. She doesn't deserve a rough heartbreak because I was too dumb to see who I really like.

"I wanted to talk," I say matter-of-factly.

"Oh, like actually talk? Okay." She crosses her arms and eyes me, waiting.

"I don't think this is working."

Her eyes widen. She seems genuinely surprised and I have no idea how she didn't see it coming. We've been fucking around and nothing else. We don't even talk. Surely she heard about my hardly private history with girls. And anyway, I was very clear with her and every other girl: I don't date. Ever. I just can't and she knew that.

"Pardon?"

"Well, it's like I told you, really. Our relationship was temporary."

Her eyes flash with anger. "No, but we were different. We are different. You like me."

I shake my head dismissively. "Frankly, I don't know where you got that idea."

She takes a step back, shocked.

"You defended me! Over that girl! You like me!" she practically screams at me, as if it would make me believe it.

"I don't do that, Eve, liking people." I give her a sorry smile. She glowers.

"Then let's try to fix it. The sex was good, no?" Eve says, not giving up.

I know for a fact she only likes me because of my face, my status and my father's money. I don't see why she's trying that hard when she could get herself another guy that actually likes her. A football guy even if that's what she wants. Just not me.

"The sex was alright but that doesn't matter. I can't be fixed, it's a preference."

She scrunches her nose and gives me a mean eye. "Whatever. I know why you're doing this so you can go fuck yourself." She turns away and leaves.

I frown. What did that mean? Even I don't really know 'why' I'm doing this. She must have misinterpreted something at some point. I shrug. Whatever. The bell rings again and I'm late for my English class. I sit through it, waiting for lunch. Neil nudges me at some point, asking to talk to me in private later. I nod nonchalantly, pretending my mind doesn't go crazy wondering what it could be he has to say. I almost want to grab him and pull him out of the class on the spot but he wouldn't let me.

Half an hour later, we're face to face in a deserted corridor and Neil seems like he wants to kill me. I raise an eyebrow at him and he growls.

"Vince," he spits my name like it's venom.

"Neil," I humourlessly reply.

It makes him snap. Finally. He grabs my collar and I let him, wanting to know whatever the fuck this is about.

"Now, you listen. I don't know why the fuck you're still here, lurking around Hazel like some kind of— of—" His lip curls in disgust and he gives up trying to find a worthy insult. "Just piss off!"

I gaze at him, not really understanding.

"Why? I have every right to be there." I breathe in to collect myself. "Even with you dating her," I say, trying not to sound spiteful.

"Every right? Every right?! You're so fucking entitled!" he screams at my face, his grip tight on my shirt.

I can't explain to myself his reaction. I know what I did but does it really warrant that sort of reaction?

"Chill out, you're stretching my shirt." I try to have him calm down with humor. It doesn't work.

"You lost your chance when you hurt her, you asshole!"

"You know I didn't mean it—" Neil punches me in the chest, not hard enough to hurt me but roughly enough to make a clear point.

"Stay away from her! This is what you wanted, Vince!"

I roll my eyes, slowly processing his words. Then I frown, even more confused.

"What I wanted? I never wanted to lose her." Neil seems like he's about to burst any second.

"Yeah right, that's why you got your damned girlfriend and that damned cheerleading squad to make her stay away," he says angrily.

His gaze is hard like he wants an answer out of me. I don't know what he's talking about anymore.

The cheerleading squad and Hazel? "... Aren't they friends?"

Neil huff, scowling. "Is this a joke to you?"

I stay silent, waiting for him to keep going, suddenly willing to let him punch me as long as I get to understand what the fuck is even going on.

"I guess it really is, huh? Alright, I'll play along. So what is it you're telling me? That you care for Hazel now? That you don't want her six feet under anymore."

I grimace at his accusatory questions.

"Listen, I always cared for her. Why in hell would you think otherwise?" The look on Neil's face is of pure hatred.

"Yeah, I'm sure you cared too when you let Eve hurt her."

I stumble back. The sentence hits me like a train. "Eve did what?" I choke out.

Neil seems to calm down a bit. He gives me questioning gaze.

"Do you really not know?" he asks like he's suspecting me.

"Know what?" I pretty much cry out.

It's not true, is it? What he said about Hazel. I can't wrap my mind around it. Why is he saying those things? How does he even come up with those ideas? Is he trying to put salt on the wound? Instead of answering, Neil laughs bitterly, shaking his head.

"What?" I ask eagerly at the lack of reply.

"So you weren't part of it?" he asks like I know what the fuck he's talking about.

I sigh in frustration. "Part of what?" I ask back as steadily as I can.

Neil thinks for a few seconds, silent.

"I think you got screwed over, Vince," Neil finally says, looking at me straight in the eye with the same friendliness as before all this.