Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

27 | Joint Custody

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date - sorry for being late to upload!! Here it is!

Chapter 27: Joint Custody

I woke up like I was fighting for air. From total darkness to a bedroom full of light.

A pain shot through my back, and I realized I had fallen asleep hunched over my desk. I was sitting in the red chair with my laptop and pages spread out on the desk in front of me.

What's the time? I patted the pages down to find my phone.

It was in my pocket – half charged. Not like I could text him anyway.

"Sssship!" I cursed, noticing the time.

I flung the pages into my backpack as well as my laptop and changed my shirt. Not the most hygienic but, hey, I didn't want to be late. I stumbled down the stairs at full speed, gripping the banister so I didn't fall.

"What happened to you?" Flora asked me as she put on her shoes at the front door, looking well dressed and ready for school, "Oh wait, I forgot. This must be what breaking up with Luke Dawson looks like."

I stared at her for a second. It was too early to think of anything to say, so I said nothing.

She applied lipstick in the mirror, "Don't hate the player, hate the game, right?"

Is she waiting for me to take her to school?

"Have you seen my shoes?" I asked, rummaging through the shoes that all belonged to my sister.

"If you woke up earlier, you would have more time to find them. Why are you late?"

"I thought I was Shakespeare," I sighed, desperately looking for my sneakers.

Something about the beach turned me into Shakespeare last night. The conversation with Luke had gotten my creative juices flowing - so lyrical, poetic if you will. So I took that energy and put it straight into my English essay when I came home last night.

Flora muttered something distasteful and walked out the door. I shoved my feet into sneakers and followed her, my backpack half open.

I was searching for my car keys when I heard her whistle, "Ooh, there is your ex. I guess he's free eye candy for the rest of us now."

I froze and looked across the street.

Luke strolled out of his house, backpack strap over his broad shoulder and gym bag in one hand. I enviously noticed the cup of coffee he held in the other.

Why does he look so well rested?

Curse Luke and his inability to look anything but hot.

He set his coffee cup on the hood of his black jeep wrangler and noticed the two of us gawking at him. He glanced over me and, even from the other side of the street, I felt my heart skip a beat. His striking blue eyes had that effect on me from any distance.

I expected him to invite me into his car; take me to school like old times.

Instead, with his eyes still on me, he pointed at his face and I pulled out my phone to look in the front camera. Aside from looking like a gremlin, there was a giant red mark on my cheek from where my face had awkwardly slept plastered on my notebook all night.

"At least he still looks at you," Flora shrugged, "You're going to take me to school, right?"

"Why didn't you tell me about the giant red mark on my cheek?" I asked her, putting my phone back in my pocket.