I Choose You | ✓

Chapter 32: Further Complications

A N D R E W D A L T O N

As the slow song drifted into the air from the speakers, my leg hastily bounced up and down. After a couple of seconds, I stood up from the chair, "I'll be right back, Jacob." He nods without suspecting a thing, and I walk around the ballroom, searching for her.

Maneuvering my way through the many tables and pushed out chairs, I frantically scan the room for Shortcake.

It nearly takes a whole song to search through just a quarter of the room. Time is quickly ticking as another slow song comes on, and I still haven't been able to spot her.

By now, I've somehow managed to search through almost the entire room a lot quicker than the first quarter.

Unfortunately, my chances of dancing with Shortcake are slimming by the second as she's nowhere in sight and the last slow song fo the night starts.

I warily cast my gaze towards the dance floor and inspect the dancers, afraid that'll I see something I won't like.

Searching through the crowd, I spot Bree and Bryan dancing with each other. Okay, she must still be here if they're dancing. I saw her with them earlier tonight. Then, my final straw of hope evaporated and completely disappeared.

My eyes land on Shortcake swaying on the dance floor...with Max. As I drink in her appearance, a wave of emotions come crashing down. Desire and jealousy clashed with each other within me and I couldn't think straight.

My fists clench and I take in a deep breath in an attempt to calm down and think before I act, since the last time it didn't go so well when I did the opposite of the two. Then, realization hits me.

Earlier that night

"So, are you and Sophie official yet?" Max asked as the music started up again. Jacob had walked off to the dance floor with a girl in our grade. I looked over and they were basically dry humping each other with others around them doing the same.

"No," I sighed disappointedly, "but I don't think we'll be moving on any further from where we are now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we got into an argument and she told me that she wanted to take a break from...whatever it is that we have going on between us."

"Oh," he replied with a slight hint of pity. "But that's okay, right? I mean, your relationship was all based on a dare, right? No strings attached."

"I guess," I shrugged my shoulders. The words burned my mouth and I instantly wanted to take it back, but it was too late.

"So for the record, you and Sophie aren't a thing anymore?"

"At the moment...I guess not," I sighed in defeat.

It all makes sense now. Max wasn't just concerned for Shortcake; he had developed feelings for her too. How could I not see this coming?

The more I thought about it, the more obvious it had become. All of those times that I had talked about Shortcake to Max and Jacob, Max always seemed more interested in Shortcake than the progress of the dare, unlike Jacob.