The Sweet Kind of Wrong

CHAPTER 23

JANE

When my alarm goes off the following, I groan in frustration, I love my beauty sleep. I switch it off immediately then I sit up straight and stretch my arms, also yawning in the process. I get off my bed and make it then I head to the bathroom and get myself, preparing for school. Sometime passes when I come out and lotion and get dressed in my notched colourblock belted dress, put on some sandals and apply makeup then tie my hair in a ponytail. I take my stuff and leave the room, going to have breakfast.

Erika is perplexed or should I say shocked or surprised. She doesn't blink or swallow or anything, she just stares at me with wide open eyes and her mouth dropped ajar. I want to laugh so bad but I can't, I want to know what she thinks first. Please don't judge me.

"Rika, Rika, blink, breathe..." I mutter to her and she blinks countless times, shaking her head.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask.

"Nothing, I'm just-this is a lot to process, it's actually too much for one person, I don't know how you do it." She blurts out. "Jane this...you really did it, like you said it out loud for him to hear you?"

"Yes I told him I loved him, well I love him." She adjusts in her seat, composing herself. Oh s**t I'm in trouble, she'll interrogate me till the second coming.

"Woah! Okay, let's just, reel it in for me. Let's go back. Tell me everything, from the beginning. I know I'm not losing my mind right now, I'm not dreaming or anything, j-just tell me what triggered you to actually tell Luke you loved him."

"Shh... you want the others to hear us?"

"Duh! Maybe they'll knock some sense into your head. Jane, Luke is your brother."

"Well I wouldn't call him my brother, just that our parents are married, that's all, we're not biologically related, we're just practically related. And that doesn't mean anything because..."

"Woah woah woah! Slow down, honey, I'm not fighting with you, I'm not your enemy. I'm your friend." She tells me.

"You're judging me, Rika."

"I'm not judging you, Jane, I'm just concerned that's all. Luke is your step brother and a player, the bad boy. Or have you forgotten?"

"Well he's different around me."

"What about Nathan? I mean your actual boyfriend?"

"I don't..." I murmer in between my teeth, a side shrug.

"He's crazy about you, Jane."

"I know but we're not compatible."

"Not compatible?"

"I mean there's no chemistry between us, I'm always...it's just not working out."

"Not working out? You only realize that now?"

"No I-" I stutter. "Let's talk about something else, can we?"

"Sure. I never imagined you as a bad boy type." She jokes.

"Bad boys bring heaven to you, friend." Is my simply reply and we both laugh.

I get to the school's court and I don't find the other cheerleaders. Maybe they're all running late. I take out my phone and connect it to the speakers. I place my stuff on the bench and press on the music, playing 'Cool' by Dua Lipa. Dancing is the only way I get to express how I feel and I think clearly when I'm dancing. I close my eyes and let my body guide me. One thing I love about dancing, you don't need no book, you don't have to be in control, you just let the rhythm and body guide you. I dance and dance, letting all my thoughts, troubles out of my system, expressing myself in the movements.

The only thing that's really on my mind right now is my relationship with Luke and how I'm going to breaking the news to Nathan. At some point I'm going to break up with him whether I like it or not. He has to know the truth, he doesn't deserve all of this. But how do I even begin to tell him that we can't be together because I'm in love with someone else, worst of all, my step brother? It's confusing and hard. Painful fact is that I got myself in this situation and I have to get myself out of it, one way or another. I have to do it.

I snap out of it when I hear a round of applause behind me and when I turn, the whole team of basketball players plus Luke and the cheerleaders are all looking at me with smiles on their faces. Okay, great. I disconnect my phone from the speakers and turn to them with a weak smile.

"That was amazing, Jane." Alexis coos and I smile.

"Thank you."

"If this is how we're going to start our practise then I'm never missing a day." Louis jokes and we all laugh.

"Nice try, Louis." Their coach muses. "Let's get started, boys." We all get ready to practise. The boys at their side of practising and us cheerleaders on our side of rehearsing. We focus mainly on doing flips today.

After practising, we all leave the court. I get a text from Luke when I am about to exit, telling me to go back in, he wants to talk. I bid goodbye to Alexis and the others then I go back inside, to the benches. I find Luke sorting his stuff out. I sit down, waiting for him. He sits besides me, not too close, avoiding to draw attention since there are cameras in the court now. I turn my head to look at me at the same time as he turns his then we both smile. It's already obvious we can't hide the chemistry between us. It's too much to bare but for now we have to. He looks so good in his basketball kit and his sweating isn't doing any favours right now.

"You did great today, I mean your dancing. It's just a pity, there were other guys watching you." He says and I blush hard

"Hard luck?" I muse.

"Yeah, that's the word." He laughs.

"Thank you."

"So are you okay? I mean really okay, no pretending." He asks in a more serious tone and I know I'm not okay. I'm in a pit and there's no easy way out of it besides the truth. He asks because he can tell when I'm not okay.

"Honestly, no, I'm not okay." I answer.

"Makes the two of us."

"Yep." Then there's silence afterwards, none of us knows what to say to each other. I mean we're in love but it's only the two of us that know that fact and our friends but the rest of the world doesn't. In people's eyes we're supposed to be step siblings, to them we're family but we know the truth. A truth that would either make us or break us, a truth that would cause our parents to kill us. I know for sure my mom would kill me for ruining her marriage, at least Luke is not scared of his father and he doesn't give a damn about him but me, I love my mom and I want her to be happy. Then there's Nathan on the other hand, he likes or loves me, I don't know but I know I like him, not like that though. He's a good friend, not that he knows that I consider him a friend and not a boyfriend. s**t I'm in a lot of trouble. I want to tell him the truth but I just can't bring myself to do it. Such a cliché, Jane.

"I want to tell Nathan the truth." I blurt out without thinking. Luke looks at me, wide eyed, he definitely didn't expect me to say that. I didn't expect myself to say that too, Greek god.

"What? Are you sure?" He asks.

"I have to, Luke, it has to end now. I'm tired of the lies, the secrets. I want the old me back, the Janet Adams with no drama. I just want to be free. That's all."

"Okay...umm...when do you want to tell him?"

"I don't know, tonight, tomorrow, that day, I don't know. I just want him to know the truth. He has to know that we can never be together, we tried, it failed so..."

"There's no point in trying anymore?" He continues for me.

"Yeah."

"You need me with you?" He asks.

"No, this is one thing I have to face myself. I'm the one dating two guys so I have to face him alone. Let's just hope he doesn't kill me." I manage to joke.

"Trust me he wouldn't dare. He'd never leave to see the following day." We both laugh.

"I'll tell you if I change my mind and need you by my side." I take his hand and he laces our fingers together.

"Okay. Let's go, I want to take you somewhere." He stands up, taking my bag and his and pulls me up. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Okay."

We leave the court and head straight to the parking. We enter his car and he drives off. He doesn't take the way home, he takes a different route. I decide to play the music in his car, I check his Playlist but everything is boring.

"Do you listen to music? What kind of human being are you?" I joke.

"You think I'm boring huh?" He chuckles.

"Do you blame me?" He doesn't answer, instead he hands me his phone and tells me his password. When I unlock the phone, I fall to our photo together, we were in the bushes, he was standing behind me. I bite my lip so hard to hide my blush even though I'm sure my face is clear evidence that I'm blushing. I go through his Playlist and find a long of hip hop and love Songs, band music. Well...looks like my Greek god is a softie.

"Turns out you're a softie after all." I muse and he grins.

"Shut up." We laugh. I connect the phone and play 'Someone to you' by Banners. He looks at me and grins even more. "I didn't know you were a Banners' fan."

"I love these guys. Only because my daddy loves them. They're the best."

"I see." He mutters as I go crazy with the song playing and dancing, waving my hands up in the air.

He parks at the Times Square parking lot and we leave his car. We get to Bowlmor Times Square and I open my eyes wide. I've always wanted to know this game.

"What are we doing here?" I ask suddenly excited.

"You've always pestered me about coming here but I never had the time so... I made time today."

"This is crazy."

"You're ready?"

"I am more than ready."

After the game we head to Starbucks and order our take-outs . We chat while we wait for our orders then his phone rings. He placed it on the table when we got here. I don't mean to look but I just look and see the caller ID is Hope. That ruins my entire day as I frown, replacing every emotion of happiness and satisfaction from my face. He declines the call and forces a smile, staring at me.

"So how is she?" Me and my big mouth. Great one, Jane.

"Who?" He asks.

"Kim Kardashian." I say. He looks confused and I decide to put him out of his misery. "I mean Hope." I spit out her name like some disgusting thing.

"You saw my caller ID?"

"I think the real question is 'You still talk to her, Luke?'"

"Yes kind of." He stutters. "I mean no."

"That's." I start, pushing my chair back.

"Jane, it's no what you think, I swear."

"I'm not allowed to talk to Nathan but you still talk to your f**k buddy. Touché." I stand up, adjusting my skirt and start walking away.

"Jane wait."

"I totally understand. No one understands better than me. I mean I have two boyfriends one of which I don't love and the one I love still talks to his f**k buddy. Hypocritical, don't you think, Greek god?" I state matter of factly. "I think we both need to figure out what we want, Luke, before we both decide to tell our parents that we're dating. Until then, we have nothing to say to each other." I leave him there startled and calling out behind me. I get in the taxi, telling the driver to take me home.

"Are you okay, miss?" The drivers asks as he drives off and I nod, wiping the tears, falling down my face. If he's still talking to Hope or even sleeps with her sometimes then he can go on. I don't care. I'm going to dump both him and Nathan and then live my life peacefully with no boyfriend drama. I've had enough.