The Bad Boy and His Cheerleader

Chapter 4: You mean cheat?

Arianna’s Point of View

“You like him,” Adrianna said as I closed the door, leaning against it with a smile I could not quite hide.

“Like who?” I asked, pretending not to understand. She gave me a blank stare, arms folded across her chest.

“Jordan. You like him,” she repeated, emphasizing every word.

“As a friend. He’s easy to talk to,” I said, walking into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator.

“You’re smiling and blushing. You’re not even mad Jake left to get food without you,” she said with a smirk that told me she was not letting this go.

“Because I was already eating,” I replied with a shrug.

“Why didn’t you wait until he got back from wherever he went?” she asked, raising a brow.

“Because he should have told me he was going. He knows even though I wasn’t with him, I wouldn’t go anywhere without telling him,” I said, closing the fridge and taking out a bottle of water.

“Well, you and Jordan would make a cute couple. Beautiful babies even,” she said dreamily, placing a hand over her heart. “Oh, I love him for you.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold your horses, soccer girl. You’re moving way too fast. I have a boyfriend, remember?” I said, taking a sip of water as I walked out of the kitchen.

“Yeah, you have a boyfriend, but you also spent the evening at the beach with a very handsome afro Latino. You like him,” she teased, following behind me.

She needs to stop.

The doorbell rang and she grinned. “Maybe that’s him. Maybe you left something behind,” she added, rushing to the door. Her smile immediately disappeared when she saw who it was.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said flatly.

“Hey, Adrianna,” Jake greeted awkwardly as he stepped inside. She rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving the door open for him.

“Oh Jesus, you’re safe,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, confused.

“I thought something happened to you. Babe, why did you leave the beach? We were going to come back,” he said.

“Jake, I went to the beach today to spend time with you like I always do, and you spent the entire day playing football with your friends. I went to get food, started talking to a few people, and then you left without saying anything. What did you expect me to do, read your mind?” I asked, trying to keep calm.

“Babe, Cindy asked me to take her to get something to eat, so we all decided to go. You and Adrianna were already eating, so I didn’t think you wanted anything,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

“I don’t care about the food. Is Cindy your girlfriend? No. You could have told me you were leaving,” I said firmly.

“I’m sorry, babe,” he said with a sigh.

“Okay. I’m going to take a shower,” I said, heading upstairs. I heard his shoes on the floor behind me and stopped. “You know how I feel about shoes in the house. Please take them off,” I said, irritation rising in my voice.

I hated dirty shoes inside the house. Mom did it, and Adrianna finally stopped after I complained for weeks.

I went into my room, unpacked my bag, and hung my wet swimsuit on the hook in the bathroom. I grabbed a change of clothes. Adidas knee-length shorts and a plain white T-shirt, and set my underwear on the counter.

I undressed and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water run over my skin. I lathered my hair, massaging it gently, and that was when he flashed across my mind.

Jordan.

His charming smile, the sound of his laugh... so deep and effortless. He looked incredible in his T-shirt and gray shorts, his curly hair falling perfectly. His lips were small, soft, and pink.

God, he was sexy in that quiet, mysterious way that pulled you in without trying. I caught myself thinking about him and shook the thought away, scolding myself under my breath.

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

“Babe, I’m going to head home. My mom needs me to do something,” Jake called out.

I frowned. Since when did his mom ever need him to do anything?

“Alright, bye,” I said.

“Can I at least get a kiss before I go?” Jake asked, laughing softly.

“Okay, hold on,” I said with a small smile.

I rinsed the last of the soap from my skin, turned off the water, and wrapped a towel around my head and another around my body.

Opening the bathroom door, I stepped out, still damp and warm from the shower. He stood waiting near the edge of the bed, smiling that familiar boyish grin.

I walked over, pulled his face toward mine, and kissed him gently. His lips lingered for a moment before he smiled down at me.

“I love you, baby,” he said softly.

“I love you too,” I replied, returning his smile.

“I’ll call you when I get home, alright?” he said.

“Okay, but don’t call too late. I’m going to bed by ten,” I said, watching as he pressed a final quick kiss to my lips before leaving the room.

The moment he disappeared down the hall, Adrianna threw herself dramatically onto my bed with a groan.

“You suck,” she muttered.

“Adrianna, get up off my bed,” I said firmly. “You haven’t even showered.”

She rolled off reluctantly and sat on the chair, crossing one leg over the other.

“You know I love you, right?” she asked suddenly, her voice serious.

I turned toward her, sensing something was off. “I know. I love you too. What is it?”

She hesitated before speaking. “You know I hate Jake for you, but I only tolerate him because it’s your decision to be with him. Are you sure he isn’t stepping out on you?”

“You mean cheating?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded. “You haven’t slept with him since he took your virginity, and that was last year. Don’t you think he’s getting it somewhere else?”

Her words made my stomach twist. I had thought about that before, though I never wanted to admit it.

The idea of him cheating made me sick, but what hurt worse was imagining catching him in the act. He never said anything to make me suspicious, so I chose to believe he was waiting, just like he said.

“He’s waiting until I’m really ready,” I said quietly. “Why would you even ask that?”

“Because downstairs someone called him, and he said he was at Arianna’s house but would be there soon. When he came up here, he told you his mom needed him to do something. The person he was talking to didn’t sound like his mom either. He can’t talk to her with that kind of attitude,” she said matter-of-factly.

My heart sank a little.

“No, no. I can’t think like that, Adri. What if I’m wrong?” I asked, biting my lip.

“I’m not saying you have to think like that,” she replied softly. “Just be careful around him, alright?”

She leaned in, kissed my cheek, and left the room.

I finished drying off, slipped on my underwear, a sports bra, and a pair of comfortable shorts with a white T-shirt.

Heading downstairs, I grabbed my phone and opened the refrigerator. It was my night to cook. The chicken I had seasoned earlier was ready to be fried, so I heated some oil in the pan. The familiar scent filled the kitchen.

When the meal was done, I made two plates for Adrianna and me, storing the rest in the fridge. You’re probably wondering where our mom is.

She’s out of the country on business with her boss. Our dad, on the other hand, remarried years ago and now lives with his much younger wife and their children, our half-siblings. He had gotten his mistress pregnant before my mother even finalized their divorce.

After dinner, I washed the dishes and joined Adrianna in locking the windows and doors. Then I went upstairs, got comfortable, and lay in bed scrolling through i********:. I had nearly fifty new followers since this morning.

After a while, I checked the time... 9:47 PM.

I always try to go to bed early. It helps me stay consistent with my morning workouts and runs. Usually, I talk to Jake until I fall asleep, but tonight, my messages sat unanswered. He hadn’t called or texted once since leaving.

I sighed, placed my phone on the nightstand, and lay under the covers staring at the ceiling. Adrianna’s words replayed in my mind.

Could Jake really be cheating on me? We love each other... or at least, I thought we did.

My phone suddenly buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. I grabbed it quickly and answered without checking the caller ID.

“Babe, what took you so long to call? I was about to go to bed,” I said with a frown.

“I didn’t know we skipped the formalities,” a familiar deep voice replied with a chuckle. It wasn’t Jake.

It was Jordan.

I mentally slapped myself. “I’m sorry, Jordan. I didn’t check the caller ID.”

“It’s fine,” he said, amusement lacing his tone. “And I just got home, by the way.”

“You’re just getting home? Why so late?” I asked, playing with the hem of my top.

“I had some business to take care of. I’m sure you saw my text earlier,” he said, his voice teasing.

I smiled in spite of myself. “Yeah, I did. So what are you doing now?”

“About to take a shower, then maybe get in bed,” he said. I heard shuffling in the background, followed by the sound of running water.

“You’re about to shower now, as in right now?” I asked, sitting up a little.

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” he replied casually. “You’re on speaker, by the way.”

“Should I hang up and let you call me back after?” I asked.

“Or you could stay on the phone while I shower,” he suggested, his tone playful.

I laughed softly. “Okay, I guess.”

“You want to FaceTime instead?” he asked, voice low and teasing.

“You’re naked. Absolutely not,” I said laughing.

“You’ve already seen the top half of my body. Just don’t look any lower,” he said.

“I’m going to look because it’s there. FaceTime me when you’re wearing pants, dude,” I said, still laughing.

He laughed too, his voice echoing faintly over the sound of water. “So now I’m ‘dude’? You called me ‘babe’ when you answered.”

“That was a mistake. I was expecting a different call,” I said, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment.

“From Mr. Toxic, huh?” he teased.

“Stop calling him that,” I said defensively.

“Where’s your sister? At least she sees things for what they are,” he said with a quiet laugh.

“She’s probably asleep,” I replied.

“Oh, so how was your day?” he asked.

“It was good. I got a bike ride and didn’t die,” I said, laughing.

“I wouldn’t kill you. Are you insulting my riding skills?” he asked.

“How would I know if they’re any good?” I teased.

“You just have to trust me,” he said, his voice dropping slightly.

We stayed on the phone until he finished showering. Then, he FaceTimed me. My heart skipped a little when I saw him. His smile was easy and confident, and his hair was still damp. He wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“Can you put a shirt on?” I asked, blushing.

“Why don’t you take yours off?” he shot back with a smirk.

“Because…” I said, my voice trailing off.

“Because what?” he pressed.

“Nothing. Never mind,” I said quickly, lying back on my pillow.

“So, are you not going to bed?” he asked.

“I am. I was just waiting for a call,” I admitted.

“Blondie hasn’t noticed you left the beach yet?” he asked, grinning.

“He knows. He came by earlier and asked why I didn’t wait for him,” I said with a sigh.

“He deserves a slap across the head,” Jordan said with a chuckle. “You don’t leave a girl like you at the beach and expect to come by later. He’s lucky I didn’t see him.”

“What are you eating?” I asked, hearing a soft crinkle.

“Sour Patch Kids,” he said, showing me the bag through the camera.

“Aww, such a meanie,” I said, pouting playfully.

“I saw you eating your chicken wings today, and you didn’t offer me any,” he said, pretending to look offended.

“I don’t share barbecue chicken wings. I’m sorry,” I said laughing.

“You didn’t even give me a hug. I’m hurt,” he said, placing his hand over his heart.

I giggled and shook my head. The conversation flowed so naturally that I didn’t even realize how late it had gotten. His laugh was addictive. His energy made me feel at ease.

We talked until my eyes grew heavy and my breathing slowed. The last thing I remember was his voice saying, “Goodnight, beautiful.”

And just like that, I fell asleep smiling, forgetting for a moment that Jake hadn’t called at all.