I’d been wondering the same thing for quite some time. I was waiting for the moment where I snapped out of my funk, and returned to normal.

But that was pre having-sex-with-my-best-friend-turned-friend-turned-stranger. Grady couldn’t possibly understand what had transpired between Reid and me, but I loved him for wanting to coax Feisty Jade out of hiding. Maybe I needed him to kick my butt.

“You’re going to have to help me find here,” I said quietly.

Grady’s face broke out into a gentle smile, and he cupped my cheek. “For you my sexy amigo, I will cut a bitch if it means we get the old Jade back.” He spun me around, and shoved me towards my luggage. “Now, go change.”

With a tap on the butt, I walked towards my luggage, and took out the several bikinis’ I’d brought on the trip.

Grady was right. I’d been in hiding, and it had to change. Grady didn’t need to know that I had no desire to get Reid’s attention while we were here, but if going along with our stupid plan would somehow bring a semblance of my old self back I’d try anything.

ILoveDPG

Chapter 3

Jade

The Pool

I strolled down to the pool, and within fifteen minutes Grady had abandoned our plan for the cute bartender who’d made our cocktails earlier. Secretly I was relieved. His idea to get Reid’s attention felt a little juvenile at best and I knew I would regret starting a game I couldn’t finish. So I slipped my sandals off, adjusted my leopard print monokini and stepped into to temperate water, away from the other students who’d had the same idea to take a late night dip.

I waded through the water, trailing my fingers through the ripples, until I reached the deep end where the water slipped over the edge. The view was magnificent, peaceful, still. A sharp contrast to everything I’d been feeling in the last few weeks. I soaked it up, pushing away the subdued thoughts occupying my mind.

A burst of shrill laughter infiltrated the quiet, and I spun my head around. I wished I hadn’t.

Reid had just stepped into the water on the other side, and he lifted his arms to help Stella into the water. She smiled at him, her eyes turning up at the sides, and leaned down to kiss him. I should’ve looked away, but I was a glutton for punishment and just continued to stare. Her eyes lifted, and I swore her mouth tilted into a smirk all the while her lips moved against Reid’s. She was taunting me, dangling Reid in front of me like a damn bone.

I had to hand it to her though. She knew what she was doing, and if her aim was to hurt me, it was working.

Bitch.

I looked away, and rested my arms one the side of the pool. I wasn’t sure I was going to last an entire week, but wouldn’t leaving mean that Stella had won?

Not really, I realized.

She’d already won.

She had Reid.

The water moved next to me, and I looked to the side just as Kennedy stopped next to me. Her blonde hair was piled up on top of her head and her dark purple bikini matched the dyed tips.

“You look lost in thought,” she commented. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“Not really,” I replied. “Not much worth talking about I’m afraid.”

More laughter came from behind us, and I knew it was Stella without having to turn around. Kennedy looked over her shoulder, and let out an annoyed groan. “Can she be any more of an exhibitionist? God, she’s such an attention whore.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to turn in their direction and see Stella having fun with Reid.

God, I was so pathetic. I was starting to piss myself off with the whole ‘woe is me’ routine. It had to stop.

Sadly, I could only think of one way to do that.

Cut the few ties I had left keeping me tethered to Reid.

I had to put our lifetime of memories we’d made into a box, and keep them there, at least until it didn’t hurt so much anymore.

“Just ignore them,” I finally said. “She’s not worth it.”

“Are you okay being here, Jade? I mean, with having to see them together?”

“I’m trying to be,” I replied honestly. “I can’t blame him for moving on when I pushed him away.”

Kennedy sighed, and rested her chin on her palm as she looked at me. “I understand why you pushed him away, but what I don’t get is why you allow that bitch to get to you, or why Reid allows her to dictate whether or not the two of you can be friends. I thought he was better than that.”

“She’s threatened by me,” I said quietly. “I don’t blame her. Wouldn’t you be threatened by someone who was in love with Dane?”

“That’s different,” she argued. “Stella is threatened by you because you mean a lot to Reid, and she knows that.”

“Even so,” I sighed. “I fucked up any chance I had with Reid, and now he’s moved on.”

Kennedy huffed. “Moved on my ass. He’s trying to cover up what he feels about you by wasting his time with that...thing. He’ll wake up eventually, but until then you shouldn’t allow Stella’s petty attempts to rile you up, get to you. Beat her at her own game by not playing.”

I was about to respond when Kennedy was pulled underwater. She sputtered, and spun around to slap Dane, but he dodged her hand, and pulled her against him.

“Hey Kitten,” he laughed.

“Dane, you ass, I was talking to Jade!” She tried to sound annoyed, but one smile from him and she turned to putty in his hands.

“Mind if I steal my girl for a while?” He asked, looking down at me. Dane Winters was tall, and had a body many girls had fawned over, but he was very much enamored with my best friend, which made him tolerable. Sometimes. When he wasn’t being a dick.

“Sure,” I said. “I was about to head up anyway. I’m beat.”

Kennedy pouted. “Ah really? You can hang out with us if you want? I swear Dane will behave.”

Dane chuckled, and nipped at Kennedy’s throat. “I can’t promise that, sweetheart.”

I couldn’t help but smile at them. They’d had so much to get through, and I knew they loved each other.

“It’s fine, I’ll just go up, take a shower and climb into bed.”

“See you in the morning?” Asked Kennedy. She squeezed my hand below the water, telling me she was here if I needed her.

“Of course.”

I moved back towards the pool steps, and let out a breath when I saw Reid and Stella had disappeared.

Thank God.

At least I could leave without having to see them groping each other.

I stepped into my sandals, and wrapped my towel around my body. I rounded the corner, and should have been paying better attention because my foot caught on something, and I fell onto the hard marble floor. My hands stung from the impact, and I swallowed the need to cry out by biting my lip.

“Ouch,” I muttered. I turned my head, and saw Stella glaring down at me.

“You’d better watch your step, Jade. You could get yourself seriously hurt.”

I frowned. The Hobbit had fucking tripped me.

“What is your problem?” I asked, standing up and dusting my hands off on my towel. I was quite a bit taller than Stella, so I ended up looking down at her.

“You’re my problem,” she snapped, completely undeterred by our height difference. “You keep staring at Reid, and it’s time you stopped. He doesn’t want you Jade, and you need to get over it. I saw you, at dinner, while we were in the pool. It’s pathetic.”

It was pathetic, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

“He’s my friend,” I replied lamely.

Where the fuck was feisty Jade when I needed her?

“I made it clear that it was either you or me, and he chose me, so just do us all a favor and stay the fuck away from him. He made it obvious he doesn’t want anything to do with you, so why haven’t you caught the hint yet?”

Her words hit their mark, but they also stirred something else inside me.

Anger.