How to Date an Asshole

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The car came to a stop in front of my apartment building. The pavement was wet and the night was cold and quiet. Leaves rustled as the faint sound of sirens blared from a distance.

"So, you wanna tell me what happened?"

My heart pounded in my chest. I want to? I don't? I don't know. I think I want to but I'm scared.

"It's okay if you're not ready. Or if you don't want to tell at all. I'm just concerned, that's all. You're not usually this silent. And you were crying on your way out of the party."

"I'm n– "

"Don't bother lying, Lauren. Any person with even a single working eye can tell you were."

I heaved a sigh and I looked up as I blinked away the onslaught of coming tears.

"Hey, I'm here." His hand went over mine and gave a gentle squeeze.

My eyes swayed over our now-joined hands then over his sympathetic gaze. "I know. Thank you," I nodded. "Truly."

He smiled, tight-lipped, and gave my hand another squeeze before letting go.

I looked up at the starless night as he slumped back on the driver's seat. I never thought this night would end like this. Me sitting in a parked car with a different man I came to the party with.

I exhaled loudly, catching Dean's attention. "Axel tricked me."

His brows knit together, "How so?"

I cleared my throat in a sad attempt to muster up confidence in speaking, "He, uh, hm," I let out a humorless smile as I shook my head. "I knew it from the start. He made clear of his intentions. It was my fault for forgetting it, or maybe believing that there was something more than just a game."

He nodded for me to go on, lost without context.

"We're dating because of a dare."

"Oh."

I explained everything, never missing the important details – how we had a bet at a club, how he went to my apartment, how we wound up with the five-dates dare, and so on.

Dean just listened. He gave an occasional nod from time to time, but he just listened. Not once did he interrupt me, and that weirded me out somehow – I was so used to men injecting their opinions that it was bizarre how he stayed silent while I talked.

By the time I finished the story, his jaw was clenching like crazy and for a second, I was afraid he might hit something with his fury. I placed my hand over his cold clenching fists. He looked at me in disbelief, his eyes saying a million words, asking how can I not be mad? How can I be so calm?

I shook my head slowly and gave him a sad smile, "There's nothing I can do about it. It's part of life. You play a game, you lose. You trust someone, they betray you. There's no use in moping around. I was just disappointed."

I felt his hands soften under mine, "But what if you can?"

I retracted my hands slowly, skeptical of his suggestion, "What do you mean?"

Footsteps jogging near us caught my attention.

Clark?

My eyes widened at the sight of him.

"What the fuck?" I cursed under my breath.

"Pardon me?"

Clark saw me and was about to walk near the convertible.