How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

The Night Calls

"Bry was furious tonight." Brianna commented, looking up from Shay's nails. "I haven't seen him like that in a long time."

I felt my nose scrunch up a little, feeling guilty. Shay shook her head so her dark bangs fell into her eyes. "I think Jay took the title for looking the most pissed off."

"He totally did." Brianna agreed. "I thought for sure they were going to kill each other."

"I never meant to cause problems. Liam's my friend and tonight. . . he really needed someone in the crowd cheering him on."

Brianna snorted. "Friend you said?"

Shay added, "He's got it bad for you, girl, and you're over here calling him a friend. Poor guy. Though I do respect it since you're technically still dating Jay and all."

"Got it bad?" I echoed quietly.

Brianna rolled her eyes with a smirk. "You've read all these romance novels and seen all these movies with the friends to lovers or enemies to lovers tropes and never stopped to think your life may be the very definition of one?"

Shay shot Brianna a look then tucked her legs beneath her and looked to me with a encouraging smile.

"I've known Liam since we were in fourth grade, back when he had a heart of gold. But a lot of shit happened. Girls screwed him over left and right in middle school, guys shoved him around and bullied him. So when he grew into himself the summer before Freshman year he told me he was going to change for the better. He did the opposite, but who was I to judge him? Especially after what happened to his family. It's his life. But a few days after you came up with the idea for the Playbook, when we were at lunch, I saw a little bit of the sweet, old Liam, light and full of mischief. I just had to know what was making him feel like that. Turns out it was a who, and that who was you, Reese."

Shay's explanation didn't end there. She stared down at her right hand, more specifically at the nails Brianna had just painted. "Nicola has been in love with him since seventh grade, but when he turned into a narcissistic dick, I was able to convince her to just play but not to get too serious with him. But seeing him changing for you, it pissed her off. The fact that I'm actually seeing a change in Liam is crazy too."

It's Brianna who interjects. "You should see the way he looks at you when you're not looking, Re. It's like all the books and movies. He looks at you like he's realizing what love and beauty are for the first time."

"Why are we talking about him instead of my actual boyfriend?" Not that he was much of one.

Shay leaned back on her hands and laughed. "You and Jay? Please, girl, you've been dating Liam this entire time and just using Jay as a front for it."

"I have not."

"You totally have." Brianna smiled. "You guys sneak off in the middle of the night to do God knows what. He gives you his Letterman all the time. You two smile constantly around one another. I've never seen you so happy to be in someone's company, Reese."

Shay made a noise of agreement. I just stared.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Bri asked.

"Jay?" I met her curious eyes. "Not really, not anymore. I think I was more in love with the idea of him."

Shay offered a weak smile. "I think she meant Liam, Reese."

Falling back on the bed between the two girls I groaned and let out a quiet, "Yes."