The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

June Chapter 18

We're all waiting with Jay for Rory to come back. He wants me to confront her and tell her she's being stupid. Shawn has commented twice that Jay is acting weird and Jay's shot back both times that maybe we should care more about Bryce taking advantage of her than he does. Rory doesn't show up until the sun has way past set. I'm curious about how her date went, obviously well seeing as she's stayed out this late but Jay has visibly gotten angrier the later it's gotten. He isn't even watching the game that's on the T.V.

Rory comes in with a star struck look on her face and inwardly I groan. Jay shoots to his feet. "Where have you been?" he near shouts. He takes a good look at her and glares at her. "What did you do to your face? You look like a clown that's turned into a vampire."

Rory just smiles. She gets up on her tippy toes and kisses his cheek leaving a glossy lip print there. "Hey to you too," she says. Jay is looking at her like she's lost her mind but I know what this is. She's in a love-struck daze, this is not good.

She pulls out a beer and uncaps it. "Why is everyone here?" she asks looking around at us.

"How was your date?" I ask.

Rory giggles. "Oh it was wonderful. He took me for lunch. We went walking in the mall. Then we went for dinner and we walked on the beach counting stars and getting our feet wet..."

I notice that Jay has started shaking. "But that's it right? Nothing else happened?" I ask.

"We talked for ages. He was just lovely. He asked me to be his girlfriend..."

"He what?!" Jay thunders and even I'm surprised but not from the outburst. Rory and Bryce went somewhere I wasn't expecting way too fast.

"I'm sorry, say that again?" I ask.

Rory looks between us confused, "I didn't say yes," she says. "It's too soon, and too sudden so we decided to date and see where things go."

All of us are standing in a stunned silence. I honestly can't believe that she actually agreed to that. Okay, maybe I can, not that I'll admit it but Bryce is freaking hot, I'd take the chance to date him if it ever came up. Jay says nothing but storms past us and out through the front door slamming it behind him.

"What's his problem?" Rory asks. "I thought he'd be happy."

"Happy that he's losing all the attention?" Shawn asks casually. "To the guy he lost the love of his life to? Oh yeah I can totally see why he'd be happy."

Suddenly Rory's frowning and if I was close enough to Shawn I would kick him. "I can't keep being miserable to keep him happy. He's a grown man, he needs to start acting like one."

She storms away leaving us alone in the kitchen and I turn a glare to Shawn. "You couldn't just be nice?"

"About Bryce? Since when do you want her with Bryce?" he snaps.

"I didn't say I wanted her with Bryce. So, here's what we're going to do. We're going to canvas our friends and find someone else for her to date," I tell him.

Shawn gives me a dry look. "Our friends? You do realize that means me, Jay and a bunch of gay guys or guys in relationships, right?"

I pause and frown. "There has to be someone else. Come on Shawn!"

Shawn shrugs, "Honestly, at this point the only thing we could do is get Jay to open up his eyes and realize that he's jealous of Rory and Bryce because he likes her." I open my mouth and Shawn reads my mind cutting me off before I can tell him that I would like to go with that plan. "I know Jay, Candy, he's never going to open his eyes, not until it's too late. It's how he is and there's nothing we can do about it."

I flop down to the couch and rest my head on my shoulder. "I don't want to lose her like we lost Marnie," I whisper.

Shawn kisses my temple and says: "We both know Rory's nothing like her. I don't think we'll have to worry about losing her just yet. If you want I can try to work on Jay."

I shake my head, even if it would be amazing to have the dream couples—aka Me and Shawn and Rory and Jay—I didn't want Jay to make Rory jealous. We would just have to make a different plan, that's all.