Chapter 18

I was far beyond shocked. I had no idea how to react, what to think, or what to do. All I really knew was that I should not be kissing him. So I tried to yank myself away from Adam's embrace the best I could. He noticed my struggle, and stopped kissing me.

"What? Is something wrong?" He asked.

I smacked him across the face. "Are you kidding me? Of course something is wrong!"

"What?" He asked looking very confused at my reaction as he rubbed his face where I smacked him. "I thought you liked me?"

"Liked you? Why in the world would I like you! I have a boyfriend you jerk!" I yelled at him, completely enraged. Gosh if Bella or Edward had seen me kissing him...who knows what they would have told their father.

"You have a boyfriend?" He asked.

"Yes stupid I have a boyfriend! I told you that!"

He looked very confused now. "Um...no you didn't."

"Why wouldn't I tell you that I had a boyfriend?" I asked...a little calmer...and a bit more confused myself.

"I don't know...but you never did."

"Really? Never?"

"Nope. If you had told me that...I don't think I would have just kissed you."

I didn't respond as I searched my memory, trying to see if I remembered ever telling Adam about Dr. Cullen. And he was right, I had never mentioned that I was dating anyone.

"Oh crap." I muttered, shoving my head into my hands. "You're right."

"Why didn't you tell me about your boyfriend?" He asked.

I tried to think about a reason for that myself. And then it came to me. Of course I hadn't told Adam I had a boyfriend, because I was so used to hiding my relationship with Dr. Cullen back at home, that I didn't even think about mentioning him to Adam.

"Ugh....it's very hard to explain."

"I'm here to listen." He replied.

I lifted my head out of my hands to look at him. "I think the more important question here is why did you kiss me?"

"Why did I kiss you? You wanted to know why I kissed you?"

"Yes, that's what I said wasn't it?" I answered, becoming frustrated.

"Well Brooke, I kissed you because I think you're an amazing girl, and I thought you liked me back."

"You like me?" I asked, now far beyond confusion.

"You didn't pick up on that?" He asked.

"Um...no I'm quite afraid I didn't."

"Gosh Brooke I've only been flirting with you the whole time you've been up here."

"I thought you were just being friendly."

"Yes Brooke I was...but I was flirting with you as well."

"So you wanna go out with me?" I asked, starring down and my feet.

"Yes I do." He replied. "I thought you wanted to go out with me to."

"What in the world makes you think that?" I asked, looking back at him...disgusted.

"Well you always flirt back, you laugh at my jokes, and you stare at me all the time." He said, grinning.

"I didn't even know that was flirtatious."

"Yes Brooke...it is. It sure seemed that way to me. And trust me...I'm in expert on this sort of stuff."

"Well I'm not!" I said. "Adam I know I told you that I haven't had much experience with guys...I don't know when I'm flirting and when I'm not."

"News flash darling...you flirt...with me...a lot."

"Do not call me darling!" I yelled.

He starred at me, clueless.

"Look I don't care what you think or don't think....but I do not have romantic feelings for you in any way! I am one girl that you are not going to get!"

He looked hurt at that, and his eyes drifted away from me.

"Adam I'm sorry...but I'm very happy with the guy that I'm with."

He turned his gaze back to me, but his eyes looked almost hateful. "Tell me about him...tell me about this guy you're with. How long have you been together?"

"A little less than a year." I replied.

"Physical description?" He asked, with a familiar tone to his voice. It sounded sort of similar to the tone Dr. Cullen had in his voice when I talked about Adam. I suddenly realized that Adam was jealous.

"He's tall, blond, pale skin, topaz eyes..."

"Topaz eyes?" He interrupted.

"Yes...his eyes are gold in color...it's quite unique...I've never seen anything like it." I said.

"What's his personality like?" He demanded.

"He's intelligent, kind, caring, compassionate, and he has a good sense of humor."

"Not as good as mine I bet." He bragged.

"You have a different sense of humor than he does."

"How?"

"Your sense of humor is much dumber." I said.

"What's he do for a living?"

"He's a doctor." I said, glaring at him to see if that met his approval.

"Is he rich?" He asked.

"Yes...but that doesn't really matter to me."

"Is he the doctor you work for?"

I bit my lip and sighed. "Yes, he is."

He starred at me for a moment in silence.

"Is that all you want?" I asked.

He nodded, then looked directly into my eyes. "So you don't like me at all huh?"

"Ugh...Adam." I said with a sigh. "You are a very nice, very funny, and quite attractive guy. But you're my best friend...and that's all you can ever be. Sure I might find some of your traits desirable...but I don't want to marry you or anything."

"If you weren't with this other guy...would you go out with me?"

"What?" I asked.

"Would you go out with me if you were single?"

"Possibly." I replied.

"Then why not do it now?"

"Why not do what now?"

"Go out with me." He said, his stupid grin spreading across his face. "Just while you're here. He won't ever have to know about it."

I starred at him open-mouthed, beyond disgusted. "What are you saying?" I screamed.

"Go out with me while you're here, then go back to him, and he won't ever have to know about me. What happens in Alaska stays in Alaska."

"Your asking me to CHEAT on my boyfriend?" I yelled at him, now far beyond disgusted. But then as soon as the anger came, it left, and was replaced with sadness...for I realized something.

"Yes if that's how you want to put it." He said.

"Adam that is not how I want to put it...because I do not want that to happen! Please leave, and do so quickly!" I yelled, as I opened the door and slammed it shut in his face. Bella was standing at the bottom of the staircase, starring at me, searching for an explanation.

I tried to fight off the tears threatening to fall. "I'll tell you in a minute Bella...I have to make a phone call."

She simply nodded as I ran past her on my way up the stairs. I threw down my gifts and picked up my phone, tears falling as I dialed his number.

"Brooke?" He asked...not at all seeming surprised I had called.

"I have a lot to tell you." I said in between my tears.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"No..not really."

The other end of the line was silent.

"Look...uh...Adam kissed me tonight."

Again he didn't seemed surprised. "Did that upset you?"

"Well not so much the kiss as what he said." I proceeded to tell him everything that had occurred, except I left out the part that Adam had brought up about cheating on him.

"Well sweetheart...I guess I'm not too terribly taken aback."

"Why?" I asked, with a sigh.

"It was very obvious that this young man had taken a liking to you from the start. Who wouldn't? You are a very exceptional young lady."

I couldn't help but smile through my tears. "I really miss you now."

He actually laughed a little. "I miss you as well dear."

I bit my lip. "You're not mad at me are you?"

"Why would I have any reason to be mad at you?"

"I kissed Adam." I said, yanking my hair down.

"You didn't intentionally mean to. The fact that you stopped it, and called me right after the fact shows me that you obviously weren't the criminal in this crime."

I just smiled, he was so understanding. "So what do I do about all this?"

"Let him cool off for a few days...then take it from there. But I would try and be careful around him and limit my contact with I if I were you."

"But he's my best friend...I can't stay away from him for too long."

"Just wait and see dear alright?"

"Alright." I replied...feeling a little better than earlier.

I tried not to talk to him too much longer, before I went downstairs to tell Bella what had happened. I was surprised, because her reaction to my story was laughter.

"How is this funny?" I asked her.

"It's not funny...it just seems very coincidental." Bella told me.

"Why?"

"Have you heard about my best friend Jacob?" Bella asked.

"Yes, I've heard his name mentioned every now and then."

"Do you know much about him?"

"Just that him and Edward don't get along very well."

"Exactly." Bella said with a smile. "When Edward's family..." She paused, frowning. "Moved for a few months...I was heartbroken. So I spent a lot of time with Jake. Needless to say when Edward came back, him and Jake clashed. And I had known that Jacob had some definite feelings for me...and I had feelings for him too, but nothing like the feelings I had for Edward. Jake did, and still does...try to win my attention."

I nodded in response.

"This situation with you, Edward's father, and Adam is just coincidental because it's like your Adam is my Jacob." She said grinning.

I didn't exactly see how this was funny, but I smiled anyway. After I talked to Bella a little more, I decided to go upstairs and go to bed. As I laid there in my room, starring at the ceiling...I thought about what really had upset me earlier. It wasn't Adam's kiss, or the fact he was so demanding to know about Dr. Cullen, or even what he asked me to do. It somehow related to that...but it wasn't entirely that.

Adam was asking me to cheat on Dr. Cullen. And I had yelled at him for asking me to do such a stupid and terrible thing...until it clicked for me.

I wouldn't cheat on Dr. Cullen with Adam...yet I willingly entered my relationship with Dr. Cullen knowing he had been, and still was cheating on me.

The next day's shopping activates with Lacey were not as enjoyable as either of us had planned. Lacey was crazy as always, if not more so...probably because she was trying to lighten the mood. It was kind of working...but not too much, and she caught onto that after a while. The whole day just seemed very awkward, and I was upset about it. I never got to see Lacey, and now here I had one-on-one time with her, but I was too upset over the previous day's events just to have fun. We left the mall earlier than planned, and Lacey decided to drive around for a while to "Show me some stuff" but I knew she just wanted to give me the chance to talk.

The first few minutes of the drive in Lacey's black pick-up truck were silent, until she turned on the radio to some punk-rock music and took a deep breath.

"Well baby cakes." She said looking at me. "I've already heard one side to this story...so I guess I need to hear the other."

I sighed and told her everything Adam had said, even everything about the cheating stuff, as much as it hurt me. She sat and listened the whole time, not even bothering to interrupt. When I finally finished, she growled in frustration.

"Ugh....I don't know what is wrong with that kid."

"Kid? Lace you guys are the same age."

"What? Oh yeah...I guess we are. I just have the tendency to feel more mature than him sometimes...I guess."

I nodded. "I could certainly understand that."

She sighed. "Look Brooke." Then she laughed. "Hey...that rhymed."

I laughed and shook my head.

"Oh sorry...I get easily distracted." She said, with a grin.

"I've noticed."

"Brooke, the dude is head over heals for you. Seriously...end of story."

"What?"

"I have never seen him so crazy over a girl before as he is for you. He talks about you all the time. He's really got the hots for you baby cakes."

"So he's got more than just a simple little crush on me."

"Ohhhhhhh yeah. Gosh if Adam had a little crush on you he would have been over you a thousand times by now. He's not the guy who hangs on to one girl for very long."

"I see."

"So that's why I know he really likes you....because he never looks for a serious relationship...never. The dude's so playa...it's crazy!"

"Playa?" I asked, confused.

"He's a player...play...er."

"That's not what you said."

"You're very right...I said playa...it sounds cooler...have a problem with that?"

"No I guess not."

"Good...I didn't feel like beating you up today."

I just laughed. "So Adam's a player?"

"Mhmmmm...big time. That's why it's so obvious that he digs you...because he hasn't been with anyone else since he's known you."

"Lace you aren't telling me that..."

"He's in love with you? Eh....I wouldn't doubt it."

I slammed my head against the dashboard. "No Lace...no...please don't say that."

"Well I did, and what the heck are you doing to my poor truck? If you want to beat something up...try Adam...he could use a good butt-kicking."

"What do I do about him Lace?" I whined. "I feel so bad that I led him on and didn't tell him about my boyfriend."

"I would suggest talking to him." Lacey said shrugging her shoulders. "But yet again...who knows."

"Is he mad at me?" I asked, looking her direction.

"Not mad at you...more so mad at himself for being such a butt head. Are you mad at him?"

"Yes...sort of."

"Why?"

"Lacey he asked me to cheat on my boyfriend! I think that's reason enough to be a little ticked."

She nodded in approval. "Yeah you're right...it is."

"I should talk to him." I said sighing. "Set everything straight."

"Good idea." Lacey said as she pulled into the Cullen's drive. "He should handle it ok. Possibly. Maybe not. Who knows...I can't read minds...if I could...I'd really like to know what Lance is thinking sometimes."

I laughed again....Lacey was so random...you had to love her.

"Thanks for the shopping trip Lace, and for the conversation...it was nice to talk to you one-on-one for once."

"Yeah it was nice." Lacey agreed. "Do you want me to give Adam a message from you?"

"Ummm." I said, looking at the ceiling of the truck as if it had my answer. "Tell him to meet me at the pizza place after class tomorrow...we can talk then."

"Alright." Lacey said as I got out of the car. "See ya later dude!" She called as she pulled out of the drive.

I smiled and waved, but my smile faded as soon as Lacey left.

I was not looking forward to tomorrow.

Thanks for reading...please shoot me a review with what you think so far!

~Hazl~