Taming the Bad Boy Was a Mistake novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: Your Call

Callie decides to ask instead of order, Dane mocks Jesse as her dog and invites him to Friday's race, and when she says it's his call, Jesse says he's going and so is she.

I went downstairs in my socks and an oversized cardigan.

The front door of the dorm clicked shut behind me.

It was cold.

Jesse took his jacket off and held it out without looking at me.

I put it on.

It smelled like motor oil, which was strange, because Jesse didn't have a car.

"You didn't text," he said.

"I know."

"You always text."

"I know."

"Every night for a year. 'Goodnight, did you brush your teeth, did you set an alarm for stats.'"

My face went hot.

"That's a lot of texts," I admitted.

"I didn't say it was a lot."

He kicked the bike rack gently.

The purple bar sat at ninety-nine point nine and didn't move.

[Say something normal,] said the System.

I had no idea what normal was with him.

For a year I'd only ever said one kind of thing to Jesse Rainey.

Do this.

Don't do that.

Where are you.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He looked at me for a long time.

"Nobody asks me that."

The bar ticked down.

Ninety-nine point eight.

[Again,] whispered the System. [Whatever you're doing, again.]

"Did stats go okay?"

"I went," he said. "Sat in the front row. You weren't checking."

"I wanted to."

"I know." Almost a smile. "I could feel you not checking from across campus."

Ninety-nine point seven.

He walked me back to the door.

He didn't kiss me.

He'd never kissed me first, not once all year.

He just said, "Text me goodnight," and left.

I texted him goodnight.

He sent back a single thumbs-up.

Ninety-nine point six.

Bea was awake when I got back in, sitting up in bed with a bag of pretzels.

Bea Ainsley had been my roommate since the first day of freshman year.

She was the only person on campus who'd never been scared of me or of him.

"So," she said. "Was that the hostage negotiator?"

"He came because I didn't text goodnight."

She chewed slowly.

"Callie. You know I love you."

"Yes."

"You've been running that boy like a sheepdog for a year. You picked his socks."

"I did not pick his socks."

"You picked his socks. I was there. Gray, no logos."

"He looked good in gray."

"Did you ever once ask him what color he liked?"

I opened my mouth.

I closed it.

[She's good,] said the System. [Keep her.]

That night I made myself a new rule.

I wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it inside my phone case where only I could see it.

ASK. DON'T TELL.

The next day it got tested at eleven in the morning.

Jesse and I were crossing the quad between classes.

A red motorcycle rolled up onto the grass, which you're absolutely not allowed to do, and stopped in front of us.

The guy on it took his helmet off slowly.

Buzzed brown hair. Gold chain. A smirk that didn't need any help.

Dane Purcell.

I'd heard the name all year.

Jesse used to race for him, before me.

"Well, look at this," Dane said loudly. "Rainey's out for his walk."

A few people stopped.

"Does she let you off the leash on weekends?"

Somebody laughed.

Jesse's shoulders went stiff under his jacket.

Ninety-nine point seven.

"Big race Friday," Dane said. "The old outlet lot. Real money. Everybody's asking if you're coming back, or if you're too busy sitting in the library being a good boy."

He looked right at me when he said good boy.

Last week, I'd have grabbed Jesse's arm and dragged him away.

Last week, I'd have told Dane Purcell exactly where to park his bike.

Jesse turned his head and looked down at me.

He was waiting.

For permission.

I'd done that to him.

I peeled my hand off his sleeve.

"It's your call," I said.

His eyebrows went up.

"You'd let me race."

"It's not mine to let."

Above his head, the bar jumped.

Ninety-nine point eight.

[What?] said the System. [Why? That was perfect!]

I didn't know either.

Jesse looked at me a moment longer.

Then he turned back to Dane.

"Then I'm going."

Dane grinned. "That's my boy."

"And she's coming," Jesse said, and took my hand.

← Chapter 2 · All chapters · Chapter 4 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend