Untangle Me.

“Here are the keys”, Max said passing them to everyone. “We have to be out of here around 2 so get your sleep and be out at the van at a quarter till 2”, he said handing the key over to Garrett.

“Danielle, actually wake up this time.”

Danielle simply just raised her middle finger with a very tired look on her face. Garrett couldn’t help but to laugh as he grabbed the girl into his arms. John couldn’t help but to stare at the movement and all he wanted to do was break that arm right off of her body.

“Come on happy camper.”

“I hate Max”, Danielle said loud enough for the boy to hear. “I’m so tired and I just want a bed”, she said as Garrett laced their fingers together.

“Want me to carry you?”

Danielle simply just laughed before shaking her head. She could feel John’s presence right behind her and that suddenly made her very nervous. Her fingers were intertwined with Garrett’s but she couldn’t help but to get this want to do the same with John.

“You look like shit.”

Danielle looked over Garrett to see John standing there with a smirk on his lips. “Fuck you”, she said with a small laugh.

“I think it’s because I beat you”, he said with a smirk. “Who would have thought me, John O’Callaghan could beat the scrabble champ Danielle at Words with Friends.”

“It was a lucky break”, she said as Garrett felt like he wanted to shoot himself in the head sitting in-between the two as they flirted back and forth. “You had better letters than I did, but a rematch is a must. Then I’ll show you what’s up.”

“I bet you will”, John said with a wink as Danielle let out a laugh.

Her cheeks were burning red as she leaned back on the elevator, Garrett’s grip tightening on her hand. Garrett looked over at Danielle’s flushed cheeks and then turned to look at John’s wide smile. John was staring over at Danielle with this different look, a look that made Garrett very nervous. A look that said that he wanted more than just sex, a look that Garrett always gave Danielle.

“See you guys at 2”, John said as the elevator doors opened up. “And Garrett actually wakes up the girl, I don’t want to have to go in there and get my ass chewed out because you’re not man enough to wake her up.”

Danielle was about to say something when Garrett grabbed on the girls waist and looked over at John with an annoyed look on his face.

“I think I got it John”, he said with a roll of his eyes. “Just worry about yourself.”

John looked over at him with a smirk before nodding his head and walking down the opposite direction of the hotel. John couldn’t be mad at Garrett’s aggressive attitude he actually found it humorous and comforting. Garrett’s change of attitude told John that Garrett was threatened by John, the way he should be.

“I just want to pass the fuck out.”

Garrett let out a laugh as Danielle fell forwards on the bed with her legs and arms wide open. Garrett slipped off his shoes and took off the jean jacket he had on before getting in the bed right next to the girl.

“Let’s take off your shoes.”

“I’m sleeping Gary!”

Garrett just let out a laugh before pulling off the Toms she had on her feet. Danielle turned her body with a smile look up at the boy with a grin. Garrett started down at the girl before leaning down at kiss her lips softly. The both of them were staring into each other eyes with a wide grin spread across their faces.

“You’re beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful”, she said with a laugh leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Now let’s cuddle so I can get some sleep.”

Garrett just nodded his head as they got under the covers not caring if they were dirty or not. Not caring about the full clothes that were on their bodies, they were more concentrating on sleeping; well Danielle was. Danielle leaned her back against Garrett’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Garrett couldn’t fall asleep, his eyes were wide open and his thoughts were all over the place. His thoughts were mostly on Danielle, the girl that was invading his thoughts more often than expected. He couldn’t help but to think about how amazing she was, how much he loved her. But he also couldn’t help but to think about John. John O’Callaghan meant something to Danielle then just sex. Danielle Bailey meant something to John then just sex. Their relationship made Garrett really nervous, nervous enough to keep him awake when he should be getting rest.

John was having the same thoughts, the same thoughts that were keeping him up. He was laying there rooms away from Garrett and Danielle and all he could think about was Danielle. How beautiful she was, how perfect she was and how wrong he was for her. Then there was Garrett Nickelsen, the boy that seemed to have Danielle’s heart for now. But for how long? How long could Garrett make the girl happy? Could John make Danielle happy?

John wanted something with Danielle. He wanted her to be in his bed, he wanted to be the one to wake up to her face and not Garrett. He wanted to hold her hands and kiss her lips. He wanted Danielle to himself. John reached over to the camera that was rested on the desk right by his bed before turning it on. He went through all the pictures before he hit the pictures of the sunset. That’s when he went through the pictures of Him and Danielle that day at the park. That’s when he stopped at a picture and that feeling in the gut of his stomach told him he was fucked.

What the fuck are you doing to me, Danielle Bailey?

“Danny, what the fuck are you wearing?”

All the guys in the elevator stared over at the girl. Their eyes looking down to her long legs that went up to her thighs. Then up to the small part of her stomach showing under the white tank top. John wished she wasn’t wearing that cardigan sweater, he loved her shoulders. He loved the freckles that were always tempting him to kiss.

“Clothes, Gary.”

“Some short as shorts”, Garrett said annoyed as all the guys looked at each other in confusion. “And your stomach is showing for god sake.”

“Stop Garrett”, she said feeling really awkward as she covered the skin under her shirt with her cardigan.

“Well stop dressing like that”, he said looking over at John looking over at Danielle with a smirk on his lips. “Creeps are going to stare at you like that.”

John couldn’t help but to laugh as his eyes met Garrett’s cold stare. When the doors opened everyone jumped out of the tension filled elevator. John watched as Garrett tried to hold Danielle’s hand but she pulled away and walked off with Kennedy. John looked over at Garrett with a laugh before they all got into the van. John sitting next to Kennedy and Danielle in the back, Danielle was too awkward to look at anyone. She wished she could go back into the hotel and change her clothes. Danielle was pissed at Garrett and Garrett was annoyed with her.

“I think you look beautiful”, John said leaning over to press his lips against Danielle’s ear. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Danielle simply smiled not looking over at John, she knew she would lose it. John just grinned as he sat back in the seat; he was excited for the drive tonight. He was excited to spend some alone time with her, spend any time with her.

“John, you’re driving tonight?”

John simply nodded his head before looking over at Danielle with a smile. “Gonna keep me company tonight?” he asked as Garrett stood behind them.

“Of course”, she said with a laugh.

John turned around and was surprised to see Garrett and be faced with that look of anger behind those blue eyes. John simply just smiled at the boy before walking off leaving the two to talk.

Danielle looked up at Garrett as he walked closer to her, his eyes down at the ground with embarrassment.

“Can we talk?”

Danielle nodded her head as Garrett’s blue eyes looked up into her brown ones. Danielle loved his blue eyes; they were always so happy but right now all she was guilt.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“It’s okay.”

“No Danny”, he said grabbing her hands. “I don’t like other guys looking at you because I want you to be mine.”

“Gar-“

“Let me finish please”, he said looking really nervous and that just made Danielle even more nervous. “I really like you and I want to be with you, just you. I want you to be mine.”

“Garrett, I don’t want a relationship right now”, she said as his hopes were down. “I’m going to be honest with you Garrett.”

“Please.”

“I kind of like someone else.”

“John?”

“No”, she said lying through her teeth. “Someone else, it doesn’t really matter. But I really like you too, a lot. You make me happy but I don’t want to committee to someone if I can’t give my all”, she said grabbing his hand in hers. “And you deserve everything Garrett.”

“So what does that mean with us?”

“We’re friends”, she said and once again Garrett was put in the friend zone that he was trying so hard to get out of. “But just know I want you, a lot.”

And with that she pressed her lips against his. Garrett instantly grabbed her lower back pulling her into him tightly. Their lips were pressing against each other in a heated kiss. Their tongues were sliding in and out of each other’s mouth while Garrett grabbed on to Danielle even tighter. Garrett didn’t care about a pair of green eyes staring over in their direction and Danielle at that moment forgot about whom those pair of greens belonged to.

Those green eyes belonging to a very tragic John who stood there looking over at the two in complete disgust, he hated that Garrett’s hands were all over hers and not his. John felt like a loser, like second best. John was never supposed to be second best, that title always belonged to Garrett.

“Yo Gary!” Max yelled from John’s side. “Stop getting a hard on and help out.”

Danielle heard everyone laugh as they separated. Danielle’s cheeks burned up and she couldn’t believe that she got caught up in that kiss like that. She looked over at Max who had it out for her for some reason. She flipped him off with a laugh before her eyes fell on John; the look on his face told Danielle everything. Suddenly that smile fell from her face.

“See you later babe”, Garrett said kissing her cheek softly before walking away.

Danielle kept her eyes on John; a look of defeat was spread all across his face. He gave her a weak smile before walking off.

“You really put yourself in a predicament.”

Danielle turned around to see Kennedy staring back at her. She nodded her head before waiting for those words of wisdom. She waited until she realized that it wasn’t coming.

“I really fucked up.”

“Nah”, Kennedy said with a laugh. “It happens Danny; you’re allowed to love two people.”

But did she love Garrett and John? Sure she loved them as friends but she wasn’t sure if she was in love with them. She was always in love with John, but the naïve kind of love.

Garrett was a sweetheart. He was a gorgeous boy, but in that understated kind of gorgeous. He had those beautiful blue eyes that made girls go crazy. Not to mention that smile those made Danielle feel like a complete idiot. Garrett was her best friend and aren’t best friend’s just another word for perfect boyfriend. They had a lot in common and they know each other in and out. He’s reliable and Danielle could tell that he was really in love with her. Garrett was the right choice but why was she still interested in the wrong.

John was the wrong. Everything about John screamed heartache; from that infamous smirk to those devious green eyes that drove her completely insane. But there was something about him that told her not to throw him from the race. There was something between the both of them that Garrett and she didn’t have. Not just the sex but the chemistry. With one touch her body was sent in flames, with one little comment her whole face was as red as a lobster. John was so wrong that it was right.

“Ready for the long drive?” John asked with a laugh as he turned on the engine. “You need to be my co-pilot Make sure I don’t fall asleep and keep me entertain, are you up for the job?”

“Just call me Ice Man, Maverick.”

John couldn’t help but to laugh at how adorable she was. He looked over at her with a smile before driving off on this 8 hour drive. 8 hours of entertaining conversation, 8 hours of laughs and not to mention 8 hours to figure out that he was falling in love with Danielle Bailey.