I Can’t Make You Love Me
Chapter Four
Jaelyn was stepping out of Gravity Falls when her phone rang. She brushed her sweaty hair from her face and pressed her phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hello,” said a cool voice on the other end. “I’m surprised you answered.”
“Who is this?”
“I’ll give you a hint: we’re the most talked about couple on Google News today.”
“What?”
Furrowing he brow, Jaelyn pulled her phone away and quickly pulled up Google News. The cover story included a picture of her and Abbie from the other day, talking to Jared and Paris outside that café downtown. The caption read Inseparable: Jared and Jaelyn Can’t Stay Away! The photographer had caught the first moment Jared had looked up at her, somehow managing to catch the striking blue of his eyes even from a distance.
“Jared?”
“Who else would it be?”
“A lot of people, considering I don’t remember giving you my number,” Jaelyn said with a laugh, resuming her walk. It amused her to no end to picture musician/movie star Jared Leto sitting in what she imagined to be an incredibly luxurious living room, talking to her on the phone. “How did you get it?”
“A gentleman never tells.”
Jaelyn rolled her eyes – an effect lost over the phone – and said, “Abbie gave it to you, didn’t she?”
“Abbie? Who’s Abbie?” Jared said innocently. “So, listen, since you called—”
“You called,” Jaelyn corrected and was rewarded with soft, breathy laughter from Jared’s end. She could tell it wasn’t his natural laugh, but probably just one he forced upon himself to seem more introverted or reserved.
“Okay, you caught me. I called because I wanted to ask you to accompany me to a small party next week.”
Jaelyn considered it as she stepped up onto the stoop of her apartment building, punching in the entry code and letting herself inside.. “What kind of party?”
“Oh, you know, just a casual, fancy-dress thing for musicians.”
“Fancy-dress?”
“Yes. I know you like to dress up.”
“Oh, really?” Jaelyn asked, making a mental note to interrogate Abbie when she got home. “So where is this casual, fancy-dress party?”
“The Fabulous Forum.”
Jaelyn’s foot slipped halfway up the stairs and she stumbled, dropping her phone. It bounced down four steps and she quickly retrieved it, sitting on the stair it had landed and rubbing her throbbing knee. “The MTV Video Music Awards? That’s what you’re inviting me to?”
“Well, you’ve never been and I thought you might enjoy it. And, that way, you’ll be prepared for next year, when you’ll actually be there to win an award.”
“You’re crazy,” said Jaelyn, shaking her head and slowly getting to her feet. She was more cautious as she continued up the stairs, watching her feet until she reached her landing. Her immediate instinct was to refuse, but a small part of her was screaming for her to accept, if only for the chance of attending the VMAs. “Were you thinking of going as friends or…otherwise?”
“I was thinking that distinction could depend on how it goes.”
“You realize that the VMAs is a very intimidating first date, right?”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Jared said simply.
“Well…” Jaelyn bit her lip, lingering in the hallway. “Can I think about it?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. Thanks. Um…I guess I’ll call you back?”
She could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “I look forward to it.”
“Wow,” she breathed, leaning against the doorframe. “What was that?”
Jaelyn was at a loss – Jared Leto had invited her to the VMAs. She had known he was interested in her, but definitely hadn’t expected that. She couldn’t seem to wrap her brain around the idea of going to the VMAs at all, let alone on the arm of Jared freaking Leto.
She let herself into the apartment, which was dim and silent, and dropped her phone and keys on the counter. After she had situated herself on the couch, she said aloud, “What does he even see in me? Is it just because I’m pretty? I don’t even…we haven’t even spoken that much. And I haven’t even been that nice to him.”
Shaking her head, Jaelyn stretched out on her back. Although she wanted to be blissfully excited about being asked out by Jared, she was worried. Although she was a different person now, she could remember with painful clarity the last time she had let herself fall for someone. It had been one of the worst feelings she’d ever experienced and she was in no hurry to feel it again.
“Maybe I could go…” she muttered, “and just play it like we’re good friends. No hand holding or posing for pictures or kissing on the cheek. That would probably work.”
But, then again, using Jared to go to the VMAs seemed like a bitchy thing to do. And, to be honest, she wasn’t sure she would be able to pull it off anyway. Her conscience was far too potent.
It was then that another thought occurred to her – Paris. She had been getting some really cold looks from her the other day, and Jaelyn certainly didn’t like the idea of getting on Paris Hilton’s bad side. From what she understood – and what Abbie had chattered away about for the past week or so – Jared and Paris were not in a relationship, but were “casually dating.” Whatever that meant. But Jaelyn didn’t want to put herself in the middle if they were secretly in love or something.
Though, if they were secretly in love, then why was Jared calling to ask her out?
“Ugh,” Jaelyn groaned, covering her face. “Does LA always have to be this complicated?”
“Hello,” said a cool voice on the other end. “I’m surprised you answered.”
“Who is this?”
“I’ll give you a hint: we’re the most talked about couple on Google News today.”
“What?”
Furrowing he brow, Jaelyn pulled her phone away and quickly pulled up Google News. The cover story included a picture of her and Abbie from the other day, talking to Jared and Paris outside that café downtown. The caption read Inseparable: Jared and Jaelyn Can’t Stay Away! The photographer had caught the first moment Jared had looked up at her, somehow managing to catch the striking blue of his eyes even from a distance.
“Jared?”
“Who else would it be?”
“A lot of people, considering I don’t remember giving you my number,” Jaelyn said with a laugh, resuming her walk. It amused her to no end to picture musician/movie star Jared Leto sitting in what she imagined to be an incredibly luxurious living room, talking to her on the phone. “How did you get it?”
“A gentleman never tells.”
Jaelyn rolled her eyes – an effect lost over the phone – and said, “Abbie gave it to you, didn’t she?”
“Abbie? Who’s Abbie?” Jared said innocently. “So, listen, since you called—”
“You called,” Jaelyn corrected and was rewarded with soft, breathy laughter from Jared’s end. She could tell it wasn’t his natural laugh, but probably just one he forced upon himself to seem more introverted or reserved.
“Okay, you caught me. I called because I wanted to ask you to accompany me to a small party next week.”
Jaelyn considered it as she stepped up onto the stoop of her apartment building, punching in the entry code and letting herself inside.. “What kind of party?”
“Oh, you know, just a casual, fancy-dress thing for musicians.”
“Fancy-dress?”
“Yes. I know you like to dress up.”
“Oh, really?” Jaelyn asked, making a mental note to interrogate Abbie when she got home. “So where is this casual, fancy-dress party?”
“The Fabulous Forum.”
Jaelyn’s foot slipped halfway up the stairs and she stumbled, dropping her phone. It bounced down four steps and she quickly retrieved it, sitting on the stair it had landed and rubbing her throbbing knee. “The MTV Video Music Awards? That’s what you’re inviting me to?”
“Well, you’ve never been and I thought you might enjoy it. And, that way, you’ll be prepared for next year, when you’ll actually be there to win an award.”
“You’re crazy,” said Jaelyn, shaking her head and slowly getting to her feet. She was more cautious as she continued up the stairs, watching her feet until she reached her landing. Her immediate instinct was to refuse, but a small part of her was screaming for her to accept, if only for the chance of attending the VMAs. “Were you thinking of going as friends or…otherwise?”
“I was thinking that distinction could depend on how it goes.”
“You realize that the VMAs is a very intimidating first date, right?”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Jared said simply.
“Well…” Jaelyn bit her lip, lingering in the hallway. “Can I think about it?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. Thanks. Um…I guess I’ll call you back?”
She could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “I look forward to it.”
“Wow,” she breathed, leaning against the doorframe. “What was that?”
Jaelyn was at a loss – Jared Leto had invited her to the VMAs. She had known he was interested in her, but definitely hadn’t expected that. She couldn’t seem to wrap her brain around the idea of going to the VMAs at all, let alone on the arm of Jared freaking Leto.
She let herself into the apartment, which was dim and silent, and dropped her phone and keys on the counter. After she had situated herself on the couch, she said aloud, “What does he even see in me? Is it just because I’m pretty? I don’t even…we haven’t even spoken that much. And I haven’t even been that nice to him.”
Shaking her head, Jaelyn stretched out on her back. Although she wanted to be blissfully excited about being asked out by Jared, she was worried. Although she was a different person now, she could remember with painful clarity the last time she had let herself fall for someone. It had been one of the worst feelings she’d ever experienced and she was in no hurry to feel it again.
“Maybe I could go…” she muttered, “and just play it like we’re good friends. No hand holding or posing for pictures or kissing on the cheek. That would probably work.”
But, then again, using Jared to go to the VMAs seemed like a bitchy thing to do. And, to be honest, she wasn’t sure she would be able to pull it off anyway. Her conscience was far too potent.
It was then that another thought occurred to her – Paris. She had been getting some really cold looks from her the other day, and Jaelyn certainly didn’t like the idea of getting on Paris Hilton’s bad side. From what she understood – and what Abbie had chattered away about for the past week or so – Jared and Paris were not in a relationship, but were “casually dating.” Whatever that meant. But Jaelyn didn’t want to put herself in the middle if they were secretly in love or something.
Though, if they were secretly in love, then why was Jared calling to ask her out?
“Ugh,” Jaelyn groaned, covering her face. “Does LA always have to be this complicated?”