“I doubt it.” My gut tightened. The possibility of her getting fired was very real. I had no idea Daniella recorded her, and the evidence was stacked against her. But apologizing? Yeah, it’d be great. But my sister’s words from last year still weighed on me. I projected a certain scandalous vibe into the world, and people believed it. My own sister had thought I’d intentionally stolen guys from her.
Freddie had assumed I went home with someone else at a party.
My coach had thought I fucked her boyfriend to get back at her.
None of those rumors were true, but it was what my ice princess attitude had created for the past four years. I wouldn’t be getting an apology, and I’d have to live with it. I could feel Freddie’s stare, the intensity radiating off him like sunlight. It’d be easy to brush the hurt away and focus on the good—the team, Daniella, our relationship. But I owed him the truth.
“I respected her, looked up to her. This betrayal stings. Now that the adrenaline wore off, my soul hurts.” That was the heart of the matter. I’d gained a team but lost a mentor.
“People can disappoint you, but you know your worth.” His tone went deeper and more aggressive. “I had to learn that. Still am. Thanks to you.”
Suddenly, we were that couple. Our fingers intertwined with one hand while the other held the spoon. Instead of feeling silly or self-conscious, I focused on him. My boyfriend.
Then our phones buzzed at the same time with a notification.
THE APARTMENTS WILL BE READY IN A WEEK. WELCOME BACK.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
Freddie
“Dude, why are you sad?” Camden eyed the dorm room, his lips curling in disgust. He scrunched his nose as he fanned himself with his shirt. “It smells like Satan farted into an old pair of socks.”
“Way too specific of a smell.”
“Gross. I can’t believe you guilted me into helping you.” He put his hands on his hips and faced me. “I only agreed because I don’t know where your ass will end up in a few months.”
The internship. The heavy rock in my gut I tried not thinking about. I had eight weeks left on campus before holiday break and then…I could be in Chicago with my uncle. I was supposed to find out next week where I was accepted. Which, I knew deep down there was no way my Uncle Martin wasn’t going to accept me. My dad texted me about it three times a week. But that didn’t make my choice any easier. It was either here or three hours north.
Away from Cami.
The thought of letting my dad down? It made my stomach tighten with worry. My uncle’s text was a lead weight dragging me down.
Uncle Martin: I couldn’t be prouder of you, Fred, nor could your dad. You working here with me? Dream come true for both of us. I never wanted kids of my own but if I did? I’d want one just like you.
God, why couldn’t he be an asshole or something?
I set the final items from my desk into a bag, pushing all thoughts of the internship to the back of my mind. Things were so good with her, even thinking about me moving sent my heart into hyperdrive. “You’re saying you’ll miss me.”
“Ten percent, yes.” The dick even separated his thumb and pointer by an inch.
My lips quirked up though, which I welcomed. There was a heavy melancholic mood following me since we got that text message. Of course, I wanted to live in the nice place with air conditioning. I wanted my own shower and to not hear every sound echoing down the hall.
However, I was going to miss sharing a wall with Cami. The coed bathroom, the showers, the way her laugh carried into my room. What if things changed when we weren’t right next door to each other? What if the past few weeks were an illusion and reality would set in, making her realize we didn’t match? That she was way too cool for me? I gripped the back of my neck, hoping to ease the self-doubt when a familiar voice sounded in the hall.
Michael Reiner.
“Jesus Christ on a cracker.” He fanned his face with his hat. “Cami, this is disgusting.”
“Seriously. You turned down our couch for this?” Her sister joined them, and I stepped into the doorframe.
“Hey, Freddie.” Michael grinned at me. He wore a school outfit again, and Naomi even had on a Central State Hockey shirt. Dorks. “You all should get an award or a sticker or something for surviving this.”
“It wasn’t that bad.” I searched Cami’s gaze, and her brown eyes had that flirty look again, like she knew exactly what I meant by my statement.
“Yeah, you get used to it.” She walked by her sister and Michael, right up to me and kissed me. She tasted like strawberries and sin, her bright red lips curving against mine when I yanked her harder into me. She’d hung out with the team the past two nights, which she needed to do. But I missed her.
She pinched my side, beaming at me. “The heat wasn’t so bad. I have some good memories here.”
“Okay, settle down, please.” Camden blanched. “I don’t need to hear about my brother having sex.”
“Camden.” My face burned while Michael, Naomi, and my girlfriend laughed. She tugged my shirt and gave me a little shake of her head. I could read her expressions now, and she told me let it go.
Why couldn’t we be neighbors, again?
“I gotta head back to meet Coach Simpson in thirty minutes, so start loading the car, people. Some of us have jobs.”
“Okay, calm your tits, big shot. You have a lunch meeting with my dad. Not that cool.”
“We’re talking about scouting new talent. That is the literal definition of being cool as hell.”
Naomi rolled her eyes, and Cami snorted. This seemed so easy—Michael, my brother, the twins. I’d built it up so much in my head about how different Cami and I were, and yet… our worlds meshed so well together.
Cami broke apart from our embrace, taking her vanilla scent with her. She winked over her shoulder before the three of them went into her room. Their laughter and constant jabbering carried into mine, and I turned to find Camden staring at me with bug eyes.
“Dude.”
“What?”
“You love her.”
I blinked at the way his words comforted me. Was it too soon? Probably. Did it scare me? Yeah. But was he wrong…? No. I knew it in the way my mood lightened every time she smiled. In the way she opened up with just me, showing her vulnerabilities. The way she pushed me to be better. The fierceness to her that made me want to do anything.
Admitting to loving Maddie had been a whole thing. I’d sweated like crazy and couldn’t sleep. Cami though? It was like taking a deep breath.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Alright then, let’s hope she’s not Maddie 2.0.” His eyes went all wide, and he wrung his fingers together as he rocked back on his heels.
I growled, and he held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t talk about her like that. I’ll tolerate your teasing, but don’t say a word about Cami.”
Camden’s nerves shifted to amusement, and he smiled. God, why did I like my brother again?
“Message received. Now, what do I get for helping you? Dinner? Drinks?”
“You put two things into a basket. You get nothing.” I stacked my bags in a pile and set them in the hall. Michael had brought a wheelie, and we’d load all of my and Cami’s bags before putting it into the truck. The plan was simple.
The ache in my chest wasn’t.
If anyone picked up on my mood, they didn’t show it. Not while we loaded our stuff or in the car ride over. Michael and Naomi left us with our bags right at the front desk where a line of people in front of us tried to get their keys again.
Cami tilted her head up at the air vent and moaned. “Hello, beautiful. I missed you.” She scrunched her nose at me. “I’ll never take it for granted again.”
I nodded, still not quite sure why I was grumpy. My insecurities annoyed me, and we’d already communicated so much about being together that I didn’t want to irritate her with more worry. Four more people to go.
“First
thing I’m doing is showering without shoes. Then, I’m strutting around my place naked. You?” She elbowed my side playfully, but her brows came together. “Hey, what is it?”
“Anxious, that’s all.”
“Why? I’m sure the apartments are safe, or we wouldn’t be back. They couldn’t handle the bad press.” She put her hand on my forearm. “Have you heard about your internship yet?”
It was a normal thing to assume. It would’ve been easier to talk about that then this weird weight that told me everything was going to change. I shook my head. She didn’t need to know it was with my uncle or that his encouraging text weighed a million pounds on my phone. It was easier to just bite my cheek. “Not a word.”
She pursed her lips as another woman joined the desk. The line moved faster so I never had to explain myself. Cami had her key in hand, I had mine, and there was nothing left to do besides go to our own places on different floors of the building.
“Do you have plans after you unpack? We could have an unpacking party together if you want. I don’t have to meet Daniella for a bit.” Cami and I carried our stuff into the elevator. She hit floor six, and I hit floor seven.
“That sounds fine.”
She frowned, clearly not buying my bullshit. “Or not. We could always catch up later. I missed you last night, so I wanted to spend time with you, but if you need some alone time, tell me. I won’t be upset.”
She didn’t demand answers from me like Maddie would’ve. She gave me an out. This fucking girl. The urge to kiss her overwhelmed me, making my senses go into Cami-overdrive. The sweet smell of her lotion, the way her hair hung over her bare shoulders. The black shirt hugging her tits and her high waisted shorts that showed off her trim waist. She was beautiful and so kind. My throat filled with emotion, and I reached for her just as a loud clunk sounded.
Her eyes went wide. “What was that?”
The sound repeated, like metal grinding on metal. Then, we stopped.
“Freddie.” She paled as the lights dimmed. She had a death grip on my forearm. “The elevator.”
Her voice shook with fear, and I took my own calming breath. It’d be fine. This happened to people. Not me, but people. Be strong. “It’s okay. Hey, come here.”
I pulled her back against my chest. She trembled head to toe, so I wrapped an arm around her middle. “I’m pressing the button to let them know.”
She nodded, her breathing coming out in pants.
“What’s your emergency?” A voice crackled through the speaker.
“We’re stuck in an elevator in the new apartments on Center. There’s two of us here, and the car made a loud grinding sound.”
“Someone will be there in a few minutes. Is anyone hurt?”
“No. We’re okay. Just scared.” Cami shook harder now, and I slid to the floor with her in my arms. She tucked her head under my chin, and I shielded her entire body.
“I-I-I don’t want to die.”
“We won’t. This happens more than you’d think.” I ran my hands over her face, her hair, and her shoulders. She clung to me even more. “I promise.”
I kissed the top of her head, hating her pain. I was worried but not like her, not with my whole body on the verge of breaking down. I had to distract her, to help her. Trailing my fingers over her smooth skin, I wrote letters on her.
I spelled out ‘I love you’ a few times, then all the things I loved about her. Her breathing slowed, and her muscles weren’t as tense. My gut said it’d been about two minutes. Almost safe.
The dimmed lights, the close proximity of the elevator, and the fact she wasn’t staring at me with her large eyes made this the perfect setting to confess. “I’m afraid things are going to shift with us not living next door.”
She lifted her head an inch but stopped. She adjusted her position so she was cradled in my lap. “What would change?”
“I don’t know. Routines matter to me. I liked seeing you all the time, and this place is huge.”
“Freddie.” She dug her fingers into my chest. “We’ll still see each other as much as we want.”
“I know.” I sighed and rested my chin on her head. “I’m sorry I keep having moments of insecurity.”
“I have them.” She squeezed me tighter, her voice low. “I’m worried you’ll realize I’m too much work.”
How could she think that? Did she not realize how she’d changed my whole world?
“Cami, I—”
“Everyone okay in there?” A voice boomed through the doors, and we jumped.
“Yes!” Cami stood and looked at me with wide eyes. “We’re rescued! Thank fucking God.”
The firemen propped the door open and helped us out along with our bags. We gave some statements, and after twenty minutes, we were on our way toward our own units.
I’d almost told her I loved her. After weeks.
Was I insane? Partially.
Even though my shoulders sagged and my muscles strained, I walked her to her door. She unlocked it with a click and pushed inside. Paint fumes flooded my senses.
“So much better than the dorms.” She dropped her bags on the floor and spun in a circle. Her hair went everywhere as she closed her eyes, and I couldn’t stop watching her. She was so beautiful.
She stilled, her brown eyes finding mine. They softened, and she waltzed toward me. She pushed the straps of my bags off my shoulders and fisted my shirt. “Kiss me, Freddie. Kiss me like you mean it.”
How could I not do what she asked? Not when my heart sped up at the tender look in her eyes. Things might be different, but that didn’t mean anything had to change. Not between us.
I backed her up until she hit the counter, and I kissed her hard. Taking my time and telling her without words how I felt. With the internship looming over my head, I planned to make every second count with her. She was unlike anyone I knew, the most special person who lit me up inside. She soothed me and when her fingers found my neck, pulling me closer, I was done for. I wanted this girl for…ever.
The girl I loved.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
Cami
My dad stood in my apartment two days later, his hands on his hips and his signature frown ingrained on his face. He paced the kitchen, huffing out a breath every two seconds. After a few breaths, he’d stare at me, shake his head, and repeat the process.
This started five minutes ago.
“Dad, come on.” I sat on the counter, my legs dangling over the cabinet as Daniella sat at the kitchen table. “Please?”
He grumbled something under his breath, and Daniella and I shared a look. It was a big ask—having him be interim coach for three weeks until the school could refill Audrey’s place.
Yeah, she resigned before Daniella ever had to show the nonexistent video. The girl had balls of steel and totally faked it. We’d agreed to do all the work, but there had to be a certified coach on the field with us.
“There’s no one else?”
“Correct.”
“And she quit?”
I chewed my lip, not quite telling him the whole story. I was embarrassed. Mortified, even though the whole dilemma was on her. Daniella narrowed her eyes at me, but I shrugged her off. “She crossed a line and realized she had to resign.”
“What did she do?”
“Doesn’t matter. The fact we don’t have a team is more important.”
“Please, Coach Simpson. It won’t take long. I know a few people interested, and they just have to interview with the dean.” Daniella stood up, looking so much older than she did a few months ago. This whole experience had aged her but in a really good way.
“Two games. That’s it. But you’ll tell me the whole fucking story, Cami. I know you’re keeping something from me.” He pointed at my face. “Alright?”
“Thank you, thank you!” I hugged him and jumped up and down. “You’re the best!”
He patted my back and eventually leaned into the hug. “Okay, okay.”
&n
bsp; “This means a lot, Dad. Seriously.” I gave him another quick squeeze before releasing him. He stepped away and ran a hand down his face.
“I’m going to regret this.”
“No, you won’t, Coach Simpson! Thank you so much!” Daniella smiled so sweetly at him that I had to do a double take. Who was this girl?
He waved and walked out, leaving Daniella and I alone. She wiggled her ass and spun around. “This is gonna be dope! Your dad the coach. How fun.”
“We better find someone soon. He means it when he says two games.” I pushed my hair out of my face, the weight lifting off my shoulders. We still had a team. Daniella and I were still co-captains. “We fucking did it.”
“Yeah, we did!” She threw herself at me, and I caught her in a hug. She laughed. “This is unreal. Seriously. We need to celebrate!”
“For sure.” I matched her grin, already thinking about Freddie’s face when I told him the news. “We could invite them here?”
“Hell yeah! I’ll send out the text. I’m gonna run home and change. Then I’ll be back!”
“Sounds good.” I waved as she left. A party with the girls. Interesting. No more getting ready to party alone…where I’d drink just enough to be safe and surround myself with people so I wouldn’t feel like it was just me. I had a team. A group of girls who supported me. It was amazing.
I opened up the patio doors and smiled as the sun hit my face. There was only room for two chairs and a small table on the wired patio, but it was perfect after living in the shoebox. I breathed in the fresh air just as a familiar voice came from above me.
“Hi, yes, it’s Frederick Brady. Uh huh. Thank you. Of course. Sure thing.”
Freddie?
He lived right above me? My stomach fluttered as I stole glances of the large body. It was definitely him.
A wild idea hit me. Our windows faced an empty alley so the chances of anyone seeing me doing this was slim. It was still a risk, but imagining his face would be worth it.
From the Top (Central State) Page 19
