by Hannah Gray
I should remember that only drinking one beer has the same effect of Benadryl because by about twenty minutes in, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. I also haven’t been sleeping well in the dorms. Scared to let myself get too comfortable. But for some reason, right here next to Trent, I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time. And soon, I can’t fight off the tiredness my body feels after many restless nights.
Trent
I can tell she is fading fast. I keep glancing over at her from the corner of my eye and can see she is trying to keep her eyes open.
After a few minutes of fighting, sleep takes over, and she slowly shifts right into my side. Luckily, it’s dark in here, so I don’t have to deal with my asshole friends making fun of me when I pull the blanket resting on the back of the couch and slowly put it over her. Then, I tuck her under my side.
Despite the massive hard-on I’m sporting right now, I’m oddly comfortable. I can hardly pay any mind to the movie because I’m mesmerized by the sound of her breathing. She breathes so easy and soft. And with her so close, the sweet scent of peaches fills my nostrils. I squint over to the other couch, where Mason and Red are sitting. I can barely see that they are both still awake, watching the movie. She has definitely scooted closer, and he’s resting his hand on her thigh. They look comfortable, relaxed even.
The movie ends too soon, and I’m looking down at Cameran’s beautiful face, wondering what the hell to do. Part of me doesn’t want to move her—ever. I just want to smell her sexy peach scent and hear her sexy little breaths and see her angel-like face for the rest of the night. But the other part of me knows that prolonging the inevitable won’t do a damn bit of good. I don’t need any distractions. My dad would have a stroke. He rides me hard enough when I am one hundred percent on my game. I can’t imagine if I had a girl distracting me and taking up my time. But glancing down at her, I know that I am not ready to let this girl go. Not yet. Am I a selfish asshole? Probably.
Anna gets up and puts her arms over her head as she stretches. I know Mason is watching her.
Then, I hear him say, “You can stay the night if you want, Red. I can be a perfect gentleman.”
She looks down at him. “No way. Do you think I’m a hussy or something?”
“What? No. I just thought since your friend is asleep, maybe you’d want to stay too. We have a spare bedroom. You two could sleep in there.”
She glances at Cameran for a few seconds, looking like she might agree, and that’s when a loud phone rings, waking my girl. I’m about to go apeshit on whoever startled her awake.
“Cam, I think it’s your phone,” Red says as she lightly touches Cameran’s shoulder.
“Wha—oh, right.” She wipes the sleepiness from her eyes and reaches in her pocket.
She looks at the screen for a split second when her eyes go wide. Then, she realizes we are all watching and wipes the terrified look off of her face. She silences the phone, turns it off, and stuffs it in her pocket.
She must notice I’m watching because she shrugs. “Telemarketer.”
I check the time and see it’s 11:47. “Kind of late for a telemarketer, isn’t it?”
She ignores me and says, “Anna, you ready to head home?”
Anna faces Mason and gives him an awkward hug. Then, she turns and links arms with Cameran, and they head toward the door.
As Anna reaches for the doorknob, Cameran looks back at me and says, “Thanks for having us. Sorry to use you as a body pillow.” The smallest amount of red creeps into her cheeks after the words leave her lips.
“Hey, you can use my body as your personal pillow anytime, Sunshine.” I wink.
And with that, they are gone.
So, what do I do? I go upstairs to take a cold shower. Because there’s no way I will be able to go to sleep tonight, being this goddamn hard.
Cameran
“You little whore! All snuggled up to Mr. Kade, I see!” Anna teases as we pull out of the guys’ driveway.
“Oh, right! Says the one who was hugging Mason five minutes ago? Oh yeah, I saw you over there, making eyes with him, you little hussy.” I grin back. It’s so weird to me that, in a week, this girl has become my best friend. “Not that I blame you. He’s really hot.”
She sighs. “Girl, they all are. How’s it even possible to be that fine?”
“Eh, they’re all right. Not really my type. But Trent wants to be friends, and I don’t want to be a bitch. Besides, I could use more friends.”
“Bitch! I take offense to that! I’m an awesome friend!”
“I know, but you have other friends here. I don’t want you to feel like I’m a clingy friend.” I say it as a joke, but I feel a twang in my heart.
Once upon a time, I had lots of friends. I was the life of the party. I was fun. Now, I’m a shell of who I once was. All I want is to talk to my mom about it, and I can’t. I need to just see the bright side of things. I do have a new, amazing friend. And Trent wants to be my friend too. While I don’t love the idea of all of that attention, I do like the idea of seeing him more. I know I shouldn’t get attached. Once he knows the ugly truth about me, he’ll turn and run. But for now, I kind of just want to ride this wave until it inevitably crashes. Because it will.
“Um, Cam, you are not a clingy friend. I might have some people I sometimes grab lunch with or study with, but you, my dear, are going to be my best friend. You wait and see. Last year, I got burned by some of my closest ‘friends,’ and this year, I am choosing my friends more carefully.”
“Care to share about your friends burning you?” I’m genuinely curious. I have noticed that she doesn’t seem to have many other close friends, which is odd because she’s so much fun to be around.
“That’s a story for another day, Cam Cam.”
I haven’t been very forthcoming with my past either, so I don’t push it. Maybe, some day, I will open up to her, bringing my situation to light. But I know that once I do that, once those words leave my lips, she will see me the way I see myself. She will see me as less than, broken, vanquished. Or even worse, she will pity me. And there’s nothing worse than pity.
“All right, one day, we can share stories about those who have burned us.” I smile into the darkness of the Jeep.
I have to admit, having a friend to share things with sounds refreshing.
“Deal,” she answers quietly.
After pulling into our dorm parking lot, she slams the Jeep in park. Hopping out, we walk toward the entrance.
Once inside, I change in record time and crash on my bed. Drifting off to thoughts of a certain green-eyed boy. And feeling something inside me that I haven’t felt in years. Comfort from a man.
eight
Trent
Mason strolls into the kitchen on Friday morning. “Dude, we forgot to invite Red and her friend to the party after the game tomorrow. I’ll text her in a bit.” He walks over to the refrigerator and pulls out some eggs, and then he grabs the frying pan. “Want some?”
I shake my head. “Nah, I’m good. Already ate. We might not even win. Why are you dumbasses already planning a party?”
He looks up from his chef work and gives me an are you for real look. “Of course we’re going to win. You know it. I know it.”
I ignore his cocky comment. We are projected to win, but that doesn’t mean we will. We’ve been beaten by teams that were supposed to suck, and we’ve beaten teams who were supposed to be the best. You never know.
Suddenly, the realization hits me—that fucker already got Red’s number. “Wait. You got that redheaded chick’s number?”
He looks at me while giving me a sideways smirk. “Yep. I can text her to let them know. Or you could always just text blondie.”
I start putting on my sneakers. “Uh, whatever. Just text Red and fill her in.”
Mason cups his hands around his mouth. “Well, shit! She hasn’t given you her number yet, has she?”
Of course, Lane chooses that same time to make his entranc
e and hears the exchange. “Wow, you hung out and didn’t even bag her. What has gotten into the famous Trent Kade?”
I was already in a foul mood since my dad called and left a voice mail. I haven’t bothered to listen to it yet. It’ll be worded so that if anyone else is listening, they’ll think he was being a supportive dad, but I’ll know he’s telling me in his own words that I’d better not fuck up my team’s season tomorrow and embarrass him.
“Fuck off. I haven’t asked for her number. We’re just friends.”
Without missing a beat, Lane nudges Mason and pipes up, “Great, can I ask her for her number then?”
“No.”
He frowns. “I don’t get it. If you’re just friends, why can’t I ask for her number?” His attention is quickly pulled to Mason’s cooking. “You’d better be making enough for me, man!”
“Fuck I look like? Your maid?” Mason answers despite grabbing an extra plate that he will eventually make for Lane anyway.
It doesn’t matter how much we rib each other; we’re still boys.
I pour myself a cup of coffee and lean against the counter.
My mind is reeling, thinking of how I can get this girl out of my head.
You have to understand; I have never had this problem. I learned at an early age that you can’t depend on anyone to make your happiness. So, I have always just been on my own—aside from the guys, of course. But I have never cared to chase a girl around. Hell, usually the second I get off, I am ready for them to get the hell out of my bed. But that holds a valid point. It’s the one thing I haven’t done with ol’ Sunshine. Maybe that will cure it. Maybe that’ll get her out of my head. Sex will definitely cure this problem. Right?
Fuck, I hope so.
Cameran
I have honestly never been this intrigued by someone after knowing so little about them. It’s so absurd how fast this tiny seed planted in my heart is sprouting. I mean, Trent Kade is obviously extremely good-looking; there’s no denying that. He seems like he’s usually pretty serious, yet he can also joke around. And that smirk? Don’t even get me started on that. When that one dimple pops out … is it getting hot in here? I get tingly in places that shouldn’t be tingling. Not after past experiences.
Of course, he doesn’t want me anyway. I don’t even know why I keep thinking about him. He’d never go for a girl like me. For starters, I don’t have any money. I spent most of my savings on a new laptop and some new clothes for college. Oh, and my plane ticket to get here. I don’t have a car. I have no family. And then I have the darker stuff about me, which would send him running for the hills.
Ever since I met him, I notice people talking about him everywhere I go. He’s the buzz all around campus. He’s a high-ranked college football player. They’re expecting him to get drafted in the first round, for crying out loud. He’s loved around here, cherished even. And I am the girl with so much emotional baggage that I can’t help but self-sabotage anything and everything that comes my way.
Yet here I am, getting “dolled up,” as Anna puts it, for this football party. Mason texted her after they won their game earlier and invited us. I could have gotten out of it, but she made it back from meeting her sister earlier than expected. Though I’ll be honest, part of me wants to go. The way Anna smiles whenever she’s texting with Mason, it’s clear to see that she is totally into him. I don’t mind—as long as he’s good to her. He seems like a decent guy. He certainly makes people around him laugh, which is a great trait. It is also something he has in common with Anna.
Against my better judgment, I let Anna pick out my outfit, but this time, I was super specific with her and made her promise to keep it casual. She picked out distressed jeggings and an off-the-shoulder black crop top.
She tried to give me her strappy sandals, but I said, “No, thanks,” and threw on my red Chucks.
I decided to put my hair in a French braid and pull it to one side with some pieces coming out the front. Casual and comfortable—my style.
Anna walks in from using the bigger mirror in the bathroom to do her makeup. “Wow, you look hot. Your eyeliner and mascara make you even more gorgeous, if that’s even possible,” she tells me before punctuating her statement with a slap on my ass.
I take her outfit in. She’s in black jeggings and a long-sleeved baby-blue crop top. Showing off her super-flat stomach. She looks fantastic.
“You’re one to talk. You always look so kickass and edgy. I wish I had your style.”
“Oh, stop it.” She waves her hand at me, brushing off my compliment. “You look sexy and adorable at the same time. Now, let’s go get our flirt on.”
I spray myself with my favorite peach mist. “All right, let’s do this.”
If I thought the frat party was crazy, that was nothing in comparison to this. People are everywhere. I consider saying I don’t feel well and going home, but I know how much Anna is looking forward to tonight, so I push through and force myself to stick it out. I’m almost twenty-two years old. I need to have fun.
We weave through the people on the lawn. I seem to have missed that they had a pool and hot tub the other day when we came here. Looking at the amount of people in there, making out, I’m not sure I’ll ever swim in there, even if this whole friendship with Trent stuff works out.
“Let’s find a drink!” Anna yells through the noise.
I give her two thumbs-up.
We walk through the door and immediately notice how they’ve turned the living room into a dance floor. When I look the other way, I see they’ve got a makeshift bar in the kitchen. It looks so different than the other night. I follow Anna over to the kitchen, glancing at the couches pushed along the wall. I catch a glimpse of Mason, who’s leaning against the wall, talking to a few others that I don’t know.
I continue to skim the area until I spot Trent in the love seat between two girls, who are rubbing up and down his arms. Huge breasts on full display. I look away before I see anything else. Why should I even care? I’ve only hung out with the guy twice.
I get myself a beer, and Anna gets some fruity drink. We clank our bottles together and tip them back.
A few guys stroll over to us, and both are far from bad-looking. I recognize one from class the other day. I’m pretty sure it’s the guy that Trent sort of kicked out of his seat.
“Hey there, ladies,” the one who has dark hair in a buzz cut says.
He kind of reminds me of the guy from John Tucker Must Die.
“I’m Carter. This is Tallon.”
His friend has blond hair that’s spiked in the front.
I hold my hand out. He takes it and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“Hi, I’m Cameran. This is Anna.”
He releases my hand, his eyes sparkling. Okay, so this guy is pretty hot; I’ll admit it. They must put something in the water around here.
He moves closer to my ear, so I can hear him better. “I didn’t get a chance to ask you your name the other day.”
My heart races now that I know he is for sure the guy Trent kicked out of his seat in class.
“I know. Sorry about that.” I’m secretly not that sorry because as cute as this guy is, he doesn’t hold a candle to Trent.
“No big deal.” He shrugs. “You know Kade well?”
Unsure of where I even stand with Trent, I chew on my lip nervously. “Not that well.”
He nods and opens his mouth to say something else, but then his eyes widen.
I don’t even need to look because I can feel his presence closing in on me. My skin tingles, and I can smell his cologne. The one that has me clenching my thighs together to dull the ache between them.
“Carter. Tallon,” he drawls out.
Tallon waves, and Carter nods.
“Trent, congratulations on the win today. Quite the celebratory party,” Carter says, motioning around to the house.
“Thanks. I just came over to check in on Cameran. Glad you made it,” he says and pulls me against his chest.
I try my best to hide my amusement. He’s jealous. Why that brings me pleasure, I have no idea. It should make me want to run. With that, Tallon and Carter awkwardly excuse themselves from this conversation.
Trent leans down, and when he does, his stubble brushes my shoulder. “We should go outside by the fire. It’s less crowded, and only certain people are allowed back there.”
I nod and look over at Anna. She and Mason are laughing together about something he said. Trent leads the way outside. I don’t miss all of the nasty looks I’m getting thrown my way from other girls. I’m sure they are wondering, Why her? I have to wonder that myself. Honestly, I’m not so humble that I can’t admit I am pretty. But the dozens of half-naked, model-looking women around here? They are obviously much more appealing.
We find two seats next to the fire. He was right; there’s only five or six other people out here, scattered around the yard.
He stares at the fire. “So, Cam …”
I glance at him and then back at the fire as I smile. “So, Trent, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal.”
His face remains stoic. “Buddies get to have sex. Are you offering to be my buddy, Cameran?” he says in a gravelly tone.
My breath hitches because the mention of sex with this man pretty much makes me feel like I have ten thousand butterflies fluttering in my stomach. But I pull it together. I have to keep it cool. “Hardly.” I try to play it off as if his words have no effect. “Why did you scare off Carter again anyway?”
He takes a swig of his beer and then leans back in his seat, his legs parting. “I guess I just didn’t think you needed to be talking to a guy like Carter. Anyway, you don’t want to be my buddy, Sunshine?”
