by Hannah Gray
I take off my shoes and shirt and climb into bed with her as quietly as I can. She stirs a little and moves slightly to her side, putting her head in the crook of my arm. I look down at her, and she appears so peaceful. Maybe her thoughts will give her a break and let her rest. I took today off from classes to make sure she settles in, but I have to go to our second practice tonight at six. Before I know it, my eyes get heavy, and I fall into a deep sleep, holding on to the most beautiful woman to ever walk this earth.
I feel something moving around, and I pry my eyes open.
Cameran gives me a sympathetic smile. “Sorry. I really have to pee. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
She begins to scoot off the edge of the bed, and I jump up and go around the bed to help her down.
She laughs softly. “You know I’m going to have to do this eventually.”
I know she will, but I can’t just watch her struggle.
“I know that. But I like to help. Plus, you’re right. This bed is too damn tall for you right now.”
I rub the back of my neck. This isn’t going to work for her. She’s going to be sore for another week at the least. This bed needs to be shorter for her. She could hurt her stitches, trying to climb up in it.
She walks out of the bathroom, and I do my best to sit my ass on the edge of the bed and let her do this herself.
I glance at the clock. “It’s one thirty. You must be hungry. Let’s go downstairs and find something to eat.”
She nods. “That sounds good. I actually am pretty hungry. Anna did bring me toast this morning, but I could definitely eat again.”
I’m happy to hear she has an appetite. I’ve noticed, after those five days in the hospital, she has been looking thinner.
“Good. Besides, you need to eat something with your meds.”
She smiles and swats at my chest. “For your information, Mr. Kade, I took my medicine this morning.”
I wrap my arms around her and pick her up, and she puts her arms around my neck.
“Three times a day, baby.”
She giggles and looks up at me.
“How are your stitches? I’m not hurting you, holding you this way, am I?”
“They’re okay. Getting better every day. You’re not hurting me.”
“Good. I missed you while I was at practice.”
“Ooh, while you were all sweaty earlier, you were thinking of me?”
I lean down and kiss her neck, feeling her back arch slightly.
“Mmhmm,” I mumble against her neck.
“Well, I missed you while you were at practice too,” she says with a smile.
I move from her neck to those pouty, sexy lips. “Did you now?” I say against her mouth.
“Yes,” she basically moans.
“Well, you need to eat.”
She scowls. “Wait a second, you are turning me down?”
I smirk. “Hey, I know I’m irresistible, but you need to heal. Let’s get you fed. Then, maybe I can get fed, if you know what I mean.” I wink.
Her mouth gapes open, and I carry her down the stairs.
Red and Mason are sitting at the table with two huge pizzas in front of them.
Red looks up at us coming down the stairs. “We figured you’d eventually both need to eat, so we got pizza.”
I set Cameran down in a chair and grab her a plate. “What kind of pizza, Sunshine?”
She eyes them both over. “Is that pepperoni and bacon? Definitely that.”
Damn, just when I think this girl couldn’t get any fucking sexier. She likes beer and the same pizza as me. I pass her some and then get mine.
She looks over at my plate and widens her eyes. “Hungry?”
I pat my stomach. “What can I say? I’m a growing boy.”
She just laughs softly and shakes her head at me.
Cameran looks at Red. “You have class this afternoon, right?”
She sighs. “Yep, the instructor is a complete dick.”
“What class is it?” Cameran asks and then takes a huge bite of her pizza.
“It’s a public speaking class. Which, by the way, I loathe making speeches.”
I snort. “Who doesn’t? I mean, who actually enjoys giving a speech?” I ask in a smart-ass tone.
That earns me a glare from both Red and Cameran.
“Uh, I meant … oh no … that’s … too … bad.”
They both roll their eyes and then go back to chatting about their classes.
I hear two other voices and turn to see Lane and a brunette in a very revealing shirt coming down the stairs. Judging by her hair, I’d say Lane did not get any sleep after practice.
“Pizza? Fucking right.” Lane grabs three slices and plops down in a chair.
Instead of sitting next to him in the empty chair or in the many of other unoccupied chairs, she sits down on his lap. I can read Lane like a book. He is no doubt uncomfortable and wishes she would leave. But the thing with Lane is, he is way nicer than Mase and me. Don’t get me wrong; he sleeps around just as much as we do. And he parties way harder than us. But when it comes to chicks, he lets them stay the night and will even eat breakfast with them before he sends them on their way. I can stand all of these jersey chasers long enough to get off, and then I am ready for them to get the fuck out of my house.
I hear Lane offer her pizza. She, of course, wrinkles her nose and screeches out in her annoying, nails-on-the-chalkboard voice, “Ew, no. Girls who eat that can’t look like this.” She motions to her body.
I look over to Cam, who is choking back laughter. And then to Red, who is, well, the color red.
“What did you say, skank? Do you have something to say to us?” Red barks out.
The big-boobied bimbo looks at Red and snarls, “No, bitch. I just said, girls who eat that”—she motions to Red’s plate—“aren’t as into fitness as I am.”
Red is fixing to flip the fuck out when Lane clears his throat.
“Okay, Victoria, I have class in a bit, so I actually have to get going.” He slowly stands, forcing her off of his lap. “Let me walk you out.” He motions to the door.
She begins to follow him and then turns back, eyes fixed right on me. “Oh, and, Trent?”
I narrow my eyes and tilt my chin up toward her.
“Layla says hi. She told me all about how much you enjoyed that ride in her car.” And with that, she turns on her heels and sashays out the door.
I knew I recognized her from somewhere. I’ve definitely seen her with Layla before.
Lane returns a minute later. “Dude, I’m sorry. Sorry, Cam. Sorry, Anna. I didn’t realize she was a psychotic bitch.” He shrugs and grabs another slice of pizza. Dude can eat.
Cameran laughs softly. “Oh, it’s no big deal. She was, um, interesting?”
Red stands up. “No, she wasn’t. She was a bitch. But it’s all good, Lane. You’re a football player.”
He wrinkles his eyebrows. “What the hell does that mean?”
She pats his shoulder and reaches down to grab her huge bag. “I just meant, you all think with your penis. I still love ya, Lane!” She turns to Cam. “Cam, I’ll be back in a few hours. Text if you need anything!”
Cam blows her a kiss and then pushes herself to stand. I send my chair backward, standing so abruptly. I rush around the table to her side.
She looks me up and down. “Um, can I help you?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Sunshine.”
She sighs. “Trent, I need to do these things myself. It’s been a week. I am feeling stronger. My scar is still a little sore but nothing that makes me not want to walk myself.”
Dipping my head toward her, I say, “Sunshine, humor me. Let me just help you one last day. Just while you heal more.”
She rolls her eyes and then gives into me in defeat.
Ah, yes, sweet Sunshine, you’re learning.
twenty-seven
Cameran
Today was my fi
rst day back to classes since the worst night of my life. Well, second worst. My parents dying still takes the cake. But this is for sure is second.
I feel much stronger. I certainly know that I was indeed shot when I try to overdo it. Or when I bend the wrong way, like putting on shoes. Trent went out and bought little stairs to go next to the bed. I’m quite sure they are meant for a dog. But they work good for me. He is so attentive. It’s actually quite refreshing. He also hasn’t tried anything since the, um, bathroom incident. Part of me wishes he would, and the other is glad that he hasn’t.
I know I can’t give a guy like that what he needs. Plus, there’s no way I would ever be enough. I hear stories of him around campus, and he has quite a reputation of being a man-whore. Not to mention that time he left The Atlantic to go for a ride and get a blow job from that nasty tramp. Who happens to look like a goddamn Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. A slutty one though.
That thought reminds me that I need to call Carter and tell him I won’t be back to work for a while longer. I find a bench to sit down at while I wait for Anna to get out of her class. Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I scroll through my Contacts, finding Carter.
“Hey, stranger. How are you feeling?”
I blush. “Hey, Carter. I’m doing good. But, hey, look, I will be out for a bit longer until I get cleared by the doctor to go back to work. That should be pretty soon.”
“No problem at all, Cam. We all want you to get better. Don’t rush your recovery. Your job isn’t going anywhere.”
I smile at his kindness and kick at the dirt under the park bench. “Thanks, Carter. That means a lot actually.”
“Not to overstep here, Cameran, but if you ever want to go for coffee, I’d like that.”
“Oh, uh …” I trip over my words.
Before I can form a coherent sentence, he laughs lightly. “Just as friends, Cameran. Just two friends having coffee.”
I relax a little. “Okay, sure.”
“Awesome!” he answers, probably a little too eager. “Tomorrow?”
Wow, he’s really ready to get this coffee date going. I feel bad though. He’s pulled so many strings at work. He even covered Anna so that she could take a few days off and be with me after the shooting.
“Um, sure. I have classes until two thirty, and then I’m done for the day.”
I can hear his smile through the phone. “Sweet, my last class gets out at two. I’ll wait for you outside of yours, and we can walk to Coffee Hut.”
It sounds innocent enough. It’s not a candlelit dinner or something like that. Besides, he even said “just as friends.” I could use more friends. And I like Carter. It isn’t like I am dating Trent. Do I sleep in his bed? Yes, I do. But he has also become a great friend of mine. If I’m not with Anna, I’m with Trent. We laugh, we watch movies, and we’ve even cooked dinner a few times together. I have no reason to feel guilty. I am sure he’s still flirting with every girl on campus. It’s just a harmless coffee date. No, not date. Two friends sitting together and drinking coffee. Oh, and walking to the coffee shop together.
I grab my messenger bag and head out to Trent’s truck. We have the class together—the very class that Carter sat next to me first and then Trent came over and scared him off. Yep, that’s the one. We ride down the road in comfortable silence.
“You have another class after this one, right?”
I nod. “Yep.”
He looks in his mirrors as he backs out of the driveway. “What time does it get out? I only have this class today and then practice at four thirty.”
I take a sip of my coffee, which he ran out to get me this morning. He scored major points because he got Anna one too.
“Mine gets out at two thirty.”
“That works. I can come grab you and drop you off at the house before practice. Or you can always come watch my practice if you want. But let me warn you, it will probably get you hot and bothered.”
I pretend to fan myself. “A bunch of hot football players sweaty and shirtless? Consider me there.”
He narrows his eyes. “No, that’s not what I meant. I meant, me, not my bonehead teammates.”
I laugh. “Thanks for the offer, but I am all set on a ride today. Though I really do appreciate you carting my ass around. I can’t wait to get back to The Atlantic to save money for a car of my own.”
“You sure you don’t need a ride? And I like giving you rides.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Trent, I am sure I have a ride home. And I know you do. But you are so busy with football and classes. I don’t want to be a burden.”
We pull into a spot, and he turns the key. Before jumping out, he reaches over, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Sunshine, you could never be a burden.”
I focus on his sexy, full lips for a moment, feeling tingles up my entire body from his touch. Before I can react further, he turns and hops out, and to class we go.
We take our usual seats. I have become more immune to the stares we get from, well, everyone. I get it; NEU’s most eligible bachelor gets with the quiet, awkward girl. I can’t even count how many snarls I received the first few days of us hanging out. Now, I just roll my eyes and go about my day.
Class is boring. The professor lectures the entire time, and I can feel myself zoning out.
Halfway through, Trent leans over and whispers, “So, you’re sure you don’t need a ride home?”
I look over at him, and he shrugs.
“What? I am just being a concerned friend,” he says in that cocky yet freaking sexy voice.
“I’m sure. Now, pay attention to him.” I motion to the professor.
He nudges his knee against mine, and my heart jumps in my chest. Just from that tiny, insignificant touch, I am a puddle on the freaking ground.
“Oh, like you are? You’re tilting your head to the side. Which means you aren’t even in the same classroom that this guy is.”
I scowl. How does he know what I do when I am zoned out? Hell, I don’t even know what I do in those certain times.
Thank God we get released fifteen minutes early. Trent stands as I gather my belongings and shove them into my bag. I see someone approaching in my peripheral vision.
“Cameran, hey,” a voice drawls.
I turn, already knowing who it is. “Hey, Carter. How’s it going?”
“Going good.” He eyes Trent, whose jaw is clenched.
“Just seeing if we are on for today?” he asks in a chipper tone.
I smile. “You bet.”
“Cool. I’ll meet you outside of the Harrison building at two thirty.” With that, he throws me a wave and a nod to Trent, who, in return, scowls.
“Well, I am headed to the food court to meet Anna before our next classes. I guess I’ll see you at the house later?”
He doesn’t make eye contact with me. He just nods. “Yep, see you later.” And with that, he’s gone.
I don’t get it. Come on, he got a damn blow job and then came back and hung out with me that night, yet I can’t get coffee with a friend?
I make my way to the food court to meet Anna. During my short trek there, I wonder if I’m making a mistake, going for coffee with Carter. Trent’s response showed me he’s obviously pissed about it. But I don’t think I should feel guilty. I mean, we’re just friends. And besides, I can’t just let a man control me.
I open the doors to the cafeteria. The heat warms my body instantly. It’s the beginning of October, and it is chilly today. I spot Anna’s beautiful auburn-red hair in a booth next to the window.
Her eyes find mine. “Hey! I just got here, so I grabbed a salad. Sorry I didn’t wait. I was starving.”
I tell her, “No problem,” and go find my own lunch.
I decide on a grilled cheese with tomato soup and a Coke. It’s the perfect meal for a chilly fall day. I settle in and chat with Anna about her day. Suddenly, the cafeteria grows quiet. We look up to see the football players strutting across the room to their usual table.
> Mason walks over, leans down, and plants a kiss on Anna’s cheek. “Thanks for your help in Calculus. I ended up getting an A-minus on my test. All thanks to you.”
She smiles at him. “You’re welcome. What are friends for? And it was all you. You just needed a little help; that’s all.”
His smile falters for a split second, but before anyone can catch it, he plasters on his cocky grin. I glance over to see Trent sitting at the end of the table. Talking with Lane and a few others. He doesn’t look my way. Mason says good-bye and joins his teammates.
“That’s weird,” Anna mumbles.
My attention snaps back to Anna. “What’s weird?”
She takes a bite of her salad and then holds her fork up, pointing it toward the guys. “He didn’t rush over here. What did you do?”
My eyes widen. “Why do you think I did something?”
She tilts her head to the side and raises an eyebrow. “Come on, Cam. That boy is in love with you.”
I snort. “Yeah, okay, Anna. And for your information, I haven’t done anything.”
“Whatever. I can’t keep up with you two, so why bother? Anywho, do you need a ride home today, or is a very butt-hurt Trent taking you?”
I look down at my food, dipping a piece of sandwich in the soup. “Actually, I’m getting coffee with Carter, and then he’s going to bring me.”
“You’re what now?”
I look up and see a very shocked and perhaps annoyed Anna.
I shrug nonchalantly. “We’re friends. Friends do coffee.”
The annoyed look doesn’t leave her face. In fact, it intensifies. “Wow. No wonder why Trent didn’t walk over here. The guy has been bending over backward to do everything right, and you’re getting coffee with Carter? Not to mention the fact that you are … oh, I don’t know … staying with Trent!”
“What is wrong with having Carter as a friend? And trust me, I’d go back to the dorms, but we know Trent will flip out. I have hinted to it a little, and he changes the subject. Just because I am staying there—which, by the way, was his idea—doesn’t mean he gets to dictate what I do. Or who I hang out with,” I huff out. My cheeks flood with heat from the sudden nerve this conversation has struck.
