Hating Him Wanting Him : A Contemporary Romance Collection

by Summer Brooks

  Fiona finally left, muttering about how she had the scoop of the year.

  Sam took a few steps back, too angry to process all of these things.

  I was shaking so hard. I didn’t like crying, let alone crying in public. And the horror of knowing that I would soon be the subject of university-wide gossip made it worse.

  Bryant hugged me, holding me tight. “Are you okay?”

  I couldn’t reply. Not with words, at least. I shook my head, letting him squeeze me with the warmth and comfort he could provide. I needed that.

  But Sam was disgusted. This was clearly the last straw for her. She opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything — instead she just left.

  “You’re shaking,” Bryant said, wrapping his arms over my arms to hold me in a tight hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll take you somewhere safe. You’re good now.”

  His teammate Tyrone came back. “Bryant. Hey. Coach wants everyone to be at the team celebration. You want me to stall or something for you?”

  “Nah, it’s okay, bro,” Bryant said. “Just… do your thing, I’ll catch up when I can. I don’t think I’ll make it to the celebration.”

  Even with the tears blotting my vision, I could tell Tyrone didn’t think this was a good idea. “Are you sure, man?”

  “Tyrone, I’m good. I just need to sort a problem out here first, okay?”

  “Okay, cool. Let me know.”

  Bryant let out a long breath. It was just the two of us at last, under all the lights, just as the stadium started progressively switching them all off, starting at the far side of the stands, slowly going dark second by second.

  I just wanted to leave.

  “Okay, Mia. Let’s go. Let’s get you out of here.”

  His voice was so soothing, even though I could tell he was mad about all the drama.

  But soothing or not, he couldn’t stop my tears. I was crying, I kept crying.

  I felt like such an idiot.

  10

  Bryant

  I couldn’t let Mia suffer like this, not when none of this was her fault.

  She was getting blamed for a kiss that I initiated, that I pushed for, that I wanted.

  “You’re going to be safe now,” I promised. There was a certain responsibility here I felt over her. She didn’t know it yet, but I could make things right for her — being a quarterback at a school that worshipped its football players like Florida had its perks, and I was going to make sure I squeezed every last one of those perks in order to give Mia the safety and comfort she needed.

  We made for my car, not looking back even once. The team celebration, any after-parties… those weren’t important. Those were noise. Helping Mia through her situation was the only thing that mattered to me.

  I watched her slowly enter my car, sitting down, putting her seatbelt on. I exhaled. “Okay. I’m guessing you can’t go to your place. So I’m taking you back to mine.”

  Mia seemed a little unsure. “Maybe Sam’s cooled off by now.”

  “You’re her best friend, you should know that’s not really her style.”

  “Ugh,” Mia complained, nodding as she pressed her back into the luxurious leather seat of my car. “You’re right. I’m in trouble, Bryant.”

  My body tingled when she said my name, especially since it was still an unusual feeling for me to hear Mia say it without the venom that I was all too familiar with in high school. “You don’t have to stay over. I know you probably don’t want that at all. But I do insist on you making sure you make it through the night unharmed… and I feel like I owe it to you to do that.”

  Mia frowned. “You don’t owe me anything. Truly.”

  I shook my head, keeping my attention focused on the road. “Let’s just say that you could use all the help you can right now, so it would be unfair to have you suffer alone.”

  “When did you get so nice?”

  I raised an eyebrow as I smirked. “I’ve always been nice, Mia. You just refused to notice.”

  “Huh,” she said, sounding like she was beginning to notice. “I guess you might be right about that.”

  Fuck our history of enmity. Fuck all that childish bullying, all that previous nonsense that marked our relationship. I didn’t want any of that now. I just wanted to make sure she was alright.

  At least she had stopped crying. That was a small blessing.

  “This is a lot to take in,” Mia said, looking out the window, her gaze completely avoiding me. “Sam’s been mad at me before, but never like this.”

  “She feels threatened, Mia,” I said.

  “By what? Me and you? But… there’s nothing going on.”

  My body deflated a little, hearing her say that. Was I somehow expecting that this drama was meant to not just bring us closer, but bring us together? It seemed like that was what I wanted the most.

  Well, I knew I could have any girl I wanted. After a game night like this, I could probably literally point to the hottest stranger I saw and she would be waiting for me in bed.

  But the thought of just treating dating like a meat market tasted really sour in my mouth right now. I didn’t want that, I wanted something meaningful.

  There was a primal sense of responsibility here, as I tended to Mia’s needs. I found myself filled with pride that she had managed to stop crying, that I had done my best to keep the cameras out of her face when Fiona was bothering us.

  It was strange, knowing that I really wanted to take care of Mia in a time like this.

  What was it about her? Her puppy dog blue eyes? The way she looked innocent and waif-like, even now that she was out of high school? Samantha was now a hot Instagram model version of the girl she once was. Sam lined her eyebrows, wore chokers, was generally… provocative.

  But Mia was something else. Mia was herself. I knew she was nobody other than the Mia Cowell, nerd with glasses, a dork, if a beautiful one.

  Okay, there I was, commenting on her beauty.

  “You’re being quiet,” I said, trying to keep a conversation going so I didn’t have to be stuck with my own thoughts.

  “I don’t know how I’m going to resolve this whole Sam thing. It can’t go on like this. It’s bad enough this has started affecting her, but soon it’s going to affect me. And I’m on a scholarship, I have to study, I have to make sure I keep a good grade point average.”

  “Look, Mia, there’s no way in the world you get anything other than a pretty top grade GPA,” I reassured her. “You’re smart as fuck.”

  “That’s not enough now,” she said, offering a wan smile at my compliment. “You probably know a little bit about that, you’re on a scholarship too. You can’t let yourself drift and lose all your momentum. Or worse, get yourself swept away by all the distractions that take you away from keeping to the standard you set for yourself.”

  “Whoa, you’re getting a little philosophical here, Mia,” I said, caution building up in me. “Let’s stay focused on the here and now. You can have a nice good night’s sleep at my place. Take my bed if you have to, I can crash on a couch downstairs.”

  I turned the car into my street just as I said that. “See? Home sweet home.”

  Mia shook her head fiercely. “I’m not letting you sleep on a couch.”

  A shudder ran through my body, but I didn’t show it, I managed to keep that on lockdown — as pleasurable as it might have been. Was she going to invite me to join her in bed?

  She paused, thinking about her words. “You didn’t have to do this. I’ll just take the couch instead.”

  “In a testosterone-filled house like this? With a bunch of football players walking around naked, bringing girls back to their rooms? That would be awkward,” I said. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with my room. I am the guy whose dad is paying for the house’s whole rent, after all.”

  “Well…” Mia said, letting me guide her to the house. “Fine. For now. But I need to think.”

  “Think all you absolutely need,” I agreed. We went upstairs, walking down the
corridor until we reached my room. I immediately gave her the bed, allowing myself to hover over her, leaning back on a wall, standing and watching her. “But after tonight, you’re going to want the rest, I’m thinking.”

  “Yeah, alright, I do need that,” Mia agreed. “But I don’t think I can live with Sam anymore either. You know, this all got messed up real fast. I was a scholarship student with a single occupancy room, I could have just stuck with that, instead of applying to have Sam move into my room with me.”

  “Right,” I nodded. She sat down on the edge of my bed, her hands folded neatly over her lap. She looked defeated. I felt sorry for her.

  “The problem is… I can’t let her feelings keep me hostage anymore,” Mia said. “She actually had the guts to tell me not to come back every single time we have a fight. But it’s my room as much as hers. If I want to sleep in my own bed, that’s my right.”

  “I hear you, Mia.”

  “What am I going to do? I can’t just ask her to move out, not after we spent so much time planning all this out. And the RA’s a friend of hers. If anything, I’m the one who’s gonna lose out,” she sighed. “I wish I had the money for an apartment of my own.”

  If money was the root cause of her problems, I was ready to offer mine to help her out. It wasn’t like I was desperate for more of my dad’s money, anyway. All that was coming in anyway, and I could at least do something good with that cash if I helped Mia out.

  She cut me off before I could even open my mouth.

  “Don’t even think about it, Bryant. I’m not letting someone else pay for my apartment.”

  I slumped against the wall. “There’s nothing wrong with accepting help, you know.”

  “Oh, I know that,” Mia said, finally looking up at me. “And I know you’re not the strings-attached sort of guy when it comes to these things.”

  These things?

  She clarified, seeing my confusion. “I mean you’re not the kind of guy who would dangle an obligation like this over someone’s head… but also the fact that you’re not exactly Mr. Commitment here. You prefer your women unattached, so you can jump from girl to girl.”

  I made a face. “That’s not what I’m thinking right now.”

  “Because the other alternative is pretty crazy to me…” Mia said, her voice trailing off.

  “What is it?” I challenged her to answer.

  “The alternative is you actually, for whatever reason, think you want to be with me right now. And I don’t quite believe that. It’s just too crazy.”

  “What’s so crazy about that? Maybe it’s not that I want to be with you. Maybe I just want to help you out.”

  “Nobody just helps a random girl out with money for an apartment,” Mia replied. “And I get it, I’m not a random girl either — but what am I, then? Your ex’s best friend… or a former stranger you kissed once.”

  Twice, actually, but I didn’t want to correct her aloud.

  I sighed. This was getting frustrating, but I saw it coming. After all, Mia was right to suspect my intentions. We had literally just met again after a year, and suddenly everything seemed so perfect?

  Mia Cowell was always a skeptic, whose cynicism helped rule her motivations. I could tell that she was trying to figure out what the catch here could be. Well, there was no catch, but I didn’t know how we could prove that so easily.

  Then I had an idea.

  “What if I could help you change rooms? Switch to a different building. Have that all worked out tonight. I can pull some strings.”

  Mia looked at me funny, but I could tell she was receptive to the idea. This was a lot better than staying for free with me, or accepting my money because of a problem she was in.

  Even if I felt like I owed her.

  “Tonight?” she finally said, considering the idea.

  “Do you know Allie Rice?” I asked, knowing she most likely wouldn’t.

  “No, who is that?”

  I explained that Allie was someone I had taken a few classes with last year, who was now the RA for a different dorm building a short walk away from the Washington Building Mia was now staying at. “She’s a friend, sort of.”

  “Meaning you hooked up with her before,” Mia instantly guessed. Not incorrectly, either.

  “Well, not quite. We didn’t really do anything, just flirted a lot, and I felt really comfortable with her so we ended up being friends, I guess? She’s got a girlfriend now, apparently our date sparked her interest in exploring her bisexuality. Anyway, that’s not important. What’s important is that she’s the RA at one of the other buildings, and if I asked her for help, I think she could work things out for me.”

  “For me,” Mia said, frowning. “I don’t know, it’s a little uncomfortable. But you’re right, that’s a lot less bad compared to all the other options.”

  What was there for her to be uncomfortable about? I didn’t even respond to that, so I just decided to start giving Allie a call.

  Luckily for me, she was still up, and she was happy to help. “Why aren’t you at your team celebration? I just had Tyrone text me, asking me to come over.”

  My teammate wasn’t her boyfriend, but he had been trying to get in her pants forever. He didn’t quite get the memo that Allie was with someone else. I chuckled at the thought. “Are you going to?”

  “Well, I was still thinking about it,” Allie responded. “And it stopped me from getting into my PJs and readying for a quiet night. So I guess you might as well bring your friend over here, let’s see what I can do.”

  “You’re a lifesaver, Allie,” I said, feeling grateful for her help.

  “Well, don’t take too long. I’m not here to wait around for you. If you want this favor, come by now, okay?”

  “We’re on our way.”

  I nodded to Mia, smiling and telling her things were going to look up. She was still looking pretty blue.

  “You’ve got a lot of power,” she said.

  “Well, this isn’t Daddy-bestowed power. I didn’t get any of these connections using my billionaire dad’s money, you know?” I replied. I needed her to understand that. The last thing I wanted was for her to pull back and go distant over her weird feelings about my family.

  “Fine, let’s do it.”

  Rushing Mia along because I knew Allie meant it that she wasn’t interested in waiting, we got in my car and drove to the Jackson Building in no time.

  This dorm building didn’t have the heritage design that Mia’s had, no fancy colonial architecture, just a splash of Miami Art Deco. Nothing too special. You could tell the few flourishes they managed to put in, like the exposed brick and the wood panelling, were modern day touches. Not that it mattered, this probably was a good thing, seeing Mia needed to pay for her student housing using her scholarship.

  “Allie, hey,” I said as soon as she met us outside the building.

  “Okay, let’s make it quick. I’ve got a shared bedroom open because this one girl dropped out. You’d have to share, but I’m guessing you’re already sharing, right?” Allie asked Mia. “That makes it easier to do the transfer paperwork, honestly. And the girl who’s currently roommate-less is desperate for anyone to join her. Why don’t you go and check it out, say hi to her? That’s room 308.”

  Mia nodded and went upstairs. I was surprised Allie didn’t want to lead her up herself. I guessed she wanted to catch up with me.

  “Bryant…” she said, in a low voice, catching me off-guard. I wasn’t expecting a serious discussion now of all times.

  “She’s just a friend. I think,” I quickly said.

  Allie raised an eyebrow. “Mia Cowell is just a friend?”

  “Jeez, how did you know all about her so soon?”

  Then it struck me. Of course the rumors about Mia must have been spreading already. “There’s huge drama, isn’t there?”

  “Yeah. Not just Fiona, but pretty much all of social media all over the school,” Allie shrugged. “Your friend’s not going to have a very easy t
ime anywhere she goes, people are going to stare, people are going to talk.”

  “I get that,” I nodded. “Hey, can we just go join her? I don’t want to like, leave her alone right now.”

  “It’s nice that you’re trying to pull strings and help her out, but don’t you think that’s pushing it?” Allie asked. “I don’t mind helping, of course, but everything I’m reading right now seems bad. Not just for her, but for you. You’re going to end up super distracted. Your football will suffer.”

  “It didn’t tonight,” I shrugged. I had the game of my life, and I was going to guarantee that I would keep my levels up, do this every time. “So what? She’s in trouble. And her best friend who’s also her roommate is making her life a living hell.”

  “Could it be that she’s the problem?” Allie asked.

  I shook my head. That was definitely not it. This was all Sam.

  “She’s a smart, quiet girl. Bit of a nerd. Used to make fun of her for that in high school, Allie. Hey, let’s just go back to her.”

  We went up to the third floor and found Mia standing outside room 308.

  “I could take this one, yeah,” she said, nodding.

  “Well… I was just thinking,” Allie started to speak, and I worried she was going to turn Mia away. “I also have a single bed. Girls can get mean when someone new is moving in — and you’re someone with a pretty high profile, if you know what I mean.”

  Mia watched Allie carefully, analyzing what she was saying. “Oh. Okay, I get it.” She glanced to me and I shrugged. This was just how it was.

  “You might have to pay extra. I don’t know the details, but I don’t think your scholarship will cover it. A single bed in Jackson is more than a single bed in Washington.”

  Mia sighed. “Well, whatever. I’ll find a job or something, dip into my savings. But I think you’re right. This is for the best… I’ll take a single occupancy dorm.”

  Allie nodded, turning to smile at me. “How about I lead you both to the room? It’s just down the hall.”

  With any luck, room 315 was going to be Mia’s home for the remainder of her time at Florida, and there wasn’t going to be any more drama. At least here she had a place to stay, far enough away from Sam, far away from any more drama.