“Please,” I snort. “The last time I checked, Ethan had his tongue shoved so far down your throat, if was like he was doing a strep test.”
A sly grin curves Sydney’s lips. “All right, so maybe we went at it a little hard. But still, you should have let me know.”
“You’re right, I should have sent you a text.” I’d been so angry with Justin that it hadn’t occurred to me to inform Sydney I was walking home by myself. Probably not the smartest decision I’ve ever made. Usually we stick together at parties. Girls are always safer when traveling in pairs.
“Apology accepted.” Then she redirects the conversation back to the original topic. “Want to hear the stories?”
“Are you really giving me a choice in the matter?”
“Nope.” Sydney holds up a finger. “The first one is that you walked in on Justin having a threesome.”
After last night, I wouldn’t put anything past him, but that definitely didn’t happen.
“Two.” A second finger joins the first. “Rowan beat the shit out of him, and Justin spent the night in the ICU and is now pressing charges.”
Seriously, people?
That’s pure lunacy.
“Neither of those things occurred.” There wasn’t even a fight, for goodness sake. This is a perfect example of the rumor mill at Western running amuck.
“Three,” another finger joins the first two, “Justin found you with another guy and went berserk.”
The corners of Sydney’s lips tremble when I burst out laughing. Jeez. Who makes this shit up? “Trust me, there’s more, but those are the ones I thought could have a shred of truth to them.”
“It’s all a bunch of bullshit.”
“Hmmm.” Her shoulders fall. “That’s disappointing.”
“Really?” I quirk a brow. “You were hoping Justin got beat up, or one of us was caught up in a cheating scandal?”
“Maybe.” She shrugs unapologetically. “You have to admit, it’s getting kind of lame around here. We need something to spice things up.”
There’s no point in holding back what transpired last night. “Then you’ll be delighted to hear that I walked in on Justin getting a blowie.”
Her eyes widen. “From a guy?”
“No, not a dude! It was none other than our very own Annica Weber.”
“No way!”
“Yup.” The whole sordid mess leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Although, not nearly as bad of a taste as Annica had in her mouth last night. God only knows where his you-know-what has been.
Sydney collapses onto the mattress next to me before rolling onto her back. “What a dirty little bitch.”
“My thoughts exactly.” There’s a pause. “Honestly, I don’t give a crap about Justin or what he does. We weren’t going anywhere as a couple but if he felt the same way, he should have been straight with me instead of hooking up behind my back.” More like right in front of my face. “It’s Annica’s behavior that bothers me the most.” I swivel my head to meet her gaze. “You know what I mean?”
“Yeah. That’s some super shady shit right there.”
Tell me about it.
An image of Annica on her knees forces its way into my head. “You should have seen the way she looked at me, Syd. It was like she was thrilled that I’d stumbled upon them as if it had been her intent all along. She didn’t even bother to stop blowing him. Kept right on going until he pushed her away.” A shudder of disgust works its way through my body.
“Seriously?” Sydney’s brows rise as if even she’s shocked, which is saying something. She doesn’t bat an eyelash over much.
“Yup.” My voice softens. “I don’t understand what her problem is.” My brain trips over the past two years. When Annica had come in as a freshman, she’d been so sweet and nice. Eager to soak up everything she could learn on the soccer field. She had shadowed my every move around campus. She was like the little sister I’d never had but always wanted. Fast forward two years, and I could have never imagined our relationship would be so contentious. I’ve done nothing to her. Certainly nothing to incite this kind of single-minded hatred. I’m at a loss as to how to change the path we’re careening down.
A contemplative expression settles over Sydney’s face as she chews her lower lip. “Do you want my honest opinion?”
“Of course.” I steel myself for what will come next. Sydney isn’t the kind of girl who pulls punches. Ask her for the truth, and she’ll give you the unvarnished version. Her unflinching honesty is one of the things I love about her.
“I think Annica has been eaten alive by the green-eyed monster. She wants your position on the team.” When I remain silent, she continues. “If that girl could skin you alive and wear you as a coat, she would.”
I scrunch my nose at the vivid image she paints. “That’s fairly disturbing.”
“You know what?” She doesn’t bother waiting for a response. “Her behavior has been pretty disturbing.”
Sydney’s right about that. The situation with Annica has spun out of control. I’d hoped that if I gave it enough time and didn’t give her the reaction she was looking for, the girl would get bored and move on, but that has yet to happen. If anything, her behavior has only become more spiteful and ruthless.
“Dem,” she says, cutting into my thoughts, “you can’t let this slide anymore. Some of the younger girls already seek her out for advice and look up to her as a leader. She’ll continue to wreak havoc on this team if you let her.”
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
When did it all go so wrong?
When I was named co-captain last season? Our relationship was definitely tense last year, but I have no idea if that’s what caused the rift. Now I’m captain and Annica is my co-captain. I suppose I’d been holding out hope that it would appease her, and she’d settle into her leadership role with more grace. That hasn’t happened. At every turn, she attempts to undermine my authority. I haven’t taken this issue to Coach because I should be able to solve this on my own. That’s part of the responsibility of being captain.
What a fucking mess.
“I’ll talk to her,” I mutter, not looking forward to the conversation.
Sydney reaches out and tangles her fingers with mine. “Good. Now...what do you say to making me breakfast?” With her other hand, she rubs her toned belly. “I’m starving.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I say you’re crazy.”
“You’ve known that for a while, and you’re still here. So, I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”
I wrap my arms around her and squeeze tight. Honestly, there’s no one else in life I’d rather be stuck with. Sydney is my ride or die, which means, I’m on the hook for making breakfast.
“Eggs or pancakes,” I ask.
“Both!”
A chuckle slips free as I shake my head.
Why am I not surprised?
Sydney is an all or nothing kind of girl. And I wouldn’t have her any other way.
12
Demi
“Hey, Demi! Wait up!”
I stiffen, immediately recognizing the voice. Instead of slowing down, I tuck my chin against my chest and haul ass, hoping to lose him in the herd of students moving across campus like cattle. I’m not usually one to run and hide, but I’ll make an exception in this case.
“Demi!”
The voice grows louder, and I realize he’s closer than I had originally suspected.
Crappity...crap, crap, crap.
When a heavy hand lands on my shoulder, I silently acknowledge that escape isn’t in the cards for me this morning. A potent concoction of disbelief and anger shoots through me as I attempt to shrug him off. After finding Justin and Annica together Saturday night, he’s the last person I want touching me. Honestly, I’m a little surprised he has the nerve to seek me out in the first place. I had assumed by unspoken agreement we would avoid each other for the rest of the year.
“Justin.” Reluctantly I flick my g
aze in his direction only to discover that his nose is bruised and swollen.
That’s new. It certainly wasn’t like that when I left the party. My brain whirls, silently trying to figure out what happened. Is there any truth to the rumors Sydney heard? Did Rowan get into a fight with Justin after I took off Saturday night?
He must notice where my attention is focused, because his fingers brush self-consciously over the battered flesh. Instead of acknowledging the injury, he asks instead, “Do you have a minute to talk?”
“Not really.” I hasten my pace. “I have to get to class.”
Not taking no for an answer, he quickly says, “I’ll walk with you, and we can talk on the way.”
Awesome.
Thankfully, Corbin Hall looms on the horizon. If I speed walk, I can be there in five minutes, tops. The less interaction I have with Justin, the better off we’ll both be. After discovering his extracurricular activities, there’s nothing left to discuss.
“So,” he clears his throat when I remain stoically silent, “I wanted to apologize again for the other night.”
The guy is delusional if he thinks we’re going to brush this neatly under the carpet and move on. What happened wasn’t an accident. Any hope of us remaining friends has been obliterated. I don’t even want to look at him.
“You mean when I stumbled on you getting a blowie from Annica?”
He has the good grace to flinch at my blunt description. “Yeah, I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have happened.”
No shit, Sherlock.
“I’m over it.” I shrug, only wanting to move on with my morning and my life.
You know what the definition of insanity is?
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.
The lesson I’ve learned from this experience is to steer clear of the athletes on campus. Maybe it’s unfair to paint them all with the same broad-brush stroke, but I’ve been burned too many times in the past. The guys around here have too many options available. Every men’s team at Western has their own set of jersey chasers, cleat sniffers, or puck bunnies.
I’m over the womanizing jocks. I’ve dated a couple different athletes throughout the years.
Luke, a hockey goalie.
Logan, a soccer midfielder.
Ashton, a breaststroker.
And Justin...a baseball pitcher.
And they’ve all turned out to be players.
In one regard, it’s nice to be with someone who understands the physical demands of playing a sport at a high level. There’s a dedication that other people can’t comprehend. But the cheating is the ugly side of it.
I’m officially tapping out.
Unaware of the thoughts circling through my head, Justin says, “I wanted to reach out yesterday, but I figured you needed time to cool off.”
Is he actually suggesting thirty-six hours is enough time to put his cheating into perspective and forgive him?
That’s not going to happen. In fact, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.
When I remain silent, lips pressed into a thin line, he continues. “I was hoping we could move past my,” there’s a pause, “lapse in judgement and work this out.”
He’s joking, right?
“I’m sorry?” My gaze jerks from the math building to Justin who remains tenaciously at my side. There’s no way I heard him correctly.
“I want to move forward with our relationship. We were really good together.” He gives me a hopeful smile. “Instead of letting my indiscretion tear us apart, let’s work to overcome it. We’ll be a stronger couple in the long run.”
Holy crap, the guy is serious. Well, color me stunned. I didn’t think it was possible for Justin to shock me anymore than he already has, but I was mistaken. This conversation has totally thrown me for a loop.
“Why would we do that?” My brows beetle together as confusion spirals through me. “It’s not like we were seeing each other for that long.” I wave a hand in his direction. “In fact, you’re the one who said we weren’t serious. And you obviously didn’t like me enough to remain faithful. So...why bother? Why not move on?”
“You’re right, I did say that. I thought I was being considerate by getting my needs taken care of elsewhere.”
A snort of disbelief escapes from me. I just can’t with this guy.
“I like you, Demi. A lot. And I’m human.”
Is he really playing the human card?
I made a mistake,” he continues. “Can’t you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
No, I really can’t. Once trust is broken, it’s almost impossible to earn it back again. Why is he even fighting for this relationship?
“Look,” I huff, only wanting to pull the plug on this conversation. At this point, I regret ever giving Justin a chance. It was a lapse in judgment on my part. Deep down, I suspected it wouldn’t work out in the long run, but even I couldn’t have imagined how it would implode. “I appreciate your apology, but our relationship is over.” Sure, I could tell him that I was planning to end things before I found him with Annica, but what good would that do? He needs to accept that my answer is final and move on.
Relief bursts inside me when I realize we’ve reached Corbin Hall and this conversation, whether he wants it to be or not, is over. Just like our relationship.
My gaze reluctantly flickers to Rowan, who lounges outside the brick building. It’s hardly a surprise to find him swarmed by a group of students vying for his attention. There’s something about the blond football player that attracts both men and women. He’s like the sun, and they want to be in his orbit, even if it’s for a moment. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I feel the same gravitational pull myself. There’s an unrelenting energy that refuses to be subdued. I’ve spent years struggling against the force of it.
Images from Saturday night crash unwantedly through my head. Days later, I can almost feel the warm drift of his breath across my lips, and the hope that had spiraled through me when I’d thought he would kiss me.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen. It would have only complicated matters. Already it feels like we’re walking a fine line.
And yet...it’s not relief that floods through me.
Our gazes collide, and Rowan’s eyes narrow before shifting to Justin who continues doggedly at my side.
“Instead of making a snap decision, one you’ll probably regret, why don’t you take a few days to think it over.”
“That’s not nec—”
My voice is cut off as I’m yanked against a hard body.
“You heard her, Fischer,” Rowan snaps, “she doesn’t need more time. It’s over.”
Justin presses his lips into a tight line as his expression turns stony. “Why are you always hovering around, Michaels?” His narrowed gaze fills with suspicion as he waggles a finger between us. “Oh. I get it. Maybe the reason you’re not interested in working things out with me is because you’ve been sneaking around behind my back! Maybe that’s why you weren’t interested in spreading your legs.” Justin stabs a finger in Rowan’s direction. “You’ve been screwing around with him.”
My jaw drops at his sudden turnabout, and I rear back as if I’ve been slapped. I didn’t think it was possible to feel more hurt by his behavior.
“Do you really believe that?” My chest constricts, and I’m barely able to force out the question.
An ugly glint sparks to life in his eyes as he jerks his shoulders. His voice grows louder, booming over the crowd, attracting more unwanted attention. “Who are you trying to kid? Everyone knows you’ve been making your way through the football roster for years.”
Even though Justin doesn’t mean a damn thing to me, hurt and humiliation flood through me. Those rumors have always floated around campus. Every once in a while, they rear their ugly head. It’s the reason I don’t date football players. As I glance self-consciously at the people gathered around us, a dull heat creeps into my cheeks.
“You know that’
s not true.” It takes effort to keep my voice from trembling. I straighten to my full height, refusing to give Justin the satisfaction of seeing how much damage he’s inflicting.
Fuck him. And fuck all these people who think they know me or the truth.
Justin’s voice escalates as if he sees the writing on the wall and wants to alter the demise of our relationship.
Rowan’s hands fall from my shoulders as he takes a step in Justin’s direction. “Keep running your mouth, Fischer, and I’ll give you a shiner to go along with your busted nose.”
I grab hold of Rowan’s arm to keep him from advancing any further. The two of them getting into a fight will only draw more unwelcome attention to the situation. And I don’t want Rowan suffering any consequences on my behalf. I’m more than capable of handling my own problems. And Justin has turned out to be one hell of a problem. One who wasn’t worth nearly the trouble he’s set on causing.
“Don’t,” I whisper, attempting to keep my voice devoid of emotion, “he’s not worth it.”
Rowan’s gaze snaps in my direction. “You’re right...he’s not, but you are.”
Justin snorts, reluctantly drawing my focus to him. “Maybe if I were a football player, you would be more willing to spread those pretty thighs.”
That ugly comment is all it takes to snap the last of Rowan’s control. Without warning, he leaps forward. Before he can get his hands on Justin, the baseball player retreats, disappearing through the throng of onlookers. My heart thunders painfully under my breast.
“That guy is a real douche,” Rowan mutters, narrowed gaze searching the thick crowd as if he’s contemplating going after him.
Yeah, tell me something I don’t know. Although, I didn’t realize what a complete jackass he was until this latest confrontation. Had I understood it sooner, I could have saved myself a shit ton of humiliation. Lesson learned the hard way. After this debacle, it’s going to take a long time for me to trust another guy. In fact, maybe a lengthy break from the opposite sex would be the best thing.
“Are you all right?” Rowan asks, knocking me from my turbulent thoughts.
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