Higher (The University of Gatica #3)
Page 12
Aileen came over and hugged her. “That was so exciting to watch.”
Jani laughed and slowly dragged her eyes away from Carter. “It was fun to do.”
“I think it’s going to be an unforgettable season.”
“I hope so.” Jani darted a glance at the clock. Carter had moved, but still stood off to the side waiting for her. “I just need to talk to someone before we head back to our place.”
Aileen looked behind her and turned back to Jani. “You sure?”
“Yup,” she whispered and swallowed the tickle in her throat. She switched her high jump spikes to her runners and put her warm up clothes back on. She walked toward Carter with no idea what to say.
“Hi,” he said and flashed her a lazy grin. “Pretty impressive out there.”
She glanced back at the high jump pit, now bare of the standards and pole. “I was kinda in the zone.”
“That you were. I enjoyed watching you.” His intent stare never left hers.
“Th-Thanks for coming.” It seemed like the polite thing to say. She couldn’t stop looking at his handsome face.
Neither of them spoke for a moment. Carter finally broke the silence. “How are you doing?”
Jani’s eyebrows pressed together. “I’m okay. How are you?”
Carter shrugged. “Swimming’s going great.”
“I saw your results from the other day. Congrats.” She was trying to keep the conversation light, but she could feel Carter was trying to say something more.
“You looked?”
“Of course.” She shouldn’t have answered so fast. She glanced around at the track that was now slowly clearing out. Aileen stood by the distance runners as she waited for Jani. “What’s going on, Carter? Why did you come?”
“I wanted to watch you jump.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Look. I miss hanging out with you. I… We… we had something good. I realize that now.” He stopped talking when some athletes walked past. “Can we go somewhere and chat? Just the two of us.”
She knew if she went with him they would end up in bed together. The image in her head wasn’t unpleasant. It was tempting. Maybe just one time. She shifted her weight. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I already have plans.” She couldn’t believe she had told him no. It took her nearly a month to get her shit together, she was scared one night with him might pull her back.
Carter looked lost when she said no. “Jani, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I miss you. I miss hanging out. Can we give it a shot again? I’ll be good. No lies, no crap, no… you know.”
No, pot. That’s what he meant. She hesitated. They did have fun together, the fault wasn’t his alone. She had let things slip. She was terrified she would fall back into that lazy habit and risk her grades or scholarship again. She didn’t think Coach Anderson would be so understanding the second time.
“I like how you make me feel.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his flawless bicep rounding perfectly. “I think I need you in my life.”
Talk about killer one-liners. She wanted so badly to be together with him. Except now was not the time. Maybe later. Somehow she knew that right now they would never work.
“Give me another shot, Jani.”
She ached to reach out and touch his face but folded her hands together to stop herself. “I can’t. Not right now.”
He stared at her, his eyes full of confusion. He probably didn’t get turned down very often.
“It’s not you. It’s me. I need to focus on school and track. Those are two things I want real badly.”
“More than anything else?”
She nodded, afraid to speak.
“So you and I… not going to happen?”
“Not right now.”
“What if I show you I’ll be better? Just let you see I’m trying.”
“Carter, you are an amazing person. We are just at different spots. It’s not good for either of us.”
“I beg to differ. But I respect your decision and I’m not going to try to argue with you to change your mind. However, you come see me in three months. You wait and see. I’ll win NCAAs and you’ll see. I’ll be someone you can’t be without.”
She couldn’t imagine not being with him. However, she had survived the last three weeks and hadn’t died from a broken heart. “Maybe.”
He smiled as if her maybe represented more. “I’ll settle for that for now.” He winked at her. “We’re athletes. There’s a good chance we’ll bump into each other on campus, or at a party. Are we still allowed to say hello or have a conversation? Like if I bump into you at a party, you’re not going to take off running?”
“I wouldn’t run. I might jump over something, but I won’t run away.”
He laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. “Take good care of yourself, Jani.”
She wrapped her arms around him, careful not to stay there too long, less she fall in love with him again.
How do you say goodbye to someone you couldn’t imagine being without? You don’t. Jani stepped back and gave him one last lingering look. She didn’t say anything, she just walked away. She headed for Aileen and didn’t glance back until she reached her roommate.
Carter wasn’t there anymore.
“Everything okay?” Aileen asked.
Jani shrugged. She wished only goodness for Carter. “It’ll work out. It just… sucks.” It’s bittersweet.
Aileen put her arm around Jani’s shoulders and pulled her toward an exit far from where Carter would have left from. “Let’s get back to our place and change. We’ll go out and eat, drink and be merry. Then we’ll go dancing till we forget about boys.”
Jani smiled. Thank goodness for roommates. She didn’t have Carter, but she was working toward something higher. She might miss out on something now but maybe they would find each other again someday. Maybe he would change. Maybe she would. Time would only tell.
The End
STRONGER
Coming July 2015
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Description:
When multi-eventer Chrissy is injured, she has to sit out a season of track in order to regain her strength. Focussing on getting stronger, she begins working out in the weight room and meets injured hockey star, Ryan Phillips.
Will both of them recover physically and will their attraction to each other help fix the confidence mentally broken down inside of them?
* This is NOT erotica* It is a new adult & college sport romance.
Notes From a beta reader:
I liked that Carter came and wanted to try again, and I loved that he's not giving up.
Is it wrong of me to think that he won't really change and that I wasn't sure I believed him? I feel like he is going to end up a player for the next few months and not really show Jani anything different.
I hope I'm wrong. I just felt like their relationship was just sex. They had some conversations, but I always felt like Jani was more invested than Carter and to him she was just a hook up.
I can't wait to see the changes Carter makes and hopefully win Jani back. Although, (just my thoughts) I would kinda like Aileen's brother to make an appearance during track season and make a play for Jani to urge Carter on a bit. Nothing like a little healthy competition... =)
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Description:
Charity Thompson wants to save the world, one hospital at a time. Instead of finishing med school to become a doctor, she chooses a different path and raises money for hospitals – new wings, equipment, whatever they need. Except there is one hospital she would be happy to never set foot in again--her fathers. So of course he hires her to create a gala for his sixty-fifth birthday. Charity can’t say no. Now she is working in the one place she doesn’t want to be. Except she’s attracted to Dr. Elijah Bennet, the handsome playboy chief.
Will she ever prove to her father that’s she’s more than a med school dropout? Or will her attraction to Elijah keep her from repairing the one thing she desperately wants to fix?
** This is NOT Erotica. It's Romance and a love story. **
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Heart of the Battle Series
Celtic Viking
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Celtic Rune
Book 2
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Celtic Mann
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