by Claire Adams
"I sure do." I leaned my head back and took a shallow breath. The smell of his cologne was delicious, and I started to wonder if I'd had a little too much to drink.
"Good. I'll take you soon, if you're up for it." He reached out and squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry about not calling. I really wanted to, but my life is too complicated for anything more than a friendship right now."
His words drilled into the center of me, wiping out my hope for something more happening between us. Of course, his life was too complicated to consider taking me out for a date. Why guys had to think it was all or none, black or white always left me confused.
"No, it's good. I'm interested in a friendship. I just got out of a nasty relationship, anyway." I moved up to turn the heater on higher and swallowed the hot ball of rejection lodged itself in my throat.
I had berated myself ten different ways by the time Tate pulled the truck to a stop.
"Well, shit. The road’s blocked." He let out a frustrated growl.
"It's okay. We'll go another time." I pulled out my phone. "Besides, it looks like my friends are ready to get home. It was nice just getting away."
"Yeah, but we didn't learn anything about each other." He growled again and turned the truck around. "I should have brought the fucking bike. At least we could have gone around the blockage."
For someone who wanted a friendship, he sure seemed upset.
I forced myself to make idle chit-chat with him until we got back to the party. He was either bipolar or I was making shit up where the two of us were concerned. Why things couldn't just go the way I expected them too in one area of my life was beyond me.
"Hey, let's go out for something to eat soon." He glanced over at me as we parked back out amongst the cars.
"Sure. You have my number." I gave him a tight smile and got out of the truck without another word. Not only had I almost kissed him earlier and looked like an idiot, but I'd left the party thinking something was going to happen more than the disappointment of hearing that I was being friend-zoned.
"Whatever. You don't even know him." I walked back in to find Amy talking with Kade in the kitchen.
At least something is going right tonight.
Chapter 14
Tate
She was upset, and I was kicking myself. Why the fuck I felt the need to friend-zone her was beyond me. I had every intention of taking her up to the lake, getting to know her better, and making her pant with a long, hot make-out session in Sam's truck.
I texted him as I watched her walk back toward the house. My jacked up sense of self-protection had kicked into gear and ruined the night. I could see by the slight rounding of her shoulders that she was hurt.
"Dammit." I hit the steering wheel and let my head fall back as I waited for Sam. He walked out a moment later, looking rather confused.
I got out of the truck, but left it running.
"What the hell, man?" His eyebrow lifted sharply.
"They blocked the road." I shrugged and pulled my bike keys from my pocket. "I'm going home. Stay if you want to."
"What happened? I just saw Val walk back in the house looking like you kicked her in the chest." His brow pulled tight, and I was trapped.
"I friend-zoned her. I don't know why. I really like her, but I guess I'm just a pussy." I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled hard. "Ugh, I fucking hate myself sometimes."
"Then get in there and fix things. She's quite possibly one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen, Tate, and she didn't seem like a bitch, at all." He pushed at my chest. "What's wrong with you?"
"No, I'll catch you later." I didn't wait for his reply, but jogged to my bike, got on, and drove like a bat out of hell the whole way back to the house. I was furious with myself by the time I got home. Not only had I ignored her all week after she returned my kindness, but then I'd dropped a bucket of cold water in the middle of whatever was starting between us.
"What the fuck is the matter with you?" I jerked my coat off as I walked into the house to find my mom still up.
"With me?" Her lips turned up into a smile.
"No, Mom. Sorry." I tossed my coat onto the couch and walked into the kitchen as indecision tore up my insides. "Me. I'm an idiot."
"Why is that?" She followed me into the kitchen and wrapped me in a hug from behind. "You're one of the smartest guys I know. If you messed up, then you fix it, right?"
"Right. I wish it were that easy." I untangled myself from her hold and walked to the back door to stare out at the thick snow that had covered the ground. "I'm scared."
"What? You scared? No..." She laughed and sat down at the kitchen table as I turned to face her.
"I really like this girl, Mom. She's not like the other girls that I've been interested in, and honestly, she's so far out of my league that it's almost funny." I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced down toward the ground as I began to pace back and forth.
"What do you mean, she's out of your league?"
"She's a Scott. As in David Scott's daughter." I shrugged and glanced up to find my mom sitting calmly. Not the reaction I expected.
"And?" She reached for a coffee mug that sat just in front of her. "What's your point?"
"My point? This man is like a god around here. He's a billionaire." I moved to stand on the other side of the table and pressed my hands to it as I gave her a look. "You don't know the Scotts, obviously."
"Honey, everyone knows who David Scott is. Just because he's a wealthy guy who treats everyone like crap doesn't mean his kids are the same, right?" She reached out and squeezed my hand. "Is the girl like her father?"
"No. Not at all, from what I can tell, but I'm honestly just waiting for the other shoe to drop." I moved back and started to pace again. "She's so damn beautiful, Mom. She's into me, from what I can tell, but I'm not the man for her. I'm tired of shallow relationships. I'm ready to start looking for someone I can build something real and long-lasting with. You know?"
"I sure do. I feel the same." She got up and let out a loud yawn. "You're categorizing her into the wrong group, Tate. You do this with everyone and everything. You can't generalize people, though you've tried to your whole life. She's probably very different from her family. Most people are."
I nodded. "Maybe so. Night, Mom."
Anger burned through me as I pulled my phone from my pocket. I needed to clear the air with her. I was no better than the asshole who'd broken her heart a few days before. Taking her back to the party without saying more than two words was a jerk move after throwing her into the friend-zone. What was I doing? Everything about this girl made my body ache with need, my heart warm with the potential of my first solid relationship.
I texted her the first thing that came to mind.
Me: Val, what did you have to do to get me that try out the other day?
Val: I scored the first three points at the intramural games. Why?
Me: Why did you do that for me?
Val: Because I recently learned that being nice is free.
My heart melted in my chest as I read and re-read her message over and over. She wasn't at all like her family and I was a dick for closing myself off to her before anything could even start between us. Why I would deny myself the opportunity to get to know a woman like her was beyond me.
Me: Forgive me for tonight. I don't know what I was thinking.
Val: I don't know what you were thinking, either, but there's nothing to forgive.
Me: See me again.
Val: I'm going to the library tomorrow. You're more than welcome to meet me there. Nothing more than studying between two friends, but the invitation is open.
Between two friends... Shit.
I agreed to meet her just after lunch and called Sam to make sure he was okay before starting the shower.
"Hey, you. You at home?" Sam's voice was filled with sleep, which was a little surprising.
I'd almost expected him to stay at the party, even though I left. He was the kind of guy who might
walk into a room of strangers, but they would all be friends of his within no time.
"Yeah, I'm about to jump in the shower and then head to bed. I just wanted to apologize for tonight. I was a jerk."
"Yeah, you were." Sam chuckled. "It's whatever, dude. No one could tell you anything when we were kids, and they can't now, either – me included. You'll figure this shit out with your mom, your job, and with the pretty girl you tossed aside tonight."
"Tossed aside? Harsh, man." I walked to the hall closet to grab a towel.
"Maybe, but I can tell you that if you're interested, you need to get back in there. When I went in to say goodbye to her and her friends, she was surrounded by a group of guys. I guess she plays basketball or something? She must be damn good because those guys were singing her praises. One in particular."
My stomach tightened with a combination of regret and jealousy. "I'm an idiot, okay?"
"Yep, I agree. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day, and the girl must like you if she was willing to leave the party with you, right?" Sam sounded hopeful.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure I fucked that up." I let out a long sigh. "Alright. I'm getting off the phone. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Make it up to her, Tate. She'll probably jump right back into whatever you guys were starting between you."
"Thanks, man." I hung up the phone and stripped down before getting into the shower. My internal bantering continued to slam into me as I kicked myself left and right. I shouldn't have been in the shower alone, hating myself. I should have been sitting in the cab of Sam's truck with Val snuggled up beside me laughing and having a good time.
"I hate you so fucking much sometimes." I ran my hands over my chest and turned to press my back to the cold wall as the image of me and Val having fun turned into us going back to her place.
Her smile was brilliant, beautiful, intriguing. The soft laugh that kept leaving her showed just how nervous she was. I wanted to be easy with her, but something inside of me wouldn't relent.
I could almost feel the softness of her skin as I reached out and slid my hands under the edge of her sweater, splaying my fingers along her stomach and around her waist.
"Fuck me," she whispered.
"Yeah," I mumbled and moved up close to her, leaning down and pressing my lips to the side of her neck. I sucked softly as she worked on my jeans with a franticness that drove a stake of desire deep inside the center of me. "Nice and slow, Valentine."
She lifted to her toes and pressed her lips to mine, and I could see in her eyes the neediness that I had seen the first night we'd met. She needed me, and I wasn't going to deny her again.
Her cries were intense as I pressed myself to her and gave in to the need to watch her come over and over before I got mine. I rarely felt the need to give myself over to a woman, but somewhere in my fantasy, I found myself willing to offer up anything in that bed to give her pleasure.
"I love you," she whispered as her fingers dug into my back painfully.
My heart constricted in my chest.
I buried my face against the side of her neck as I gripped her ass and continued to drive into her. My fears were recognized in that moment. I wanted her body, her lust, her desire, but I knew within no time, I would want her heart.
I gripped myself tightly, standing there in the shower, and worked to bring myself to the edge of orgasm as I let my hand be her body, working me hard and slow. My panting got louder as I closed my eyes tight and hit my head against the shower wall.
I cried out hard as I came and felt my knees go weak. Anger replaced lust as I turned and pressed my chest to the cold tile.
She should have been in my arms for the night, even if it was nothing more than a nice petting session. She wanted me with her, but I had tucked tail and run.
A growl left me as the image of us tangled around one another seared through my mind's eye. We could study at the library the next day under the pretense of friends, but I'd make the mistake of pulling us toward that, and now it would have to be me who brought us back out of it.
Chapter 15
Val
I had no clue what to think about Tate and try as I might to force my thoughts to stay away from him, they just wouldn't. I lay in my bed forever that night, trying to figure out if I'd done something wrong or if his denial was more about him and less about me. The same old part of me that always felt inadequate and not good enough reared up throughout the night, but I just couldn't fathom it being my fault this time.
His text had been more shocking than being friend-zoned, but the man was just full of surprises.
I woke up earlier than usual the next morning and changed into a pair of jogging pants and a sweater. I wanted to run the indoor track and shoot some hoops before going up to the library. The girl's locker room on campus had a killer shower area, anyway.
I stopped by the kitchen, a little surprised to see some of the girls up so early on a Saturday morning.
They were laughing about something Carolyn said, and I shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but I couldn't help myself. I stepped back into the hall and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Yeah, I'm not sure why Kade is interested in her. She's not going to date him. He's like a fucking replica of Paul," Carolyn laughed loudly.
"He's incredibly hot. If Val's not interested in him, then I am,” Mary, one of my least favorite girls in the house, responded.
"She's interested in that biker guy you were hitting on last night," Kathy spoke up. "They would be good together. She needs a guy that doesn't care about her family and all their high and mighty bullshit. She's nothing like them."
Carolyn snorted. "Exactly. That's why her life will forever be miserable. She's going to have to marry someone like Paul and shut up about it or leave her legacy. Poor little thing."
Kathy responded, "Carolyn, watch it. You're just jealous."
"Yeah, you are," Mary laughed softly.
I made some noise and walked into the kitchen as if oblivious to the three of them being up.
"Oh, hey guys." I grabbed a banana from the counter and fixed myself a mug of coffee as they stood in an awkward silence. "Did I interrupt something?"
"Nope." Carolyn walked to the table and sat down.
"Who was the guy last night? The one with all the tats that you left with?" Kathy moved up beside me at the kitchen counter as a smile spread across her freckled face.
"Tate? Just a guy I met the other day. He's a good guy, from what I can tell. Martin helped him get onto the swim team, so he should be around more at some of our parties." I shrugged, trying hard to keep things casual.
"Good. He's fucking hot." Carolyn's tone was less than pleasant, but what else was new.
"Yeah, he is." I picked up my bag and walked to the door. "See you guys later."
"Wait," Mary called out to me. "Are you and he dating?"
"Nope. Just friends." I waved and walked out into the freezing weather. After taking a deep breath, I moved languidly toward the gym. I couldn't wait for the next year to be over so that I could start looking for an apartment and getting excited about life after college.
Most of the girls in the house were rich bitches, much like Carolyn. Where they all were against the idea of any of us Gammas hurting the other, they were still greedy as hell and self-serving. All of them except Katelyn.
She'd pledged with me just to not leave me alone in the middle of the bullshit when we were freshman. I'd thanked her enough times over the years that she was well aware she was damn-near the only reason I'd survived so long in the Gamma house.
I picked up my walk to a jog and made it to the gym a few minutes later. After putting my stuff up, I walked to the indoor track and smiled as a familiar guy was running on the far side of the track.
Kade waved as he jogged toward me. "You're stalking me, aren't you? Just admit it."
"Yep." I moved up beside him, easily keeping pace. "I figure sleeping with you is going to be the only way I'm going to get an A in my
business law class."
His eyes widened a little, but he was just playing with me. "We should get this tutoring session on the calendar, for sure."
"Naw, I'm going to hook you up with my friend Amy. She seems to think you're something special." I tugged my ponytail tighter as my heart fluttered in my chest. If I could set Amy up with Kade, the girl would be ecstatic. The thought of making my friend’s day, or more like her year, left me wanting to try anything to get it done.
"Oh, yeah? Amy's cute, for sure." He started to run a little harder. "This is my fast round, so pick it up or I'll catch you on the next round."
"You're on." I pushed hard and took off, pulling in front of him easily. We raced around the track three times before stopping near the front door and leaning against it.
"Damn...you're fast." He reached toward me and tugged at a strand of my hair as the door opened from the boys’ locker room.
I swatted his hand away and laughed. "You're just slow. Most quarterbacks are."
"This is true." He lifted his hands to the air and stretched back and forth. "So Amy, huh? You're not interested?"
"Nope. You told me that you were worse than Paul. Give me a break." I glanced over to see Tate walking toward the natatorium. He glanced back at me, and I waved, unable to help myself.
"I was teasing. I'm a great guy. Always on the up and up." Kade followed my line of sight before touching the side of my arm. "Come out with me sometime."
"No, but thanks for the offer. Think about taking Amy out, seriously. She's your girl. I promise." I turned and jogged toward Tate as my eyes moved across the strong muscles of his back. His swim trunks fit him beautifully, and I couldn't help but admire how well his tattoos encircled his arms and decorated his back.
"Hi." I moved up beside him and tried to catch my breath.
The look on his handsome face said that he wasn't too happy. "That your boyfriend?"
"What?" I glanced back to find Kade watching us. "No. He's the TA for my business law class. I don't have a boyfriend."
