"Man, I'm sorry."
He had the fucking audacity to say sorry?
"Yeah, you're right, motherfucker. You are sorry." I pushed forward, but whoever had me tightened their grip, and I couldn't get to him. "I'm fine," I said, jerking out of the hold. "You two have at it. I don't give a shit." I heard my name being called but didn't turn. I checked my pockets making sure my keys were there and left the house.
Outside, I squinted against the sun in my eyes. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I took my cell out and opened the text.
Baby, how are you feeling? Want 2 meet for lunch?
Unbelievable, but since she didn't know I knew about her and Robbie, I texted her back.
Yep. Pizza place by your dorm?
K, see you in a sec.
I needed to calm down before seeing her face to face. I'd planned to end our relationship already, but I couldn't believe she cheated. In some strange way though, I felt liberated. Knocking the shit out of Robbie helped. My mom would be fucking ecstatic, which made me laugh. She'd made it clear she didn't like Kellie. I remembered our cryptic conversation before I moved up here and smiled. Maybe she was trying to make me see that Elle was the person for me? Actually, now I was pissed. Why couldn't women just say whatever it was they wanted and not dick around? I'd never understand their way of thinking.
Feeling settled, I parked and headed in.
The hostess seated me in an open area with only a few people around. Kellie walked in not long after. I watched her asking the hostess something. She pointed in my direction and proceeded over to my table, all the while smiling. She didn't have a clue.
"Hi. I'm so hungry right now." As soon as she sat down, she grabbed her menu. "How much did you end up drinking last night?" She hadn't even looked at me yet.
"I drank quite a bit. How was your night?" I watched her closely. She didn't even flinch.
"I made out okay."
I laughed until tears streamed down my fucking cheeks.
She looked at me finally, frowning. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." I shrugged my shoulder. "It's your choice of words I find funny, is all."
She furrowed her brows.
"You made out okay. I guess I'd have to agree, even if I wasn't on the receiving end." Ah, there it was… the shock.
She sucked in an audible breath. Tears pooled in her eyes. I didn't give a damn. Not anymore.
"Listen, Kellie, it's fine. Really, I don't care." She blinked, spilling tears down her cheeks. She meshed her lips together in a frown.
"Tristan," she started. "I'm sorry. It was a mistake."
"The only mistake was us getting engaged. We had a good time for a while, but somehow we changed. And really, I don't care anymore. You can be with Robbie or whoever you want without feeling guilty now."
Her tears dried up as fast as they appeared. Maybe she could go into acting.
"I guess you're happy. Now you can be with your little Elle."
I was hung over, my head hurt like a bitch, and I needed a shower. Fuck her.
"Believe what you want." I stood. "See ya around." I walked out and didn't look back.
Elle
Early Sunday morning, before heading to the shower, I got a sweet picture text from Eric holding a red rose. Too bad work forced me to wait eight hours before seeing him again.
I slept an extra ten minutes, which put me behind schedule. I took a quick shower, and while I hurried to get dressed, Alyssa walked in. She didn't say anything. Seemed odd, but I didn't have time to find out what she was up too. When I zipped up my jeans, my phone buzzed and I hurried to grab it. When I opened the text, I smiled. Eric held another rose, this time white instead of red.
"Who's the text from?"
I rolled my eyes, knowing why she asked.
"Eric. He sent me a text earlier holding a red rose. This one is him holding another rose, but it's white." I walked over and showed her the picture.
"Oh," she said.
I peeked up at her and noticed her frown. "What's going on?" I sighed.
"Nothing. Y'all going on a date later?"
I smiled and nodded.
"Good, have fun." I had a feeling she was keeping something from me, but I didn't have time to figure out whatever she wanted to say.
"Okay. I've got to get to work, but I'll see ya later."
“All right," she said, changing into her pj's. It hit me. She'd never made it home last night. Maybe she wanted to fill me in on her late night with Bret? It also reminded me that I hadn't heard back from Tristan. Hopefully he hadn't gotten too wasted last night. Unfortunately, time didn't allow me to worry about him. I grabbed my keys and dashed out the door.
Work dragged by, but when my shift ended I hurried home, changed, and called Eric. Half an hour later, he picked me up with a half dozen of assorted colored roses. I thanked him with a deep kiss, leaving us both winded when we pulled apart.
"My sister said she wanted to say hi. I figured we could eat at our restaurant again."
"Sounds good." I smiled, and my stomach growled.
Once we got to his parents' restaurant, his little sister, Sarah, ran straight into his chest. Picking her up, he squeezed her tight.
"Eric, you're hurting me." She kicked her feet while smiling, obviously enjoying her big brother's affection.
"Sorry, stinker," he said, putting her back on the ground.
Sarah looked up at me with a big grin. "I'm glad you came back. Eric doesn't have too many girlfriends. I think it's because he hugs them too tight."
I laughed and glanced at Eric. His cheeks were red, but he smiled sweetly at his sister.
"Thanks a lot. Let's get our orders ready before Elle decides to leave."
"Oh no, I'm not going anywhere. Can't wait to hear more stories of all the girls you hug too tight." I winked. Eric gave Sarah a stern glare, but she shrugged her shoulders and walked away.
Our orders were ready not long after we arrived, but knowing mine had a ton of onions, I winced. I would've chosen a burger without onions or japalenos if I could've ordered for myself. However, after I took my first bite, I didn't care anymore. I was in hamburger heaven and still couldn't believe I'd never heard of this place.
Sarah made herself at home, stealing our fries when hers were gone. I didn't mind, but Eric would frown in a loving brotherly way back at her. Sarah looked a lot like Eric, sandy blond hair and big smoky blue eyes. Super cute and I could see how much she idolized her brother.
While they bantered back and forth, my heart tugged thinking about the way Heather and I used to tease each other. The ache from missing my sister formed a lump in my throat, and I took a long drink of my iced tea to push the hurt down.
After we finished eating, Eric and I said bye to his family and headed back out to his car. I didn't want the date to end.
"So, where to now?" Eric looked at me, waiting for my answer. Glad he wasn't ready for our date to end, I smiled.
"I don't care. Wherever is fine with me."
Eric smiled back and started his car. "I've got the perfect place in mind."
I laughed nervously when we took off. "Um, should I be worried?"
He didn't reply, winking instead.
Fifteen minutes later, we parked in front of a batting cage facility. I didn't know how to play baseball. Who cared, right? So, I went with it. Eric paid a round of hits for both of us. I'd never hit a baseball before, so I insisted he go first. He didn't argue and took his stance inside the cage.
Helmet on, bat in hand, he started swinging. The sound of the ball ricocheting off the end of the bat made a loud cracking sound in the air. Every time he bent over, I got a great look at his nice, firm ass. He didn't miss once and when his time finished, he walked out with the same look Tristan always had after a practice. His eyes lit with excitement from the game he loved.
"Ready?" I took in a deep, shaky breath. Sure, I liked the game, just not as much as I enjoyed football.
"Yeah, I guess?" I put my helmet on an
d lifted my bat, standing next to the batter's box. The ball came out fast, seemingly more so than when Eric had been in here. I missed along with the next two. Dammit.
"Here," he said, and I jumped. "Calm down." He laughed and wrapped his warm arms around mine. "You hold the bat like this." Another ball came out but as before, I missed. "Now, spread your feet farther apart and bend your knees." I did as he instructed. "Good, now I'm going to help you."
"Okay," I said, determined to hit the stupid, little, white ball. The ball shot out, Eric's body moved with mine, and we made contact.
"Good. I'm going to let go. When I say swing, I want you to swing and hit the ball." Easy for him to say.
"Okay," I said, breathing hard.
"Swing," he said. Without Eric's help, my hands vibrated when the ball hit the end of the bat.
"Good, now get ready for the next one. Swing."
I tightened my grip on the metal bat and swung. The hit didn't hurt as bad as the first one, but no other pitches came out. Darn it.
"Green, your pitches are done. You want to go another round?" The guy from the booth walked around. Suddenly I wanted to knock the ball a little farther.
"Let's do another round," I said, getting a crooked smile from him in return.
"Another round, Drake." He turned back to me, still smiling. "Are you hustling me again?"
I feigned shock and shook my head. "I have no idea what you're referring to."
"Get ready, you're up." Eric backed away and I took my stance, remembering to bend my knees and grip the handle tight. He let me take both rounds and gave me a few pointers. I struck out more than hit, but we had fun. By the time we finished, the stars were out in full force.
* * *
Between classes and the few extra shifts at work, I didn't have too much time to spend with Eric. We did manage to meet for a quick lunch between his history class and my English class on Thursday. The heated kiss he gave me left me feeling lightheaded when I walked away.
Tristan called me a few times, but I never made it to the phone before my voice mail answered. We'd ended up playing phone tag all week. I didn't worry too much. If he really needed to reach me, he'd find a way.
Chapter 14
Tristan
When Kellie asked to pick up the rest of her shit, I made sure not to be around.
Big mistake.
Most of my clothes were all over my bedroom floor when I got back. Some shirts even had new holes. Damn, the girl could be vindictive.
Needing a cold one, I went to the kitchen. I opened the fridge door, pulled out a bud and found the bottle empty. Grabbing another, I noticed that bottle was empty, too. Fed up, I picked up the six-pack. Every single beer had been emptied and put back. Pissed, I slammed the fridge door shut.
Kellie messin’ up my house didn't bother me half as much as her pouring out my beer. Who does that shit? Good, fucking ridden.
My phone rang. Mom called, asking about Kellie. Shit, I never got around to telling her we'd called off our engagement. She couldn't have been happier. I laughed. My automatic response was to open a beer, but I was out. Damn. When I hung up, I dialed Elle's number but got her voice mail instead.
I sat a minute longer debating if I should try again when an image of her and Green out on a date weaseled its way in my head. Instead of calling her back, I grabbed my keys and hit the road. I called up Bret, but he and Alyssa were together. Fucking pussy. I stayed away from the frat house, not wanting to see Robbie's face. Being around him during practice sucked enough. Lucky for him, his punk-ass stayed away.
I pulled into a grab–n–go store, picked up a six-pack, and headed back home.
Some classes needed a bit of extra attention. I opened a fresh, cold beer, cracked open my books, and started in.
* * *
I called Elle a few times throughout the week, but she never answered. Surely she wasn't with her boyfriend every single damn time? When she'd called me back, I was never in a place to be able to answer. Go figure. I managed to keep busy. I had a few tests, and during practices, Coach ran our asses off. We did more than run, but the running helped keep me focused and not wondering why the fuck Elle hadn't answered my phone calls.
Today was our homecoming game, and I needed my head out of my ass and focused on winning. It didn't help when I noticed Robbie feeling Kellie up before I headed into the locker room.
The two of them being together didn't bother me. What pissed me off was how fucking stupid I'd been not to see the signs earlier. I should've known something was up between them. Hell, I should've ended shit between us a long time ago.
"Daniels, get suited up." I looked up at Coach. His eyes blazed with pent up energy.
"Yes, sir."
Being on the field couldn't come soon enough.
Elle
Homecoming week meant a town full of crazed fans ready to watch the big game. Me included. Eric and I made plans to go together, and Alyssa decided to go as well.
"So does this look okay?" Alyssa walked into our room from the bathroom. She wore her hair in a low ponytail. Her outfit surprised me. She liked to leave little to the imagination, but tonight she had on a pair of faded jeans and a regular Tech T-shirt.
"I think you look great. What about me?" I stood from my bed. I had on my usual jeans and a Tech sweatshirt in case I got cold.
"You look like you always do, and I," she glanced down at her clothes, "look like you, too."
"Am I supposed to be offended?" Seeing Alyssa's indecision, I pressed on. "Hey, you don't have to impress anyone. Just because Bret is on the team doesn't mean you have to change the way you dress or whatever. Where is this insecurity coming from? You've never cared what other people thought."
Alyssa cast her eyes away from me. Her cheeks blushed, and then it hit me. I couldn't believe I hadn't seen the signs sooner. Alyssa had been dating Bret for a while now. Hell, anything over a day should've tipped me off. She liked to play the field, but something had changed. I'd noticed the possessiveness in her tone when she yelled at Ginger last week, but I didn't put two and two together until now.
"I see," I said straight faced, and headed to the living room.
"You see what?"
I didn't stop to answer.
"Ugh!" She followed me to the living room.
"Are you riding with me and Eric or are you taking your car?"
"I'm taking my own car. I don't want to be stuck listening to you make out or whatever."
I smiled. "I can see your point. So, what's the plan after the game? Are you going to the after party with us at the frat house? I think we're supposed to help supervise some of the new pledges tonight."
"Yeah, Tisha and I are meeting up there after the game and–" She stopped when we heard a knock on the door. I walked to the door, opened it, and found Eric.
"Hey, gorgeous." Eric pulled me in for a quick kiss in the doorway.
"You could give a girl a break." Alyssa's tone was full of disgust.
"Did you hear something?" Eric tilted his head and frowned. "Like an annoying bug or something?" I tried to suppress my smile, but failed.
"Be nice." Composing my grin, I turned to Alyssa. "You ready to go?"
"I guess. And, Eric, just so we're clear." Alyssa paused, and walked over in front of him. "Never call me a bug again." She grabbed her keys off the end table and hurried out the door.
Eric laughed, shaking his head. "What's gotten into her?"
"I think she likes Bret."
"And that's a problem, why?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "She doesn't like the same guy for very long. I think Bret's getting past the tough outer layer everyone else sees. You ready to watch the game? I don't want to be late."
"Yep," he said, and followed me out the door.
* * *
The game was close. Tech gave Iowa State a run for their money, but it wouldn't be enough without another first down. The ball was snapped and Jarred ran back, carefully eyeing the field. Everyone was heavily c
overed. From the side, Bret rushed past his blocker.
Thankfully, Jarred noticed and threw the pass before being tackled. Bret jumped in the air, grabbed the ball, and took off in a hard run down the field. All of a sudden, one of Iowa's deadly linebackers grabbed Bret's facemask and slammed him on his side. The ball bounced out of Bret's hands. All of this happened with no flag thrown. The ball was picked up by Iowa and ran in for the touchdown.
I shot up out of my seat. "That's shit! Come on, facemask!" I yelled, just one of many in the stands.
"I think I just fell in love." Eric's declaration caused me to miss the ref's gestured call.
"Wh–what did you say?" My eyes focused on Eric's amused blue ones.
"I didn't know you liked football this much. A girl who can hustle her way in pool, loves football, and is hotter than hell..." His face inched closer to mine. "Yeah, I'm not letting you go anywhere, but tell me something." His expression turned serious. "Do you like baseball?"
"Yeah, just not as much as I like football." My heart pounded in my chest as my mind worked over his teasing comment. I knew he didn't really mean he loved me, but it kind of freaked me out.
"Oh, my God, Elle. Bret's hurt, look." Alyssa slapped my arm, pulling my attention back to the game and then her. "I hope he's okay. What do you think?" Her arms crossed over her chest, and her brows furrowed as she watched the field.
"I bet he'll be fine, Alyssa," I said, trying to ease the worry from her. However, when I turned to the field and found the medical staff hovering over Bret, I couldn't help but worry, too. When he was carried off the field on a stretcher, everyone cheered. They overruled the touchdown and we got the ball back.
"I've got to find Tisha," Alyssa said, grabbing her purse. "I'll call you later, Elle."
"Bye. Call if you need anything."
Alyssa didn't look back as she hurried down the stands.
"I hope he's okay," I said, still a little worried.
"Me, too," Eric replied. "Hey, who's number fifteen?"
Distraction Page 14
