Crushed (Rushed #2)

by Gina Robinson

  My family and Dak and his dad had seats in separate sections. I would have preferred to sit in the student section with my sorority sisters. And Dakota. But Dad had bought fifty-yard-line tickets in the alum section near the top of the stadium, close to the exit and concessions. For Grandma's comfort, so he said.

  Inside the stadium, we came to a fork in the road. We started toward our seats in the alumni section to the right. Dak and Al had seats with his frat in the student section to the left. I tried to pull free of Dak's hand.

  He held firm. "See you at halftime?"

  "Maybe." Why was it so fun to tease him?

  "I'm not letting go until I get a yes."

  Was he trying to kill me with his flirting? Two could play that game. I caught him off guard with a kiss on the cheek, escaping his grip in the process. "Maybe."

  I slipped into the crowd behind Dad, leaving Dakota to stare after us.

  It was cold in the stands. The infamous campus wind blew incessantly. Dad pulled a packable down lap blanket from his pocket and tucked it around Grandma's legs. I went through the motions of standing for the national anthem, watching the coin toss, and yelling like a true fan during kickoff. But mostly I scanned the crowd across the stadium in a futile attempt to spot Dakota in the sea of school colors. I thought I was being totally stealthy.

  Until Grandma called me out on it. "Looking for that handsome boy?"

  "What?"

  She chuckled. "Oh, child, you have it bad." She glanced at my father and then winked at me like a conspirator. "You don't have to sit here with us two old fogeys. I'll cover for you if you want to sneak into the student section and sit by the boy."

  "And give up my time with you!" I shook my head and smiled, vowing to be less obvious. "Grandma!"

  She laughed full out and reached over to squeeze my hand. "Oh, to be young!" She sounded way too wistful. "Enjoy every minute of it, kiddo."

  We stood up. Sat down. Yelled, "Fight, fight, fight!" By halftime, Grandma was clearly flagging.

  "You look tired, Mom." Dad was being particularly sensitive to her needs.

  It worried me that he was worried about her.

  "Let me take you home. I'm sure Morgan will understand." Dad gave me a look that warned me I'd better understand.

  I saw the sly look in Grandma's eyes and panicked. Like she was going to cut me loose to spend the second half with Dakota. I needed my grandma. We hadn't even had a chance to chat, really. "Of course I will." I tried not to look as crestfallen as I felt at the thought of her leaving so soon.

  Grandma studied me. I tried not to let her see, but she did anyway. "Stop treating me like spun glass, Rob! I hardly ever get out anymore. I never get the chance to spend time with my favorite granddaughter." She smiled at me. "I'm not going home a minute before I have to. I wouldn't turn up my nose at a little nap, though. Morgan can take me to the sorority and get me settled. I'll nap while you two come back for the second half and be fresh as a daisy for dinner."

  I wouldn't come back to the game without her.

  "I'll go with you two." Dad stood and offered Grandma his arm while I folded up her blanket and offered her my arm, too.

  We flanked her and helped her up the stairs, one slow step at a time.

  Dakota was waiting for us at the top of the stairs, his way down blocked by a stadium employee. His eyes lit up when he saw me. He broke into a grin that made my heart race. Alcohol goggles make some butt-ugly guys look good. Completely sober, Dakota looked better to me than any guy ever had.

  His hair was tousled and windblown. He looked so totally adorable and hot. I steeled my heart against him. He was probably just toying with me again. Why did I feel like he was making a show of things? Setting me up? And yet when I looked in his eyes, he seemed totally genuine.

  I gave him a slow up-and-down as we approached him. "They wouldn't let the riffraff in, I see."

  He kept grinning. "You promised to spend halftime with me."

  "Did not."

  He stepped out of the way to let us pass.

  "I promised to spend it with Grandma. She's tired. We're taking her back to the house to rest." I stared at him, trying to get a read on him. Trying to still my rapidly beating heart. "We'll see you at dinner."

  "Did I mention we don't have to spend halftime at the stadium?" He turned to my dad and offered his arm to Grandma. "Let me. Morgan and I can get Mrs. Peterson to the house."

  "That's very kind of you." Grandma tried to let go of Dad.

  Dad pressed his hand over hers and held her firm. "We can manage."

  "Dinner," I mouthed to Dakota.

  One of his frat brothers spotted him and called out to him.

  "Go!" I gave him a shove. "I'll see you later."

  Just outside the gate, a motorized cart waited for us. Grandma spoke as we loaded her in. "You were a little rough on the boy, Rob."

  He shrugged. "Was I?"

  "I wouldn't have minded being escorted by a handsome young man." She winked at me. "It's clear he's in love with our little Morgs."

  "Stay out of my girl's love life, Mom." Dad went all alpha dog on us. "If she doesn't want that boy, she doesn't."

  It sounded more like he didn't want me with Dakota.

  "My Morgan can have her choice of any young man on campus." He looked fierce, even as he beamed with pride.

  "I didn't say she couldn't," Grandma said. "She takes after me, after all. I'm not blind to the looks the young men give her as she walks by. But I like Dakota. He's a considerate young man. If she wants him, she should go after him. Make sure he knows she wants him."

  "Are you giving me love advice from Jane Austen?" We'd watched all the Jane Austen movies together, from the seventies versions to the most current versions. "You're sounding an awful lot like Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice, Grandma. When she was warning Lizzie that Jane should show Mr. Bingley more affection than she felt. Gush over him."

  Grandma chuckled. "Am I? You know what I think about Jane Austen. She was a genius at observing people. Wisdom of the ages. Men haven't changed."

  "Mom, the boy's a drunk. He has an MIP."

  I couldn't believe what a traitor Dad was being. And after he'd warned me not to upset Grandma.

  "He's not a drunk! No more than any frat guy on campus is. He parties like all the other guys." I came to his defense without thinking, sounding fiercer than I should have. My cheeks flamed. "I have an MIC, too. That doesn't make me a drunk, does it?" I told myself I wasn't defending Dak, just myself.

  Dad looked about ready to explode. But he couldn't very well tell Grandma the full extent of what he had against Dakota.

  "Anyone can make a mistake." Grandma gave Dad a pointed look as she gripped the rail of the cart. "I like him."

  Dad returned for the second half of the game. I stayed with Grandma and did homework while she slept. And tried not to think about Dakota.

  Grandma rallied after her nap. She was a tough one. We got ready for dinner together. She curled my hair, like she had when I was little, until it fell over my shoulders in waves. I loved the feeling of her fingers in my hair. So comforting I could have sat there all day.

  "Let's give your dad a fit." She went to my closet. "Wear something sexy and provocative. Something that will curl the young Dakota's toes."

  "Grandma!"

  She grinned. "Believe it or not, I was a young sorority girl once. I know what men like." She went to my closet and started leafing through my dresses, sliding them along the bar as she inspected them. After rejecting half a dozen, she pulled one out. She held it up to me and grinned. "This one will do nicely." She grinned wickedly. "Let me live vicariously through you tonight."

  I shook my head as she went to my dresser and looked through my lipsticks. "You know, Dakota and I are just friends."

  She acted like she didn't hear me. She was going a little deaf. She picked up a tube and rolled out the lipstick. "Sexy vixen. Nice. We look good in this shade." She stared into the mirror and puckered her
lips. "May I?"

  "Help yourself."

  She applied the lipstick and grabbed a tissue to blot it. "You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me, child. You like that boy. Now get dressed." She handed the lipstick tube to me. "And wear this."

  Traffic in town was crazy. We had to hunt for parking at the Mexican restaurant where we were meeting Dak. The line curled out the front door and along the outside of the building. We got dirty looks as we bypassed the crowd and went to the hospitality desk at the front of the line to check in for our reservations. Dak and Al were already seated and waiting for us.

  When Dak saw us coming, he jumped up and pulled a chair out for Grandma. His gaze bounced between us. "You two look gorgeous. Are you wearing the same shade of lipstick?"

  Grandma grinned. If there had ever been any doubt, Dakota had just won her heart.

  He sat next to me, so close our thighs brushed. He reached for a tortilla chip when I did. Our fingers touched as we reached for the salsa. I was sure it was purely intentional contact on his part. Like the way he rested his arm across the back of my chair. Or his fingers stroked my thigh as he adjusted his napkin in his lap. And damn it, I tingled at his touch. And wanted more. Much more.

  He smelled good. He looked better. He was on his best behavior. If only all this flirting and feigned passion were real. I couldn't take him teasing me again and then refusing to even kiss me goodnight. What did he want? For me to beg him to hook up again?

  Screw it. If anyone would beg, it would have to be him. I didn't want a hookup. I wanted a relationship.

  I was startled to realize I wanted one with him. A real relationship. With love and caring and a certain level of commitment. One where everyone knew we were a couple. He'd had no problem having one with Alexis on the spur of the moment. But he was just teasing me for fun. The more he flirted, the more upset I became.

  I excused myself to go to the restroom while we waited for our flan.

  "I'll go with you." Grandma slid her chair back. She smiled at me.

  Dad helped her up, giving us that "ladies never use the bathroom alone" look.

  In the ladies' room, I felt a wave of nausea. I dashed into a stall and took deep breaths until it passed. The day had gone so well. I cursed Dakota. I cursed being reminded of the predicament I was probably in. When I came out, Grandma was leaning close to the mirror as she reapplied the lipstick she'd borrowed from me. She smiled at my reflection.

  I took the sink next to her.

  She studied me in the mirror.

  I concentrated too hard on scrubbing my hands. The process really wasn't that interesting.

  Grandma turned to stare at me. "There's something different between you and Dakota."

  I'll say. But I didn't. Not out loud. My heart pounded with fear that she would find me out. I shrugged. "He's a good friend." And a total douchebag at the same time. It was easier to be angry at him than at myself.

  "He wants to be more." She paused. "You clearly want that, too."

  I froze and opened my mouth to deny it, silently cursing myself for being too obvious.

  She rested her hand on my arm. "You and Dakota have a special chemistry that's very rare. He can't stop looking at you. He can't keep his hands off you. He's trying to impress your family for your sake."

  I wanted to strangle Dakota for playing games with me, and leading my Grandma and her weak heart on, too.

  Grandma held my gaze. "He could be the one."

  I looked at her like she was really crazy now, and made a scoffing noise. "I don't think so." I couldn't tell her all the reasons why. "We've been out of sync since we met. He had a thing for me our freshman year. But that moment passed. Now we're just friends." But as much as I tried to deny it, deep in my heart I wanted more.

  It must have shown on my face, because she nodded. "You can lie to yourself if you want. But it won't change things. Take it from me. I knew the minute your dad brought your mom home that she was the one. And your uncle and Millie—"

  I scoffed again. "And look how well Mom and Dad turned out. They hate each other now."

  "They made mistakes." Her voice was gentle. "I'm standing by my advice—if you want this boy, go after him. Better to have loved and lost."

  I shook my head, vehemently. "You know I chased Dakota's best friend from high school for two years?" Grandma knew about my crush on Zach. "Look how that turned out." I almost blew things, forgetting for the moment that Grandma didn't know about Dakota running over Zach. "He's in love with my little."

  "He wasn't the one."

  "You never saw us together."

  "That was my first clue." Her eyes sparkled. "Maybe he's right for your little. Lucky escape for you."

  "I don't want to do the chasing. I want the guy to pursue me."

  "Fair enough." Grandma squeezed my arm. "Isn't that what Dakota's been doing all night?"

  Another wave of nausea washed over me.

  "Are you feeling all right?" Her look was penetrating as well as kindly. "You haven't eaten much today. Been picking at your food and looked peaked from time to time."

  I nodded too quickly.

  Her eyes narrowed. "Is there something you should tell me? A reason you aren't going after Dakota? Another young man?"

  I shook my head.

  She still looked suspicious. "If you were in trouble, you could come to me." She glanced at my abdomen.

  I resisted the urge to cover my stomach with my hands. "I would. I definitely would." I forced a smile. "Just having my period. You know how that goes." I wish I knew about the immediate discomfort of periods right now.

  She kept studying me. "It's been a long time. But yes, I do." She didn't look like she believed me.

  I took her arm. "The boys are waiting."

  Through dessert, Dad cast worried looks Grandma's way. He spoke almost as soon as she took her last bite of flan. "It's a two-hour drive home, Mom. We should be going." He signaled the waiter for the check.

  Al waved the waiter away. "Forget the check, Rob. This one's on me."

  Crap, now even Al was trying to impress my dad and grandma.

  Dakota covered my hand with his. "Stay. Dad and I will take you home later." Damn, he practically cooed the words.

  My pulse raced. I felt tingles in all the right places. I was weak, but not that weak. And so tired, I was practically dead on my feet. I pulled my hand free and stood. I had my pride. "Thanks, but Dad can drop me off."

  I turned to Al. "It was great meeting you. Thanks for dinner." I reached behind me, grabbed my coat and purse from the back of my chair, and slid the chair back to stand.

  Dakota stood with me. "I'll call you later."

  I wanted to tell him not to bother. But Grandma was watching us with so damned much hope sparkling in her eyes. Let her live vicariously a little longer, I told myself. If she wants to believe in true love and the one, who am I to stop her? I nodded and let him help me with my coat and gave him a hug.

  As I walked away, I turned to look back at him. He was watching me with hunger in his eyes. What the hell was wrong with him? What was he up to?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dakota

  I watched Morgan walk away. There's nothing as emasculating as not having a car. Not being able to drive. Being stuck in a restaurant with your dad while the girl you want, and shouldn't, leaves you standing alone like a sucker. I clenched my fist as I watched Morgan disappear.

  "I like her." Dad was still sitting, watching her walk away, too. He downed the last of his beer as the waiter delivered the check.

  I turned to stare at my father. "Morgan? You like her?" I was irrationally angry. I shook my head as I took my seat. "She has a rep as the bitch of the Delta Delta Psi house." What was I saying? I was mad as hell at Morgan for toying with me. For embarrassing me in front of my old man.

  Dad shrugged and laughed. "Maybe I like bitches. She's funny. She's hot—"

  "Dad, please—"

  "What?" He shot me a teasing look. "I'm not d
ead yet. And I have eyes." He grinned at me. "She has you wrapped around her little finger." He pulled his credit card out and slid it into the bill folder. "Hot girl like that, what's not to love?"

  Plenty.

  The waiter swooped in and picked up the bill.

  The booze had loosened Dad's tongue. "Zach comes back tomorrow, doesn't he?"

  Shit. Now Dad wants to talk? "Yeah."

  "Huh."

  "What does that mean?" I said.

  "Nothing." He nodded toward the door. "I'd keep her away from him. You don't want to be second to Zach ever again."

  I stared at him. Yeah, the old man had too much faith in me. I took a deep breath. "Too late. He's the one who pulled her out from behind my car." He had no idea how too late I was.

  "And you're the guy who's helping her through the aftermath." He looked at me like he had total faith his son was a stud who could win the girl in the end. "You're a Bradley. We never give up. Kill her with friendship and understanding. Listen to her and sympathize. Girls love that sensitive shit."

  Morgan

  Sunday morning the dads packed up and left, taking their deep voices, fatherly disapproval, and pride with them. I slept late. When I got up, my stupid period still hadn't started. I'd given it fair warning. It was time to take matters into my own hands and force-start my period. Girls in the house did it all the time. You didn't want the curse to start in the middle of the spring formal. Or finals. Method number one—birth control pills—had already failed me. Number two, large quantities of ginger tea, required a trip to the grocery or health food store. I didn't have the time for that. Number three, high doses of vitamin C, consumed with tons of water.

  I kept a bottle of vitamin C for cold and flu season. I filled a water bottle and swallowed several vitamin C tablets, trying not to gag them back up. Only as a last resort would I resort to method number four—sex. That was what had gotten me into this stress mess of possibly being pregnant in the first place.