Rebellious and Reckless: College Sports Romance Stand-Alone (Campus Hotshots Book 1): Campus Hotshots

by Michelle A. Valentine

  He rolls his big brown eyes. “Yes, but try not to make it too romantic. Throw me a little action if you can.”

  I laugh as he leaves the room, loving the fact even though he doesn’t particularly enjoy romance movies, he’s willing to watch them for my sake.

  I hurry and get dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and a sweatshirt and then order our food. The selection in the rom-com section is a little slim, considering I’ve seen most of the ones on our movie streaming service.

  My cell rings, and I notice Luke’s name on the caller ID. I answer quietly, knowing I’ve got a couple of minutes while Baker’s in the shower so I don’t have to explain why his brother is calling me. “Hey?”

  “Hey,” he replies. “Can I give Dad your cell phone number? He wants to check on Baker.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I pause, remembering Morris’s face, and how concerned he was for Baker when I meet him last. “I can meet him sometime and give him an update. I don’t want Baker to see your dad’s communicating with me on the phone.”

  “Good idea,” Luke agrees. “Let’s me call him, and I’ll let you know when and where. Thanks, Sky, for everything you’re doing to help bring my family back together. It means a lot.”

  “No problem. Let me know.” We quickly end our chat, and I return my attention to finding a movie for us to watch.

  A few minutes later, Baker emerges from the shower with a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist. Every time I see the man naked, I can’t help staring and appreciate the view. His body is perfection even with all the flaws from the fights he’s been in and all the scars from years of playing football. His back muscles are thick and strong, while the rest of his torso seems carved from stone by an artist.

  He returns dressed in athletic pants and a hoodie and sits next to me on the couch, grabbing my legs and throwing them over his lap. “What did you find for us?”

  “Kissing Booth.” He grimaces, causing me to laugh. “It looks cute. We can always watch Pretty Woman again. It’s my favorite.”

  “I’ve noticed. We’ve already watched the hooker-to-princess movie twice, so let’s watch the kissing one.” He sighs. “The things I do for you. You’re lucky I love you.”

  “I know I am.” I smile at him, and it causes him to mimic my expression.

  “Press play, and let’s get this thing started.”

  We’re about thirty minutes into the show, and to my surprise, it’s only gotten two groans from Baker so far, both causing me to laugh. It’s a sweet form of torture for him.

  There’s a knock on the door, and I shoot up from my seat. “Oh. Pizza!”

  I rush over to the door and greet the delivery guy. After I pay for the food, I put it on the counter and plate a few slices for Baker and me.

  When I return to the couch, Baker’s eyebrows are tugged together, and it stops me in my tracks. “You okay?”

  He glances up from what almost seems like a trance-like state and puts a smile on his face. “I’m good. Just zoned out for a second.”

  I hand him his food and then sit next to him. “You sure.”

  “Positive. Now let’s finish your dumb girl movie.” He takes a huge bite and turns his eyes to the screen, causing me to wonder what he was just thinking about.

  When the movie finishes, I get up and stretch. “Want to watch another one, or are you ready for bed?”

  Baker’s attention is back on his phone, where it’s been for the past fifteen minutes. He barely paid any attention to the show at the end.

  “Actually, I think I’m going to go hang out with Milo.” He pushes himself up from the couch and starts putting his sneakers on.

  “Oh.” It’s all I can say, feeling like I’m being dismissed.

  We’ve barely been apart since we’ve become an official couple other than going to our respective classes, so him wanting to go hang out with Milo seems out of our new normal.

  He grabs his keys and then walks over and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Don’t wait up.”

  “Okay.” The frown on my face isn’t one I can hide, but I know it’s not fair of me to ask him for more of an explanation of where he’s going or what he’s doing since it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t want to tell me.

  Baker

  Nothing is going on at the frat house, and it’s eerily quiet as I head to my room. It’s a miracle they haven’t packed all my shit and sat it on the curb because I’m never around. I pluck the key from my pocket for the padlock on the outside of the door.

  “Baker?” Milo says as he comes out of his room, which is next to mine. “What’s up, man?”

  I nod to him. “Nothing. Just thought I’d crash here for the night.”

  He gets closer and then inspects my face. “Those bruises look a hell of a lot better.”

  “They don’t really hurt anymore.”

  “That’s good,” he confirms and then glances inside the room I haven’t slept in for months. “Why you staying here? You and Sky fighting?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

  His lip curls, and his head snaps back. “What the hell kind of answer is that? You don’t know if the two of you are fighting? How can you not know?”

  I glance around, making sure no one is around to hear the conversation, and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I read something on Sky’s phone.”

  “You went snooping on her phone? I thought only crazy chicks did that shit. Why did you do it?”

  “I didn’t. I mean, her phone was next to me, and a text came across her screen from Luke, and I read it.”

  His brow furrows. “What did it say?”

  “It looked like he was inviting her for a date. They’re meeting at a restaurant tomorrow, and the fucked-up thing is the time is conveniently during one of my two-hour classes, and she hasn’t mentioned one thing to me about it. After I saw it, I watched her pick up her phone and quickly clear the message. She’s hiding something from me. The last time someone acted like this with me, it was Megan, and I don’t want a repeat of that shit.”

  “Did you ask Sky about it?”

  “No.” My shoulders sag. “I shouldn’t have to. We promised no more secrets between us. And I swear to God if she and Luke…” I can’t even finish the sentence. “I’ll kill them both.”

  Milo’s lips twitch. “Well, fuck. I never pegged Sky for someone who would cheat on you. She seems so in love with you, dude.” He pauses for a moment. “What are you going to do?”

  I swallow hard, not wanting to believe Sky’s cheating on me with my brother, but know I have to find out for myself if she is. “I’m going to show up and be the third wheel on their date.”

  Milo sighs. “What time we going? I’ve got your back. Always.”

  He clasps hands in a handshake. “Thanks, man.”

  “Anytime. You’re my best friend. You need me, I’m there.”

  It’s nice to know I have at least one person in my corner when the life I thought I was building with someone feels like it’s about to fall apart.

  Sky

  It feels weird going to a restaurant to meet Morris Finnegan by myself. I really wish Luke could be here, but sadly, he couldn’t afford to miss his class since he’s on the verge of failing it. It was nice having him as a buffer between us last time.

  I haven’t seen Baker since he left the apartment after the movie yesterday, and even though he told me not to wait up, I did. All night. At first, I was worried, and then I got angry. I texted him a hundred times to make sure he was all right, but he never responded. I have no idea what I did to cause him to be upset with me, but whatever it is, he should talk to me about it.

  The Uber driver drops me off at the front door of the restaurant, and when I get out of the car, I spot Morris getting out of a black Escalade.

  “Sky,” he calls out to me, and I wave to acknowledge him. He walks over to me, and without asking, he wraps his arms around me for a polite hug. “It’s good to—”

  “What
in the actual fuck is going on here?” Baker’s voice slices through the air, and my back goes ramrod straight.

  Morris immediately releases me, and we both spin around to spot a fuming Baker standing behind us. Baker’s fingers are rolled into fists at his side, and he’s seething with rage. “Baker, this is not—”

  “Not what I fucking think? Are you fucking kidding me with that bullshit line? I’ve heard that one from you before, old man, and it was exactly what the fuck I thought it was. It’s not enough you fucked Megan, but you have to move onto Sky now?” His voice is low and menacing, and when I thought he was intimidating at his fights, that was nothing compared to how scary he is right now. “Fuck you both.”

  Baker spins on his heel, and I chase after him. “Baker, stop.”

  When he faces me, his jaw muscle flexes beneath his skin, and his nostrils flare. He takes one look into my eyes and then immediately looks away like it hurts to even see me. “I’m so stupid. I knew better than to trust you. I let you in, and you betrayed me—with my father! I thought you might do this to me with Luke, but my dad!? After what you already knew about how he hurt me...”

  He starts walking again, and desperation pours over me. I feel him pulling away. I’m losing him. God. I can’t lose him. I love him.

  “Baker, wait!” I cry, “Please?! Let me explain.”

  I grab his arm, and he immediately jerks away. “Nothing you can ever say will make this all right. I never want to see you again. I’ll pack my shit and be gone before you get back.” He takes a deep breath and glares at me. “We. Are. Fucking. Done.”

  All the air leaves my lungs, and I gasp, trying to force air to stay alive. I swear there’s a knife wedged into my chest, slicing my heart in two. The man I love doesn’t want me anymore, and I can’t make him understand nothing malicious was going on here. He won’t even give me the chance to explain myself.

  He gives me one final glare as he heads back to the Mustang, where Milo is standing in front of it, waiting for him. I stare at Baker’s retreating back and wonder if he’ll ever speak to me again.

  The tires of the car squeal as it pulls out of the parking lot, and I fall to my knees and bury my face into my hands and sob.

  This is all my fault, and I don’t know if I can fix this because I’ve cut him so deep. Some wounds can’t be recovered from. I may have just lost the love of my life forever.

  “Come on. I’ll drive you home,” Morris says as he helps me up off the ground. “It’s the least I can do.”

  I should fight him on this and tell him I can manage to find my own ride, but I don’t have the strength. This must be what a broken heart feels like.

  34

  Sky

  There’s a knock on the front door of the apartment, and I drag myself off the couch. “Who is it?”

  “It’s your best friend, and I have food,” Miley says in a sing-song voice from the other side of the door.

  Once the deadbolt and chain are released, I unlock the front door and open it.

  Miley’s eyes grow wide the moment she spots me. “Oh, shit. This is way worse than I thought. When’s the last time you showered?”

  The fog in my brain clears a bit as I remember back to the day Baker broke up with me. “Five days ago?”

  She wrinkles her nose as she steps inside and then swings a Red Robin bag in front of me. “Well, if you want this cheeseburger, then you have to go shower first.”

  I drop my head back and sigh. “That will take too much energy, and the food will get cold.”

  “Fine,” she complains. “Eat first, then go clean your sad, pathetic self up.” She sets the bag down on the table and then fishes the to-go boxes out of it. “I’m worried about you. You haven’t left this apartment in days, and you’ve barely eaten anything. Have you talked to…” She trails off.

  I shake my head. “No. He won’t return my texts or calls. I have no idea where he is or what he’s doing or who he’s doing it with. Oh, God.” The thought of Baker being out with other women causes the tears to flow. “What if he sleeps with someone else?”

  A sob rips through my chest, and my friend immediately wraps her arms around me. “He’s not that stupid. He’s not going to do that.”

  “How do you know?” I whine. “He thinks I’m having an affair with his father.”

  “First of all, ew, like you would ever, and Baker’s an idiot if he believes you would ever cross that line. And secondly, Baker loves you. Once he’s had time to cool down, he’s going to realize you were only trying to help when you get a chance to explain what happened.”

  “You didn’t see his face.” I grab a napkin from the food bag and wipe my face. “I’ve never seen him so angry and hurt. I don’t know if he’ll ever give me a chance to tell him my side of the story.”

  Miley sighs. “It’s almost Christmas break. You should call your mom and make arrangements to go home so you can get a little space between the two of you while you figure things out.”

  I cry harder. “My dad hates me right now. He’ll never allow me to come home.”

  She frowns as she strokes my arm in a comforting gesture. “You won’t know until you try. Go on, call him.” She picks up my phone from the table and hands it to me. “See what he says. I know he misses you, and there’s no way I can leave you alone like this on break. Don’t allow me to be murdered by my mother for not coming home because if you don’t go home, then neither do I.”

  I take the phone in my shaky hands, not wanting to Miley in a position where she feels like she needs to stay here and take care of me. I take a deep breath and dial Mom’s number. She answers on the second ring, and my entire body tenses.

  “Sky? Honey? Are you there?” The concern in her voice is evident even over the phone. “Say something. You’re scaring me.”

  No words will come, and when I open my mouth to speak, a sob rips out of my chest. “Mom…”

  “Oh, honey. What’s wrong? Talk to me, please.”

  I suck in a ragged breath. “Can I come home?”

  “Of course you can. Anytime. You know that.”

  “Dad doesn’t want to see me. Is he okay with me coming home?”

  “Hold on, Sky.” Mom must pull the phone away from her face to try to muffle their conversation, but I can hear her talking to my Dad. “Xavier, why would your daughter think you wouldn’t want to see her?” There’s a long pause like she’s listening to his answer. “You did what?! You get on this phone and tell her right now you didn’t mean it.” There’s a rustling noise, and then Mom addresses me directly again. “Sky, honey, your father wants to speak with you.”

  “All right.” I hold my breath as she hands him her cell.

  “Sky?” He releases a deep breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think since I last saw you, and I owe you an apology. As your mother has pounded into my head since I discovered you have a boyfriend, you’re growing up, and it’s not right for me to stand in the way of that. I just worry about you. If you want to bring Baker home for Christmas, we’d be happy to have you both.”

  The mention of Baker’s name causes the tears to stream out of my eyes. “We’re not together anymore.”

  “What did he do?” Dad questions darkly. “If he’s what’s making you cry, I’ll break his legs.”

  I sniff into the phone. “He’s not the one who's done something. He ended things with me.”

  “What?” There’s a surprise tone in Dad’s voice. “What do you mean? What happened?”

  It’s then I launch into the whole story—Baker’s past with his father, his fight against Titus, how he got hurt, and how I went to his father for money. Tears flow the entire time as I tell it, and my dad just listens. When I’m through, Dad sighs heavily into the phone. “We all make mistakes, Sky, myself included. I feel partly responsible in all this, and it’s a shame Baker wouldn’t let you explain yourself. Why don’t you come home? I’ll buy you a plane ticket for tonight. You don’t need to be alone right now. I can’t stand the idea o
f you alone crying in that apartment.”

  “I’d like that. I miss you guys so much.”

  “We miss you, too. Mom will call you with your flight details. I love you, Sky.”

  “I love you, too Dad,” I tell him, and it does make me feel a little better knowing at least one of the men in my life loves me again.

  Baker

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re pathetic,” Milo tells me as I sit on the couch and keep my attention focused on the game on my cell. “You’re boring as hell since you’ve been living here.”

  “Sorry,” I grumble. “Haven’t felt much like partying lately.”

  Milo flops down in the chair across from me while some of my other frat brothers busy themselves with organizing all the kegs in the kitchen in preparation for tonight’s festivities. “I get it. You’re all sad and shit after you caught Sky with your dad, but you need to forget about her just like you did Megan. It’s time for you to get back to being my wingman and smashing random chicks instead of hiding out in your room every time we have people over here.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” I shrug, knowing he’s right. I have to make myself move on at some point. “Maybe I will tonight.”

  As soon as the words leave my mouth, Luke marches in from the kitchen and stares at me before shaking his head. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

  He turns to walk away from me, and immediately, I’m on my feet. “What the fuck did you just say?”

  When he spins around to face me, the muscle in his jaw flexes. “You heard me.”

  My nostrils flare. “For once in your life, maybe you need to stay the fuck out of my business.”

  To my surprise, Luke closes the distance between us, our noses nearly touching as he gets in my face. “I told you if you didn’t treat her right, I would kick your ass.”

  The mention of Sky ruffles my feathers, and I narrow my eyes. “Sky is none of your goddamn business.”

  “Well, considering I’m the one who made the reservation for them to meet for lunch, I’d say what you’re mad at her over is completely my fucking business.”