Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 111676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
I glanced across the truck cab at Jade and the dark tornado of hair whipping around her face while she roller-coastered her hand through the open window. The warmth that spread through my chest felt like betrayal. Why did my idiotic heart want to fall right back into a routine with the girl who used to be my priority, when I had only ever been her option? Yeah, no idea what the hell I was doing.
I wove between the camper vans that littered the campus. The university turned into one massive tailgate party during home-game weekends. People would set up TVs and grills, not bothered about going to the actual game, but rather, being in the middle of the atmosphere.
We passed an RV flying a State Tiger flag. Flapping in the breeze right below it was my number thirteen jersey. A bitter knot settled in my gut, knowing I wouldn’t be on the field. What made it worse was that, with Williams and me out, Benchwarmer Brent’s dumbass would be in.
The truck rattled over the first speed bump in the parking lot. “What time are you out of class?” I asked Jade.
“Four-thirty. Why?”
“I’m done at the same time.” Really, I was done at three. “I can drive you home.” I told myself it had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to spend time with her. That it was the right thing to do since she’d ridden in with me, and her car would be in a police impound lot by now.
I parked at the back of the lot, hoping I didn’t attract the attention of any fans.
I’d barely shoved the stick shift into park before Jade had her door open. Like she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. It looked like I wasn’t the only one struggling with whatever the hell was going on between us.
The strap of her backpack caught on the plastic pillar loop.
“You late or something?” I asked, opening the door while watching her fight with her strap.
By the time I had rounded the back of the truck, her cheeks were red. I was surprised she hadn’t ripped the entire seatbelt out with how hard she was pulling on it. “Before you break my truck,” I said, grabbing the backpack. “Take this off.”
She slipped the strap off her shoulder.
When I leaned in closer to release the bag, the coconut scent of her shampoo lifted from her hair. Damn me for liking it as much as I did. When I looked up from the tangled strap, her gaze was on mine, my lips only a breath away from hers. I could have leaned in and kissed her before she would even register the movement, but I’d already seen where that would get me. So, I refocused my attention on the strap.
The not-so-distant thump of bass sounded moments before Rogue’s Land Rover swerved into the spot across from my truck, his horn blaring.
“He’s so obnoxious,” Jade mumbled just as I wrangled her bag free.
I stepped to the side, handing it to her as she got out.
“Thanks for the ride.” She shrugged on her backpack, glancing at Rogue as he climbed out of his car. “And breakfast.”
“No problem,” I said.
She turned and walked off. Denim shorts and a baggy T-shirt shouldn’t be so damn hot on someone.
“Sleeping in your bed…” Rogue stopped behind my truck. “Taking her to—” One of his dark brows lifted. “Breakfast? Is that what I heard?”
“We didn’t have food in the house.”
“So, you took her out?” He patted my back. “What a romantic.”
“Shut up.” I ducked between cars to take a shortcut toward the quad.
Rogue, of course, was right behind me, chuckling to himself. “I just need her out of the house, Rogue,” he said in a mocking, bitch-ass tone that made me cringe. Surely to God, I hadn’t sounded that whipped? “Look, I don’t blame you if you want to screw around with her.”
I wasn’t screwing around with her. I had empathy for her. I knew how hard it was to have a sick parent, to have bills piling up. And like I’d told her, I didn’t need her attracting attention and bringing cops to my door. It was self-preservation, if anything. At least that was what I told myself, knowing full well that I could have just sent her home, to her own apartment, where she wouldn’t be my problem. All I had to do was keep it strictly platonic. No touching. No more kissing. No jerking one out in the shower to the thought of her—like I had that morning while she was asleep in my bed. Then it would be fine. Absolutely fine.
“Not even going to deny it?”
I dodged a group of girls standing in the middle of the sidewalk. “I’m not screwing around with her.”
“So, you mean to tell me, you had a girl in your bed, and you didn’t fuck her?”