Once I've showered and changed into a tank top and panties, I grab my phone and curl up in bed. Even though I try to distract myself by scrolling through social media, people are posting tons of photos from the bonfire, and it only serves as a painful reminder of what I stumbled across.Hunter has called at least a dozen times, but I refuse to pick up. He's the last person I want to talk to. Instead, I open the app on my cell and try to lose myself in a good story. When that doesn't do the trick, I decide to go to bed. As I set my phone on the nightstand, a tap on the window breaks the silence of the room. I bite back a yelp as I stare at the face that looms on the other side of the glass.Hunter.His expression darkens when I don't immediately jump from the bed, and he raps his knuckles even louder. With a wince, I glance at the bedroom door and hope that Dad and Brandi didn't hear the noise. He's been sneaking into my room since freshman year, and they've never been the wiser
Three years later..."Yay! The bitches are back together again, and tonight we ride!" Lanie wraps her arms around me and squeezes tight. "It's been too long, girl! Way too long!"A reluctant smile curves my lips. "I know. It's good to be back." The circumstances surrounding my return are less than ideal, but I'm happy to see Lanie again. She's been my best friend since middle school, and I've missed her. FaceTime and texting are nice, but it's not the same as talking in person. She links her arm through mine as we walk across the open field.I glance at the cute cowboy boots that adorn her feet. When she told me that we were going to a field in the middle of nowhere, I didn't believe her.That was my first mistake.Second mistake?Not going with sturdier footwear.Instead, I'm wearing a pair of flimsy sandals. They're cute as hell, but that's not going to do me a whole lot of good across this terrain.Lanie insisted we celebrate my return by dragging me to a bonfire in a fa
My parting with Hunter wasn't what one would call amicable. I don't blame him for being hurt and angry. Whether Hunter understands it or not, I did what needed to be done. As painful as it was, I'd do it all over again. I loved Hunter more than life itself.A part of me still does.Probably always will.If everything I've read online is true, then my sacrifices have been well worth it. Hunter will get snapped up in the NFL draft before graduating this spring. Ever since I can remember, that's been his goal. If one person deserves for all his dreams to come true, it's Hunter Price. Unwilling to dwell on my ex, I shove him from my mind and take in the scene before me.People are gathered together in groups, greeting one another as if they're long-lost friends who haven't seen each other in decades. It's surreal to be surrounded by so many people yet feel so removed from it all. As if I'm more of an observer than a participant. Other than Lanie and Jaxon, I don't know anyone el
This night has turned to total shit, and there's no way to salvage it.Not even the two gorgeous girls tucked under my arms are enough to pull my attention back to them. Although, they're trying their damnedest. Their hands stroke over my chest as they press their firm titties close to my body. If this were any other night, I'd be kicking back and enjoying the female adoration that comes with being QB for the Claremont Cougars.With Skye in the vicinity, that's not possible. I'm ridiculously aware of her on every level. If she shifts a muscle or inhales a breath, I'm cognizant of it. Worse than that, I can't stop myself from watching her. Every so often, our gazes will lock before she quickly jerks hers away.If I'd thought I was mentally prepared to see my ex after all this time, I was mistaken. Catching my first glimpse of her was like getting tackled from my blindside. My chest tightened, and for a heartbeat, the time, distance, and hurt fell away, and I was staring at the
Unsure if I should knock, I hesitate at the front door.Technically speaking, it's Dad's house. His name is on the mortgage, but he shares it with his third wife. She moved in a couple of months after they started dating and pretty much took over the place, making it her own. Ever since then, it hasn't felt like my house. I'm treated more like a guest, which sucks, but there's nothing I can do about it. If I want to have a relationship with my father, then I need to paste a smile on my face and pretend we're one big happy family.Decision made, I rap my knuckles lightly against the wood and hold my breath. When the door swings open, I'm relieved to find my dad standing on the other side of the threshold.His lips lift into a smile when he sees me. "Hey, why didn't you just walk in?"I shrug. My father enjoys living in a little place called denial. He wraps it around himself like a warm cloak. It's not worth the trouble it'll cause to insert reality into this situation. Espec
Great.It's the first day of the fall semester, and I'm already late for my nine o'clock class. Had I been smart, I would have walked around campus to familiarize myself with it. Claremont University has a sprawling property that covers more than two thousand acres. I'm now paying the price for that decision.Everything that could have gone wrong this morning has.Not only did I sleep through my alarm but I've also managed to end up at the southern tip of campus instead of the northern end. I should be at Hastings Hall, the health sciences building, at this very moment. Not Grover Hall, where the engineering classes are held. I'm as far from an engineer as you can get. Now I'm stuck backtracking, trying to haul ass across campus.By the time I reach Hastings for my required health class, I'm out of breath, and my shirt is clinging to my sweat-dampened back.Have I mentioned that it's already eighty degrees outside, and it's only nine o'clock in the morning?Welcome to late Augus
Once Skye's attention is locked on me, I jerk my head to the side, away from the busy pathway as people rush past, jostling us as they flee the building. "Let's talk over here."Jaxon's feet stall as he stares at me with curiosity. Out on the field, Jax and I are always in sync. Clearly, that's not the case since he doesn't budge from Skye's side.Why that should irritate me, I have no idea."Alone," I add pointedly.Instead of taking his cue to leave, Jaxon pokers up and shifts his stance. "What do you want with Skye?"I'm not used to my teammates questioning me. Out on the field, I'm the one in command, calling the plays. Everyone else falls in line."That's not any of your concern, bro," I snap. "Move it along."His eyes narrow before he gives Skye a considering look.Tension fills the silence between the three of us before she clears her throat and her hand flutters to his thickly corded forearm.I glare at the place where her fingers settle."It's okay, Jax." She gives him
Lanie and I are parked at a table on the second floor of the library. We started out studying at the apartment, but there were too many distractions, so we relocated.It hasn't been a whole week of school yet, and I'm already buried beneath an avalanche of reading material. This is what hitting the ground running looks like. Maybe it's better this way. The busier I am, the less time I have to dwell on my dad's prognosis.Or Hunter.Being at the same school is more difficult than I anticipated it would be. Everywhere I go, I catch sight of him. It's like we can't get away from one another. Maybe it's only for a moment or two, but it's enough to force him to the forefront of my brain.Lanie lifts her arms with a groan and stretches. "This chapter on carbon-containing ligands and molecules is going to be the death of me." When I give her a blank stare in response, she laughs. "It's for inorganic chem."And here, I thought statistics was hard. Inorganic chem sounds like the stuf