002

“I’m pretty sure that extremely cheesy line must have worked on others, but as hard as this must be for you to believe, you’re not exactly my type," she responded, walking away, disappearing into the crowd. He blinked in shock, did that actually happen.

The last time someone had rejected him was in middle school, when he was still the pimply faced kid with no swagger or charisma. Now girls flocked to him clinging, begging, giggling at his silly jokes. They didn’t walk away like he was some random dude. Not her, she looked him dead in the eyes, delivered that little stinging parting shot, and left him there.

He spotted her by the pool, standing with a skinny ginger, looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here. She wasn’t screaming to be seen. Liam weaving through the crowd, ignored the hands reaching for him, the girls calling his name. He stopped next to her, smirking.

“You walk out of every conversation, or just the one with me?”

“The ones that aren’t worth my time.”

“Ooouch. That almost hurt.”

What was it about this brunette? That he couldn’t help getting his ego crushed repeatedly. Yes, she was stunningly beautiful with curves in the right places, but his past very brief relationships had featured models. So it wasn’t physical attraction alone. Maybe her feisty personality was what's making little Westie semi-hard.

“Almost?” she teased.

Liam grinned, running his thick, tattooed hands through his wavy blonde curls. “I’m not that easy to bruise, babe.”

“Good to know. Now, if you’ll excuse me” she said, hurrying to make her exit. He moved, blocking her path.

“You got a name?” he asked, failing to take the hint.

She quirked a brow. This bastard really doesn’t know how to take a no for an answer. At that moment, she really missed her bed, and the scary part, that she had a test by 8 a.m. the next day she was supposed to be preparing for.

“Mia.”

Squinting his eyes at her, “Not buying it, try again.”

“Fine, Skylar, you're happy?” she replied flatly.

Skylar, it suited her. “Well, Skylar, you sure you wanna keep playing this game with me?”

“Oh, Westbrook. This isn’t a game. It’s me not being interested, a strange concept for you, I’m sure. Besides, I have better things to do,” she answered.

“So why are you here then? Wearing next to nothing?” he asked curiously, his eyes roaming lustfully over her body.

She wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive gesture, shooting April a look. “I got dragged.”

April, who had clearly been listening, shrugged unapologetically.

He laughed. “Gotta love peer pressure.”

“Don’t get comfortable. This isn’t a thing,” she said, shoving him slightly to get out of her way. She murmured something to her friend, who stared right back at him before muttering “whatever” to the guy next to her and kissing him goodbye.

He wanted to follow them, but he had his reputation to protect. Getting humiliated in front of his teammates and hot chicks wouldn’t be a good look. He needed to find another girl to boost his bruised ego and remind him who he was, but he wasn’t feeling it. Pulling out his phone, he dialed his cousin Chase, who picked up on the third ring, to let him know he was leaving.

“Where the fuck are you?” he asked.

“Chill, bro, who pissed in your drink?”

“Meet me outside in five or be ready, man, to order a ride.”

“Dude, what the fuck?!” he exclaimed. “I’m literally in bed, butt naked, knees up, about to get drilled by a hot stud. Why are we leaving right now? We just got here.”

“Can you please keep those details to yourself–” he heard someone murmuring in the background.

“Mmmm, okay, leave without me. I gotta have a taste of this. Achilles here will drop me off,” Chase said, moaning.