Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91299 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91299 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
She flips me off, and I feel red starting at my neck and rising up to my face. Something about her always…always…
“You good?” Dillon asks me, his gaze following mine.
“Fresh as a goddamn daisy.”
“Charisma is over there.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
His eyes check her out. “Can’t blame you, man. She’s not my usual, but I’d tap it. I tried sophomore year. She turned me down cold, said I was too popular. Weird.”
“Don’t even think about her like that.” I frown. “And why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Didn’t seem important. You were only with her for a hot second.”
“It is important. And it was three weeks. Stay away from her.”
His lips kick up. “Didn’t think you cared, dude.”
“I don’t. I’ve moved on.”
“Then why can’t I even talk about her—”
“No,” I snap. “End of.”
“Fine, chill out.” He eyeballs Dani and Candi chatting with their sorority sisters as they hang on to me. “You’re winning if it’s a competition. You have two and she has none.”
“It isn’t a pissing contest.”
I can’t help but stare in her direction. Jealousy pulls at me when I see how some of the guys with Connor are giving Charisma little glances. With long nearly black hair that has pale pink streaks scattered throughout, she’s a petite thing but feisty as a colt. I take in the creamy pale skin, intelligent light brown eyes that don’t miss a thing, and that perfect pink bow of a mouth. Yeah, she got under my skin so fucking bad last semester I thought I was going to lose my mind—until I cut her loose.
A beer gets pushed into my hands by Dani, and I lean down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”
“I’ve missed you,” she murmurs, her hand caressing my jaw.
I pull back before she can take it any further. “Yeah. Time to party,” I say.
Maybe five minutes pass, and when a break appears in the crowd around us, I step away from the girls and my feet lead me to Charisma’s side of the room.
Sure, I shouldn’t talk to her. I really shouldn’t, but hell, it’s been three months and I’m over her. She doesn’t have power over me. No one does. I haven’t thought of her since…shit, since right before we walked into this place. I saw her car in the parking lot, and unease mixed with something darker took up residence in my bones. Might as well get it over with and rip the Band-Aid off. I wince. More like wax ripping off my chest hairs.
She watches me approach, her face flat and expressionless before she drops her gaze and looks down at her phone, scrolling. Her grip is tight, fingers white with pressure.
Margo jumps up and throws her arms around me with a big hug.
“Blaze! You guys played amazing,” she says. “I’m so stoked for you!”
I smile and give her man Connor a fist bump. “Thanks. Greatest day of my life when we won.”
I reset my gaze on Charisma.
Pretend like nothing happened between us, I tell myself. Be cool. She’s not anyone important, just a blip on your way to the NFL.
“What’s up, city girl?” My voice is gruffer than I intended.
She tosses her head back and looks up at me. “The sky. Heard you had a good game.”
“Good game?” interjects Conner. “He only set the record for number of touchdowns and yards from scrimmage during the game. You were on fire, Blaze—no pun intended.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate that.” I smirk. “So you didn’t watch the game?” I ask her, sticking my hand in my pocket. My fingers brush over the secret note I keep tucked in there, hidden away.
“Missed it.”
“Not surprised. We never did have much in common—oh, except for that one thing.”
She flutters long lashes. “You have your entire life to be a jerk. Why not take tonight off?”
I throw my head back and laugh before sobering and leveling my eyes back on her. Damn, she’s funny. I recall an hour-long giggling session we had in the library once about the weirdest dreams we’d ever had. Mine was about cows who took over the world by killing humans with their methane farts. Hers involved golf-ball-headed aliens kidnapping her and sending her back to Earth to become the next female Tiger Woods.
My chest tightens at the memory, and I shove it away from me, stuffing it deep inside my box of Charisma memories.
“Still quick-witted,” I say. “Haven’t seen you around much. You look good.” My gaze holds hers.
“You gonna ask me about the weather next?” She cocks her hip.
“I’m just being pleasant. Am I annoying you?”
“Annoyance would imply I care.”
My teeth grit when my eyes betray me and land on her tits. Her curves are insanely lush, full hips and breasts, a Marilyn Monroe type. “You’re soaked. Planning on entering a wet dress contest?”
“As if. One of your fans spilled a beer on me,” she says just as Dani appears, her smell arriving first, a floral perfume, sweet and thick.