His Fractured Girl (“HIS” #4)

Chapter 5

5

Sophie

T he butterflies are going crazy in my stomach. I can’t wipe the cheesy grin from my face as he guides me to his car. He reaches for my door, and his mouth grazes across my shoulder, dropping a drive-by kiss on my neck before he pulls the door open.

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. Your smile is just too tempting.”

My smile has only gotten wider as he holds the door for me and gives me a hand to help me inside. He’s definitely not making this easy on me. My guard has been coming down since the moment I walked out of the bathroom and he grabbed his chest like I’d taken his breath away. There’s something about him that just feels different. I can’t put my finger on it. But… I’m also not na?ve. Guys are capable of putting on any facade and making a girl feel special to suit their motives.

Though, I did drill Torrin about him this afternoon, and she said that according to her brother, Travis hasn’t been on a date in ages, and that he told Lukas he’s looking for something stable and real. It’s the same thing Travis told me last night, so all signs are pointing to it being the truth. But I won’t be diving headfirst into anything. I’m still going to tiptoe my way into the shallow end and see if I can trust him.

Plus, there’s still one undeniable truth: no matter which way we spin it, there’s a shelf life for any kind of relationship since he’ll be graduating in the spring.

“Are you good with the Bistro?” he asks as his huge body climbs into the driver’s side, almost consuming all the space in the front. It’s like watching a big bear squeezing into a vehicle. “They have a little bit of everything.” He locks his seat belt into place.

“Sure.” Though, the butterflies have taken over my stomach so I’m not sure how much I’ll be eating tonight. “I’m good with anything. The only food I really won’t eat are anchovies. They seriously stink. My dad once ordered an anchovy pizza, and his car stunk for days. I couldn’t even ride in it without gagging. He finally had to take it in and have it detailed.” I’m nervously rambling but at least he finds my story funny. His laugh is deep and rumbly, and it wraps me up in its warmth, smoothing out some of the wrinkles of my nerves.

“That’s good to know. I’ll be sure to order extra anchovies on my pizza next time. Let you relive that childhood memory.”

I flick him in the arm, and he laughs even harder.

“Ouch!” He rubs over the spot. “That hurt.”

“Says the guy who gets tackled left and right on the football field.” I fail to believe he can’t take a little flick. “Are you really that soft?”

The way his eyes narrow in, turning a darker shade of brown, takes the butterflies in my stomach for a loop. “There isn’t a single part of my body that’s soft, babe.”

His insinuation isn’t lost on me. I turn my head to face the window, trying to hide the heat in my cheeks.

“So, where’d you grow up, pretty girl?” He starts the car, and I appreciate the topic change because my thoughts are running straight down into temptation, and we all know where that’s gotten me in the past.

“I grew up outside of Philly.” I can’t even get myself to say the name of the town I was raised in. Everything about that place triggers the memories. I’m just grateful my parents finally decided to sell the house and move out to the country. They finally grew tired of all the vandalism and eggings. Even after I transferred schools, it didn’t stop. My parents tried to file complaints and charges, but the cops just chalked it up to “kids being kids,” and all the surveillance footage showed were people in ski masks. Though, I knew exactly which kids were responsible—and the reason they were doing it.

“So, then how come you didn’t go to Penn State? That’s a good school.”

Because Maddock and all the monsters are going there.

“I wanted a change of scenery. Something new. Different.” I wanted to get as far away from hell as I possibly could and have a fresh start.

“What about your friends? Did they all stay in state?”

What friends? I had no friends. Torrin is the first person I can actually say genuinely likes me. “I went to a different school for my senior year, so I really don’t know where anyone ended up.” Which is a lie. I stalked everyone’s social media, checking to see which colleges they’d chosen before I sent in my acceptance letter. That’s why I ended up in Arizona. It seems no one from my previous school wanted to come down to the desert land.

“Wow, that sucks that you had to change schools your senior year. How come?” And this is where the conversation stops. I’m not getting into the details of what happened at Sarah’s party or the months that followed. It’s definitely not first-date material. Or even fifth. I’m not sure when it’s okay to reveal the fact that I was so desperate to be desired I fell for a player’s every line and ended up betraying a friend. Honestly, had I told Travis the truth this afternoon, he may not have wanted to go on this date with me tonight. He may think I’m as evil as Presley does.

“I felt like the boarding school was a better fit. Now, it’s my turn to get to ask a question. How come you’re so invested in marketing if you’re going to play professional ball?”

He glances to the side, and I know he can sense my avoidance, and he’s not letting me off the hook. “Why did you think it would be a better fit?”

Because I needed to get away from all the people who made my life a living hell. I couldn’t breathe inside those walls, and every time I’d look at Presley, a gut-wrenching pain would slice through me.

“I just thought it would give me a better chance on my college application,” I state, hoping he backs off before my thoughts get consumed by the nightmare of my regret. “Now, can you answer my question?”

His curious stare locks onto mine and I can see the question burning on the tip of his tongue. My stomach is twisting up, praying he doesn’t ask.

“My interest in marketing started because I get asked to sponsor products all the time. I wanted to learn how to choose the right companies and brands to represent, as well as how to market them. If I was going to put my name behind the product, I wanted to make sure I liked the image that was being sold. But now, it’s become a second passion of mine. I even get asked my input by companies as they’re coming up with new designs, which is seriously cool. Plus, if something happens with my career or I get tired of playing ball, I want to be able to have something to fall back on. And not just have to become a sports broadcaster.” He smirks.

I think this is the first time I’ve ever met a football player who actually has depth beyond the game, and interests beyond girls. It’s painting an entirely different picture than the one I’d conjured in my mind. He’s surprising me at every turn.

“That’s really awesome, Travis. I think you’re the first guy who doesn’t just care about how much the sponsorship pays. It’s cool that you only want to represent brands that are in line with your beliefs.” I don’t think it’s just responsible, I think it speaks to his character.

“So, tell me, Soph. For your personal branding assignment due on Friday, what are your three branding pillars?”

I was hoping we could talk about this. I didn’t want him to think I was trying to get insider information on how to get an A on the assignment, but since he brought it up.

“I’ve been struggling with these. Color is easy because my favorite is magenta. I was debating between going with my love of painting and my love of flowers, so I was trying to marry both and was planning to make my initials look like pieces of floral artwork. And for my tagline….” I hesitate on telling him, but if I decide to use it then he’ll see it anyway. “It’s going to be: A broken stem doesn’t make a flower weak. It only makes the roots grow stronger.”

When his eyes turn in my direction, I know he sees it. The pain I so desperately try to hide. My fear that deep down I will always be broken.

“So, what do you think?” I force the smile. “Is it A-worthy? Or should I still work on it?” I’m hoping he doesn’t dig right down to the root of my pain and ask me why I chose the tagline.

“I think it’s brilliant.”

There’s suddenly a shift in the air. Like the sun coming out on a cold winter’s day, promising that the ice is going to melt and the flowers will bloom again. My heart is starting to beat faster. His eyes drop to my lips. All I’d have to do is lean forward and I’d be granted a taste of his warmth.

The honk of a horn has his attention snapping back to the road. The light turned green and neither of us realized.

“So, what’s your tagline?” I ask trying to get back to neutral ground.

“Mine is: Everyone can play the game. But you can only win with honesty.”

My heart starts ticking as fast as his turn signal. All my preconceived notions are starting to fade. His foundation is truth. From the moment Maddock opened his mouth, I should’ve known he was lying. But I chose to ignore all the little red flags, wanting to believe he could actually want me. He didn’t stand on truth; he stood on hatred.

“I really want to kiss you, Sophie.” My thoughts clear as his words settle over me. The car has stopped again. We’re parked in the restaurant parking lot, and the way he’s looking at me… The walls are crumbling fast. The doubts turning to dust, and blowing away as he inches closer. It feels like the temperature has risen in the air. A nervous sweat breaks out across my skin.

“If you don’t want me to, tell me now, babe.”

My mouth stays closed. Any protest I should have is locked behind iron bars of hope. Hope that I’m not falling into a trap again. Hope that this gut pull that’s drawing me toward him isn’t leading me astray. He makes his final descent, and I’m swept right up into his warmth. The rays of heat prick over my skin as his lips slowly part the seam of my reservation. I melt right into the kiss. Every sweeping pass of his tongue parting another cloud in the sky, and I bask in the feeling.

His hands grip the back of my head, tugging me closer, clinging to me like he doesn’t want me to slip away. The only things slipping away are the handcuffs of my fears. He’s teasing me back to life. His tongue igniting a hunger that has been suppressed for so long.

“We have to stop, babe. My willpower is only so strong.” He pulls away and I nearly groan at the loss. But I should be grateful that one of us has the strength to put the brakes on. “By the way, that’s two points deducted for putting me in a painful state.” He cuts me a look.

I smirk at his ragged voice, excited that I’m having that effect on him. “I’ll be sure not to make the mistake again, Mr. Hunt.”

“But you get five bonus points for it being the best kiss I’ve ever had.” He winks, and then he’s turning and exiting the car, coming around to my side to let me out. I take a deep breath, trying to lock down the giddiness before I step out of the vehicle. I need to be cautious. The chemistry may be electric and the banter may be fun, but he hasn’t seen beneath the surface yet. My truth just might scare him away.