Chapter 8
CHAPTER
EIGHT
HOLDEN
I clenched my jaw, my hands tensing into fists at the text message my mom sent. Her demands and guilt trips had already started, and I’d only been home for a day.
Except that was a lie. That house was not my home.
Like you have anywhere else to go.
At the reminder of my predicament, I squeezed my phone harder as another text message flashed.
Colt: I met a girl.
Colt: I know I said I was done with girls this year.
Colt: But… words do not exist to describe her.
Colt: You’d like her.
I ground my teeth hard, pain radiating up my jaw and down my neck as I glared at the text. I couldn’t deal with Colt’s infatuation right now. The ache intensified, and I released my hold, dropping my phone into the cup holder, and took a deep breath. I couldn’t afford to crack a molar or break my phone right now. I didn’t have the time or money, and there was no way I’d ask my mother’s new sugar daddy. Fuck, no.
At the reminder my mother married a man she’d only known for two months, anger returned, killing my calm and flaring back to life. I squeezed my eyes tight and thumped my head against the headrest.
Where the fuck was my step-sister? I had better things to do than wait all damn day for her. My phone vibrated in the cup holder, the sound loud within the quiet space. I peeked at it, praying Mom had changed her mind and I didn’t have to play chauffeur today. No such luck.
Colt: How was your meeting with Coach?
This time, I opened it up, ignoring the texts about a girl. I’d spent all summer thinking about one girl in particular, only to be reminded why distractions weren’t allowed this year.
She’d played me.
Regardless of my anger, my body hadn’t gotten the memo, and I’d been in a constant state of arousal since locking eyes with her yesterday. Not even hearing what Hope had told me had made my boner deflate. I’d skipped dinner, unable to be around her lying face, and texted a girl I’d hooked up with last year.
Yet, the second her hand touched me, I’d instantly deflated. I’d gotten rid of my hard-on, just not in the way I’d intended.
Mom had been furious I’d missed dinner, claiming I’d made a poor impression on her new husband. Newsflash, Mommy dearest. I don’t fucking care! That didn’t stop her from guilting me into taking her step-stray home .
Nostrils flaring, I typed hard on the screen to respond to my best friend.
Holden: He’s happy. I’ll start as long as I stay focused.
Holden: Madden later?
Colt: I’ll be done at the shelter at 7. Chinese and Madden at the apt?
Holden: I’ll pick it up—my turn to pay.
Colt: I should buy a lottery ticket. Dream girl and Chinese!
Holden: They’re all lying whores. You’re better off sticking to your plan of no pussy this year.
Fuck. I hadn’t meant to dump my bitterness on Colt. The dude worked harder than anyone I knew. He played football, worked at an animal shelter, and did a study while maintaining an almost perfect GPA. On top of that, he was the kindest guy with the biggest heart, even if he gave it to everyone.
It was his one flaw, in my opinion, since I was the complete opposite and kept my heart close to my chest. But Colt truly cared about others and wanted to make the world a better place. There was no doubt in my mind Colter Donovan would be successful in life.
We’d met my sophomore year, his freshman, and had been best friends ever since. I knew I wasn’t easy to get along with, so when this happy-go-lucky guy befriended me, I believed he wanted to use me like so many others had.
Except, when I’d gotten injured and was red-shirted, I missed an entire season. I quickly learned who my real friends were. Most had vanished at the first sign my star had dimmed, but not Colt. He drove me to PT and helped me condition in the off-season. He’d deny it, but he was the reason I could even play last year.
Which was why this year was so important. Being a fifth-year senior wasn’t sexy, but it meant I got to play one more season. If I didn’t impress the scouts this year, my hopes of playing in the NFL were over.
The majority of our team from last year had returned this year, and we were solid. It was a no-brainer I’d start and lead us to a championship. But that was before Hayward recruited a hotshot freshman to play, making my spot no longer guaranteed. So, while I’d earned my captain spot and starting position, Coach warned if I didn’t deliver, he’d put the kid in over me.
It was a bitter pill to swallow after all the grime and sweat I’d given to Hayward, but their ultimate goal was to win. Loyalty to one player didn’t matter when it came to a team winning.
Thankfully, the quarterback camp I’d attended all summer had been the edge I needed. I was confident I could lead our team to the championship. Coach was pleased after the morning practice and held me back to discuss tactics. He even believed I could be a candidate for the Heisman trophy, but that felt too lofty to want.
I’d learned that wanting things only led to disappointment. Being great at football was the only thing I could control.
Not my parents and their idiotic schemes.
Not girls and their dreams of grandeur.
And especially not my heart.
In fact, I should thank Emerson for reminding me.
But I knew my best friend, and under his playboy exterior, he was a hopeless romantic who believed in love at first sight, even if it never lasted for him.
You believed in love at first sight, too, a few months ago .
Ignoring myself, I opened my messages to apologize for my bluntness right as the door opened, and the intoxicating smell of pomegranates and that sweet smell that reminded me of home assaulted me. Tensing, I held my breath to keep her potent scent out of my nose.
It didn’t work.
My cock twitched at the hit of her smell, chubbing right up as she lowered her body into my car. Forgetting my message, I tossed my phone onto the console and turned to stare at my passenger.
“What are you doing?”
She tensed, her green eyes lifting to meet mine. I watched as she nervously swallowed, loving and hating her unease at my proximity. Don’t forget what she did. Who she is. I hardened my jaw, leveling her with a look I reserved for games.
“Rose said you’d give me a ride home,” she whispered.
My nostrils flared at her use of my mom’s name in such a familiar way. I instantly regretted my action. This close, her smell was all I could breathe. Reminders of how she felt beneath my hands, how my cock slid in and out of her, and how she’d come undone on my tongue flooded my mind, and my dick drew up to full attention. Spreading my legs, I leaned on the steering wheel to cover myself.
Scowling, I tried to hide how much she affected me. “And you thought that meant you could ride up front?” I lifted a brow.
Her mouth dropped open, and all I could think was how good her lips would look right now with my dick between them.
“I… uh… yes…” she stuttered, her cheeks heating. I rolled my eyes, hating how much I loved her reaction to me.
“Get in the back, princess . We both know you’re more comfortable using people, and I’d hate for you to taint yourself riding next to dirty trash.”
Her eyes narrowed, the tips of her ears red as she glared at me. “Don’t call me that, asshole,” she seethed, grabbing up her stuff in a shaky movement and climbing out.
I sighed in relief as she shifted the seat forward and climbed into the back. Her words didn’t land as she’d hoped. I was an asshole. It was better to be an asshole than a gullible, lovesick fool.
She shoved my gym bag over, muttering under her breath as she situated her bag on her legs, barely having any room to move between the seat and my stuff. I felt guilty and reconsidered, but then Hope’s words replayed, and I turned forward and put my truck into reverse.
Glancing back, I looked her up and down and hated how cute she looked in black leggings and a long white tank top with a shirt wrapped around her waist. She wore black and white Pumas, and a long necklace fell between her cleavage, drawing my eyes. She crossed her arms and cleared her throat, and I realized I’d been staring.
“Let’s hope your driving skills are superior to your fucking.”
Narrowing my eyes, I licked my lips. Her eyes tracked it just like I knew they would. I couldn’t let her see how much her saying fuck affected me.
“Keep telling yourself that, Wildcat. We both know you’re panting for me.”
I finished backing up and turned back to the front, shifting gears and speeding out of the lot faster than needed. Her squeak of protest as she fell into the side was worth it. Smiling, I turned up my music and pretended she didn’t exist.
Perhaps I could pursue a career in acting if I don’t get drafted.
I didn’t turn off my truck when I pulled into the driveway. There was no way I could get out without her seeing how much I wanted her. I stared at the house before me, though, mansion might be a more adequate term. I didn’t know what made a house a mansion, but this one had to be close. Maybe it was a baby mansion?
None of our houses had been this nice. Though, that could be said for most of Oak Hills. Emerson’s house and the others in the gated community were the exception, not the rule. Most of the wealthy people lived in Darlington, where Hayward College resided. Oak Hills tended to be middle to lower class, and we’d been in both categories growing up.
Things were better before my parents divorced, but not by much. My mother had gone back to school, determined to finish her thesis she’d neglected when Hope was born. Between her tuition, Hope’s studio fees, and football, I knew she was struggling. My dad hadn’t sent child support on a consistent basis, meaning there were weeks where we barely had enough food in the house for Hope and Mom, much less me.
I’d been thirteen and already felt the weight of providing for my family. Any hopes for a future meant being not just good at football, but the best. Which cost money. Since I was too young to get a job, I did the next best thing—I chose to live with my dad against my better judgment.
It was a sacrifice I willingly made for them.
With me out of the house, Mom could focus on Hope and have a fighting chance at making ends meet. My dad had moved to a bigger city, opening my options for high school. I applied for a scholarship to a private school that had the best football team, ensuring my path for the future I wanted.
But I hadn’t anticipated that, with me gone, Mom would fall victim to countless men she thought would save her. Each one promised to be the dad Hope needed and to take care of her. They all lied, leaving my mother more broken and penniless with each failed marriage.
I grew to resent my mother and her belief that love could conquer all. I’d sacrificed so much for her, and she repaid me by not standing on her own but by making her situation worse.
If she only knew the things I’d gone through…
Stop. It’s in the past. Keep it there.
“What are you waiting for?” I barked when Emerson didn’t immediately get out.
“Are you okay?” she asked, shocking me.
“I’m peachy.” I flicked my eyes to the rearview mirror, not trusting myself to look directly into her hypnotizing green eyes. She watched me, concern flitting across her face as she scanned my features.
“I don’t know what Hope told you, but it’s not true. I’ve never bullied her. In fact…” Her lip wobbled and she shook her head, seeming to remember herself. “It doesn’t matter. You wouldn’t believe me. No one ever does.”
She pushed the seat up and opened the door, climbing out. My eyes fell to her ass, and I swallowed as I stared, willing myself to look away. Her shirt lifted, revealing a dark bruise. Anger and possession engulfed me at a rapid speed. Who’d hurt her?
Why did I care? She’s the enemy. Not yours.
She reached in to grab her stuff, and I caught a tear falling down her cheek. I didn’t know how to take her sudden vulnerability. My hands twitched to reach out and comfort her, but I couldn’t forget how she lied to me.
But did she? What exactly did she lie about?
She’d rejected me, though. Used me just like all the others.
So why did hers hurt more?
The door slammed, and she ran inside as I tried to remember why I hated her. I might’ve only known Emerson one day, but she’d gotten under my skin. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her all summer, despite knowing I should. I’d even asked Hope if she knew an Emerson from Northridge, but she’d said no and then tried to convince me to date one of her sorority sisters .
Yesterday, when my eyes had landed on my Wildcat, I’d felt happy for a brief moment, confident fate had sought to bring us back together. She couldn’t push me away if I was here. I’d win her over, and prove we could be together.
But then Hope had whispered horrible things and my mood had plummeted.
“Oh, that Emerson. She goes by Emmy, and she’s a bitch. She made my life hell all through high school and accused me of cheating. She called me dirty trash and said I was beneath her because I didn’t wear name-brand clothes. She’s a stuck up princess who does nothing but lie. Don’t trust anything she says, Holden.”
Hope had turned bitter in my absence, and there were days I didn’t recognize my sister around campus. She surrounded herself with the most popular and wealthy kids at Hayward, preening for their acceptance. She’d become Queen Bee in her time there, and for the most part, I ignored the rumors I heard. She was my sister, and I loved her.
Seeing the tears on Emerson’s face, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for taking Hope at her word. But she’d shown me the awful notes Emerson had written and photos of the bullying. Hope might be many things, but we never lied to one another.
Besides, what did she gain by making up things about Emerson? She didn’t know we’d spent a perfect night together.
No, Emerson’s tears were just another tactic to make me fall for her so she could tear me down. I wouldn’t put it past her to fake the bruise to garner my sympathy.
Pulling out of the drive, I headed to the apartment I’d soon be sharing with Colt and pushed thoughts of beautiful liars out of my head.
Football and the draft were the only things that mattered. I was so close to all my sacrifices paying off.