Chapter 8
Flowers
Zahirah
“When did your brother turn into a complete bully?” I say into the phone as I talk to Erica.
“I don’t know. That doesn’t sound like him. That guy had to have had it coming for something,” she replies.
I can’t tell her the guy ratted her brother out for blocking guys from talking to me. I don’t want to raise any questions. I can’t lie to Erica. She’ll know something more is up.
Instead, I try to change the subject. “How is school going for you so far?”
“You mean this lame campus where I know no one and have no friends? Yeah, go on and call me an idiot. I should be there with you and Bentley. This was such a dumb idea.”
“I still don’t know what made you change your mind.”
She heaves a heavy sigh. “If I tell you something, will you keep it between us?”
“You know I will. Of course.”
“I overheard Mom and Dad talking. They were thinking about selling the house. Dad lost a few million dollars in some bad investments. He needed to turn things around, or we were headed toward losing everything.
“I couldn’t follow you and Bentley. You’re both on scholarship. I would have been counting on Mom and Dad to pay my tuition. I couldn’t put that on them, so I chose the affordable option once I couldn’t pull off a scholarship like you guys,” she explains.
“Oh, Erica. I didn’t know. Is everything all right now?”
“Now, yeah. Dad was able to turn it all around. I might transfer next semester or something. I really hate it here,” she groans.
“I would love that. I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too, best. It will be like old times. The three of us taking over the world.”
“I don’t know about that. Bentley is … I don’t know. He’s different.”
“Still think there’s something going on you’re missing. You should talk to him and see what’s up,” she says.
“I don’t know,” I drag out. I glance at the clock and see I’m running late. “Erica, I have to go. We’re doing evening training this week and I should be on my way to practice. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Love you. Call me later.”
“Love you too. I will. Promise.”
I hang up and grab my gym bag to rush out.
I’m going to have to run for it so I’m not late.
I take off as soon as I step out of the dorm building.
As I run, a shirtless Bentley catches my eye in the grass outside the training facility.
He’s surrounded by a bunch of girls while he laughs and smiles at them.
I roll my eyes and keep running. I don’t miss that he pauses and watches me as I pass by. I still can’t get over how he beat that guy up earlier. If Arlene didn’t have to drop off those notes to one of Bentley’s teammates, I wouldn’t have known my childhood friend had turned so violent.
Sure, I’ve seen him lose it on the field before, or go at it with guys at school, but that was different today. It seemed so personal. Bentley meant to hurt that guy.
I shake the thought off as I pull the door open to the gym. We’re using the indoor track today. I sigh as I glance at my watch. I’m not late, but I’m right on time, which is late to me.
I chide myself for not paying more attention to the clock. My dad would give me an earful right about now if he were here. You waste no one’s time and respect every minute you’re given. If you’re a Nickels, you don’t give people a chance to say you’re ever late.
“Hey, this is the first time we’ve all beat you anywhere. I had thought you weren’t coming,” Tori, one of my teammates, says.
“No, I got caught up and lost track of time.”
“Could you have gotten caught up with a certain quarterback? Rumors are flying around that you two are together,” she says excitedly and wiggles her brows.
I look at her and my mouth falls open as we stretch for practice. I release my arm and shake both out. Maybe I heard her wrong.
“What did you say?”
“I heard you two are hooking up. That’s why he’s telling all the guys on campus you’re off-limits. Anyone who touches you ends up like Henry G,” she says with stars in her eyes. “I wish I had a guy that possessive over me.”
“We are not hooking up. People around here gossip too much. It’s sad.”
“Well, I overheard it from him. Someone asked him and he said you were his and everyone needed to back off,” she says and bites her lip.
“What?” I growl and stumble as I release my leg and lose my footing.
“I swear. I was in the quad when I heard him say that,” she says and holds her hands up.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“Girl, I would love it if he were spreading those kinds of rumors about me. He’s so freaking hot.”
I press my fingers to my temples and groan. I look like a boyfriend stealer, just like Crazy Carly said. What the hell is Bentley thinking?
Wait until I see him again. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind. I try to shake off this new information and focus on practice.
However, my anger simmers even as I make my first warm-up lap around the track. I distance myself from everyone as I stew in my thoughts, not wanting to hear anything else about Bentley or this fake relationship he’s spreading around.
“Big idiot. Just wait until I get my hands on him. Why would he tell people we’re together?”
“Nickels, did you hear me?” Coach calls out to me as I finish the first lap.
“I … I … um.”
I can’t spit my words out because Bentley is standing in the training gym shirtless with a bouquet of roses in his hands and a smile on his face as Corey and Jason hold up a sign that says.
Happy Birthday, Zah.
Bentley
The look on Zahirah’s face was not what I was expecting. I know her birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but I wanted to do something nice for her after earlier today and her seeing me beat the shit out of Henry. I need her to see me as the guy she’s always known.
However, that doesn’t seem to be working. Is she really that mad at me for kicking Henry’s ass? If she knew the things he said about her and all the other girls on campus, she wouldn’t spare him a single thought.
The dude is trash. No one on the team cares for him much. He has a few friends here and there, but they’ve been pulling away as well.
Determined to get through to Zah this time, I wait out her practice. Jason and Corey, God love them, stand cheering her name as they hold up their sign the entire time. I’ve put on my shirt that was in my back pocket and I’m still holding the two dozen roses when she stalks over to us.
“Thank you, Corey,” she says and lifts on her toes to kiss his cheek.
“You’re welcome, gorgeous.”
Then she moves to Jason and kisses his cheek as well. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” he replies.
I stand waiting for her to take the roses and thank me, but she glares at me and bites out an order for me to follow her. I’ll take that over her ignoring me. We need to talk anyway.
We step outside the gym, and she whirls on me as soon as the door shuts behind me. I stop and look at her with my brows knit. She looks beautiful even with sweat drying on her face.
“Why are you telling people we’re together? What the heck are you thinking? Especially with your psycho girlfriend lurking around campus.”
“She’s not my girlfriend. That’s what I want to talk to you about,” I say and close the distance between us.
“Could have fooled me. You didn’t press charges, that’s the only reason she’s still here. Only a jealous girlfriend would do something like that to your car.”
“I broke up with her before the party started. I didn’t know she was going to lose it and trash my car. As for the rest, I don’t know where you’re getting your information from. I did press charges and got a restraining order against her once they didn’t expel her.
“She’s only still here because of her father. He’s a big donor and alum here. As long as she stays away from me, they’re allowing her to finish the year. They’ve blamed the whole thing on her having too much to drink,” I say in frustration.
She looks at me in surprise. “Are you shitting me? She’s a danger to others. She should have been thrown out that night.”
“Well, when Daddy’s throwing money around, you kind of get away with anything. Listen, Zah, about that night—”
“No, Bentley. We’ve been friends for a really long time. I think we should keep it that way. I’m here for my education. The last two weeks have already shown me I don’t have much time for anything else. Let’s forget what happened so we don’t confuse our relationship.”
My nostrils flare and I swallow hard. I can’t allow this to end with her pissed off at me again. I frown as I think fast. “Will you at least take the flowers?”
“Fine, give me those.” She takes them and holds them up to her nose.
A small smile comes to her lips. I know that smile. It’s the smile she gives me right before she forgives me.
“What are you doing for your birthday tomorrow?”
“Nothing, because apparently, I have a boyfriend who’s threatening every guy on campus to stay away from me.”
I grab her by the front of her sweaty shirt and pull her to me. She looks up at me cautiously. I bite my lip and look down at hers.
I want to kiss her so bad my heart is hammering. I dip my head until we are face to face and my lips are all but a breath away from hers.
“In that case, you should let me take you out for your birthday. I’m not afraid of your boyfriend and his threats,” I say against her lips.
“I guess you could, to make up for stealing my first kiss and making me look like a boyfriend stealer.”
I lift a brow in question. Her first kiss? I was her first kiss.
I grab the back of her neck and kiss her hard. Fuck, I want to be her first everything. I devour her lips as she whimpers into my mouth.
I kiss her deeper and drag her body as close to me as I can get it with the bouquet between us. Why the hell does she taste so fucking good?
“I’m sorry for everything. I’m so happy you’re here. Can we start over?” I say as I break the kiss and look down into her eyes.
“I don’t know. I remember you saying something about staying focused while you are in college. I don’t want to be a distraction,” she says and bites her lip as she looks up at me through her lashes.
“That was before my crush dropped on campus like an angel out of heaven,” I say as I cup her face and run my thumb across her lips.
“Well, when you put it like that. I’d like to start over, Bentley. Let’s be friends and play our game. If you win, we can be more. If I win, I’ll think about what’s next and if it fits into my schedule.”
I laugh as I think of the game we used to play. Zah is as competitive as I am. This could be fun.
“You know I never lose. Baby, you’re on. You’re as good as mine.”
“We shall see.”
“That we shall,” I growl into her neck as I hold her close.