Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
I finish up in the shower and quickly dress, throwing on some deodorant before shoving my feet into slides. Now that practice is over and the pressure’s off, there’s a lot of laughter and shit talking going on around me. But I can’t focus on any of that when Carina’s out there.
Doubt continues to creep into my brain.
After the way she ended things, what’s there left to talk about?
Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.
I’m almost afraid to hear what she has to say.
Whatever it is, it can’t be good.
A humorless laugh bubbles up in my throat.
Exactly how many ways can this girl kick me in the balls?
That’s what I’d like to know.
Riggs, Wolf, and Maverick haul their bags over their shoulders before heading to the door.
Mav glances back at me. “You coming or what?”
“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”
Wolf shrugs. “Suit yourself. Don’t worry about Carina. I’ll keep her company until you grow a pair.”
When I give him a one-fingered salute, he grins and pushes through the metal door into the arena. Maverick trails behind him with a shake of his head as if I’m too pathetic for words.
And that hurts, considering he’s a junior.
When I can’t stall any longer and the locker room has emptied, I pick up my bag and head for the door. As soon as I step into the arena, my gaze scans the bleachers only to find them vacant.
My heart hitches a painful beat.
Guess she really was here for someone else.
I drag a hand through my damp strands, trying to figure out if I’m relieved or disappointed that she couldn’t be bothered to wait around.
Or worse—she took off with another dude.
“Hey.”
I swing around only to find Carina standing a couple feet away. My gaze licks over her body, absorbing every detail. That’s all it takes for need to crash over me. She looks so fucking good wearing a silver puffy jacket that hits her waist and a white knit hat with a pompom. Black leggings hug every lethal curve.
It feels like forever since we’ve stood this close.
Close enough to inhale her delectable floral scent.
My mind tumbles back to the elevator when I offered her a ride to school. I’d foolishly thought I could convince her with a kiss that she wanted me half as much as I needed her.
Unfortunately, that backfired in my face.
My tongue darts out to lick at my lower lip as if I can still taste her sweetness there.
Fuck.
All I want to do is reach out and haul her into my arms. I want to hold her close for safekeeping. Even more than that, I want this girl to belong to me forever.
I take a quick step in retreat, knowing that isn’t going to happen. She kicked me loose and isn’t interested.
Whatever she came here to say needs to be spit out so I can move the fuck on with my life. Even though my father won’t be happy about the decision, we’ll need to put an end to the weekly dinners for the time being. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t be around her until the need that pumps viciously through my veins is under control.
Fun fact—that might never happen.
There’s an awfully good chance that the ache filling me will never go away. Not completely. It’s like someone reached into my chest with their bare hand and ripped out my heart before dropping it to the floor at my feet.
Then they stomped on it for good measure.
The shittiest part of all this is that the organ might never belong to me again. I gave it away to someone who didn’t want it and there’s no way to get it back.
Instead of returning the greeting and attempting to be chill about the situation, I act like a little bitch.
“What are you doing here?” I wince at the icy snap that fills my voice.
She shifts from one foot to the other before drawing in an unsteady breath and then forcing it out again. “I was hoping we could talk.”
Has this girl completely lost her marbles?
My eyes narrow as my upper lip curls. “What’s left to say?”
A rush of color blooms in her cheeks as she worries her lower lip with sharp white teeth. “A lot.”
I cross my arms against my chest. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”
“I have a question for you.”
A question?
What the hell is this girl playing at?
“All right. Shoot.”
“Truth or dare?”
I blink, wondering if I heard her correctly because that’s always been my line.
A way of steering her into doing what I wanted.
Like kissing me.
Or touching me.
Or dancing naked for me.
All the things I was too chickenshit to ask for. So, I used the game as a guise.
When I remain silent, she repeats softly, “Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
She straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin. “I dare you to kiss me.”
My muscles freeze as her words explode in my brain.