by Ali Parker
Damn, something was up.
“I have to find Brody.” She moved past me and didn’t look my way.
“I’ll go with her.” I turned to jog down the steps behind her, leaving Micah to look as useless as I felt at the top of the stairs. “Hey.”
“Not now. I can’t handle anything else.” She didn’t turn to address me but spoke over her shoulder as she pushed through the crowd. “I’m going to report this fucking fraternity house to the Dean of Men. You guys are a fucking wreck waiting to happen.”
“Agreed.” I moved around her and spotted Brody dry humping some girl in the far corner. “How about you and I go out back and get a bottle of water?”
“Jacob. Move.” Darkness moved across her face, and she went from beautiful to stunning. Why the high emotion of the night left me so turned on by her was a mystery I wanted to dive deep into.
“No. You don’t wanna—”
“Move.” She pushed at my chest and walked around me.
I’d never been manhandled by a woman before, much less a man, but having her do it several times in the last few minutes didn’t leave me feeling violent. I wanted to save her too badly to let it affect me. She was hurting, and in the midst of that pain, she needed someone to hurt. I found myself wanting to take a few more punches for her.
“What the hell are you doing?” She stopped in front of Brody and put her hands on her hips. The blue dress she had on fit her as if it were made for her. I had a hard time not dragging my eyes down her back and coveting the idea of what I now knew was beneath the thin material.
“What I want to do. Don’t get in my face. That would be a mistake.” Brody moved from the corner of the room with a fire in his eyes that caused my fists to ball. He grabbed her by the front of her face and leaned in, teeth clenched and anger on his face as she yelped.
That was all I needed.
“Hey, motherfucker. Don’t be touching a woman like that.” I gripped his arm and pulled him back from her before putting my hand around his throat and backing him up to hit the wall behind him.
“This isn’t your fight, Jacob,” he leaned in and growled softly. “Get your fucking hands off me bro, or you and I are going to take this house down together.”
“I’m not at all worried about putting your rich ass on the ground. Don’t touch a woman like that ever again, you sorry cheating bastard.” I slammed him into the wall once and he charged me. My legs hit the coffee table behind me, and we were up in the air. I hit the floor hard, and the big bastard landed on top of me, getting in three hits before I could turn the tables and whoop his ass.
Where he was a pretty good brawler, I hadn’t been born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I’d learned to fight at a young age and hadn’t had to worry about brushing up on my skills too often. A good fight was always around the corner on the soccer field.
I put all my anger into beating his ass for one reason alone.
He had my girl on his arm and treated her like shit.
And worst of all, she let him.
Chapter 15
Emily
I slept like hell at Tasha’s dorm that night and checked in with my sister three times before the sun rose the next morning. Lucas was good enough to have Aubrey send me a text that everything was okay, but I needed to hear from Cally myself. She never texted back. Obviously, we were right back where we started from.
I lay in bed forever the next morning, pretending to be asleep as Tasha moved around the room and left for the day without a word. I didn’t have anything to talk about anyway. I was broke, my love life was a fucking joke, and my sister was turning out to be the same piece of trash my mother was. No one wanted to slip into depression with me, so it was better to keep my mouth shut.
All I had was cheerleading, and that was soon to go too, seeing that Brody wouldn’t be writing me a check to pay for my gear.
“Time to suck it up and talk to Coach about stepping down.” I ran my fingers down my face as tears blurred my vision. Feeling sorry for myself was the last thing I wanted to do, but it seemed like I was soon to slip down into that dark hole. “No. I refuse.”
I rolled out of bed and bounced around on my feet as tears dripped down my face. I’d been a bitch to Jacob the night before and owed him an apology. He was just trying to help. The fact that not only one, but two girls piled out of his room while he had me pinned to the wall was enough to make my blood boil. Hitting him in the nuts had everything to do with being angry with him sleeping around and very little to do with my sister.
I changed into a pair of jeans, a red T-shirt, and pulled my hair into a ponytail as quickly as I could. I wasn’t scheduled to be into DeAngelo’s until eleven, but there had to be something I could do for an extra hour. Sitting around Tasha’s place and stewing about everything was likely to drive me crazy.
After tying my tennis shoes and checking my phone for the millionth time, I walked down through the campus and stopped in front of DeAngelo’s. The front door was locked, and I didn’t see a buzzer or anything that I could use to get someone’s attention.
“The back door,” I mumbled and pulled out my phone as it buzzed in my pocket and answered it.
“I’m not talking to you.” I hung up and slipped it back into my jeans. There was no way in hell I was going to let Brody wear me down. I was emotionally beat and needed to start drinking like the rest of my friends to get through my college years unscathed, but turning out like my mother scared me far more than suffering.
The phone buzzed again, but I tried to ignore it. I pressed the button on the side of the wall and backed up as a younger-looking black guy opened the door.
“Hey. You must be Emily. I’m Clayton.”
“Nice to meet you.” I extended my hand and shook his as my phone went off again.
“Come on in. I think you’re early, but we can get you started on your paperwork.”
“Okay. Give me just one second. My phone’s ringing. I’ll be right there.”
“Sure, no problem.” He bent over and picked up a wet-floor sign before sticking it in the doorway as a stopper.
“Thanks.” I smiled and walked back into the alley. “What?”
“Don’t hang up on me again. Where are you?” Brody barked into the phone. I hated him when he was angry. He had no filter and he was borderline abusive.
“I’m at DeAngelo’s. I got a job up here so I can try and take care of myself. Lose my number, asshole.”
“Not happening, Emily. You’re my girlfriend because we fit together. Not because we’re in love or you’re the best lay on campus. You’re soon to be head cheerleader and I’m quarterback of the football team. We’re staying together this next year.”
“No, we aren’t. I’ll be by to get my stuff soon. Please don’t fuck with it. It’s all I have, and if you do, don’t think I won’t report you for all the stupid shit you’ve been doing out at the Omega House. I’m sure your head coach would love to hear that his star—” I yelped as a strong hand grabbed me from behind and jerked me back.
“You’re not going to tell anyone, anything.” He slipped his phone into his pocket and gripped me tightly, pressing me to the wall and flattening himself against me. He gripped my face as I tried to push him off. “How long have you been fucking Jacob Wright? Don’t lie to me, whore.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pushed at him, but he wouldn’t budge. “I didn’t touch Jacob. You’re the cheater, not me.”
“I only slept with those girls because you’re too damn innocent in bed. Grow the fuck up and maybe you’ll have a good chance of scoring a man once I’m done using you up next year.”
“Get off.” I pushed again as he gripped my face tighter and lifted my chin before leaning down to kiss me roughly.
A sob ripped from my lips as disgust raced through me. What had I thought would happen when I broke up with him? He was overly aggressive and an asshole on a good day of the week.
“Hey! Get the fuck off of her.�
� Jacob’s voice surprised me.
“Not you again.” Brody let me go, and I crumbled to the ground, not realizing that the fucker had pulled me up the side of the building to where my feet weren’t touching the ground.
Jacob picked him up and tossed him toward the opening of the alleyway. “Let me see you around her again, and I swear to God, I’m gonna break your fucking right hand, rich boy.”
“I’m not sure who I feel sorrier for between the two of you. Her with a daddy that didn’t stick around and a drunk slut for a mother, or you with a mother who didn’t want you and a father that squirted and ran. So pathetic.” He flipped us off and walked around the building.
“I’m so sorry.” I pushed up from the dirty alleyway and brushed my tears away with the back of my arm. “I’m so fucking done with him.”
“Did he hurt you?” Jacob moved closer but didn’t touch me. The concern on his handsome face had me reaching for him.
“No. I’m sorry about kneeing you.” I touched the side of his face and lifted to my toes, pressing my lips to his before I lost my nerve. It was the worst possible time to let anything slip out of me where he was concerned, and yet I needed his warmth.
He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and pulled me in tightly, leaning into the kiss and making love to my mouth softly, slowly.
I pulled back a little and took a shaky breath. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t apologize for anything with me, all right?” He kissed me again and released me before opening the door to the pizza place. “What the hell are you doing back here anyway?”
“I got a job here yesterday.” I walked past him. “What are you doing here? I thought you had summer league.”
“I did, but we just ran drills at the ass crack of dawn this morning.” He closed the door behind us and put the sign back where it belonged. “You know my dad is the one that owns this place, right?”
“Yeah. Did you come up to see him?” I tried not to lick my lips to taste him again, but I couldn’t help it. My heart was trying to break free from my chest by the incessant beating below my breast, and I couldn’t catch my breath.
“No. I work here now too. Funny coincidence.” He chuckled and walked to the time clock as Clayton walked out of the office with a clipboard full of forms.
“Hey, Jacob.” He extended his hand to Jacob and handed me the clipboard. “Um, you okay? You look a little flushed.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I took it and turned to walk into the belly of the restaurant. I hadn’t been seated for more than three minutes when Jacob put a Coke down beside me and took the seat across the booth from me.
“How is your sister? Everything turn out all right?”
“Yeah. I think so. Lucas got her home safely, but she’s not returning my calls now that she’s there. Not that I blame her.” I shrugged. “We don’t have much of a relationship as it is.”
“That’s because she reminds you of your mom?” His voice was soft, and for the first time since our long night together three years back, I saw a side of Jacob that tugged at my heart.
“Yeah, she does.” I glanced back down at the paper. “I’m sorry about Brody talking about your family the way he did. He has everything in life and feels the need to remind anyone who will listen that they don’t.”
“He’s a prick, and word on the street is that his parents are rich bastards that don’t pay him a bit of attention either. His little brother is the star of their house, and he drives himself crazy trying to outdo the kid.” Jacob smiled and leaned back.
“Why didn’t you throw that back in his face?” I dropped my hands in my lap as surprise raced through me.
“Because I’m not always the asshole you guys expect me to be.”
“You’re not an asshole at all.” I picked up my pen and started to work on the form a little more. “A whore maybe, but not an asshole.”
“I like women.” He shrugged. “Sue me?”
“I wish you had a big pot of cash I could sue you for. I just lost my sugar daddy.” I breathed in deeply and tried not to panic at the truth in my words.
“If I had the money, you wouldn’t have to sue me, Emily. I’d help you out without question.” He tapped the table and stood up. “You’ll enjoy it here for as long as we’re open.”
“What?” I glanced up. “Are you guys going to be closing soon?”
“I don’t know. I need to come up with some good advertising for the old man. We’re not getting the crowds we used to get thanks to that football prick attacking that girl in the alley back there. It’s like there’s a taint on this place now.”
“How do we change that?” Concern washed over me. I didn’t know much about Jacob’s dad, but the way all of my friends talked about him left me thinking he was a top-of-the-line kinda guy.
“I’m not sure. How about you and I get together for a burger soon and figure it out? We can come up with a few strategies and present them to the old man. That might help.” His eyes moved down to my lips and lingered. “I’m sorry about your sister getting into the house. It would seem I’m losing my touch as a leader at Omega. It’s a trend with me lately.”
I reached out and ran my hand over the thick swell of his shoulder, trying hard not to pay attention to the tendril of pleasure that shot out from my center at the idea of pressing my lips to his flesh once more.
“It’ll get better. We just need to come up with some better house rules than the ones you guys probably use.”
“And what do you know about house rules, pretty girl?” His lip lifted in a smirk.
“I’m in charge of the cheerleaders here at Providence. I’m very familiar with rules.” I released him and turned back to my application.
“I like this we thing.” He tugged at my pencil.
“Don’t get too used to it.” I hid my smile and waited until he walked off to glance up and stare at his ass. Fuck if he didn’t glance over his shoulder and laugh.
“Caught ya.”
Chapter 16
Jacob
I knew it was the damsel in distress kiss and nothing else, but I would take attention from Emily any way I could get it. I was going to fucking kill Brody Jackson for manhandling her again after I whooped his ass the night before for hurting her. A call into Micah, Jayce, and Lucas and we would be paying the quarterback pretty boy a visit.
Where Emily wasn’t mine just yet, she sure as hell wasn’t his anymore. I was going to make damn sure of that, even to the point of having an intervention or fundraising event for her. The poor girl had her signals mixed up on what was important and what wasn’t. Not that I had much room to talk.
After giving her grief over staring at my ass, I walked back to the walk-in to get the stuff out for our shift that day and got busy. I needed a shower like nobody’s business, but I was hoping that the extra deodorant and cologne I sprayed would get me through the day.
As much as Clayton teased me for smelling like a gentleman’s club, I was pretty sure I was going to make it. The day went by quickly, and I didn’t get the chance to see Emily nearly as much as I wanted to, but the small glimpses I caught were enough to set my heart on fire each time.
I was in trouble where the pretty cheerleader was concerned.
“I like her. A lot.” My father stopped beside me as I finished putting a large pizza in the oven and dusted my hands on my apron.
“Me too. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I leaned down a little to watch her through the kitchen window as she smiled at some new customers.
“Very. I think we could get every male on campus to start coming in if we just advertised that she worked here.” My father laughed and patted me on the back as I turned to glare at him. “No? You don’t like that idea?”
“No. I don’t. She’s a good woman. We’re not going to let anyone come in here just to ogle her.” I pulled down the next ticket as he patted my back.
“Good answer. Now, make sure you ask her out before someone else does. She’s not going to
be free too long.”
“How do you know she’s free now?”
“Because of you being so protective of her.” He crossed his arms over his thick chest. “You have feelings for her, no?”
“Yeah. I do, but I wish I didn’t. She’s far too good of a woman for a guy like me.” I shrugged and worked on the pizza, ignoring my father’s chuckles as he walked back toward his office. It was true, and she and I both knew it. As much as I wanted to take advantage of her hurting over the shit with Brody and her sister, there was no way I could.
Fuck, she might be the only woman on campus that I couldn’t take advantage of, and sadly enough, she was the only one I wanted.
“Oh no,” Emily whispered softly as she stood at the front counter in the restaurant.
I was watching her from behind and didn’t mind so much the idea of her turning around and catching me. She was stunning and left my body aching in ways I didn’t know were possible. What I wouldn’t give to have the right to move up behind her and wrap her in a tight hug, pulling her close and loving on her like I wanted someone to love on me.
“What’s up?” I walked up beside her as she jumped.
“Oh, sorry. My sister just texted finally.”
“She okay?”
“Yeah, but she can’t find my mother. I guess she didn’t come home from work last night, and my sister called up there and they haven’t seen her either.” She closed her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest. “Why can’t anyone just get their shit together long enough for me to have a day of peace?”
“Because we live in a crazy world. Let’s clock out and I’ll go with you to look for her.” I touched her back softly, praying like hell that she would take me up on the offer. A movie would have been better, but there was no way we were moving from the tension we had the day before to being lovers without me trying to weasel my way into her heart as a friend.