“Ugh.” I folded, feeling the beer rise up in my throat.
“Stop!” Delaney yelled.
Before I could return a punch, Collin and Forbes grabbed my arms and pulled me away.
“Come on, guys!” Forbes yelled, trying to stop us from fighting, but my arms were swinging uncontrollably. It sickened me to know Riley had slept with Delaney, and I planned on showing him just how much I didn’t like it.
“Coach is going to be mad.” Collin worked hard to separate us, but we were both throwing punches at each other.
Winston suddenly appeared and latched on to Riley’s arms, jerking him away. “I’ll whip both of your asses if you don’t stop!” The six-foot-three player definitely could do it, too. As Forbes and Collin pulled me back, Riley’s leg flayed in the air, and he landed a kick on the edge of my chin. My head whipped to the side, and I stumbled back, bringing Collin and Forbes down with me. Gripping my face, I nearly landed on Delaney, but managed to miss her by a few inches.
Delaney crouched next to me. “Luke, are you okay?”
“I’m good.” I shoved her away from me as I stood. Thinking about her and Riley together made me sick. Knowing that his hands touched her had me ready to scream. Anyone but him!
“Get off me, Winston, I’m warning you!” Riley yelled as Winston pulled him away. His feet thrashed as he kicked everything he passed, including barstools and chairs.
“Everyone, out of here now!” Two security guards yelled at us, and I knew we had to bail before they called the cops.
“We need to go now.” Forbes rushed past us with Jordan in tow.
I grabbed Delaney’s hand and kicked off my bowling shoes. Delaney did the same and tossed my shoes to me. Slipping them on, I motioned for Collin and Lexi to do the same. We ran out of the bowling alley, leaving Winston and Riley behind. But I didn’t give a shit. Riley could go to jail for all I cared. I busted through the front door and bolted on to the sidewalk. So much for sneaking Delaney out tonight. She was the last person I wanted to see.
Chapter 12
Delaney
The drive back to the dorm was the longest ever. Every few minutes, I glanced at Luke, but he kept his eyes on the road and his fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. The music was turned up, preventing any of us from hearing anything, that’s if anyone talked, but I think everyone knew better.
I started to inch my hand toward his leg but decided that was probably a bad idea. When Luke was pissed, he wanted to be left alone. I had really screwed up this time, but I reminded myself that I wasn’t his girlfriend and could do whatever I wanted to do. But why was I feeing so guilty? There could only be one reason.
I loved Luke.
But I wasn’t ready to tell him that.
Not yet.
He pulled up to the loading zone at the back of the dorm and threw his car into park. I opened the door, and Lexi got out. I started to get out of the car, but stopped.
“Luke?”
When he didn’t respond, I said his name again. “Luke?”
But instead of answering me, he turned up the volume, drowning out my voice. He obviously didn’t want to talk to me. I hooked my purse on my shoulder and got out of the car. The engine reeved up and the tires squealed as Luke took off, smoke billowing from behind the car.
“He’s pissed.” Lexi shook her head.
“I know.” I held my head down in shame, hoping Lexi didn’t ask me anything. I wanted to tell her about us, but if I did, and Luke found out, he’d be even more pissed at me.
Lexi headed up the stairs to the back door, and I trudged behind her. Taking out her key card, she swiped it through the reader. “He obviously likes you. Otherwise, why would he care who you sleep with?”
I stopped on the fourth step, feeling a huge weight in the center of my chest pull me forward. I didn’t know what to say. I thought about telling her I was going to Jordan’s for the night, just to escape her questions. But how long could I avoid my roommate?
A loud engine roared between the buildings, and I turned to see Luke’s car speeding toward me. My heart started racing, trying to out run the Camaro without even moving an inch. What was I going to do now? I wanted to get in my car and avoid him and his sister. But I could only run for so long.
Luke stopped in front of the stairs. The door opened, and Collin stepped out. “Get in. Now!” Luke yelled.
I swallowed hard and looked at Lexi. “I guess I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah. Don’t wait up for me.”
With one-foot forward, I descended the stairs. My knees shook, and a layer of sweat covered my entire body. I’d never felt so scared in my life. The fear wasn’t from what Luke might tell me, but rather, what I might tell him.
I got in the car and before I could shut the door, he took off. Sliding around the vinyl seat, I struggled to put on my seat belt, but somehow managed to click it. I looked at him, but he didn’t say anything. He just kept driving like a mad man through campus. Instead of turning on to University Drive to go to his apartment, he turned right. I wanted to ask where he was going, but refrained.
I stared out the window as we passed frat row. The car hugged the sharp turns, and I prayed he wouldn’t flip the damn car. My throat was thick with regret, and I kept rehearsing my explanation for what happened. Reality was, I couldn’t explain it to him. I wasn’t ready to. Then again, did I really have to?
Luke pulled into the baseball stadium parking lot and stopped the car near the back. Several of the lights were out since they were expanding the parking spaces and adding a new training facility. Large tractors and dump trucks surrounded us, and I hoped Luke wasn’t going to leave me out there.
He shut off the engine and let out a long sigh. It took him a minute or so to finally look at me. “Why Riley?” He shook his head in disgust. “Anybody but that asshole.”
I tugged on the rubber band around my wrist, vying for words to form in my head. “I don’t know.”
“Yeah, you do.” A loud huff left him. “Don’t play games with me, Delaney.”
Feeling my seatbelt pull tighter against my chest, I released it and inhaled a deep breath. Visions flooded my head, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to evade each and every one of them. But no matter how hard I tried, the images were visible as if they had happened yesterday.
“I’m sorry, Luke,” I said in a low voice. “Really, I am.”
“Are you still fucking him?”
“No.” I wiped away a stray tear and looked at my shaking hands.
His hand landed on my chin, and he jerked my head, forcing me to look at him. “Swear?”
“I promise.” My voice shook, threatening to release a crying spell, which I was trying hard to hold back.
“When did it happen?” His hand lowered from my face, and he shifted in his seat.
I quickly blinked away the tears. “Um, this past summer. May, to be exact.”
“Before school was out?”
“Yeah, after the Sigma Chi party. We had gotten in a fight, and you left mad, remember?”
“Fuck!” His palms slammed against the steering wheel. “I could strangle him!” Short, shallow breaths followed by grunting had me ready to bolt in case he lost it. We’d fought and argued several times, but Luke never threated to hurt me, but tonight, I wasn’t so sure. “Just tell me . . . why?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, Luke. I just did it.”
“Do you like him?” His voice switched from angry to pleading. “Please tell me you don’t want something with that prick?”
“No!” I emphasized my response. “In fact, I can’t stand him.” Ever since I had dropped my panties for him, he went from enticing to sickening. Everything about him made me want to puke. For some reason, Riley irked me to no end. I think he loved the fact that he got a piece of what Luke had, and that made me sick to my stomach.
“Then, why did you sleep with him?”
“I don’t know, Luke. I just did.” I grabbed my hea
d with both hands, wishing this was all a nightmare, and I’d wake up in a cold sweat.
“There has to be a reason.” Luke pushed me, but I wasn’t ready to confess the truth to him.
I dropped my hands and searched for the tough Delaney. The one that got me through the last thirteen years. The one that was made of stone. The one with the strong heart that couldn’t be hurt. “Do I have to remind you that we weren’t exclusive when it happened?”
“Oh.” A rattled laugh belted from him. “So, that’s your excuse?”
“I don’t need an excuse, Luke. I told you from the beginning that if you wanted to keep sleeping with me, it’d be on my terms. Remember?”
“Ugh!” Luke growled. “Are you that blind, Delaney? Can’t you see how much I care about you? How I feel about you?”
My heart rate picked up again, and my stomach flopped. Vomit threatened to release from me. I swallowed several times, forcing it back down. “No, Luke. There’s nothing more than fucking going on between us.” I pointed back and forth between us. “We only use each other for pleasure. It’s for the sex and nothing more. Can’t you see that?”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this!” He sounded like he was ready to cry.
“Sorry, but you pissed me off that night, and Riley was there, so I took advantage of him.”
“You took advantage of him? Really? I think you got it backwards, Delaney.” He dragged a hand over his face and rubbed the scruff on his chin. “I don’t get you.”
“You’re not supposed to, Luke. I’m that type of girl. The one you don’t take home to your parents.”
“I guess, so.” He released a heavy sigh and started the car. Without any more words, he drove back slowly to the campus.
The car stopped, and he looked at me. I gave him a silent stare, telling him I was sorry for what I’d done. I wanted to tell him how much it was killing me. How much I regretted that Riley’s hands had touched my skin. That he shared his bed with me, the same bed Luke and I had sex in for the first time, but I didn’t have the heart to. I was a terrible person, and I didn’t deserve him. It took all of my strength to open the car door.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the man that had somehow stolen the one thing I vowed to never give anyone again.
My heart.
I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and how sorry I was for hurting him. Beg him to wrap his arms around me and hold me close.
Not to let me go.
Promise to love me to the end.
To let it go because having sex with Riley didn’t mean a damn thing to me. But I couldn’t. With tear-filled eyes, I placed one foot on the ground and got out of the car. “See ya.” I shut the door and didn’t look back.
***
The week dragged, and I continued to text Luke, telling him how sorry I was for what I’d done. I knew he’d eventually find out; I just didn’t want it to be from Riley’s mouth. I wanted to throat punch that asshat. It took Luke a few days to respond to me. He claimed he wasn’t angry anymore, just disappointed in my decisions. We met up for lunch before the World Series game, and he asked if I was going. I told him I wanted to, if he wanted me there. He said he did, as long as I cheered for him and not Riley. That nearly broke my heart, but I guess I deserved it.
Instead of going back to the dorm, I headed to the bookstore. Since Luke was on the white team, I wanted to buy something new to show my support. I found a cute ruffled blouse and paid for it. As I walked to my dorm, my hands and palms broke out in a sweat. I wasn’t sure what I’d tell Lexi if she asked me what happened between Luke and me. Although Luke said he’d tell her, I didn’t ask him if he had talked to her. I didn’t want to push it after what happened at the bowling alley.
I unlocked the door, went to my room, and put on my new shirt. It looked cute with my jeans and boots so I didn’t bother to change my shoes. Taking a deep breath, I walked down the hall to Lexi’s room. We’d been avoiding each other for the past few days. I knew she was searching her heart about marrying Collin, while I was regretting sleeping with Riley.
“Lexi?” I knocked on her door.
“Yeah, come in.”
I cracked the door open and stood in the doorway, hesitant to enter. Lexi was slipping her boots on.
“Are you going to the game?”
“What do you think?” She held out her arms, showing me her purple sweater.
I figured I’d let her know I was going, too. With a timid smile, I opened the door further, showing her my white ruffled shirt. “I’m going, too.”
“Supporting Luke?” Her expression told me she already knew the answer.
I wrapped my arms around my body and stared at the floor. A monsoon of guilt rushed in, covering me to the point that it felt like my body was being pulled under.
“It’s okay, Delaney. You can quit pretending now.” She walked up to me and moved the hair dangling in front of my face. “I know you and Luke have been seeing each other.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. I had to be the worst friend ever! I looked at her, ready to beg for forgiveness. “Are you mad?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Just disappointed that you didn’t tell me.”
It was good to hear she wasn’t pissed at me because she had every right to be. “I’m sorry.” I released a big sigh. “I wanted to tell you, but Luke thought it was best if we just kept it between us.”
“Why?” She took a step back and crossed her arms. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s complicated.” I glanced at the floor, then back at her. “We’re not together, together . . .”
Lexi sat on her bed and gave a slight nod. “So, you’re more like friends with benefits?”
“Yeah,” I shrugged. “I guess you can say that.”
“I know you’re not the type that sticks with one guy, but all I ask is that you treat Luke right and not hurt him.”
“I like Luke, I really do.” I fell on the bed, next to her. “I’m just not ready to settle down, not yet.” I stared at her, waiting for her to say something.
“Don’t look to me for advice.” She shot me a quick glance. “I can’t even find the nerve to tell Collin I don’t want to marry him.”
I did a double take, not believing what I just heard. “So, you’re one-hundred percent sure that’s what you want?”
Her eyes watered, and she pressed her lips together, nodding. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close to me. She sobbed quietly. “I can’t get through to him. No matter what I do or say, he won’t change. It’s like he’s wearing a shield that protects his emotions and a vice that surrounds his heart. Apparently, I don’t have the power to penetrate that combination lock.”
“Some guys just don’t get it.” I shook my head, feeling bad for her. She had tried so hard, but no matter what she did, he refused to give her what she wanted most.
Love.
“Sad, but true.” She glanced at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I know now that our relationship exists on a friendship level. I can’t marry him knowing that we aren’t madly in love with one another.”
I stared deeply into her saddened eyes. “And you’re not doing this in hopes of being with Raven?”
“Seriously?” She pushed away from me. “You really think I’m leaving Collin to be with Raven?”
“I don’t know.” The tone in her voice told me she didn’t appreciate the question, but I had to ask it, because if she was, I had to warn her to tread carefully. I recoiled against the wall, wrapping my arms around my legs. “I mean, you’ve told me the way you feel about him, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“Look, I might like him, but I promise you, I’m not doing this so I can be with him.”
“Okay. I believe you.”
Lexi’s shoulders relaxed, and she leaned against the wall. “I even canceled my session with him yesterday, and I’m not sure I’ll continue tutoring him.”
I rested my head against hers. She was dying to be lo
ved, and I was scared as hell to be loved. Go figure. “Then, you’re doing the right thing and shouldn’t feel guilty. It’ll be hard, but in the end, you’ll be glad you did this.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Me, too.” Silence filled the space between us, and I asked, “When are you going to tell him?”
“Tonight, after the game.” She checked her phone. “I can’t keep going on like this. I’m miserable.”
“I know. I’m here for you,” I squeezed her hand. “No matter what.”
“Thanks, Delaney. I appreciate that.
Now that Lexi knew about Luke and me, we could finally stop sneaking around. But I had to ask myself if I was ready for that because Luke was, or at least I hoped he was after what I did.
Chapter 13
Luke
“This is so much better than fighting.” Delaney rolled off of me on to her side of the bed.
“I agree, but I haven’t completely forgiven you.” I pointed my finger at her.
“What can I do to make you forget about what I did?” She reached under the covers and grabbed my dick, ready to stroke it.
“Stop.” I latched my fingers around her wrist and pushed her arm away.
“Wow. You’re turning me down?”
I crossed my arms behind my head and stared at the ceiling. “We just had makeup sex, Delaney. How am I turning you down?”
“I can usually entice you for a second round.” She whipped her hair around, and it fell over her breasts. I admit she looked sexy as hell, but I was still peeved at her.
“Give me ten minutes or so. I keep thinking about you being with Riley.”
“Ugh? Why?” she moaned.
“That’s what I keep asking myself? Why that asshole?”
“Will you quit asking me that?” She pounded the mattress with her fist. “Can we talk about something else?”
My Lucky Catch (University Park #6) Page 14