Love to Hate You

by Jennifer Sucevic

  That two sets of voluptuous tits can get a man to do whatever they want?

  Alright, fine…Most of the time, that’s exactly what happens.

  It goes without saying that most men love titties. End of story. Women know this and use it against us anytime they can.

  “I don’t think so. It’s doubtful my girlfriend,” tasting the word on my lips feels good, “would appreciate that. But thanks for the offer,” I add, hoping there aren’t any hurt feelings.

  Or outbursts.

  I hold my breath waiting to see which way this will go.

  Vanessa bats her lashes. “Are you sure she wouldn’t mind us joining in on the fun?”

  Trying to imagine Daisy being anywhere near cool with this situation is hilarious. The corners of my lips tug upward. “Nah, she’s not the sharing type.”

  They offer up more pouts. “That’s too bad.”

  It’s more than time for me to extract myself from their hungry clutches. “Well, ladies, it was great running into you, but I’ve got to go.”

  “Okay,” they say in unison.

  I take a few steps away when one of them yells, “If anything changes, come find us. We’ll be around.”

  I wave a hand over my shoulder not bothering to turn and meet their gazes.

  That is so not going to happen.

  I catch a glimpse of Noah across the room talking with a few of the guys from the team. Since there’s safety in numbers, I join them. The sharks are always circling after a win. The last thing I need is for Daisy to find me in a precarious situation. Not that she’s the jealous sort, but I know how I’d feel if there were guys hanging all over her.

  Everyone is still talking about the play in the middle of the third quarter that turned the tide for us. As soon as we made that touchdown, the other team lost its steam and we were able to widen our lead. After about ten minutes, a few of the guys head to the kitchen for refills. Noah and I hang back.

  “Where’s Ashley?” I ask.

  Normally those two are joined at the hip. Although, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her hanging around the apartment lately. I’ve been so wrapped up in Daisy that a bomb could go off and I wouldn’t notice.

  He shrugs and takes a pull from his beer. An immediate answer doesn’t seem forthcoming. Which is odd. Obviously, he doesn’t want to discuss it. And I can respect that.

  So, moving on…

  “We’re taking a break,” he mumbles.

  “Oh. Sorry to hear that.”

  His gaze sharpens as he straightens. “Are you?”

  Something tells me to proceed with caution and I’m wise enough to follow my instincts.

  “Sure. I don’t have a problem with Ashley.” I glance around for Daisy. Where the hell is that girl? “If you’re bummed about it, then I’m sorry.”

  His shoulders droop and he jerks his head into a tight nod before taking another drink. “Thanks,” he says. “I told her that we needed some space.” He pauses for a beat. “You might not have noticed but she can be kind of a pain in the ass.”

  The beer goes down the wrong pipe and I sputter, thumping my chest a couple of times as my eyes water. There’s no way I’m touching that statement. Odds are they’ll get back together in a few days. “Nope, never noticed.”

  He nods. “Yeah, Ashley definitely has her moments. I’m not saying that she’s a bad person or anything, but I’m just not sure if we’re good together.” His eyes narrow. “That whole thing with the salad…that was BS, right?”

  Does he seriously need confirmation?

  “Ummm, yeah.” It was complete crap.

  Plus, I don’t like the way she treats Daisy.

  Guess what, girl? Just because you sweeten some nasty words with a smile, doesn’t make them any less nasty.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.”

  We fall silent again until Noah clears his throat. “So, you and Daisy, huh?”

  This conversation has just gone from bad to worse. We haven’t discussed the Daisy situation. I mean…what’s there to say?

  We’re dudes. We’re not about to sit around and have a Dr. Phil moment where we open up and share our feelings using “I” statements.

  When you screw my cousin, I feel…

  The thought of that is enough to make me queasy. But the fact remains that Noah is a good friend. The best, actually. I don’t want my relationship with his cousin to sit between us. So, I guess if he needs to hash it out and come to a resolution, that’s what we’re gonna do.

  Right here.

  In the middle of this party.

  My gaze flicks to his. “Yeah.” I shift from one foot to the other wishing I were anywhere but here. “You’re cool with it, right?”

  He arches a brow and drawls, “Would it matter if I wasn’t?”

  Ignoring the question, I say instead, “I never set out with any intention of this happening. I’ve always steered clear. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah,” he grumbles, looking just as uncomfortable as I am. “I do.”

  “But I like her.” Even though there’s a party raging around us and no one is paying us the least bit of attention, I lower my voice. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”

  “I know that as well,” he sighs and looks away before his gaze arrows back to mine. “I’m not going to lie, it’s a little weird seeing you two together.” He scrunches his face and circles his hand a few times. “Like that.”

  I grimace and think about it from his perspective. “Yeah, I guess it would be.”

  Which is exactly why it shocks the hell out of me when he admits, “But if Daisy is going to be with anyone, I’m glad it’s you.”

  “Thanks.” Something loosens in my chest. “That means a lot.”

  Actually, it means everything.

  Maybe we’re going to have that Dr. Phil moment after all.

  Noah straightens to his full height and spears a finger at me. “If you break her heart, I’ll kick your fucking ass.”

  Or maybe not. I can’t blame him for having her back. I would expect nothing less from Noah.

  “I’ll take care with her,” I say.

  He takes another pull from his bottle. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.”

  I voice another truth even though it’s not something I want to think about. “You know she’s the one who will end up breaking my heart, right?”

  “You knew that going in, man.” He shrugs and tips his bottle toward me. “Eyes wide open.”

  He’s right. I did.

  “Are we good?” Because I need us to be good. I need Noah on my side just like he’s always been.

  His lips curl into a smile. “Yeah, we’re good.”

  I nod, feeling like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

  “Hey.” Noah cranes his head. “I just saw Daisy and her trusty sidekick.”

  Following his line of sight, I scan the room. As soon as my gaze lands on her, everything else falls away. How’s it possible that this girl has come to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time?

  It’s crazy. And yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  When it comes to Daisy, I have total tunnel vision which is why I don’t notice what’s going on until Noah makes a comment about the guy chatting her up.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Daisy

  As soon as Olivia and I walked through the door of this party, some guy glommed onto me and I haven’t been able to shake him loose. He’s not getting the hint that I’m not interested. My guess is that his inebriated state has something to do with it.

  Ugh.

  Even if I were single and ready to mingle, drunk guys are never on my radar.

  For one thing, they have the tendency to think they’re hilarious. As if everything that spews from their mouth is comedic gold. Let me tell you from experience, it’s not. Far from it. Half the time, you can’t make heads or tails of what they’re slurring.

  Two, they’re usually way too hands
y for my taste. I’m not a girl who likes to be manhandled. Unless, I give you the green light to manhandle me. Then I love it. But otherwise, forget about it. I’m liable to deck you.

  And lastly, there is no such thing as letting them down gently. They get all offended if you’re not interested and either end up calling you a bitch or a dyke.

  Who needs that?

  I glance around for Noah. Where the hell is that guy when I need him?

  Any other time, he’s hovering over me, chasing guys away. When I could actually use his assistance, he’s nowhere to be found. So freaking typical.

  I raise my brows and shoot Olivia an exasperated look, but her gaze is trained on something over my shoulder.

  As I turn to see what’s captured her attention, she mutters, “Incoming.”

  Before I can blink, a strong male arm snakes around my body and hauls me close. Carter’s masculine scent hits me all at once. I glance at him, but his eyes aren’t focused on me. He’s glaring at the guy who won’t take no for an answer. I shift my gaze to the drunk guy, hoping he’ll give up and find someone else to harass.

  Now that Carter is here, I just want to move on with my evening.

  I’m still riding high from the jersey he gave me earlier this afternoon. Truth be told, I don’t have much interest in being at this party. But I figured Carter would want to celebrate with his team. We haven’t been together long, I don’t want to be that girlfriend who wants to sit home and watch Netflix on a Saturday night.

  Although, Netflix sounds really good right now.

  “Dude,” Drunk Guy slurs, “I was in the middle of something here.”

  At least that’s what I think he says. It’s hard to tell.

  Carter shakes his head. “I don’t think so. You need to move it along. She’s not interested.”

  Drunk Guy’s unfocused gaze bounces between the pair of us. “She wants me. We were just headed upstairs.”

  Unsteady on his feet, he staggers a few steps toward me and I wince.

  “Right?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “No, sorry. That was never on the agenda for this evening.”

  “Riiiight,” he sneers. “Why don’t you tell pretty boy to take a hike and I’ll show you the anaconda that’s hiding in my pants.”

  Laughter bubbles up within me. I can’t help it.

  Anaconda?

  Methinks not.

  “It’s a tempting offer,” I lie. “But I’ll take a hard pass.”

  Maybe I was annoyed a few minutes ago but now that Carter is here, there’s nothing to worry about.

  “Dude,” my cousin says. “Beat it.”

  My gaze swings to Noah, not having realized that he was standing behind me. Olivia’s eyes dart between Noah, Drunk Guy, and Carter. She doesn’t like confrontations. Although, I don’t think Olivia has anything to worry about. Most guys back off when Carter or Noah come into the picture. These two are well known around campus and most people don’t want to mess with them. I’ve given this guy more than enough of my time. If he can’t understand that he’s unwanted, then that’s his problem. Not mine.

  Ignoring him, I glance at Carter. “Want to get out of here?”

  His muscles loosen as he nods, and a smile touches his lips. “Sure.”

  As we turn to leave, fingers tangle in my hair and jerk me back a few steps. My scalp stings as I cry out in surprise. My hands go to the back of my head wanting to dislodge the hold.

  What the hell?

  “Hey,” Drunk Guy yells, “I wasn’t done talking to you!”

  I blink, and chaos breaks out. Noah yanks the guy’s hand from my head. It feels like a chunk of hair has been ripped out by the roots and the back of my head is on fire. I stagger as Carter gets in the guy’s face and shoves him back a step.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Carter growls.

  Olivia and I get shoved behind Carter and Noah. I can’t tell what’s going on, but conversations around us stop as people turn and stare. Olivia’s eyes flare wide and her mouth hangs open in shock. Wanting to inspect the damage, I touch the back of my head and feel the spot. It’s tender to the touch.

  “I told you, dude,” Drunk Guy slurs, “that bitch is with me!”

  Oh crap.

  Carter takes a step toward him and pulls back his arm.

  I grab his bicep and scream, “Carter, no!”

  He blinks and focuses on me before sucking in a breath. His arm falls back to his side as if in slow motion. Noah yells at a couple of guys to get Drunk Guy out of here before he gets his ass beat. Carter remains silent, looking like he’s in a daze. When I reach my hand out to touch him, he flinches and takes a step away in retreat. He drags a hand over his face and stares around him as if only now coming back to his senses.

  I’ve never seen Carter look so shaken. My heart constricts. I want to comfort him, but he won’t let me.

  “Carter,” I say softly, trying to get his attention. I’m not sure what’s going through his head. Or why he’s acting like this.

  When he remains unresponsive, I try to pull him back to me. This time, he raises his hands in a motion for me to stop.

  “I’m sorry,” he says hoarsely. “I need to get out of here.” His eyes dart around looking for an escape.

  I’m slammed with the realization that he’s unsettled by what transpired with that drunk asshat.

  “Yeah, sure,” I agree. “Let’s go.”

  I never wanted to be here in the first place. We can head back to the apartment and chill for the rest of the night. Maybe watch some Netflix and snuggle.

  “No.” He shakes his head. “I want to be alone.”

  “What?” A wave of hurt crashes over me. “But—”

  “I’m sorry,” he snaps, plowing both hands through his hair.

  Whatever attention had been drawn to us when Drunk Guy grabbed my hair has dissipated. Especially since a fight never broke out. Everyone has moved on with their evening and I want to do the same.

  “I need to be alone, okay?” Carter says.

  As I try to formulate a response, he mumbles something about seeing me tomorrow under his breath and pushes through the crowd. He’s already out the door before I can consider going after him.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Carter

  I sit on the grassy bank, staring across the lake. There’s not much of a breeze tonight, so the water is calm and serene, which is a direct contrast to everything that riots inside me. It’s been more than an hour since I hauled ass from that party and still panic crashes through my veins making it difficult to breathe. I toss the mangled blade of grass I’ve been twisting in my fingers.

  If I’d thought a little time and distance would make me feel better about what happened—what almost happened—it doesn’t. The pit that has taken up residence in the bottom of my gut continues to churn.

  I snap off another blade of grass as the situation plays in my head on a constant loop. I’m furious with myself for allowing this to happen. The knowledge that I almost hit someone is enough to knock the breath from my lungs. I was moments away from plowing my fist into that asshole’s face. If Daisy hadn’t caught my attention, I would have done it without thinking twice.

  The way he grabbed her, yanked her head back…

  I just…lost it.

  My temper went from zero to sixty in less than two seconds flat. That never happens. Because I don’t allow it to. Outside of football, I’ve never hit anyone.

  A cold sweat pops out across my brow as I drag a hand over my face.

  I refuse to be anything like my father. I refuse to allow my emotions to get the better of me.

  To have that much rage pumping through my system...

  That’s not who I am.

  Everything in my life is controlled. My feelings are always contained. But that’s not the case right now. Daisy makes me feel things I’ve never experienced before. I’m neither controlled nor contained with her.

  The faint strains of a
n engine grow louder. The park closed at nine o’clock and it’s after ten. The last thing I need is another run-in with one of the rangers. I focus on the moonlight reflecting off the glassy surface of the lake and hope that whoever it is will drive on by, leaving me in peace.

  When someone settles next to me, I inhale a breath before forcing it out again. Without glancing in her direction, I know it’s Daisy.

  The fact that she knew where to find me…

  Emotion blooms in my chest and I quickly snuff it out.

  Everything in me goes on high alert waiting for her to bombard me with questions. But she doesn’t. Instead, she sits quietly beside me. One by one, my muscles loosen. Crickets chirp a symphony around us, and still Daisy doesn’t say a word. From the corner of my eye, I watch as she draws her knees to her chest and rests her chin on them.

  “What happened wasn’t your fault, Carter,” she whispers.

  I tear off another blade of grass and shrug.

  She’s wrong about that. It was entirely my fault. Unlike my father, I take responsibility for my actions. I don’t twist things around and point fingers the way he does. With Philip Prescott, the blame always lies with someone else for pushing him into reacting.

  I am not that guy. I will never be that guy.

  “I lost control,” I admit. “Whether you want to believe it or not, what happened is my fault.”

  Daisy shakes her head, ready to argue the point. “But that guy—”

  “No!” I cut in and thump my chest with my fist. “Losing my temper is on me. Not him.”

  Doesn’t she understand that?

  If I excuse myself for losing control and getting physical, then I have to excuse my father for all the times he’s done the same damn thing. I refuse to do that.

  “There were other ways to handle the situation and I chose not to.” I’m embarrassed to say that they weren’t even a consideration. “Tonight, I was my father’s son.” Disgust burns a hole through my gut.

  Daisy pales under the moonlight.

  Good. She should be disgusted by what lives deep inside me. I’ve always assumed that I could control my reactions. To realize that I can’t is a bitter pill to swallow.