“Hey, hey, hey.” He snagged her arm and let her flail, standing there, ignoring her requests for release. “You done yet?”
Nicola looked away. “Yes. Fine. Done. Can I go now?”
“What’s with the waterworks?”
“I’m hormonal. Moving off campus, nostalgia, and all that.”
Time ticked, and he didn’t believe her. Not that he could do anything about it. Seriously, he needed to get his head on straight. If there was the chance she was teary over him, he needed to walk away and regroup, figure out how to make everything best buds, cool friends between them. It’d kill him if he hurt her. Just kill him.
“Alright.” Working his jaw back and forth, he still couldn’t let go of her arm.
They stood there, connected, with his hand wrapped around her bicep. Not talking. Not looking. The occasional jock or sorority girl walked by. Said hey. Unconsciously, his thumb smoothed over her skin, making his eyelids sink shut. The quietest gasp fell from her lips. He heard it, savored it, opened his eyes to meet her chocolate brown ones. They were stuck in a moment that wouldn’t quit.
Then she tugged her arm free and left him standing there as she walked away. How much time had passed? And how much more would slip by until he could move? “Bye, Nic.”
Behind him, he heard the rapid footfalls of sneakers hitting the sidewalk. “What’s up, Cash.” Jacob passed him up, burger in hand. He took a huge bite and hurried to fall in stride with Nicola. A few seconds later, she laughed, walking away with him, and Cash wanted to tear that football player apart.
The friend zone fucking sucked.
He checked his phone. T-minus ten hours until Nicola would walk into the TKX party with Jacob hanging all over her. Cash scrolled through his texts and typed out a message to Jaycee and Mira. My place. 8 pm.
***
“Brandy, will you come with me?” Nicola searched through her makeup bag. Everything she had was spread on her desk, everything except her new gloss, which was MIA. “Please.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Her roommate poked her head around from her closet door. “Wait. Why? Thought this was a you-and-Jacob thing.”
“Not really. Besides, we haven’t hung out all summer.” Well, that wasn’t true. She and Brandy had seen plenty of each other. But whatever. No way would she skip hanging with the football boys.
Brandy pulled another shirt out of her closet and held it for Nic. “Yes or no? That’s such a lie, by the way.”
“Yes.” On the shirt, but busted on everything else. “Maybe a small lie.”
“I’m not complaining, just wondering why.”
Where to begin? Jacob was getting too touchy-feely. Her Cash fixation was hitting epic proportions. A combination of the two in the last few hours made her borderline nuts. “I just want some back up.”
“Because Jacob’s gonna make his move?” With her new shirt on, Brandy scooted her over, sharing the chair and the mirror. “That guy was crazy about you all last semester.”
Nicola shrugged. “I don’t know about that. But yeah, I’m thinking he might. Maybe. Really, I don’t know.”
Brandy scoffed. “Seriously, how does a girl not notice when every single hot guy is trying to call you his.”
“Yeah, wrong. That’s insane.”
“If it weren’t for Roman, their advances wouldn’t be so damn vague.”
Roman could be way overprotective, but there weren’t guys lining up, vague advances or not. “No one’s trying to call me anything, except for maybe a study partner.”
“Jacob is.” Brandy curled her eyelashes.
“Well, fine. Jacob. Maybe.”
“Always saying maybe.” She switched to curling the other side. “Boy’s a catch. Maybe you should think about it.”
Nicola sighed and looked out the window. “I’d go on a date or whatever. I guess.”
Brandy laughed. “A date or whatever? Tall. Muscular. Popular. Funny. He might even be a NFL draft pick one day. And you’re all, maybe I’ll go on a date with him?”
“Maybe I would.”
Brandy shook her head.
“What?” Nicola stood, smoothing her shirt and inspecting for lint or wrinkles, anything that could keep her from having to meet her friend’s eyes.
“What? Are you kidding me? I’ve known you for a year, and for the entire year, I’ve never seen someone so blasé about every date. Every crush.” She used quote fingers around crush. “Every party, mixer, function, game. Everything that going to college has to offer.”
“I have not—”
“You have so. Fall semester, Michael. And that guy who worked at the Pizza Shack.”
Nic shrugged, dropped back to her half of the chair, and focused far too hard on finding her lip gloss. “Both perfectly hot, perfectly fun.”
“Same with spring semester and all summer.” Brandy ticked off on her fingers. “Ryan, Brad, and Michael again. Basically four guys who had the balls enough to risk the Roman-Cash alpha-dog inquisition and get a yes when they asked you out.”
Four guys. Even spaced over about a year. It seemed like a good ratio, not that she’d done the math on it, not that she’d said yes to any of them just because Cash was occupying her thoughts. “So what?”
They’d all been nice. The dates were fine. It wasn’t like she was looking for a marriage proposal. She was looking for a decent time and a good guy. All of the guys met the qualifications—good looking, entertaining, and strong enough or dumb enough not to care about Cash and Roman. She scowled into a different makeup bag, still shuffling—finally. She found her new bright pink gloss. Uncapping it, Nic lined her bottom lip while Brandy went on and on about how each of those guys were top-of-the-line boyfriend material.
“And then there’s Cash.”
His name made her choke and jerk, drawing a bright pink smudge of gloss right off her lip. Damn it.
Brandy smiled and clapped. “Ding, ding. We have a winner.”
Nic’s face burned so hot that no one could possibly see the pink gloss smudge. “Cash has been like my brother since I was born.”
Brandy snorted. “Bull.”
“And, even if I wanted something different, he doesn’t see me like that.”
“Lie number two. You weren’t the only one in that cafeteria today, watching him almost kiss you senseless against the wall. You’re lucky school hasn’t started yet. Can you imagine if the SAC had been packed? That little bit of gossip would’ve flown fast and furious.”
“What?” Maybe she hadn’t imagined the heat. She shook her head. “That’s ridiculous.”
Brandy clucked. “That’s exactly what happened. And nothing you can say changes the fact that Cash is all kinds of hot.”
She wasn’t going to dispute the looks factor. “He was yelling at me.” So close, his lips had been inches from hers. If she’d moved forward, if she’d kissed him, she’d be lost forever, and that was just another reason why she could never hope for anything. With him, she’d be one of many.
“He can’t stay away from you. He’s always around.”
“Because we’re friends. The platonic, boring kind of friends.” Cash was a million things, but not able to stay away wasn’t one of them. Right? “No. Just… no.”
“Yes.”
Nic sat back in her chair as Brandy rose to pace. Maybe she wasn’t totally wrong. “You think?”
“I can’t believe it’s taken over a year for this conversation to come up.” Brandy put her hands on her hips. “But, yes. I think.”
What were the chances that Cash Garrison would look at her as something other than Sprout, the kid he and her brother tormented, or the girl that he’d always protected?
Her phone buzzed across the desk, knocking into makeup.
Cash.
Opening the message… Hey, Sprout.
She didn’t read the rest. The chance was nil. She wasn’t sure what Brandy was smoking or where her own head had been, but speculating about Cash was a waste of time. Her
phone buzzed again, and she picked it up, just about to throw it out the window. But it was Jacob. Be there in 5.
“Time to get our pregame on.” Nicola sighed. “Come on, there’s a hottie football player who’ll hit the draft soon, and he’s picking us up downstairs.”
CHAPTER THREE
Nicola bumped into Jacob as she rounded the brick corner of her dorm. “Hey. Sorry, J.”
His hands clasped her waist, and not a single Cash-like spark sizzled when he stayed there a second longer than necessary. She took a step back, shoving her phone in her purse. If she hadn’t been staring at it, wondering what the rest of Cash’s text would say and if she should read it, she wouldn’t have been awkwardly removing herself from J’s too-friendly grip. So really, this was Cash’s fault.
His eyes caught over her shoulder as she turned. “I invited Brandy.”
A second of are-you-kidding-me flashed in his eyes. Whatever he had in mind for tonight, Nicola wanted to put the kibosh on it quickly. Besides, it wasn’t lost on her that Brandy was one of those girls who batted her eyelashes at the guys, turning them into Brandy-bots, who did whatever she wanted. It was a respectable ability, and Nicola didn’t doubt for a second that Jacob’s momentary disappointment would be washed away by a glance at Brandy’s cleavage.
“The more the merrier.” J went for an arm around Nic, but she hurried toward the parking lot, smooth enough that it wasn’t a bitch move, but noticeable enough that a bitchy vibe settled in her chest. She made a mental note to chill out.
His Jeep idled in the parking lot, and Jacob opened the front and back passenger doors. Brandy jumped in the back and shut the door. Nicola went for the front door, but he held her arm. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
His fingers slid down her skin. No rush. No excitement. Nothing. God, he was textbook hot. What the hell was wrong with her?
“You just seem off.”
“What? No.” Eek. That was too quick. Too obvious. She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m just trying to get back into the swing of things. I was gone all summer. I’ve got this job internship thingie, we’re getting a new place, and Roman and Cash don’t approve.” I can’t stop rambling because the only thing I can think of is that damn text message.
Jacob touched her arm again. It should’ve been cute and flirty, but she shrugged out of it and reached for her seat.
“Here you go.” He offered help, but she closed the door on her own. Jacob looked the part of popular athlete scorned: a little shocked, a little unsure what had just happened, but cocky enough to brush it off.
Brandy laughed from the backseat. “What the hell was that?”
“What?” Nic hissed. “Just forget it.”
Laughter bubbled from her roomie again. “You looked like a meth-head party girl, all decked out but twitching and jerking every time he stepped close to you. Shit, Nic. If you really don’t want that, pass him along. Catch and release.”
Nicola turned in her seat, eyebrows arching but on the lookout for everyone’s favorite quarterback. “Would you shut up already? Please.”
Jacob got in, closed his door, and turned to Brandy in his rearview mirror. “What’s that look all about?”
“Just fighting over you.” She smiled as Nicola shot death rays at her. “Kidding. We’re talking about fishing.”
Confusion crossed his chiseled face. He looked over at Nic. “You guys pregame the pregame?”
That would’ve made her twitchy, party-girl antics make so much more sense. She leaned back against her seat, pressing her head into the headrest and closing her eyes. “Sadly, no.”
Brandy giggled, and Jacob pulled out of the parking lot. Two minutes later, they were unloading at a row house that some of the team shared.
“See ya.” Brandy was out the door and heading inside before Nic could beg her to wait up.
“You sure you’re okay?” Jacob asked.
God, he was a decent guy. More than a decent guy. A serious catch. He had everything going for him. Smart enough. Handsome enough. Clean cut. She’d never seen him shaggy-haired or scruffy-faced. Not like Cash. Not that it ever made Cash look less handsome. Jacob never wore a cowboy hat. He made ball caps look good. She groaned inwardly. Another Cash comparison. Cash was always on her mind, and it was becoming pathetic.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” She looked at his large hand on the console. Swallowing a hefty dose of unease, Nicola put her hand on top of his. His megawatt smile beamed, but she felt nothing. Actually, not true. The need to rip her hand back was there. It wasn’t guilt. Was it? A hand hold was a total lead on. Maybe it was guilt. She had no interest in Jacob. He was her friend. Kissing him… the thought didn’t appeal one way or another. Maybe all she had to do was warm up. She could use him to distract herself from Cash. So yes, guilt mixed with determination. She could do this. Spending time with Jacob wouldn’t be so bad. It wasn’t like she had to sleep with him. Kissing him would be all right. Right?
“Ready?” Jacob’s eyes had narrowed.
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
He moved his palm up, as though he were about to hold her hand. She pulled back and had to cover the reaction by reaching for the car door. “Let’s go inside. Brandy on her own with the football team means trouble. For them.”
Nicola jumped out as he turned off the Jeep. She shut the door on whatever he was saying, and it wasn’t until he jogged to catch up with her that she heard him talking about jumpiness. Apparently, her train-wreck routine was on display in a major way. As they walked through the door, Jacob put his hand on her back.
“Double-deuce!” One of the guys greeted them. “Nicola.”
From the kitchen, she heard a commotion with Brandy’s voice in the thick of it. Nicola smiled at the guy who offered her a beer. “What’s going on back there?”
He laughed. “Irish Car Bombs.”
“Perfect.” She was out of Jacob’s grip and heading toward the kitchen.
Behind her, she heard the guy ask Jacob, “Roman around?”
Because where there was Nicola, there was Roman. Like she needed a chaperone. Well, maybe tonight she did. She walked into the kitchen and saw three guys and Brandy slam down their glasses. The room cheered Brandy on, and the guys wiped their mouths. True to form, Brandy, like Nicola, could throw down with the boys. Most times, Nic wanted something sweet to drink. Give her something pink and fruity any day. But tonight, tutti-fruity wasn’t going to do it. “I’m in next round.”
The football players drummed on the makeshift bar. Brandy gave her a look. Nic gave it right back and sidled up. Game on. Another round of Guinness was poured into glasses. A round of shots was pushed forward to each of them. Nerves spun in her stomach. She was about to jump in head first.
“Go!”
Guinness in one hand, shot in the other, she and Brandy toasted, dropped their shot glasses into the beer, and chugged it down, leaning forward to keep the foam from spilling on their clothes. The guys slammed down their glasses. Seconds later, she and Brandy did the same.
Whoa.
Her head spun with the rush. Her stomach felt at capacity, and she’d just started. She breathed out, giggled as she checked her mouth for any foam and looked up to find Jacob leaning against the wall, arms crossed and uncertainty on his face. Well, hell. She didn’t know if he was proud she could down the drink like a dude or concerned that she just had. She smiled. He smiled. She nodded him over. This would be a good night. If nothing else, she needed the distraction.
“Who wants another?”
Brandy stepped back. “I’m out. I need a breather.”
Jacob stepped into Brandy’s spot and put his hand on Nic’s back. Shit. She wanted to step back with Brandy. She really wanted to call Cash or at least text him and see where he was. She cringed inwardly. He was probably with Mira and Jaycee. Or whoever else. And there was that text she’d ignored.
His fingers flexed against her shirt. His fingertips urged her away from th
e bar. “Want to—”
“I’m in.” She just couldn’t handle it. Taking her mind off Cash needed a little more fuel before she could really let go. She definitely needed a distraction before she saw him later that night. Nicola pulled her phone out and deleted Cash’s last text without reading it. That was a good step. She looked at J who seemed as if he was weighing the opportunities, possibilities, and maybe even repercussions of letting her get a little too shitty before she showed up on his arm at Roman’s party. She had to nip that look ASAP. “Jacob’s in too, and he needs to catch up.”
Plan formed: get them both a little buzzed. Maybe she’d relax. Maybe he wouldn’t notice her distraction. Maybe she could forget about the real reason she was on his arm.
***
After three Irish Car Bombs deep on an empty stomach, Nicola was relaxed and hanging on to Jacob’s arm, laughing and joking and believing that her plan was a total success. Jacob seemed not to notice her near obsessive phone checking. No calls or texts from Cash. She wondered what that last text had said… but tried to forget about it. She deleted it without responding, so why would Cash try again?
Focus on J. She was giving the guy a break, trying not to be so standoffish, even going as far as stepping into a conversation that some half-dressed hussy was having with him. If he was going to be her date for the night, she should at least try to act like it. Right?
She giggled to herself because, really, she was more interested in sending the girl on her way than she was hanging out in a conversation with J. Yup, total bitch move. Total buzzed bitch move. She was cock-blocking her date, who she didn’t want, from flirting with another girl, who she didn’t care about, more or less because she didn’t like the girl’s outfit. The Car Bombs had gone to her head.
They strolled through the front door of the TKX house, and she took in the scene. Fraternity rush was coming up fast, and the place was packed with the guys, the guys who wanted to be bros with her boys, and a decent sampling of random cliques: the football players, the sorority girls, the party girls, and a few guys that should’ve graduated college years before.
“Double-deuce.” Someone from somewhere called, but the crowd had tucked Nicola behind Jacob, and she couldn’t see around him. Brandy sandwiched in close to her as they pushed in.
Sweet Girl (Titan) Page 2