Hooped #2 (The Hooped Interracial Romance Series #2)

by Claire Adams

  HOOPED #2

  The Hooped Series Book #2

  BAD BOY FRAT

  By Claire Adams

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 Claire Adams

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  Chapter One

  For an instant, all I could do was stand there and stare. It was worse than Devon telling me outright that he wasn’t actually interested in me, somehow. I felt my eyes stinging, a lump forming in my throat, and before I could actually start crying, I turned on my heel and started walking the other way.

  There had to be another exit from the arena, I thought frantically, as I felt the first of my tears rolling down my cheek. My vision blurred; I tried to keep moving forward fast enough for the few people who might be in the arena still—the staff and the security—to not see the fact that I was starting to cry. I kept walking as fast as I could, blind as more and more tears started to fill my eyes. Oh god, if I keep walking I’m going to go in a circle and be right there in front of him again, I thought, wiping at my face and taking a deep breath to stop the hiccupping feeling of sobs working up through my throat. I shook my head, swallowing hard, and finally found the exit doors.

  I plunged through them without even looking around me, hurrying out into the night. I didn’t know how it was that Devon kissing some girl was worse than actually being rejected by him, but somehow it seemed to me that it was a sign as clear as day that he didn’t care about me at all. If he had, if I was more than just a notch in his bedpost, then he wouldn’t be kissing someone—would he? I shuddered, gasping as I tried to keep control of myself. There wasn’t anyone around the arena that I could see, but I wasn’t in the state of mind to really even pay attention. All I wanted to do was get back to my dorms and bury myself under my covers.

  Part of me wanted to be absolutely alone, left to my misery. The other part of me wanted to be able to at least talk to someone about what had happened. I started walking across campus towards the dorms, not even caring that I was by myself, not even worried about the imaginary monsters that lurked in the dark spaces between the safety lamps that shone down on the walkways. I took a turn automatically and fumbled at my pocket. I wanted to be alone, but I had to tell someone. I could only think of one person that I could possibly talk to about what had happened, what I had seen.

  I nearly dropped my phone in my nerveless, shaking hands and made myself stop. I was far enough away from the arena that there was no chance I could run into Devon leaving; I sat down on one of the benches, shivering and shuddering as sobs ripped up through my throat. I curled in on myself; I could still feel the tenderness, the ache between my legs, I could still feel the soreness in my hips. It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since I had had sex with Devon, and he was already onto the next girl, kissing someone as if he were as single as ever. Obviously I hadn’t meant anything to him at all. Clearly everyone had been right about him. He was just interested in getting me to have sex with him, and now that he had I might as well not exist at all.

  I sat crying for a little while—how long I couldn’t tell—gasping for breath as I sobbed. It hadn’t meant anything at all to him; all of his gentleness, how sweet he had been to me. All along, Devon had just been looking to get laid. The muscles in my abdomen started to ache from how hard I was crying; it slowly dawned on me that even though the campus was almost a ghost town, with everyone out partying or in the dorms or the Library, it didn’t mean that no one would come across me bawling my eyes out. I had to get back to the dorms, where at least I could be miserable in relative privacy.

  I took a deep breath, gulping down the lingering tears and unlocking my phone screen. I sniffled, trying to keep some kind of composure, as I went through my contacts. I didn’t want to be all alone, but I couldn’t think of anyone at all that I could actually talk to about what had happened. Almost no one knew how much having sex with someone would have mattered to me; I hadn’t exactly made it public that I was still a virgin when I started college. I stopped when I came to Kelly’s contact information. She was the only one who knew what was happening; she was the only one who knew that I’d slept with Devon. She had been the one to warn me about him first. She was the one I trusted the most. I opened up a text message and took another deep, shuddering breath.

  I’m sorry for yelling at you before, I wrote. You were totally right. I feel so shitty right now. I could use a friend if you’re not still mad at me. I hit send and looked around; it was a little bit creepy, the longer I stayed in the deserted part of the campus, how empty it was. During the day, there were people going to classes, people heading off campus to go to jobs or internships; now everything was dark, and while at least no one got to see me crying like a stupid kid, even the moths flying up into the safety lights looked sinister. I swallowed the lump in my throat, exhaling slowly.

  I nearly shrieked when my phone vibrated in my hands, and then started to cry over how stupid it was to be surprised when I had just texted someone. I opened my screen again; it was Kelly, just like I should have known it was. Of course, I’ll hang out. We’ll pig out and watch stupid trashy TV, get your mind off of things. I smiled to myself, wiping at my leaking eyes and dripping nose. I was so relieved that Kelly wasn’t still mad at me for going off on her that morning. But of course, she’d been right; why would she be mad about that?

  I wrote back that I’d meet her at the dorm and got up. My legs felt weirdly unsteady underneath me, and as I started off across campus once more I was unable to keep my brain from running around in circles. I remembered everything that the other girls had said about him: “He says exactly what a girl wants to hear,” “He acts like everything she says is interesting,” “He pretends like he never even met her.” I shook my head as my eyes began to sting again, telling myself not to lose it before I got back to my room.

  Somehow, in spite of the fact that I had managed for weeks to get from one end of the campus to the other just fine, I found myself lost in the twists and turns of the walkway. I groaned in frustration as I retraced my steps and found my way back to the main strand leading from the class buildings to the dorms, thankful that at least I hadn’t worn my stupid boots to the game. But the thought of the boots made me think of Devon, and my little flirting gripe to him about my feet the night before, and I found myself crying again; crying because I was lost, because I hated Devon, because I’d been stupid enough to have sex with a guy who didn’t even care about me and give him my virginity. All of that time that I’d put off having sex with someone because I wanted it to be right, and it had all gone through the window in the span of a couple of hours with Devon sweet-talking and flirting.

  I finally found my way back to the dorms and managed to swipe my ID card at the door, my legs throbbing from all the standing and walking I had done. I got onto the empty elevator, thinking that I almost would have preferred to just not even tell Kelly about what had happened, that I should have kept it all to myself. Then no one wo
uld know about how stupid I had been. I shivered in the elevator, hot and cold at the same time, berating myself for being naïve. How could I have even thought that a guy like Devon was interested in anything other than sex? Even before Kelly’s warning and what our other friends had said, I’d heard that Devon slept around. Oh god, we didn’t even use a condom. “He’s probably crawling with STDs.” Shit, I have to get tested. God, how am I even going to explain it to the nurse? I swallowed against the tight feeling in my throat, praying that no one would be in the hallway on my floor.

  For once, things turned out the way I wanted; the floor was absolutely deserted, everyone out partying or in their rooms studying. I hurried down the hallway and fumbled with my keys, almost dropping them just like I had my phone before I managed to get the door unlocked. Kelly hadn’t come back yet, which for a second seemed strange; I must have been wandering around campus less than I thought.

  I threw myself down onto the couch and closed my eyes, giving into the tears that I’d been holding back the entire time I’d been trying to get back to my room. Kelly would be back soon, and then I could tell her everything, and somehow she’d have the right advice for me. We’d pig out on junk food, and watch trashy TV, and I would be able just to put the whole stupid mess behind me.

  I stopped crying long enough to go into my part of the suite and rummage in my closet for my secret stash of goodies. If I ever needed them, this night was the night. I pulled everything out, my hands shaking and my eyes aching from how much I had already cried: Oreos, Goldfish crackers, candy bars. I gathered it all up into my arms and stumbled back out into the common area, nearly tripping over my own feet as I made my way back to the couch. I turned the TV on and tried to decide what I wanted to watch, ripping open the Oreos and crunching into one even as I shook. I had been such an idiot. I had been such a tool. How would I have given into Devon so easily? Any other guy I met I would have been able to cut things off at making out. I could have told him that I just wasn’t feeling it, and then gone home. If I hadn’t been so dazzled by the fact that he had been paying attention to me, I’d have actually used my brain, instead of thinking with my hormones.

  I sniffled, reaching out blindly for the tissues, and blew my nose as I flipped through the channels, wishing that Kelly would hurry up. I just wanted the whole night to be over; I wanted to pretend like I hadn’t even met Devon. I wanted to pretend like nothing had happened. I knew that I couldn’t, and I knew that I would be just as miserable when Kelly got back from wherever she was, but at least if Kelly was there I could tell someone how miserable I was. I started crying again when my channel surfing brought me to a replay of a history-making basketball game. Oh god, I can’t even think about basketball without feeling like a stupid idiot, I thought, changing the channel quickly onto something else. Kelly couldn’t get back to the dorms fast enough.

  Chapter Two

  “Hey, girl,” Kelly said, coming into the room quickly and sitting down next to me. “I ordered us a pizza with the works. Do you want a beer? I have some in my room.” I shook my head, curling up against her on the couch.

  “I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and have this whole stupid thing be a dream that never actually happened.” Kelly hugged me, rubbing my shoulder.

  “I know. It sucks, babe. Guys are all scum.” I nodded, feeling the tears coming again. “What happened?”

  I swallowed my tears and told her about it; I had gone to the game, hoping I might get a chance to talk to Devon and at least find out how he felt about me. “I thought at least—you know—I’d have an answer, one way or the other,” I told her about what the other girls had said about him, and Kelly nodded. “And then just when I figured he must have left already, and I was an idiot for hanging around, I turned the corner and saw him ki-kissing some g-g-girl…” I started sobbing and buried my face against one of the throw pillows, shaking all over. It wasn’t just that he was kissing someone; it was somehow more than that. If Devon had told me the night before that it was just sex, I could almost be okay with it. I could have taken it as the sort of thing that happened in college—you lost your virginity on a whim—and moved on. But he’d been so nice to me, and it hadn’t meant anything.

  The pizza came, and Kelly went downstairs to the lobby to sign for it while I washed my face and shoved Goldfish crackers into my mouth. With her out of the room, my thoughts began to spin again; I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t even stopped him to tell him he had to wear a condom or else we’d have to stop right then. The pill was all well and good for keeping me from getting knocked up, but it didn’t do a damn thing to keep me from getting herpes or HPV or anything like that.

  Kelly brought the pizza in, throwing herself back onto the couch next to me and urging me to grab the first slice. “Get the biggest one,” she suggested with a little grin.

  “Did you get a receipt?” I asked, even as I reached for the slice. “I’ll give you five bucks or whatever half is.” Kelly shrugged.

  “It’s no big deal. This is gift pizza, and I wouldn’t let you pay me back for it.” I smiled at her, biting into my slice.

  “God, I feel so stupid. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve been able just to tell him to give me time or something.”

  “Guys are like that, though,” Kelly said, digging into her own piece. “There isn’t a single one I’ve ever met that wouldn’t try and get into your pants however he could.”

  “Yeah, but that never works on me!” I countered. “I’ve told so many guys I wasn’t ready, and I’ve managed to not be stupid about it. Fucking Devon Sealy manages to talk me out of my panties in what—two hours?” I put my pizza down and went into the communal mini-fridge for a coke.

  “Beer is better. Come on, Jenn—it’s not like you’re against underage drinking.” I shrugged.

  “Considering what drinking got me last night, I think I’ll pass.” I sat back down and took a break from pizza to eat a piece of chocolate.

  “Let’s stop talking about Devon for a bit,” Kelly suggested. “I mean guys are super dumb no matter who they are.” For a while we exchanged gripes about guys in general; how they always seemed to think they could talk you into doing something that you didn’t want to do, how they thought it was the height of cleverness to catcall. The campus had cracked down on that, but it still happened.

  For a while, I was able to forget Devon, but my brain went back around to him again and again. Guys, in general, sucked, but Devon sucked more than usual. Guys had failed to convince me to give it up for them, even after dating me for weeks or months—but Devon had manipulated me into giving it up in hours. It wasn’t fair. “I feel like such a fucking idiot,” I said, shaking my head. “I really thought I was special, that he couldn’t possibly be that nice and sweet to someone who didn’t matter to him.” Kelly hugged me again.

  “Don’t beat yourself up about it. Devon has pulled that trick on so many girls; he’s an expert at it. You slept with him because you thought he cared about you, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “I’m still an idiot,” I said weakly. “I didn’t even make him wear a condom. What’s wrong with me? It’s like everything I ever stood for just went straight out the window because Devon fucking Sealy thought I was cute.” Kelly laughed.

  “Dude, that happens all the time. If it wasn’t Devon Sealy, it might have been someone else. At least you got a good lay your first time around.” She told me about her first time, and how the guy she had been with—someone we both knew from our high school—had nearly missed the right hole when he started thrusting. I started to feel a little bit better as Kelly told me about all of her disastrous escapades in the bedroom; about the guy who had been shocked that women actually had pubic hair, instead of being naturally bare, and the guy who had refused to go down on her but expected her to go down on him.

  “Okay, okay,” I said, laughing. “So guys all suck. We should just all be lesbians. It’s obvious to me now.”
Kelly laughed with me.

  “Wouldn’t it be so much easier? I wish I was attracted to women.” She shook her head. “You know what we should totally do?” I frowned, curious and confused.

  “If you’re about to say ‘be each other’s girlfriend’ I’m not actually into women either.” Kelly laughed out loud, shaking her head.

  “God no—think how weird that would make everything! I don’t even know if they’d let us be roommates if we were into each other.” She laughed again. “No, what we totally need to do is get revenge on that bastard.”

  “What kind of revenge?” I asked, curious and horrified and intrigued all at the same time.

  “Hmm. What would be the best way to get back at him?” Kelly thought about it, gnawing on the crust of her slice of pizza. “You could tell everyone he’s got a really tiny dick.” I rolled my eyes.

  “No one even knows that I slept with him, first of all—I mean, except him, me, and you. I’d have to admit that I’d been stupid enough to sleep with him if I wanted to spread that rumor around. Besides, apparently he’s slept with everyone; they’d know I was lying.” Kelly grinned.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. Well, what else is there?” she considered.

  “I don’t know; it seems petty to try and get revenge.” Kelly looked at me sharply.

  “He hurt you—doesn’t a little part of you want to get back at him for that?” I chewed on an Oreo, thinking about it. There was a part of me—a little voice in the back of my head—that said that it would feel good to make him feel as shitty as he had made me feel. But at the same time, I couldn’t really say that it was right to do it.

  “Well yeah,” I said, shrugging. “Of course I want to get back at him. I just…” I sighed.

  “Oh! I know what you can do. You don’t even have to admit you slept with him; you could just spread the rumor that he’s got herpes or something. That way no one will ever sleep with him.”