“Don’t blame me.” Eddie shakes his fork at me. “You’re the one who decided to get crazy and drink a fifth of whiskey after Sky left.”
“Let’s not talk about her, please,” I grumble, feeling like a total asshole after how I treated her at the apartment last night.
I do crazy shit and have no fucking filter when I drink.
Taking Renee—I think her name was Renee—there was a mistake. The rule about no sex in the apartment was made clear to me, but I thought Sky would still be out with Miley somewhere, not giving a shit about what I did. After all, she seemed to be getting just what she wanted. Luke all but pissed on her to mark his territory.
I wanted to kiss her. She smelled so fucking amazing, and her body was against mine…she’s been driving me crazy all week, and she doesn’t even know it. When I’m not with her, I think about her, so when the opportunity presented itself for me to let her know I was into her, she shut me down. It was like she couldn’t get away from me fast enough and run right to my fucking brother. It told me she has no interest in me, and whether I like it or not, my brother’s going to end up with one more thing that should’ve been mine.
The more I thought about Luke and Sky together last night, the more I drank, which is what led me to the damn whiskey and hooking up with some random girl who was very into me.
I needed to forget.
I didn’t mean to rub it in Sky’s face since she didn’t want me, someone else would, but a part of me liked she saw me with another girl. At the time, I wanted to hurt her a little like she hurt me, but looking back, I see it only made me look like a douche.
“Sky’s really pretty,” Jamie chimes in as she plops another pancake on my plate. “It would be nice to go on double dates with you again. Remember how much fun we used to have? Ever since Megan—”
“Jamie,” Eddie warns her, effectively cutting her off. He offers me an apologetic smile.
Eddie knows the subject of my ex is sooooo fucking far off-limits. I never knew what the true meaning of hate was until the shit with Megan went down. I hate her.
She shrugs. “All I’m saying is it’s too bad Sky likes Luke.”
“Yeah,” I mutter as I stab my pancake, hating that fact.
“Speaking of your roommate…why didn’t you sleep downstairs last night?” Jamie asks.
“I couldn’t find my key and didn’t want to wake her up.” I know it’s a lie, but it’s easier to tell my friends that than admit to what happened last night when I tried to bring a random home.
I don’t want them to know I was afraid to face Sky after what I’d done. When I sobered up and called an Uber to pick me up from Renee’s apartment, I came here instead.
I know I won’t be able to avoid Sky forever, but after seeing the expression of disgust on her face last night when she saw me…I’m not anxious to see it again.
Sky
Baker never came home last night. I tossed and turned in my bed all night, and when I finally got up around seven, I checked his room. His bed was never slept in.
My stomach turns when I think about Baker and the blonde together, and it pisses me off that him being with someone else bothers me so much. I have to stop obsessing over the situation and what I’m going to say when I see him.
I sigh, take a seat at the small table in the kitchen, and dive into my Early Modern Literature and Culture textbook. I need to focus on something else.
I’m about five chapters in when Baker comes through the front door carrying a sack full of groceries. When he passes me, my heart races as I wonder how this conversation is about to go between us.
His brown eyes shift to me, and there’s tension around his eyes. “Hey. Did you eat dinner yet?”
I shake my head and glance down at my phone and notice it’s nearly five already. “No. I’ve been busy studying all day.”
Baker nods as he sets the bag on the counter. “What do you feel like having? Hamburgers or grilled chicken?”
I shrug my shoulders and try my best to act as indifferent as he is. “You really don’t have to cook for me, Baker.”
“I want to,” he says. “It’s the least I can do after last night. I was drunk, and it’s not a great excuse, but I’m sorry for bringing my…friend by. It wasn’t cool.” He pauses for a beat as he gauges my expression.
It’s not hard to see the sincerity in his eyes. He feels bad, and I appreciate the apology, even though he didn’t attempt to bring up our almost kiss. Which makes me wonder if I was reading into the situation too much. Maybe he wasn’t actually going to kiss me, and I imagined the whole thing. I need to let this go and move on. He’s my friend, not my boyfriend, so I cannot be jealous.
“It’s fine. Everyone messes up. I forgive you…just don’t bring anyone else home.”
“You have my word.”
“Okay.”
He takes a deep breath and releases it. “Whew. You don’t know how much I dreaded that conversation. I was prepared for you to throw my ass out.”
I give him a small smile. “I can’t kick you out yet. I still need you to help me out with your brother.”
“Looked like the two of you hit it off pretty well last night. He noticed you, so I think my job’s done.”
“He did ask me out,” I admit. “But…”
“But, what? I thought that was the goal of our little arrangement.”
“It was, but I’m not sure if I’m prepared to date someone like Luke. He seems pretty intense, and if what you said before is true, then he wants to sleep with me.”
Baker rolls his brown eyes as he gets to work making hamburger patties. “Of course he does. He wouldn’t be talking to you in the first place if he didn’t want to fuck you. I told you to expect that.”
“I know you did, but it doesn’t mean thinking about taking that next step with Luke doesn’t freak me out.”
He furrows his brow. “Why? I mean, sex is the whole point of dating.”
“No, it’s not,” I argue. “The point of dating is to get to know one another.”
“Huh.” Baker huffs, like that’s news to him. “I’m not sure the rest of the male population knows that. When we date a girl, our mission is to figure out when she’s going to bang us, not to get to know her favorite color and shit like that. The only people who think like that are virg—” He cuts himself off mid-sentence, and his eyes cut to me. There’s silence between us, and he studies me like it’s the first time he’s laid eyes on me. “Are you a virgin, Sky?”
Every muscle in my body tightens. I’m not exactly embarrassed about my sexual status. I’m proud I’ve managed to hold out for the right guy, but for some reason admitting to Baker I’ve never had sex before gives me pause. I don’t want him to laugh at me.
“Sky?” His eyes are wide with curiosity as he waits for my answer.
“Yes,” I answer and then turn my eyes back down to my book, not wanting to see his expression.
When he doesn’t immediately burst into laughter, I drag my gaze back up to face him. He stands there with his lips parted and his eyes fixated on me. The way he’s looking at me causes my pulse to kick up a notch.
Finally, he shakes his head as if waking himself out of a trance. “My brother doesn’t fucking deserve you.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” I question.
“Because it’s true. You need to be with a guy who will worship you, and the only person my brother thinks highly of is himself. You’re too good for him.”
“But, I’m not…”
“Trust me. You are. Luke will never treat you the way you should be treated. You need a man who will appreciate you and not just for your smokin’ hot body but also for how thoughtful you are. I think you should reconsider your feelings when it comes to him, maybe find someone else better suited for you.”
I take in a shaky breath, and it takes everything inside me to stop from asking if he’s better suited for me. After he went home with another girl last night, I highly doubt Baker Finnegan has an
y interest in me. So, I save myself the embarrassment and keep my thoughts to myself.
11
Sky
Today has been sort of a strange day. Baker and I seemed to have made up, though we’ve never discussed our almost kiss, which leads me further to believe I was simply imagining the entire thing. Surely if he were really into me, he would’ve said something by now. Instead, here we sit on my living room couch, watching Netflix and eating popcorn since we’re both a little hungover and have no plans on this Saturday night.
The credits of Pretty Woman roll, and Baker stretches his muscled arms above his head. “That movie was horrible,” he complains. “There was absolutely no point to it.”
“What do you mean? It was a classic romantic comedy, not an action, shoot ‘em up movie like the last one you picked,” I throw back at him.
“Well, at least there was a goal in mine. The characters were actually going after something.”
“They had a goal…they were just going for love. That was their prize and the ending was perfect for a love story.”
“Love is overrated,” Baker grumbles. “It’s fake, and companies make millions selling this dream to people who believe it exists.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Companies?”
“Yeah. Movie companies, authors, candy factories at Valentine’s Day. You know, just another thing for people to make money from.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you really that cynical?”
“Yes,” he answers simply.
I raise my eyebrows at his ease at answering the question so easily, and my interest is definitely piqued. “You’ve never been in love before?”
He’s quiet for a moment, and his gaze flits down to study his hands. “Once…at least I thought I was. Turns out the feelings were not fucking mutual, and she dragged me through hell and back.”
I touch his shoulder, not liking the idea of some girl breaking his heart. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Baker. Was it…?”
I let my question trail off because I so badly want to ask if he’s possibly referring to the brunette we spotted driving the fancy sports car, but he said she’s off-limits.
So instead of asking about the particular girl, I change up my question. “Did this happen recently?”
He shakes his head. “It was over a year ago. I’m over it now, but I sure as hell am never repeating my same mistake again and falling for someone who has her eyes on someone else.”
My eyes widen. “Did she cheat on you?”
I can’t imagine any girl in her right mind would cheat on Baker. He’s the complete package: tall, muscled, has a boyish grin that’s irresistible, and has a big heart…once you get past his rough around the edges, grumpy exterior, he’s really quite charming.
“Something like that…” He trails off and flicks his deep brown eyes up toward the ceiling. “I don’t like talking about her or the situation. It’s too fucked up.”
We’re both quiet, but I’m dying to know more details. Call me nosy or whatever, but I want to know more about the man I’m currently living with. My brain is alive with curiosity, and I can’t let this opportunity slip past me without at least trying to get some info.
“Can I ask one thing?”
He leans his head back against the couch and then closes his eyes. At first, I think he’s going to deny my request, but he surprises me when he says, “Sure.”
Scenarios race through my mind, and I have to ask the one question burning inside me after something Jamie mentioned at the party and the way Baker and Luke seem to be fighting over something. “Did this girl…did she cheat on you with Luke?”
“No.”
When he doesn’t elaborate, I nudge for more information. “Then what are the two of you fighting about?”
“It’s complicated.”
I sit up and turn my body toward him, resting my arm on the couch and leaning my head in my hand, ready for the story. “How so?”
“Sky…can we please not discuss this?”
“I’m sorry, but if I want to give this thing with Luke a fair shot, I need to know what happened between the two of you.”
“And if I tell you, and you don’t like what you hear, will you be finished chasing after my brother?”
As I mull over his words, he rolls his head over on the couch and locks eyes with me. He searches my face as if he’s trying to figure out what I’m thinking. Baker has been nothing but sweet to me, and I know what my answer to his question is.
“If Luke did you wrong, then yes, I’d be over him.”
His eyes widen a bit with my admission. “You’d really do that?”
“Yes, silly. You’re my friend, and I can’t, in good conscience, date someone who’s been an asshole to one of my friends.”
“Friends…” His tone is odd when he says the word. It’s almost like he doesn’t like the taste of it on his tongue. “You really think that’s what we are?”
My heart races, and the air is suddenly electric. So I wasn’t imagining that almost kiss after all, but it still doesn’t change the fact that once I pick one of the Finnegan brothers, there’s no going back. And I’m not sure I know either one of them well enough at this point to make that kind of decision. I don’t want to screw up my shot with Luke if Baker and I only have sexual tension. I want a real connection before I make up my mind.
I push myself up from the couch. “You want a drink before we start the next movie?”
Baker frowns.
It’s clear whatever little moment we were just sharing, I just broke the spell.
A text chimes in on my phone. Baker’s eyes flick to where it’s sitting on the couch where I was just sitting. “You might want to get that. My brother wants to know what you’re up to.”
I bite the bottom of my lower lip as I pick up the phone. I tap out a quick reply to Luke, telling him I’m up to nothing, and then ask him the same question.
Baker shoves his large frame up and then stretches his toned arms. “I’m going to head out for the night.”
This time, I’m the one who frowns. “You don’t want to watch another movie?”
“Nah. I’m movied out, and Milo wants to go out and grab a beer.”
“Oh. Okay,” I respond, seeing I’m being dismissed.
When Baker walks out the door, I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach I hurt him and that sucks. I don’t mean to. I’ve just harbored this crush for Luke for so long, I want to see if there’s actually anything between us. When I invited Baker into my life to gain his help, I never pictured something might develop between us. There is a connection, but I’m not sure how serious Baker would take a relationship. He doesn’t seem like a one-woman kind of guy. I mean, I can’t get the image out of my head of him standing in my doorway with another girl. It’s hard to take him as more than just an enormous flirt after that.
On the other hand, Luke does seem like the one girl at a time kind of guy from what I’ve observed. Sure, he’s dated multiple girls since this crazy obsession of mine started with him, but I can overlook that because he’s obviously never found the right one to get serious about. Someone like me.
My cell chirps again.
Luke: I thought about you all night. I wish you hadn’t left so soon. I was looking forward to talking with you more at the party.
I bite my lip as I type my response. He missed me? That’s a very good sign.
Me: I had another party to be at.
A complete lie, but I’m not telling him the real reason I ran out of the party so soon. I mean, telling him, “sorry I ran off because I thought your brother wanted to kiss me, and I wasn’t exactly sure how I feel about kissing him back” might not be the best thing to tell him.
Luke: Gotcha. Maybe we should plan something to ensure I get more time with you next time I see you.
Me: Are you asking me out?
Luke: I am. What do you say? Feel like going out tonight?
As tempting as that sounds, it’s already pretty late, and when I
have my first date with Luke, I’d like a little more advanced notice. This request seems too casual and spur of the moment. Where would we go at nearly ten at night? Besides, I don’t want him to think I’m desperate to go out with him, even though I am. I want a real date with him, not to be his hookup buddy, which I’ve learned late-night let’s-get-together texts are all about, according to Miley.
Me: It’s a little late tonight. Some other time?
Three dots appear and I await his response, hoping he understands.
Luke: Sorry. Guess I didn’t realize how late it was. How about tomorrow?
Me: Can’t. Working at the library and have plans for dinner with my friend.
Miley would kill me if I cancel our weekly Sunday evening dinner. We have so much to catch up on after the weekend I’ve had.
Luke: Next weekend? Please don’t say no. You’ll break my heart if you’re blowing me off. My ego is very fragile.
That earns a smile from me. I like knowing he’s feeling vulnerable by putting himself out there to me. It’s cute and makes me believe I am on the right track about Luke being a nice guy interested in more than just sex with me.
Me: Absolutely.
Luke: You have made my night. Text me your address and I’ll pick you up Saturday at six.
Me: Sounds perfect.
I flop back on my couch with the biggest grin on my face. It’s finally happening. I’m finally going on a date with Luke Finnegan, and everything’s going to plan thanks to Baker’s help. Scrolling through my contacts, I’m about to text Baker to thank him for his help, but it feels wrong to do that. Instead, I lay my phone on my chest and let out an elated sigh. It’s finally happening.
12
Baker
“Do you come here a lot?” I ask as I watch Sky stretch in preparation to work out.
“Yeah. It’s kind of been like a second home to me here on campus.” She takes her left hand and pulls her right arm across her chest. “I’ve never seen you in here before, though. Where do you typically work out?”
Rebellious and Reckless: College Sports Romance Stand-Alone (Campus Hotshots Book 1): Campus Hotshots Page 7