Baker flips the light off, leaving us in the darkness. “Good night, Sky.”
Now, I finally have my answer on which brother I need to give my heart to.
20
Sky
Sitting in the campus cafeteria on Monday with Miley, I still can’t shake the sting of rejection I feel from Baker. The way home Sunday was strange, and Baker left again as soon as we arrived at our apartment. It’s obvious he’s avoiding me, and things are weird between us.
“So tell me, was Baker a total badass in the ring?” Miley asks, clamoring for details about my weekend.
“He was intense. He’s really something.”
Miley frowns after she takes a drink of her soda. “Okay. What’s up?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re explaining this like you’re telling me about getting a pap smear. You’re not yourself. Tell me what happened.”
“Nothing happened,” I lie, feeling embarrassed to tell my best friend I was ready to hand over my virginity to Baker on a silver platter, and he rejected me so fast it made my head spin.
She levels her stare on me. “Sky…”
“Okay.” I sigh. “Baker was truly magnificent in the ring. He was all beast-like and a little scary, but definitely hot—sexy hot, and that’s the problem. I think I’m falling for him.”
Her face lights up like a child on Christmas morning. “This is great news! Why does your face look like someone ran over a sack of puppies? You should be deliriously happy. You like him, and I can tell by the way he looks at you that he’s into you.”
“But he’s not, though.” I attempt to stop her. “He told me himself.”
Her brow furrows with an expression of bewilderment. “Explain. Now. Because I know chemistry, and the two of you have it.”
I lick my dry lips. “After the fight, we decided to get a hotel instead of making the four-hour drive back since it was so late. Baker and I ended up sharing a room…sharing a bed.”
“Oh, my God. Did you have sex with him?” she shrieks.
“Shhhhh.” I glance around, embarrassed. “No. We kissed, and I told him I wanted to do more, but he shut me down. He told me there would never be anything between us and then got up and slept in the chair in the room. We’ve barely spoken since then, so I’m not even sure we’re friends anymore. At least, not the way we were before.”
Miley leans back in her chair and raises her brow. “Well…that’s…I don’t know what to say, Sky. I know how big of a deal having sex is to you, and I’m sorry this happened to you. Baker isn’t the guy I thought he was. Truth be told, I was secretly rooting for you and him to finally realize you two were into one another, but it appears I was wrong. Perhaps Luke is who you’re supposed to be with after all.”
I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Luke and I are going out Saturday. The frat is having an 80s theme party. You should come with us.”
“How about I meet you there? Three’s a crowd when it comes to dates.” She grins. “Besides, car rides are excellent opportunities for a little one-on-one time.” She glances over my shoulder. “Speaking of alone time, Luke’s on his way over, and I have to get to class. Good luck.” She makes a kissy noise at me as she grabs her bag and heads for the door.
“Is she coming back?” Luke asks as he wraps his fingers around the empty chair in front of me and pulls it out so he can sit down.
“No. She had class.”
Luke reaches across the table and grabs my hand in his. “I missed you over the weekend. What did you do with Baker Saturday?”
“We went to a boxing exhibition,” I tell him honestly, but omit the fact Baker was fighting since he doesn’t want Luke or his father to know any of his business.
Even though we’re not on the best of terms right now, I don’t want to betray his trust. I still consider us friends, even if he doesn’t want to speak to me anymore.
“I was told he was in training to be a fighter.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“There’s not much people aren’t willing to tell me when it comes to dirt they’ve dug up on my brother. Guys love to gossip, contrary to popular beliefs.”
Luke threads his fingers through mine, openly holding my hand for all to see. “I know we have plans to go to the 80s party at the frat Saturday, but I don’t know if I can wait that long to spend time with you.”
I bite my bottom lip. “What do you have in mind?”
“Want to go out tonight?”
I frown a bit. “I have so much homework and studying to do, I should really stay in tonight. I had a busy weekend and didn’t really get a chance to do much.”
“I have something going on tomorrow, but how about Wednesday? I would love to take you to dinner and have some conversation. What do you say?”
I smile, loving the idea he is interested in getting to know me as a person. I knew he wasn’t only into having sex with me. Goes to prove Baker isn’t right about everything. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Maybe everything does happen for a reason, and maybe this is where I am exactly supposed to be.
Luke walks me to my apartment after spending two hours sitting in the cafeteria getting to know each other. Our hands remained connected the entire time. He’s easy to talk to, and he’s so dang easy on the eyes. So far, he’s everything I dreamed him up to be in my mind—a perfect gentleman.
We make it to the breezeway of my building. “This is me.”
Luke’s eyes flit to the stairs and then to the second floor. “This explains how you met Baker. Eddie lives right above you. I know he stayed with him after he moved out of the house, saying he couldn’t stand to be near me.”
For the first time, I see a flicker of sadness in Luke’s blue eyes and feel the immediate need to comfort him. “It’s not your fault—what happened between your father and brother—and I’m sorry you’ve been put into the middle of the turmoil.”
He gives me a sad smile. “All I want is for them to make up. I miss my family. It’s been so hard with Mom not being here. Dad loved her. I know he did. But when she died, he lost his mind. I don’t think he meant to move in on Megan, and if I’m being honest, I don’t believe it was Dad who made the first move. Megan was a cleat chaser, and my dad is a huge fish to catch. She’s even been making passes at me lately when Dad isn’t at the house. Baker refuses to hear me out and let me explain to him that he should forgive Dad. He wasn’t thinking clearly when he slept with Megan, and I know if he hadn’t got her pregnant, he wouldn’t be with her now. He knows he made a mistake, and he feels horrible, but Baker won’t come within fifty feet of him to allow him to plead his case and beg his forgiveness.”
“Baker is really hurt, and I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to get over what’s happened. He even told me discussing parents was an off-limit topic when it comes to our friendship, and I didn’t understand why he was so hung up on that until he told me about your father and Megan. After that, I understood.”
“I don’t like seeing him unhappy. I want to fix things, but every time I try, it blows up in my face and gets Baker pissed at me. I’m really not picking sides, and I never said what Dad did was okay, I just want them to remember they love each other before something happens to one of them, and they have to live with the regret of never being able to fix what’s broken between them.”
All this time, I felt so sorry for Baker that I never stopped to think about how the rift in the family was affecting Luke. He’s tore up about things too. It makes me feel sorry for all of them…except for Megan, that is. She sounds evil.
I give his hand a squeeze. “Maybe someday things will turn around.”
“Let’s hope,” he says and then sighs. “I’m sorry to bring down the good time we’re having with such a heavy conversation.”
“It’s okay. I like getting to know you.”
“Me too.” He smiles, and then leans in and presses his lips to mine.
His arms wrap around me, and he pulls me in close
as he deepens our kiss. I close my eyes and do my best to block out the thoughts of Baker flitting through my mind, reminding myself that Baker isn’t interested in me.
Luke pulls back and smiles. “How do you feel about coming to watch me play Saturday afternoon? I’ll get you a ticket.”
I smile, loving the idea he’s ready to invite me to witness his greatness on the field. It’s a good sign he’s really into me for more than sex. “I’d like that.”
“Great. I’ll have a ticket waiting for you at will-call.” He gives me one final kiss before pulling away. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“Okay.”
I stand there for a moment, watching him walk away as he glances back over his shoulder and grins before he’s out of sight.
Tuesday comes and goes, and I’ve hardly seen Baker since the night we spent together in the hotel. We’ve gone from spending nearly all of our free time together to barely speaking. If I’d known that kiss would’ve ended our friendship, I would’ve never said I liked him more than a friend. I freaked him out with my feelings, and now I wish I could take everything I said back. I would rather have him as a friend than not have him in my life at all. I miss our conversations, working out together at the gym, and the fun banter we shared…I just miss my friend.
The smooth fabric of my dress slides under my fingertips as I give myself a final once-over in the mirror. My dark hair is down, rolling in soft waves past my shoulders, complementing the blue in my eyes and dress. This is my first official date with Luke, and I want to look perfect for him.
After I slip on my heels, I make my way into the living room. I’m surprised to find Baker sitting at the kitchen table with an open book in front of him.
His brown eyes go wide when he looks up at me and his lips part a bit.
“I didn’t know you were here,” I tell him as I step up in front of him. “But I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about what happened the other night at the hotel.”
“Look, Sky, I know I’ve been a jerk lately by ignoring you. I’m sorry. I really am, and I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I thought it was best—”
I hold my hand up and cut him off. “You don’t have to say it, and I agree. We’re friends, and that’s all we’ll ever be. I get it. I wish I never told you I wanted more. It was a dumb thing to say, and I wish I could take it back. We’re better as friends. I realize that now, which is why I’m going out with Luke tonight. I forgot in the heat of the moment that night the only reason we became friends was for this very purpose—for me to date your brother. And I’m sorry I made things uncomfortable for you by pushing you into having…relations with me.”
He gives me a sad smile. “Relations? What are you, eighty?”
I roll my eyes. “Ha. Ha. Seriously, are we okay?”
He nods. “Yeah, gorgeous, we’re good.”
I lean down and give him a hug. “Excellent, because I’ve missed you.”
He sighs into my hair as he wraps his arms around me to squeeze me back. “I’ve missed you too.”
Before we can say more, there’s a knock on the door.
I pull away and straighten my dress. “That’s Luke. How do I look?”
I stand back and wait for his inspection.
He swallows hard as his eyes trail down my body and then back up to my face. “You look amazing. You always do, though.”
I smile at him as I turn to open the door. Standing there in a blue oxford with a handful of red roses is Luke.
He releases a low whistle the moment he spots me. “Wow. You’re stunning.” He hands me the flowers. “These are for you.”
“Thank you,” I tell him as I take them from him. “Let me put these in some water really fast, and we can get going. Come in.”
I push the door open wider, and Luke steps inside, immediately spotting Baker. “Hey, brother.”
“Luke,” Baker answers stiffly.
“You know your room at the frat is still open if you want to come back.”
Baker narrows his eyes. “Why are you bringing that up? Don’t like me living here with your girlfriend?”
Luke glances at me briefly before turning his focus back to his brother. “Obviously, Sky and I are not to that point yet, but if things continue to go the way I think they will, it won’t be long before we’re exclusive. And to your point, yeah, it will bother me to know you live with her.”
Baker leans back in his chair and crosses his muscled, tattooed arms across his chest. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Sky’s a good girl, and I’m going to stick around until I’m sure you’re going to treat her the way she deserves.”
Luke doesn’t seem intimidated by Baker’s icy glare. “That won’t be a problem, but I don’t think that’s really any of your concern. Sky is an intelligent woman capable of making her own mind up about me without you sticking around as a chaperone.”
Tension floats in the air, and I know how volatile things can get between these two, so I intervene to shut this argument down before it escalates any further. Setting the flowers on the counter, I say, “Okay. I think we should get going, Luke.”
Luke pulls his stare away from Baker and then reaches for my hand. “Let’s go.”
He doesn’t say another word to Baker, but I call out a goodbye to him as we head through the front door.
I don’t know what Baker’s problem is. He’s acting just like my big brother, Simon, who’s done nothing but chase off every guy who has ever shown any interest in me since I was old enough to take an interest in boys, and that always pissed me off. It’s the reason I never had a boyfriend in high school. Between my dad and my brother, no guy would even breathe in my direction. It’s one of the main reason’s I chose to come to Columbus University. It’s far away from the men in my life who do their best to bar me from having a relationship with the opposite sex, and I don’t like that Baker is acting the same way.
In the parking lot, Luke leads me toward a big white truck with oversized tires, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise. “This is yours?”
He gives me a proud smile. “Yeah. It’s impractical, I know, but it was a high school graduation gift from my father. I was always obsessed with trucks like this from the time I was little, so my dad got me one.” He pauses when he sees my face. “Something wrong?”
I shake my head. “Of course not. I’m just surprised is all. I didn’t expect this to be your taste.”
It hits me then just how much I know nothing about Luke Finnegan.
He tilts his head, curiosity on his face. “What did you expect?”
“I’m not sure, maybe a BMW or something, I guess.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “That’s what every girl I’ve ever taken out says. It must be all the preppy clothes I wear. My drive to look good apparently clashes with the part of me that wants to have fun.” He opens the door and then holds his hand out to me. “Come on. I’ll help you up.”
Luke all but hoists me up into the truck. It’s so tall—it’s difficult to be graceful in a dress climbing up into the thing.
Luke drives us through town until we reach Hyde, the elegant steak house in downtown Columbus. The valet grins, clearly excited to drive the truck when Luke tosses him the keys. He practically has to catch me in his arms when I jump out of the vehicle.
Luke laughs as he sets me onto the ground. “I’m going to have to get you a ladder to get in and out of this thing.”
I smile. “Looks that way.”
He takes my hand and leads me inside and the hostess seats us right away after Luke gives his name. The waitress fills our glasses with water and hands us menus.
“I recommend the filet,” Luke tells me.
“Okay. Sounds good,” I answer.
Luke then proceeds to order for the both of us, only pausing to ask how I like my steak and what type of salad dressing I preferred.
Once we’re alone, Luke takes a sip of his water and then eyes me over the glass.
Feeling self-conscious under the weight of his stare, I ask, “Is there something wrong?”
He simply shrugs. “I’m trying to figure you out. I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but I really can’t get over how jealous Baker is over you.”
“No he’s not,” I deny. “Baker isn’t into me. He told me himself when I cornered him about it.”
Luke’s eyes scan my face. “I hope you’re right because I don’t want to do anything that will piss him off at me any further. If he likes you, he should tell me, and I’ll back off.”
The worry in Luke’s eyes is apparent. I pause for a moment, wondering if I should tell him how Baker rejected me in the hotel, but I decide it’s best not to lay all those personal details out for him. “Trust me. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to Baker and me.”
When I walk through the door of my apartment, Baker sits up on the couch and rubs his eyes as though I’ve just woken him up. “How’d your date go?”
“Can we not talk about this?” I ask as I remove my heels and head toward my bedroom.
Baker follows me down the hall. “Why not? Did it not go well? Did he hurt you?”
The concern in his voice is evident.
I shake my head. “No, of course not, Luke was a perfect gentleman. He was, however, concerned about you.”
His head snaps back. “Why?”
“He noticed you seemed pissed we were going out, and Luke explained as much as he likes me, he doesn’t want to damage his relationship with you any further if him dating me pisses you off. He said if you wanted him to, he would back off.” I throw my shoes into the closet. “I told him that I didn’t know what your problem was and you are not interested in me—you told me yourself.”
Baker’s lips pull into a tight line. “I’m sorry, Sky. I shouldn’t have been a dick to him when he was here. I know you like him, and if you want to continue to date him, I will be on my best behavior from now on.”
Rebellious and Reckless: College Sports Romance Stand-Alone (Campus Hotshots Book 1): Campus Hotshots Page 12