Page 27 of His Stubborn Girl

The butterflies start whippingtheir little wings around when I see Lukas’s name lighting up my screen. I swipe right and answer.

“Hey!” I try to sound normal and not like the giddy little girl who’s doing a happy dance over the fact that he’s calling me.

“Hey, babe.” And I melt right down onto my bed. “So, I had a change of plans. Instead of me coming over there, what if I pick you up and we grab dinner then come back to my house for the movie marathon?”

“What? You don’t want to be seen hanging out with your little sister in the dorms?” Though, I kind of understand. My place is nowhere near as spacious, and my bed is way too small for the both of us.

He chuckles through the line and the deep rumble soothes my soul.

“I like hanging out with my sister. I think she’s cool as shit. What I don’t like is the idea of anyone hearing her make those sexy little noises as I get her off. Travis is going to be out with your roommate tonight, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.”

And now my panties are soaked.

“What time are you coming to get me?”

“I’m gonna shower up real quick then swing by. Can you be ready in thirty?”

“Been ready all day.”

His answering groan has me squeezing my legs together. If he weren’t coming to get me soon, I’d have to run my fingers between my legs and take care of the aching problem.

“Make that twenty. And pack a bag, Torre. You’re staying the night.”

As soon as we hang up, I squeal into my pillow. He wants me to spend the night. This is really happening.

19

Lukas

“Did you get enough to eat, babe?”

She nods, patting her stomach, which is still flat after taking down a whole pizza.

“I don’t know how you stay so thin. You eat as much as me.”

“Cheerleading,” she says, and then the corners of her lips turn down. “I mean, it used to be cheer. I guess I should start going to the gym so I don’t gain the freshman fifteen.” Even if she gained fifteen pounds, I still don’t think anyone would notice.

“Do you miss it? When you’re at the games? Do you regret your decision?” It used to be her life. Every day she’d be making up new routines. Every weekend going to competitions. Ever since she was little, she wanted to be a professional cheerleader, so I don’t understand how she could suddenly give it all up. I’ve never thought twice about football, and she was even more passionate than me.

Her eyes turn down, her fingers playing with the bottom of her shirt. I think she regrets her decision, but she doesn’t want to admit it.

“I can’t watch the cheerleaders,” she admits, her voice so thick with sadness. “I wanted it so much.”

I reach out, tipping her chin up, needing to see her eyes. They’re filled with tears. “Then why did you let it go, babe? I saw you out there. You were the best one. There was no way you weren’t going to make the team. Even Stacey told me you were a shoo-in on the squad.”

Her shoulders stiffen at the mention of Stacey’s name, and I feel like that girl is somehow the cause of why Torrin walked out on her tryouts.

“Did Stacey say something to you?” The girl was a bitch to her the first day, cutting Torre down left and right, when my sister was doing everything with perfection. That’s why I stepped in. To get her jealous ass off Torrin’s back. Because that’s what it was. Torrin was better than Stacey, and that girl didn’t want to be outshined.

“I saw you two,” she says. “The night before tryouts. You guys were…um…keeping me awake.”Shit. I should’ve known better. “I came to ask you to keep it down so I could get my rest for the big day, but your door was open.”

Fuck me. That’s even worse. That means she saw us. Her eyes drop back down to her lap, and the embarrassment is burning hot in her cheeks. I’m the one who should be embarrassed. I used Stacey to work my stress off, and as I recall, I was a bit wild. And she was definitely loud, begging for more. Fuck.

“All these feelings stormed in,” her quiet voice shakes. “And it was all so confusing. I was so jealous of her, and disgusted with myself for wishing it was me you were doing it to.”

Oh fuck. My heart starts pounding hard in my ears. My lungs struggling to draw in air.

“The next day, I couldn’t do it. I was such a mess. I was fumbling all over the place during our practice. All I could think about was how sick I was. The images of what you were doing to her kept playing in my mind, and I was so hot and flustered. Aching so much for you. So, I ran. I had to get out of there.”

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