Page 27 of Forever Cursed

“Motherfucker,” I curse to myself.

“I need to know what you did to those two because the hot blond just totally hip-checked the other one, and now he’s running.”

“God dammit, he’s fast too. We have to hurry?—”

“There you are.” Rome greets us, pretending he’s not out of breath. “I was looking for you.” And there’s that charming smile.

“Ms. Willows, please take a seat,” Professor Clastis instructs me from the front of the room.

Obeying my instructor, I sit across from Rome. Avoiding his gaze is difficult, so I zone in on my folded hands and focus on my breathing.

“What the fuck was that, Carter?” Malik grunts as he sits next to Rome, directly across from Raina.

“I guess this means we failed the mission?” She leans over to ask me, ensuring no one else hears her.

“We failed miserably,” I groan.

Chapter Fifteen

Rome

Damn, my girl is fast. The moment I had my sights set on her, she would book it, and I would lose her in the crowd. I got lucky when I saw Malik. I wouldn’t have reacted if I didn’t know about his plan. Thankfully I knew, and because of that, I find myself sitting across from the girl he had his eyes on. I don’t know how we’ll be partnered up, but now I can keep a close eye on her.

Her expression leaves me curious. It reminds me of when I stepped off my first big roller coaster ride, plagued with a sudden case of nausea. The girl next to her leans in and nudges her gently. Chrissy nods at whatever she whispered in her ear.

“That wasn’t cool, man,” Malik hisses beside me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lower my tone and mask my smirk.

He scoffs in response and crosses his arms over his chest. “You owe me.”

“I don’t owe you shit,” I bite back.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get started.” The woman wearing a navy power suit clasps her hands together and grins while looking out over the room.

Chrissy lifts her head and directs her gaze to the woman. Turning in my seat, I give my full attention to who I’m assuming is the leader of this mentorship and Coach Bradson.

“My name is Renee Clastis, and I’m beyond excited to have teamed up with Coach Bradson for this unique opportunity. Our goal here isn’t to make anyone uncomfortable. We’re here to educate you on the importance of mental health and possibly even teach you how to identify signs of depression or anxiety and teach you some coping techniques to help relieve those moments until you seek appropriate care. I could stand here and tell you about the rising statistics of untreated mental conditions in men. Or how men in professional sports tend to burn out faster than anyone else. But I won’t bore you. I hope you like the person sitting across from you because they’ll be your partner until the start of the fall semester.”

I peer over at Chrissy, and our eyes lock. The professor’s voice fades away, and the room becomes a bit brighter. Her lips quirk into a half smile, and I can’t help but return the gesture. I don’t often see her hair pulled back. It’s always loose and wild. This is a different look, but she’s just as gorgeous. She’s wearing a white button-down blouse even though it’s over ninety degrees outside. Sweat cascades down her neck, inching down toward her breasts. I follow the droplet like a kid watching rain race down a car window.

Chrissy clears her throat, and I dart my eyes back to hers. With a knowing look, she shakes her head and points back to the front of the room.

“You don’t have to get to know one another here, but I expect you to spend at least an hour with your new partner today. Is that understood?” Coach Bradson asks, directing his instructions to his team. “Now, get out of here.”

A few people stand when he dismisses us. Malik and I stay put, as do the women sitting across from us.

“I’ll give you twenty dollars to partner up with this guy,” Malik stares at the girl with hazel eyes and nods his head toward me.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Chrissy asks.

“I don’t need your money, Mr. QB, but that makes me wonder, how often do you use that as a tactic to get what you want?” the girl asks, and my eyes widen.

“Malik, meet Raina. She’s about to rock your psyche.” Chrissy clicks her tongue, the sass rolling out of her mouth like it’s her superpower.

“Forty bucks?—”

“Nope.”

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