Page 10 of Cruel Start

Aspen broke apart from the group of girls she was walking with, and I realized I knew them, the bitch squad from Hidden Valley Academy—Piper, Teagan, Jessica, and thankfully, no Tracey.

“Hey, Phoenix.” Aspen flashed a carefree smile. “Wait up a second.”

Like a fucking siren, she left me helpless against her pull. I slowed down, mumbling something about catching up to the guys in a minute. I needed to handle her fast.

“Did you want to go for coffee or something?”

I was uneasy about how connected I felt to the girl. My need for her was insatiable, and already, I wanted to lose myself in her all over again, watch her come apart in my arms. I’d never experienced that before, and I had to get far away from her because a girl like Aspen could mean the end of everything I’d worked for.

Her ocean-and-lilies scent wrapped around me in a choke hold, and my fingers twitched to touch her soft skin. Instead, I hardened myself and shuttered my expression, gazing at her with cold disinterest—the complete opposite of what I felt. “I have plans.” I didn’t wait for her rebuttal but took off after the guys. I had to get to practice.

With an eye roll, she pivoted, shooting over her shoulder, “Whatever. I wasn’t asking you for a date.” Her voice trailed off to a whisper. “Just as a friend.”

The vulnerability I glimpsed from her “just as a friend” comment stayed in the back of my mind regardless of how hard I tried to shut her out.And what the hell is she doing hanging around with the cheerleaders?They were a problem back in high school and would be in college, too, unless we kept them at an arm’s length. I shot Shane a wary look, but he and Damon had gone ahead with Cole.Good.

Piper and her crew came in beautiful packaging, promising everything a guy could ever dream of, but it hid what was rotten and rabid underneath. As it was, I didn’t have the best outlook on women. Mom was great, but she worked herself to the bone. And my aunt Linda—Mom’s sister, who’d married Lucas Savage, the dad of our cousins Cole and Damon—had been a nightmare. Manipulative, needy, and damaged. Then there was Tracey, the bitch who’d sunk her hooks in my brother for two years then bailed when she’d heard his promising NFL career had been threatened.

Those were enough reasons to support why I didn’t do girlfriends. Nothing could derail my plans, especially not Aspen, just because we had an explosive connection and the best sex I’d ever had.

Besides, she was too big of a distraction. It was bad enough that I compared every girl to her and that she haunted my dreams. The chick was like a drug I had to exercise from my system, which meant she could take away everything I’d worked so hard for. I would not take the chance. The only way I would survive school and not lose my scholarship was to stay away from women and keep my grades up so I was eligible to play. But damn, if I were going to do some surfer chick, it would be her.

CHAPTER SIX

ASPEN

It’s the flu.It has to be.

My fingers trembled as I clutched the counter, willing my thoughts into reality. The alternative would wreck my life. Everything I’d worked for would have to be put on hold.

The stick, the one I just peed on, sat on the counter mocking me with the little open slot. I counted down the seconds until my fate would be revealed in the middle of a disgusting public bathroom. Not how I wanted it to happen, but when the vomit threatened to come out in the middle of class, I didn’t have much choice.

Cold water ran from the tap, and I splashed my face, soothing some clammy symptoms that came with puking. At least no one else was in there with me. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. I looked like hell. Pasty and sick.

The door opened, and I almost groaned. So much for lucking out by not having an audience for my potential fuckup. I recognized the tall, thin blonde from the corner of my eye. Piper. And the one who’d gone into the stall was Tracey.

I took a deep breath and peeked at the test stick. Double lines.Oh God.I swayed on my feet as Piper neared.

“Aspen.”

Her voice echoed through the small space and snapped me out of an almost faint. I had to stay present, figure out what those pink lines meant.Shit.I didn’t need her showing up. The required minutes had passed, and I took a deep breath and picked up the test.Oh God.Two lines. Faced with the irrefutable, life-altering stick in my hand, I dropped it down with a clatter and snatched the directions. My eyes scanned them again, confirming what I’d thought it meant—I’m pregnant.

How did I get into this situation?Phoenix was hot as hell, and I thought I could lose myself in him, forgetting about the chaos of the last five months. It seemed I was doomed to repeat some of my parents’ mistakes. But not all of them. I would not get married because of the baby. I’d had a front-row seat to that train wreck of a decision and didn’t wish that on myself or my unborn kid.

None of the logical reasoning I tried mattered. Fat tears rolled down my cheeks, obscuring my vision, but not before I saw Piper emerge from the stall and look at the test. Her lips formed an O before she rested her hand on my shaking arm. I liked Piper well enough, but she was connected to people who I didn’t want to find out—not before I told the one person who had to know.

She leaned in and whispered, “Do you know who the daddy is?”

What the fuck?I felt sick all over again and dropped my head into my hands. I wasn’t going to tell her, even though I knew without a shadow of a doubt who the father was. I’d been a virgin before that night and hadn’t slept with anyone since.

“People are going to talk.”

Shifting my head to the side, I glared at her.

“Okay, not important.” Tracey came out of the stall, and Piper set her purse over the test stick so her friend couldn’t see. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute, Trace.”

That was decent of her. My judgy thoughts faded. Not for Tracey, though. She thought she was better than everyone else. I’d noticed it a few times—how she would look over my head, never actually making eye contact or speaking to me.Whatever, bitch. I don’t need people like you.

“I’ll be in the cafeteria.” Tracey addressed Piper as she held open the door. “Don’t take too long.”

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