Page 25 of Spin The Bottle
He laughs. “You need your ass kicked.”
Like he could kick my ass. “Sure,” I scoff. “So, do you have it or not?”
His eyes hood before he sighs and shakes his head. “Even if I wanted to give it to you, I don’t. I kind of stole her number from Rosie’s phone once and Leila made me delete it.”
Fuck.
“Can’t you just get it again?”
“Hell no,” he says. “I’m not doing that shit again. Leila’s super private about who she gives her number to. Something I didn’t know before. Trust me, I’m not making the same mistake again.”
I pick up my cap and put it back on my head. If I can’t get it from him, I have to find another way.
“Fine,” I say, standing up from the couch. “I’ll get it myself.”
I start to walk to the door, but Grayson’s voice stops me. “I can’t tell you what to do, but don’t do something that you know will hurt her, Aiden.”
10
Never going to happen
A fucking water leak.
With a game next week, I need to be on top of my schedule, and things like this derail my plan. Training at another gym is not what I need right now. I push the door open and head inside. I scan the area, feeling my spine tighten with the list of things that throw me off balance.
The place is crowded, with only a few machines available, and none of the ones I need. Coach told us to use the football gym if necessary, but after the last encounter I had with Ben Reed, that was a no.
The guy can’t help himself from making crude comments about women, goading and instigating until someone snaps. If Grayson hadn’t pulled me off him last year, I could have lost my scholarship, I could have lost everything I have worked so hard for in the matter of a few seconds. And I can’t let that happen.
So, I suck it up, pull out my headphones and turn on my music, walking over to one of the only machines available. The treadmill. Fuck, I hate running, but I need to keep my body in shape somehow. This will have to do.
My head snaps up when I feel eyes on me. I slowly turn, making eye contact with the girls walking by. They smile at me and turn, whispering to each other.
I let my eyes fall to the screen in front of me, trying not to get distracted. I loved the attention when I first got here. I came from nothing, an absolute nobody, but then everything changed. Suddenly I was wanted and attractive, and girls wanted to sleep with me.
It was a surprise, but I went with it, had a girl in my bed every night and a new one knocking on the door by morning. It was everything freshman me could have wanted, but it got old, and ultimately, basketball has to come first. It’s what I’m working towards; it’s what’s going to make sure I never end up like my brothers or my mom back home. It’s my freedom.
I pick up speed, my legs extending the entire length of the treadmill as I start to jog. I keep my eyes on the screen, watching the speed increase, feeling the burn in my legs.
I lift my head and keep my eyes locked forward, trying to forget about everything but the burn. My eyes look up, catching the poster of the team, with my face front and center. The captain. The one that’s supposed to lead the team to victory. The one living a lie. I shake all thoughts out of my head. That’s not fucking helping.
My eyes drop as I try to focus on something else. Anything. They drop and land on the person in front of me, watching as she climbs the stair master. The long, brown ponytail flicking behind her shoulder with every step she takes.
I narrow my eyes. Is that…?
My eyes widen as realization kicks in.
What are the chances?
I can't help but let my eyes drift to the pronounced curve of her ass in those gym leggings as she climbs the stairs, causing a grin to form on my face.
Her head stays high, her hands on her hips as she steps on the machine. I don’t even know what speed I’m on or how long I’ve been on here.
But by the time she steps off the machine, my legs feel like jello. My hands hold on to the railing as I watch her lean down, grabbing a towel to wipe away the sweat on her face.
It doesn’t take long for her to find me, her eyes meeting mine. She stares, blinking a few times, making sure she’s seeing right. I let out a laugh. “Hi,” I mouth at her, flashing a smile.
She shakes her head, not taking her eyes off me. I pick up speed, full-on running as she checks me out. Her eyes roll as she bends down, giving me a shot of her round ass as she picks up her gym bag and leaves, heading towards the weights.
