Page 16 of Out of the Shadows
“Yeah. I especially remember you being completely and irrevocably infatuated with her. And it never really stopped, and likely never will.”
“So?”
“So?” He shook his head. “How about you pull your headout of your ass and stop pretending you don’t want to be around her, since it doesn’t seem to work anyway.” Grimacing at the taste and muttering something about how much he hated vanilla flavor, he tilted his head back to chug the rest of his protein shake.
“All right, Hunter.” I shot back at him with a sarcastic laugh. “Why didn’t I think of that before? Oh, right. It wouldn’t make a difference either way. She doesn’t want me.”
“Right. Why don’t you let her make the decision? Listen, ever heard ofshoot your shot? Well, it’s about time you give that a try.”
He raised his eyebrows meaningfully, put his tumbler in the sink, and strolled out of the room.Fucker.He’d probably used up all the words he had allotted for the rest of the week and now needed to plug himself in to recharge his battery.
I took another look at my phone and skimmed over the conversation with my mom again. My palms were turning sweaty, and I refrained from running them through my hair. This was bound to end badly, but what other option did I have? There was no way in hell I would let Hailey down like this.
Guess I’ll just have to grit my teeth and hope I don’t mess up her start in college.
***
My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white and it made a soft creaking sound. I jerked my hands away so I didn’t break something —it wouldn’t be the first time —and banged my head off the headrest several times.
I couldn’t do this. How was I supposed to keep it together around her? My dick got hard just thinking about her. I wason the verge of coming merely looking at pictures of her, and now I was supposed to spend considerable time in close proximity to her?
If I fucked around any longer, I’d be late, which wasn’t an option, so I opened the door and slowly climbed out. My stomach was in knots, and sweat was beading on my forehead.
Fortunately, the fall weather in Tennessee tended to be warm and still somewhat humid, so the sweat would be nothing out of the ordinary. Hailey would probably regret my mom setting this up the second my sweaty hands sullied all her stuff.
Well, there was nothing to be done about it. I didn’t know if I was more afraid of her asking me to leave or her letting me stay.
I adopted the expressionless mask I usually sported on campus or anywhere else that isn’t home or the field. No one who didn’t know me was entitled to any insight into my inner workings. Few people had that privilege.
Things had gotten better for me in college — I wasn’t as much of an outsider as I’d been before, but surrounded by freshmen, I was bound to draw some looks.
As I headed up the stairs to her room, several people gaped at me with wide eyes. I clenched my hands into fists and could already feel my shirt sticking to my back. As I knocked on her door three times, tension spread through my chest like a spring slowly being compressed.
The door was yanked open by a tall girl — taller than I’d expected — who clearly wasn’t Hailey. She wore her dark-red hair in a ponytail, looked a little frazzled, and stared up at me in disbelief, her eyes wide. I raised my hands defensively to show her I meant no harm and stepped back to give her some space.
“Is this Hailey’s room? Hailey Brentwood?”
“Yes it is!” she replied, her face breaking into a bright smile. “I’m her roommate. Oh my God, are you Hailey’s boyfriend? Nice to meet you. I’m Ella. Come on in!” She grabbed my arm and pulled me over the threshold with surprising force for her stature.
“Um, I’m Colt, but I’m not—” She didn’t let me get a word in.
“I’m sure Hailey will be up in a minute. She just popped downstairs to get something. You can wait here.” She eyed me and said pensively, “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
I gaped at her, speechless. That wasn’t the typical response I got when I first met people.What the fuck?
“Oh, wait, I’ve got it! Aren’t you on the football team? My little brother plays too, but he’s still in high school. He’s completely obsessed with your team. Have a seat, make yourself at home. I’m so excited that it’s finally happening! Hailey and I are definitely going to be besties.” She clapped happily.
“But don’t worry, I won’t take up too much of her time.” She actuallywinkedat me. I had no idea what was going on here.
Clearing my throat, I was about to try again to explain to her that Hailey was definitely not my girlfriend when the door swung open to reveal the person I had been waiting to see. My mouth suddenly felt as dry as desert sand on a scorching summer day, and I swallowed hard.Fuck me.
I’d only seen her on my phone sincethatvacation, and she looked even more stunning than I remembered. Ella waggledher eyebrows at her and suggestively said, “You didn’t tell me your boyfriend would show up. Lucky you, having a strong man to help you out. Colt, couldn’t you ask some of your friends to help me move in?” Hailey didn’t seem to know what to say for a moment and turned to me.
“Um, I … well …” I didn’t know how to respond.
“I’m just kidding, of course. I wouldn’t dream of taking advantage of you or your friends.” Ella’s eyes got big, like she realized what she’d said could be taken the wrong way.
“I’m happy to help you,” I muttered.
