Page 21 of The Transfer
She’s nodding before she responds. “Yeah, um, just a conversation that I wasn’t expecting to have. I wanted to tell you that I’m going to catch a ride home with Drew.” At that, she looks down at her feet before slowly raising her eyes back to mine.
I don’t know what my face looks like, but it must be intense because she almost flinches as we make eye contact. My body is thrumming with warring emotions: anger and jealousy.
I'm not sure what to say, so I give her a nod. I don’t trust myself with words right now. When she realizes I’m not going to respond, Reagandecides to speak again. “I’ll talk to you later. It was fun today.” Then she turns and walks back over to Drew, who puts his hand on the small of her back as he guides her to his car. A bright green Mustang that is as obnoxious as he is.
I can’t keep staring at them, so I walk to my car on the other side of the parking lot. My mind is full of chaos as I try to sort through what I’m really feeling about the girl who just left with another man.
I stop at my car door as realization dawns. I’ve been fighting myself over allowing this girl into my life as anything more than my teammate’s sister, more than my friend. I can’t pretend that she doesn’t matter anymore.
I want her.
I want my teammate’s off-limits sister.
I want Reagan Mills as more than a friend.
And now, Drew Cole has made it clear he does too.
FIFTEEN
REAGAN
As I walk out of my last class of the day, I feel worn out. It's been a long and somewhat strange week. After Drew dropped me off on Saturday, I’ve spent a lot of time texting with him. He’s like the Drew I remember from high school, when it was just the two of us. Eighteen-year-old Reagan is getting her hopes up, but Reagan today is silently waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I get to the arena parking lot, scanning to see where Jordan parked the Jeep when he moved it closer to the gym, and notice it’s right beside Riggs. His blacked-out Dodge Challenger is sexy, fast, and loud. I haven’t seen much of him since Saturday when I told him I was getting a ride home with Drew. But we text every single night without fail. That’s friendship, I guess.
As I approach my car, I come to a sudden stop. While I was busy drooling over the Challenger, I failed to see the car parked on the other side of mine. I don’t know how I could miss it. A lime-green convertible Shelby Mustang sticks out anywhere. The only person I know who drives one is … Drew Cole. As soon as the thought hits me, the man himself hops out of the driver’s seat and walks straight toward me.
Next thing I know, I’m up in the air as Drew lifts me and hugs me to him. I don’t hate it, honestly. What I hate is the attention he draws from the other people in the parking lot. I can already imagine people putting this on social media and tagging my brother, again.
“Put me down, Drew,” I say quietly but stern so he will listen to me. He quickly sets me down, but his hands don’t leave my body. They’re on my waist as he looks into my eyes with deep intensity. I’m reminded of one of the reasons I liked him as a teenager. Drew Cole is freaking hot. He has only gotten better-looking with time, and his body has filled out as well. A backward hat covers his signature dirty-blond hair, his ice-blue eyes are framed by dark lashes, and his sharp features are model-worthy. The only soft things on his body are his lips, and I can’t help but think about how they would feel pressed against mine.
“Did you get your fill? I’m happy to send you some photos if you want to stare at me later.”Great.I have been staring at him, and now it feels incredibly awkward. Drew just laughs when my face burns with embarrassment.
Leaning in, he whispers, “Don’t be embarrassed, Rea Rea. You don’t even know how many times I’ve been caught staring at you over the years.” If it’s possible, my cheeks burn even brighter.
I try to remain calm and play it off like a joke. “Yeah, okay, Drew.” He recognizes the brush-off and takes my face in his hands. A small rush of excitement flows through me.
“Reagan. I know our trust was broken, and you might think this is too fast, but it’s been a long time coming for me. And I’ll tell you right now, I’m not afraid to fight for what I want anymore. And that is you. It always has been.” I am at a loss for words. He smiles at me, and I give him a shy smile back.
“I want to take you out today. We have the day off, and I was thinking about a coffee date? I just want to talk to you and get to know you better. Neither of us is the same person we were in high school. I’d like to show you who I am now. Who I could be, for you.” He just throws it all out there. I think he might be for real.
Smiling, I nod. “Of course. I’d like that. Can you drive so Jordan can take my Jeep home? I mean, you don’t have to. I can ask him to get a ride, or I can just come back after. I, uh—” Laughter cuts me off, and I look at Drew and see him staring at me with adoration.
“Still Reagan, I see. That makes me happy.” We both laugh at that until I hear a loud slam of a car door, and I look over to see Riggs.
SIXTEEN
RIGGS
As I get close to the parking lot after a full day on campus, my eyes go to a beautiful woman standing beside her white Jeep in the spot next to mine. I plan to grab my gym bag from my car and head into the practice facility to shoot some baskets and do a little weightlifting. I smile, knowing I will get a chance to see Reagan. As I look closer, though, I realize she isn’t standing alone.
Laughter turns my smile into a frown, and I would recognize that obnoxious voice anywhere, Drew freaking Cole.What is he doing here?Obviously, I know what he’s doing here, but it infuriates me, nonetheless.
Instead of striding up to Reagan, I pop the trunk on my car, grab my CTU duffel, and slam it shut. That seems to break their little bubble, and Reagan looks at me, surprised.
“Hi, Riggs.” The genuine smile on her face melts my icy resolve a little. As her eyes lock with mine, I feel like I’m breathing for what feels like the first time all day. She does that to me. Her presence alone calms the storm raging inside.
“Sunshine.” I step just close enough to be hit with her scent. Her signature coconut and vanilla make her smell like paradise, and heaven knows she looks like it too. I give her a smile.
