Page 15 of Steeling Her
I can’t shake the feeling of when I was holding her. I can still feel her body on me, and I’m afraid of move in case that feeling subsides. She’s the reason why I couldn’t sleep last night. The memory of her in that red dress is engraved in my mind and I cannot get it out. I mentally curse at myself for being so weak. What is it about her? She’s constantly on my mind.
I need to stay focused. Especially for football. Maybe I need to stay away from her until I can control these thoughts. I nod to myself and start to try listen to the professor. I glance around the room and catch a girl’s eyes. She’s wearing a purple top. She winks at me, and I send her a polite smile, focusing back on the material being covered in class.
Stay focused, I keep chanting to myself.
What is up with the girls in this college? They’re getting so desperate these days. Even though I’m used to the attention they give me, it can be a lot some days.
Once the lecture is over, I throw up my hoody so nobody sees me walk out of the room, but not before I take a quick glance through a slit of a window in the door where Carter’s class is going on. Seeing her in the second row, I groan out loud and force myself to walk away from the door, continuing my way to my next class.Leave it alone, Nick. One more and then lunch to meet with TJ.
Leaving my last boring lecture of the morning, I make my way towards where TJ and I meet up for lunch and see my sister’s blonde hair when I enter High Point Coffee shop just off campus. Feeling the cold air hit me once more as well as the smell of fresh coffee beans wafting to my nose. I relish the smell with a long drag of a breath. I see TJ sitting across from her with food on the table. He knows my order. Whoever is here first gets the food and the other pays them back. Saves us a lot of time. Although, we do have two hours to kill.
“Hey.” I slip into the next seat in the booth beside TJ and immediately start eating. I’m so hungry today.
“What’s up, man! You look like shit.” I throw down my hood and send him a deadpan look while I chew slower.
“Thanks, TJ, you always had a way with words,” I reply, the sarcasm leaving my mouth heavily. I continue to eat the food and slip him a ten dollar bill and thank him for buying me my food.
“How was your first lecture, sis?” Haley’s head snaps up with a smile on her face. Who is she texting? She puts her phone down but I see the group messages popping up on her screen, grabbing my attention.
“It was good. Boring, but good. I like the professor, and I made a few new friends.” Her attention goes back to her phone and she starts to giggle uncontrollably.
“What’s so funny?” I ask her, covering my mouth. My mom also drilled table manners into my sister and I. If we were rude at the table, we would get her heel up our asses. I’m also a mama’s boy. I love my mom and I have major respect for her.
“Carter . . .” She laughs out loud, but it causes a surge to make its way through my body. Just from hearing her name, I’m immediately intrigued.
“What about her?” I push to get more about the girl who shares a dorm with my sister. The hot girl who has taken my attention.
“You know, for such a quiet and shy girl, she’s probably one of the funniest people I know!” She starts to laugh again as she reads the screen. Well, that’s not much to go by.
“Am I not the funniest person you know?” TJ fakes being hurt by her comment and her eyes snap up to roll her eyes at him.
“Not even close, TJ.” She sticks her tongue out, playfully smiling at him.
He lets a fake gasp escape his mouth and puts his hand over his heart and playfully says, “That cuts deep, Haley. But I know you secretly love me anyway.” The way he teases her makes her roll her eyes once more before turning them back down to the device in her hand. She’s glued to that thing.
“How is she?” Haley’s face snaps up to meet my gaze with a puzzled look written all over it. I know I saw her earlier today. I was going to talk with her but she seemed to be in a rush to get to her next class. “After Saturday night? You know . . . after that whole thing? Who was it, by the way?” I ask trying to sound like I’m not too bothered by it. By the look on her face she’s not buying it.
“Oh no you don’t, Nick! Stay away from her! You’re not ruining another one of my friendships! Nick, I’m serious. I like her!” I can see the panic set in her eyes.
“Relax, sis, I’m only checking to see if she’s alright. She just looked a bit shaken the other night, that’s all.” I hope she buys it. Please buy it. Please.
“Aaron Stevens,” TJ comments and I tense immediately. Out of all the guys, I should’ve guessed it would’ve been him.
“Stevens? Are you shitting me?” I grit out, putting down my burger that was being squished in my hands. I face TJ, who leans back with his hands on the back of the booth. With just one nod, I feel the anger bursting through my veins. That little asshole. When I see him, his face will be stuck in the wall, and I will see him. Coach won’t be happy with the outcome, but I most certainly will.
“Yeah, don’t worry. I handled it then and there. He won’t go near her again.” Haley’s head nods with TJ. I’m glad he didn’t go near Haley, but I most certainly am not happy about him going after Carter like that.
“What an asshole,” I mumble out while they just stare at me. I don’t feel my anger go away. I kind of want to see Carter and ask her if she’s alright, but I know Haley will annoy me about it. So I choose not to do that. Maybe I’ll bring it up the next time I see her, subtly.
As the hour flew by, Haley was off back to her second to the last lecture for the day. I waved her off along with TJ. I sigh to myself, sitting back in the comfort of the booth that surrounded us. I decided to sit where Haley was so I could sit across from my best friend.
“So . . . Carter, huh?” My eyes snap up to him. They widen a fraction but I relax, telling myself he’s got nothing.
I shrug my shoulders. “I was just worried about her. She looked upset that night and I was making sure she was okay—”
“When have you ever worried about a girl, Jackson?” He chuckles at me. I know what he’s getting at. I need to get that seed planted in his brain out before it grows any further.
“Look, I would’ve done the same if it was . . . Shit, what’s the other girl’s name again?” I squint my eye, trying to badger my mind of her name.
