The rest of the week passes faster than the one before. Time spent with Chance never feels like enough.
She made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested in chilling together on campus because she doesn’t like the crew I hang with, and I get that, I don’t particularly like them either. I don’t have a problem ditching them for her, but she doesn’t want me to. So, apart from the few stolen minutes I’d get with her in the only class we share and right before practice, I don’t get to see her much.
Today is Friday, and I have a game tonight. I would have asked her to come, but I can think of a million other things she would rather do. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that football is not her thing. Instead, I’m meeting up with her when it’s all over. And I can’t fucking wait.
The cheer squad is working the crowd into a frenzy, and I feed on the energy they’re supplying. The atmosphere is almost electric and, for a moment, I wish I hadn’t told Coach to bench me. I know the boys will kick arse without me, but I still wish I was on the field with them.
My knee bounces as I sit on the side line watching the game play out. I yell out encouragement to the guys who seem to be fumbling without me by their side. Mase may be my closest friend and the only one that truly matters to me out there, but I do like some of the other guys. Not all though, some of them are total wankers I wouldn’t spit on if they were on fire.
When the game ends, I jog into the locker room with the team, but since I don’t need to shower, I change my clothes quickly and head out to the parking lot. A smile spreads over my face when I find Chance leaning against the hood of my car.
A seductive smile spreads over her face, “Hey there, Mr. Football Star,” she gushes with fake enthusiasm, bringing her arms together either side of her perfect tits to push them up, her imitation of a cheerleader, I gather.
I saunter straight up to her, taking a loose strand of her hair and tugging on it, “Sorry, Sugar. Didn’t you know? I’m off the market.”
A real smile curves her full lips now, “Right answer,” she winks then pops up to her tip toes and presses a kiss to my lips, as she wraps her arms arounds my neck.
Kissing her back, I wrap my arms around her middle and drag her into my body, deepening the kiss. She tastes so good, I could easily get carried away right here in the parking lot. But before I get too handsy, an ear-splitting screech pulls our attention away from each other. I turn to look over my shoulder as Chance pokes her head to the side to see what’s behind us, or who.
It’s the ballergirl from the other day, and I glare at her as she shoots daggers at Chance. I clear my throat, drawing her focus back to me as I turn around to face her fully, tucking Chance further behind me, “Tell me we aren’t going to have the same conversation we’ve already had,” I say, mindful not to raise my voice.
Her face is red and her little hands are clenched in fists by her sides, “Are you seriously hooking up with her now?” she seethes.
I glare at her in her tiny cheer uniform, that I’m sure is a size or two too small, and wonder what I ever saw in her. “It’s none of your business who I hook up with.”
“Like hell it’s not! You’re mine! I waited for my turn and I’m not giving you up so you can have her, of all people. She’s not even a cheerleader,” she rants, and she’s moved close enough to poke me in the chest as she talks.
Looking down at her hand still touching me, I grit my teeth, “Get your hand off of me, or I will do it for you.” She drops her hand but doesn’t back away, she’s still too close, up in my personal space. Lowering my head, I get in her face, “Did you consider that maybe that’s why I’m with her, because she’s nothing like you and your trampy friends?”
Her jaw drops, eyes widen, and she screams in my face, then slaps me. I’m about to lose my shit with this chick, but that’s when Chance sidesteps me and shoves both her palms into the cheerleader’s chest. I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing, but sure enough, Chance is about to kick this girl’s arse. Over me.
I can’t stop the grin that takes over my face as I watch Chace back the girl up against the car a space over from mine, “If you ever touch him like that again, I will rip those cheap hair extensions from your wanna be Barbie doll hair. Got it?” she states and I’ve never been so turned on. Holy shit, it’s so fucking hot.
Mase steps up beside me, “What the fuck’s going on? Are you going to let C.C. get into it with Tina? You know that would be a bad idea right, she’ll end up with the whole squad on her back.”
I swear under my breath, he’s right. I come up behind Chance and pick her up in a fireman’s hold, throwing her over my shoulder. “As much as I’d like to watch my girl kick your scrawny arse, I’ve got other plans for her tonight,” I wink down at the stunned cheerleader, then stride back over to my car and deposit Chance in the passenger seat.
As I pass Mase, he claps me on the shoulder, “Looks like I’ve got some comforting to do,” he says with a wicked smirk, then he zeros in on the cheerleader as he begins advancing on her.
I laugh as he goes, shaking my head, “Have fun,” I call out to him then get in behind the wheel of my car, glancing over at Chance, who’s glaring out the window at the chick she just did a superb job of intimidating on my behalf.
Reaching over, I turn her face back to me, and look her in the eyes, “Girl,” I murmur, “That was fucking hot, but don’t try to take on the Cheerleaders, they don’t fight fair or solo.”
She was smiling at me a moment ago, now her expression has gone flat, “You think I can’t take care of myself?” she asks, and her voice is too controlled, “You don’t think I can handle a few airheads with pompoms?” she continues. “Do I look like I would fight fair?”
I swallow, I shouldn’t be getting hard right now, but I am. Shit. “Chance,” I start, but that’s as far as I get, because she turns away from me, flings her door open and gets out, slamming it in my face.
Throwing my own door wide, I jump out, then slam it shut behind me as I go after her. “Chance,” I yell, but she ignores me, storming toward the dark buildings. I pick up my pace and jog after her. “Chance, would you hold up a damn minute?” I call after her.
Still she ignores me as she disappears into the darkness, “Fuck,” I mutter and start running to catch up, when I reach the awning of the building she was heading for, it clicks. She’s going to the photo lab. I don’t bother calling out to her again, seeing as she refuses to answer me anyway.
A minute later, I close the door to the lab behind me with a soft click. The room is so damn dark, but I catch the glow of Chance’s phone screen in the far corner. I stay quiet until I’m just a couple of feet from her, so she can’t run from me again, “Talk,” I demand.
She startles, her phone flying into the air as she clutches her chest, “Jesus, Carter! Stop doing that!”
I crowd her, “Stop running from me,” I shoot back.
She’s sitting on the bench I’d put her on that first day I came in here looking for her, and my mind is assaulted with images of us making out right here, Chance’s arms and legs wrapped around me, moaning into my mouth. Fuck, that doesn’t help the semi I’m already sporting. I try to discreetly rearrange my junk as I wait for her to explain what the fuck she’s doing.
Finally, she huffs, “I wasn’t running, I was speed walking,” she says, as she crosses her arms across her chest.
I sneer, “Same fucking thing, they both take you away from me. And I don’t fucking like it,” my fingers dig into my hips to stop from reaching for her.
“Well, too bad. I don’t like skanky cheerleaders staking their claim to you right in front of me. But hey, shit happens,” she snarls back.
“That’s what this is about? You’re jealous?” I ask, honestly having no clue why she’s acting like this.
She raises a brow, “No, Carter, I’m not jealous. I know you would be with her if you wanted to be. I’m pissed that you don’t think I can handle it on my own.”
I frown and rub my temples, “I didn’t say that, I was just asking you to let it go. They’re not worth the trouble they will cause if you go for one of them. They’re like a pack of feral dogs when you piss them off. They’re savage.”
Chance jumps down from the bench and stands in front of me, “She’s not the first mean girl I’ve had to handle, and I’m sure she won’t be the last. Life is full of mean girls who think they can treat people like crap. I’m not like them, Carter. They don’t like that, and if we’re going to do this, I’m going to have to handle them myself.”
I bow my head, I didn’t even consider this when I went after Chance, and I should have. She steps closer to me, closing the space between our bodies and ducking down to look me in the eyes, “We good?” she asks.
Nodding, I wrap my hands around her waist, my thumbs meeting bare skin, “What are you wearing?” I didn’t even notice when we were outside, I was too busy looking at her gorgeous smile.
I feel her shrug in my arms, “Nothing special.” Then she leads me out of the photo lab, locking it up behind her and taking my hand as we walk back to my car.
The lot is almost empty when we reach it, and I look down at her under the bright lights that illuminate the area, nearly swallowing my tongue when I take in her form. She’s wearing a green and black checked mini skirt with black leggings or stocking things covering her long legs and her combat boots. The long sleeve top she has on doesn’t quite meet the skirt at her waist, leaving a tantalizing sliver of creamy skin on display.
She laughs when I stop abruptly, staring at her, “What?” she quips.
“You are so damn beautiful, you know that, right? I’ve told you that before, haven’t I? You’re my sexy little nerd,” I tell her, taking in the writing on her black top, Trust Me I’m A Jedi.
Chance does a little curtsy, “Why thank you,” she says, a coy grin tugging at her lips.
Holding her hand isn’t enough, I drop it and take her face in my palms, pressing my desperate lips to hers, and close my eyes. She responds immediately, wrapping her arms around my hips, clawing at the small of my back through my shirt.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, breathless, taking her hand again and jogging toward my car, tugging her along behind me.