Crash

“And nut kicking isn’t considered dirty work in your world?”

“If it’s Sawyer Diamond’s balls we’re talking about kicking,” he said, grinning to himself, “that’s just plain fun.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A few weeks passed, and the picture worked its way to the bottom of the drama pile as the talk of the town shifted to Southpointe High’s newest quarterback.

Jude had singlehandedly turned a historically cursed team into the top ranked team in the conference. We were at four and one, and the one loss happened during the first game of the season before I forced Jude into joining.

I told him I expected half of his earnings when he was a big time NFL quarterback. He said I could have it all. The ironic thing was that the day after I’d said that, Coach A was given the head’s up that a crap load of scouts would be at Friday’s upcoming game. All the guys on the team were bragging about it, suggesting to their girlfriends and parents that a full ride to the PAC 10 was in the works, but everyone knew the only reason a dozen scouts would be in attendance at a Southpointe game was due to one Jude Ryder.

“Aren’t you a vision in gold sequins and crimson spandex,” a voice I’d been avoiding for weeks said from behind me.

I exhaled, looking for Jude. He towered over a huddle of seemingly tiny high school boys, completely in the moment.

So I replied, “Hi, Sawyer.” I could’ve sounded more enthused, but I’d avoided him for a reason. If Jude said he was someone to steer clear of, that meant he was someone to steer clear of.

“What?” he said, sliding up to me. “Was that an actual verbal response? Couldn’t be.”

“You’re reminding me why I’ve been verbally absent around you,” I said, stretching my dance top lower. Like most high school dance teams, Southpointe’s ascribed to the less is more motto of dance wear and, up until Sawyer’s eyes slid down me, I hadn’t minded the lack of cover.

“Sorry,” he said, shouldering up to me. I took a step to the side. “Humor is my ego’s default when it’s hurt.” He crossed his arms, looking on the field as the teams lined up. I took another step to the side in case Jude looked up before the hike. I knew he’d march right off the field mid-play if he saw Sawyer sidled up against me. “How’s Jude?” he asked tightly.

I glanced over at him, looking purposefully at his jersey tucked into his jeans. Then the place he occupied on the bench. “Kicking ass.”

Sawyer laughed, glancing at the scoreboard. “I can see that. From the looks of it, if he keeps annihilating the rest of the game, he’s going to get about twenty football scholarships tomorrow morning.” Looking up into the stands, he focused on the clump of visor wearing, school color representing scouts. A dozen had turned into two dozen and every last one of them had not taken their eyes off Jude tonight. They were drooling for him, and I was so damn proud of him, I’d made special arrangements for tonight. Much to my dismay, Jude had insisted we take things slow these past few weeks, but with the lingerie I’d picked out and what I had in mind, he’d swear slow off for good.

I forgot Sawyer was there until he cleared his throat. “I’ve missed you, Lucy.”

Damn, I didn’t need this right now. The dance squad was getting ready to hit the field for the halftime show and I was pretty sure Jude had just caught a glimpse of Sawyer beside me. I weaved farther into the cluster of my dance mates.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Sawyer asked, sliding right up beside me again. “What did Ryder tell you to make you turn anti-Sawyer Diamond?”

I’d resisted for three weeks, but I was coming very close to following Jude’s words of advice and kicking him in the balls.

“I’m avoiding you because Jude told me to, because he said you’re not someone I should be hanging around,” I said, feeling no need to explain myself to him, but it felt good to shout a little at him.

“You do everything Ryder tells you to do?”

Okay, now I was seething. Implying I had no backbone and did my boyfriend’s every bidding turned my temper switch to the on position.

Spinning on him, I took a step into him and then another, until he was backed up against the fence. “Listen to me, you arrogant ass,” I said, resting my hands on my h*ps so I wouldn’t slap him. “I’m avoiding you because I don’t like you. I don’t like the way you look at me, or the way you smile at me, or the way you have this sense of entitlement. I don’t like the way you saunter down the school halls like you own the place, and I really don’t like the way you throw corn kernels at the band table every day. You’re pretentious, and sneaky, and rude,” I said, ready to fire only about a hundred more insults when I heard the buzzer announce the end of the quarter. “And ugly,” I added, knowing this was the one that would sting the most for a guy like Diamond.

“You asked him about Holly yet?” Sawyer said suddenly, pushing off the fence and stepping towards me.

I stepped backwards. “I don’t need to,” I said. “I trust him. Trust, Sawyer. You might want to look that one up in the dictionary and give it a shot one day.”

“And maybe you and your trust should follow him one day to a derelict trailer down in Valley View Park,” he said, ambling back to the bench. “You might find Jude’s the one who needs to look up trust in the dictionary.”

I waited until Sawyer turned before plopping onto the grass. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. And I had to dance lead in a brand new routine in three minutes. I was pissed at myself for letting Sawyer get to me, and I was even more pissed at myself for letting him drop that seed of doubt in my mind again. I could trust Jude. I did trust him.