Practice is brutal, school is long and followed by putting my aching ass through another two hours of torture via Chelsea’s orders.
By the time I stagger back into the locker room after Chelsea calls time, I’m about ready to sleep for a week. But the reality is that in just twelve hours I’ll be getting up to do it all over again. I just hope I get some sleep tonight.
“So, what’s the plan?” Harley asks, sounding a little too awake for my liking as she tugs off her leggings ready to head for the shower.
“The plan? I’m supposed to have a plan” I practically crawl onto the bench, more than willing to have a little nap here.
“Yeah. You need a plan.”
“Well, I could move in with you and never go home ever again.”
“That’s it, take the pussy way out.”
“Har, I’m so tired right now, I literally don’t care.”
“Nah, uh-uh. Not happening.” I watch as she shoves her hand into her purse and pulls her cell out. “Hey, you busy? Okay, good. Meet us at Ruby’s in thirty, yeah?”
I stare at Harley, hoping like hell she’s talking to Poppy and not dragging anyone else into the mess that is my life.
“Har, you for real right now?” I complain the second she hangs up.
“Yep. I’m not letting you drag your sorry ass home with no fight in you. You want to go head-to-head with this asshole, then you need some backup. I’m going to shower, then we’re going to yours. To chill or something.”
Lying back on the bench, I watch as she grabs what she needs and heads toward the showers with most of the rest of the squad.
“Is it always this hardcore?” Stella asks once it quiets down a bit.
I crack an eye open and look at her. She’s not been here all that long, but the second she auditioned to be a part of the squad, Chelsea snapped her up.
“Nah, it’s just nationals. Chelsea really wants to prove herself. I get it, I’d be the same in her position.”
“I guess. I’ve been in more squads than I care to count in the past few years, but none of them have been quite like this.”
“That’s because none of them are the best,” Chelsea happily adds as she joins us.
“Not showering today, Ruby?” she asks with amusement.
“Nah, thought I’d just stink. You know, keep him away and all that.”
“Riiight. Good luck with that. From experience, it probably won’t work, but whatever. See you in the morning.” She waves at the two of us before walking toward the exit.
“Chels,” I call before she disappears.
“Yeah.” She looks over her shoulder. Her makeup is flawless, her dark hair smooth and sleek. She really is stunning and talented to boot. A little jealousy stirs in my belly. She’s also got the nicest boyfriend. I want to hate her, I just can’t.
“Thank you.”
“Anytime. You know where I am. Adios.”
“She’s... really something.”
“I know, right.”
“There aren’t many high school girls who could train you guys as she has. I swear I’ve only seen Miss Kelly about three times since I started here.”
“It’s a good thing we’ve got Chelsea, or we wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“What’s going to happen when she graduates?”
I shrug because, despite my dreams, I honestly have no idea.
It’s almost an hour later when I pull up in my driveway, quickly followed by Harley. Poppy is here as promised, sitting on the front step.
“Why didn’t you use the spare key?” I ask, noticing she’s got her coat pulled around her in an attempt to keep her warm.
She nods toward the new addition to our driveway. “That his?”
“Uh... yeah. Fair enough. I don’t want to go inside either.”
“That’s why we’re here, we’ve got your back, Rubes.”
“You just want to ogle him in real life,” I mutter to Harley as I pull my key from my bag to let us in.
As we step inside, music booms from somewhere in the house.
“I guess he’s awake now then.”
Rolling my eyes at Harley’s obvious statement, I swing the door closed and move toward the stairs.
I need to shower before anything else happens.
My eyes linger down the hall, but the second I start climbing, my legs start to speed up with my need to get to the safety of my bedroom.
“Order us pizza while I shower.”
“Rubes, we shouldn’t be—”
“Really?” I bark. I’m so tired I really don’t need a lecture about what I’m eating. I just need food... carbs.
“Okay, okay, I’m ordering now.” She rolls her eyes at me and pulls her cell from her pocket.
“Thank you.”
The shower isn’t half as relaxing as I was hoping with the knowledge that he’s here somewhere. The house isn’t overly big, so it’s not like I’m going to be able to successfully hide from him forever.
I know I need to just pull up my big girl panties and go and get it over with, but I really, really don’t want to.
“Better?” Poppy asks when I emerge from my bathroom in a pair of sweats and a crop top, my wet hair hanging around my shoulders.
“I just want to dive headfirst into that.” I nod at my bed that they’re both sitting on.
“Not until you’ve got this done. Are you really going to wear that?” Harley asks, dropping her eyes down my body.
“Um... yeah. I don’t give a shit what he thinks. I don’t want him, remember.”
“Oh yeah, sorry.” She winces but she can’t wipe the smile off her face.
“You’re a pain in my ass, Harley Hunter.”
“What? He’s hot. Hey,” she complains when Poppy hits her with a pillow.
“I would say if you want him, have at it, but he’s a prick and I wouldn’t wish him on my worst enemy, let alone one of my best friends so...”
“I can look though, right?”
I shake my head at her. “Eat your heart out.”
They both chat away as I blow-dry my hair and apply just a little makeup. I might not want to look good for him but equally, I don’t really want the dark shadows under my eyes on full display either.
The doorbell rings right as I finish.
“Perfect timing, I’m starving.”
I grab a zip-up hoodie to throw over my shoulders and run from the room, the prospect of hot cheesy pizza gets me moving.
I practically snatch the boxes out of the poor guy’s hands before slamming the door in his face and turning to the kitchen, Harley and Poppy hot on my tail.
My stomach rumbles as I round the corner into the kitchen, but the second I look up, I come to a grinding halt, both Harley and Poppy crash into my back.
“What the... oh my God,” Harley breathes as she gets a look at the scene before us.
Ashton is standing shirtless and covered in a sheen of sweat in front of the refrigerator, drinking orange juice straight from the carton.
I never saw him shirtless when he was here before, I was the only one who bared everything, but I’m starting to realize that I might just have missed out because Harley has a point, he is fine.