After my anger faded and the fact that Isaac told me she had been crying, it put things in perspective. If she didn’t care about me, why would she cry? Why would she kiss me like she was suffocating and needed me to breathe? Give her body so freely to me when she was far from those kinds of girls?
Scarlett had always kept to herself. She wasn’t very outgoing and didn’t have many friends unless they came to her. So I shouldn’t expect her to come for me to make a move and tell me she wanted me, because she would never do that.
There had to be a reason we kept going back to each other. I mean, fate wasn’t that cruel, right? It wouldn’t make the stars align for you just to take it all away at a moment’s notice.
So even if my pride was shit where Scar was concerned, I had one last shot at making it count. The first thing in my grand game plan was to get her used to my presence like before. Hell, the only time I was Gigi’s dream boyfriend was when her best friend was around because it gave me more time with her.
When you’re a football celebrity, people like to please you, so getting her schedule wasn’t hard. It was wrong, but I needed every advantage if I wanted her walls down.
I was making my way downstairs, ready to go to my classes, when I felt a chick hug me. I looked down and saw Gigi’s head. I’d had enough of her shit. It was always the same stuff. She was feeling down, and because it was my fault, I had to be there for her, and I was so sick of it.
“It’s been such a hard day today, Gav,” she whispered against my shirt.
I looked at her and saw traces of the girl I’d gone out with, except any affection I might have had for her slowly died, no matter how much I wanted to feel sorry for her—for us.
A few other girls from the cheer team were there, and I let out a relieved breath when Delia nor Kenia were amongst them. Reaching behind my back, I pulled Gigi’s arms from my waist, brought them to her sides, and took a step back, holding her at a distance.
Her eyes went wide with panic, and they should, because I was done feeling sorry for circumstances and denying myself what I wanted the most.
“Remember when I said I was moving away in sixth grade because my parents were divorcing?” I asked.
She didn’t answer me. Maybe she didn’t remember—it was probably insignificant—but to me that day was monumental.
“You said it was a shame I was moving away before we could date.”
Gigi rolled her eyes. “I was a stupid little girl, Gav. I didn’t know how to react, but one clear thing is that I’ve always loved you.”
I laughed. “You want to know what Scarlett said to me?”
I saw the hate flash in her eyes by my question, and for the first time, I came to realize that maybe it wasn’t all on me that Gigi was always jealous of her ex-best friend. Maybe it was because she wasn’t blind to the way I stared at her best friend and not at her.
“She sat next to me while I cried, and she hugged me. She told me nothing she could say would make it better, but that things would get better for me because I deserved happiness.”
“How dare you mention her name right now when I feel so low because of what you two did!” Gigi snapped.
“Because I deserve happiness, Gigi…I’m tired of this. It fucking sucks, and it guts me, and I feel that pain, but you need to leave me the fuck alone.”
She stepped back, angry. “If you think I’m going to stand back while that little bitch tries to take you away from me again, you are wrong. It’s you and me!”
I didn’t listen to her. Instead, I took a step toward the door.
“I was never yours, Giuliana, and it kills you because you’ve always known it.” I walked away. I was almost out the door when I turned around while she looked between her little posse of bitches and me. “Stop telling everyone I’m pining over you because we both know I’m not.”
I felt free when I walked through the doors, the guilt I had been carrying since prom now gone. I looked at the time and cursed Gigi all over again. When I made it to school, it took me a minute to find Scar. I knew she sat on a bench before she left for her last class of the day. It was the first time I was glad we had pledges.
“Just to let you know, it’s me, Gavin, not a kidnapper, and I’m going to sit across from you,” I announced loud enough for her to hear me.
She brought her head up and looked at me like I had grown two heads. “Why are you here?”
After our last conversation, I would question my motives too.
“Your brother said you needed a friend, and I guess he picked me to be that friend.” I grinned.
It wasn’t a total lie, but maybe she would appease Nick and let me in a little that way.
“He didn’t,” she whispered in mad disbelief.
“Baby, he did.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.
Okay, apparently things weren’t going to be that easy. That was fine. I loved a good challenge.
“There are other things I could call you.” My voice came out like a seductive purr, and her eyes flashed briefly, her gaze landing on my lips.
“How about goodbye?” she spat before she got up and walked away.
I got up and went beside her.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” I said, and she ignored me. “See, the other night, I realized where the problem was. I have let you run away time and time again, and you seem to think you can do the whole yo-yo act and come back when you feel like it.”
She turned to look at me and glared. “Don’t you worry about that. I’ve cut the strings. There will be no coming back.”
I didn’t say anything until her building was a few feet away. I grabbed her arm and stopped her and turned her body to face me.
“Scar, you lie through your teeth whenever I’m near, so I’m done listening to your words—” I took a step closer to her and noticed her stop breathing. I bent my head so I could kiss her. “Whenever I touch you, baby, you come alive. So I’m just going to listen to your body.” I kissed her again, this time more forcefully. “You want me, Scar, and that scares you, but it doesn’t scare me. So fight me, but soon you’ll be in my arms, you in my jersey at my games, and at nights in my bed.”
Scarlett had her eyes closed, and when I let her go, she turned around and ran away again. This time I wasn’t mad; instead, I loved the curve of her ass.
What I didn’t mention was that she would let me in her heart.
Nineteen
You want me, Scar, and that scares you.
Gavin’s words kept haunting me night and day. I woke up, and it was the first thing I heard. I went jogging, and they snuck into my time of solace. I was with the girls watching TV, and they crept through.
What fucked with me the most was that he said those words, and then nothing. He sat next to me in class, walked with me, made small talk, but didn’t kiss me anymore, didn’t even try to reach for my hand.
I didn’t know what game he was playing, and he seemed overconfident that he was winning. For the first time in years, I was glad to be at my therapist because it gave me someone to talk to. Things with Nick got weird for a few days after I caught him doing the nasty, and this weekend, he had practice, so it wasn’t like we were avoiding each other.