She looks at me wide-eyed. “Why the hell not?”
I shrug innocently. “You’re beautiful either way, but I love your hair.”
She points her fork at me, a piece of pancake speared on the end. “Why should I do what you say?”
I smirk at her, leaning across the table. “Just admit you like arguing with me. Is this your version of foreplay? Please, tell me you’re getting wet right now.”
Her mouth falls open, and she flings the piece of pancake off her fork so it pelts me in the forehead. “I can’t take you anywhere,” she admonishes. “Stop making everything sexual.”
I pick the food off my face and put it on the table. “I can’t help it when you like fighting with me, and your cheeks get all flushed, and you look hot and bothered.”
Pressing her lips together, she stares down at her plate for a moment and then says, “I won’t be cutting my hair. But not because of what you said. I like my hair, and I know I’d regret all my life choices if I cut it all off.”
“You’re kind of dramatic. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Me?” She blinks at me like I’ve caught her off guard. “What about you?”
“I know I’m dramatic,” I admit. “But don’t tell anyone else I said that.”
She digs into her food, ignoring me for the moment.
I do the same, hungrier than I realized. I didn’t eat anything except a protein bar after the game and before the party.
“What’s your plan after graduation?” I fucking hate silence. Sure, with Vanessa it’s surprisingly comfortable, but I’d still rather be talking. Silence lets my mind wander too much, where I dwell on things better left forgotten.
She sips on her milkshake—chocolate—humming at the flavor. “Ideally, I’d love to move to New York City and get a job at a PR firm. More than likely, I’ll have to intern somewhere back home, which isn’t ideal, but you do what you have to do. What about you? Where do you want to go?”
“I’m not sure.” Pushing the eggs around my plate, I think about what I say next. “Once I come into my inheritance, I can go wherever I want. Do whatever I want. I could even give myself time before I figure things out. I know I want to start my own business, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”
“You should do something with baking.” The response rolls off her tongue without a second thought.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know.” She wipes her mouth with a paper napkin, crumbling it up when she’s done and setting it by her plate. “What about a food truck? Those are popular.”
I don’t know why, but I laugh at the idea of me driving around a food truck selling baked goods, but then I sober because it’s not a bad idea. Not at all. “Hmm, you have a point.”
“I do?” She sounds surprised that I agree. I guess I can’t blame her since I did laugh at first.
“I enjoy baking and being around people. A food truck could be fun. Not that it would be easy, but I think I’d like it.”
She bites her lip, her blue eyes serious when they meet mine. “Whatever you do, you should love it, Teddy. You deserve to be happy just as much as anyone else.”
20
Vanessa
I’m already running late for class, but that doesn’t stop me from stopping at the coffee shop for a much-needed caffeine fix. Luckily, Professor Franklin doesn’t pay attention to anything that isn’t right in front of his face, so chances are I can slip in unnoticed.
Yanking open the door, I suppress my urge to groan out loud at the sight of the long line.
If I was smart, I would turn around and leave.
But, coffee.
While standing in line, I dig my wallet out of my backpack, so I don’t have to do it when I get to the register. After placing my order, I step to the side, leaning against the exposed brick wall out of the way of other people. People never used to notice me, but now I feel the stares and wish I could sink into the wall and disappear.
“He’s going to get tired of you, you know?”
I’m not paying attention, and it doesn’t click in my brain right away that the words are meant for me.
“I’m talking to you,” the voice snaps, closer to me than before, and this time I do pay attention.
A petite blonde, her hair slicked back in a ponytail, with pert breasts highlighted by her tight top glares at me like I kicked her puppy. Which I would never. Puppies are precious.
“Um … can I help you?”
She rolls her eyes, letting out a haughty sigh. “You’re dating Teddy, I was just saying he’s going to get tired of you. You’re not his type.”
I snort at her declaration. Sure, her rude words sting, but I won’t let it get to me. “Yeah, that’s why he’s dating me and not you.”
Her full lips part in indignation. Her wrist flicks and I don’t have time to move before her iced coffee is sailing out of the cup and all over me.
The cold stings my skin, ice and coffee dripping off my body.
“Bitch,” she hisses—but from where I’m standing, I’m not the one spewing hate or throwing drinks at people, so she seriously needs to redefine her definition of the word.
“What the fuck?” I recognize the voice and the girl in front of me pales, not bothering to stick around. “Shit. Are you okay?” A big hand loops around my wrist and turns me around, taking in the coffee staining my sweater.
“I’m fine,” I grit my teeth, holding back tears of embarrassment.
“What was that about?” Jude looks around for the girl who’s already fled out the door.
“She was trying to stake her territory.” I pick a piece of ice off my sweater and drop it on the floor. “I’m so sorry about this,” I apologize to the worker who comes over to clean up the mess.
“Wasn’t your fault.” She flashes a tired smile, blushing when she notices Jude.
My name is called out for my order and he points. “Yours?” I nod and he goes and grabs it. With my coffee in his hand, he takes my elbow and leads me outside.
“Where are we going?” My tone is a rough demand as the beefy football player pulls me along.
“I’m not letting you walk around campus in a coffee-soaked shirt. That’s not cool.”
I don’t point out that I could always go back to my dorm and change, because it’s all the way on the other side of campus and I hadn’t planned on it anyway. I’m already late so I would’ve toughed it out in my wet shirt.
He opens the door to a building and sets my coffee and his backpack on the floor, rummaging inside. He produces an Aldridge U football sweatshirt and passes it to me.
“Thank you.” I take it gratefully. We’re in a low traffic area, where not a single soul has passed us yet, so I turn my back to him and slip out of the sweater and pull his sweatshirt over me. It smells like his cologne and is super soft like he’s washed it a million times. Balling up my shirt I stuff it in my bag. Facing him, I lift my chin. “Could we maybe keep this between us?”
He stares at me like I’ve grown another head. “You don’t want Teddy to know?” I bite my lip, shaking my head wordlessly. “Why the hell not?”