He pulled his hand from mine and huffed out a disgusted sound. “No. That’s just it, Danika. You shouldn’t have told me. There should have been nothing to tell. You should have never agreed to go over there in the first place. You’re my girlfriend, but you’re running around like you’re Chance Carter’s whore.”
“Excuse me?” I stood up, my pride finally making an appearance. “What did you just call me?” The derogatory names that some felt were okay to call girls were such hypocritical bullshit, and I wouldn’t tolerate it.
“You need to start acting right.” He pushed back his chair and stood as well. “And if I find out you’re cheating on me—”
“You’ll what? Call me another name?” I mocked.
“I’ll make sure your little Baseball Boy knows whose girl he messed with. And I’ll let him know where we come from and how we handle things like this back in the city,” he threatened before walking away and leaving me alone at the table, strange eyes still on me, as I wondered what in the hell kind of reality television show my life had just turned into and how the heck I’d let it happen.
I sat down and put my head in my hands for only a moment before I heard Sunny’s usually cheerful voice. “Well, that was fun to watch.”
I glanced up to see her holding a tray of food and a book before setting it all down on the table and sitting next to me, where Jared had just been. “How much did you hear?”
She shook her head. “Not much really. It was more of the body language. He looked like he was yelling at you.”
“He kinda was,” I confirmed, and she bit into an apple, moaning as she chewed before swallowing.
“What is Jerk-Off mad about now?”
“He thinks I cheated with Chance.”
She let out a sound, her head shaking. “He thinks you cheated? Oh, that’s rich,” she said before taking another bite.
“What does that mean?” I asked because her response was odd.
Is she insinuating that Jared’s cheated on me? Does she know something that I don’t?
“Nothing.” She waved her arms around. “I just don’t like him anymore; you know that,” she admitted before swallowing. “Sorry. I know that sucks to hear, and it’s not my place.”
Her admission was hurtful, but it wasn’t a surprise. I knew that she had stopped liking Jared. We’d already talked about it before.
“I know you don’t like him.”
“For you,” she clarified like she had when we talked about this at home, and my phone buzzed. “I just think you can do better.”
I reached for my cell, assuming it would be a text or something from Jared, but there was a simple message from Chance waiting instead, which read, I passed. I felt the smile break out on my face before I could stop it.
“Now, that’s a smile I haven’t seen in a while,” Sunny said with a matching grin of her own. “Bet I know who the message is from.”
“Stop,” I said, trying to make my smile disappear but failing.
“It’s not my fault Chance Carter makes you smile more than your own boyfriend does.” The accuracy of her words made the breath catch in my throat. She shrugged, her blue eyes shining. “What? It’s true, so I’m not sorry for saying it.”
I knew that it was too. I just wasn’t ready to admit it out loud and deal with the consequences of what exactly that meant.
Catching Up with Cole
Chance
My professor must have graded the tests right after we finished them or something because as I’d headed toward the field after breakfast, I’d pulled up my online account and seen that I’d gotten a B-minus. I was feeling pretty good for pulling that grade, and I knew Danika would be happy for me too.
I had texted her and was waiting for her to respond, but after about a minute, I needed to put my phone in my locker and get into the weight room. I was running behind. Having breakfast with her hadn’t been the smartest idea, but when she asked, I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to. And even though I thought Jared was a complete dick, it was a good thing that he had shown up when he did. I’d needed to leave, and without him ruining the morning, I wasn’t sure I would have. I mean, of course I would have, but I would have been even later than I already was, consequences be damned.
Fall conditioning and workouts six days a week were mandatory. We only had one day off, and today wasn’t it. So, when I stepped into the workout room three minutes after I was supposed to and saw Coach Jackson standing near the exit, I was pissed. Not because Coach was there, but because I was actually late for the first time in my college career, and I had no one to blame but myself. I watched as he looked up at the clock on the wall before walking out without saying a word.
“Dammit,” I mumbled as Mac walked up, a towel around his shoulders.
“He was only in here for five minutes, man,” he said, and I shook my head. “Five minutes. Swear.”
“He’s never here before we are,” I said, still angry at myself because Coach usually showed up in the middle of weights and stayed until the end to make sure none of us skipped out.
“I know,” Mac added. “Wonder why he was. Everyone’s here,” he said, and we both looked around at our team. “Except you.”
Why did he pick today, of all days, to show up before us? And why the hell did I allow myself to be late? I was never late.
“Think he’s pissed?” I asked, honestly wondering how much hell he’d be giving me later.
“Definitely.” Mac shrugged. “By the way, why were you late?”
I considered lying for a second, telling Mac that my test had run over and the professor had given me extra time to finish, but that was just stupid. “I was at breakfast with Danika. Her boyfriend showed up.”
He grinned. “I already knew that.”
“What?” I punched him in the arm. “Why’d you ask me then?”
“Wanted to see if you’d lie or not.” He gave me a look.
“And how the hell did you already know?”
“Snapchat. Instagram. Take your pick.”
Before I could complain or groan, Coach reappeared near the door. “Carter. Now.”
“Fuck,” I mumbled before walking toward the exit, where he was waiting.
Once we were outside of the weight room, he shook his head.
“Don’t come to the field today,” he said with authority.
“What? Coach, I’m sorry I was—” I started to explain, but he cut me off.
“You know the rules, Carter. I expect a full commitment from you. Go home. You’re done for the day,” he said, and there would be no arguing. “If you show up at the field for practice later, everyone on the team will pay for your idiocy.”
“Yes, Coach,” I said before mentally beating myself up.
I couldn’t believe that I’d allowed myself to get carried away this morning. My dad was going to be so mad, and he would have every right to be.
How did I let myself get kicked out of a practice?
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I walked toward the parking lot, where I’d left my car earlier and debated my options. My gut instincts were to fight, to show up at the field anyway later so Coach knew how serious I was about the team and how sorry I was for being stupid. But I knew that would only backfire. Coach Jackson would send me right back home and tack on the rest of the week as well to make an example out of me. Then, he’d make my boys run until they threw up. All because I’d refused to listen.