Page 56 of Cruel Steps

When she practiced with the Wolfettes, I kept my eyes locked on my guys. When she passed me in the house, I bore holes into my phone with the intensity I gave it. When I had to sit next to her in class, I breathed through my mouth and sat as far away as possible.

I avoided seeing, smelling, and touching her with everything in my being.

But that was the problem. She was everywhere, even when she wasn’t there. Her sexy bras on the counter. Her intoxicating shampoo in the shower. The cute little pink toothbrush she used. I’d gone as far as to shower at school to avoid jerking off every time I stepped foot in our shared bathroom.

It still wasn’t enough.

Walking past her room, I’d get a whiff of her body spray. Grabbing food out of the pantry, I’d spot her name labeled on granola bars, condiments, and bread. Folding laundry, I’d find her panties and socks mixed in.

As if it wasn’t enough torture to constantly be reminded of her existence, it was all the women in my life could talk about. Hope went on and on about how awful Emerson was while Mom gushed about how sweet she found her.

Then there was Colter. The dude had heart eyes. He didn’t have to say anything for me to know how he felt.

At football practice, she was there, stretching in her tight shorts, making my dick jump every time she moved. In class, the little sounds she made as she worked reminded me of our night together, and I’d be hard for the whole hour.

I couldn’t escape her.

Not at football.

Not at school.

Not at home.

Not even at Colter’s.

My dreams weren’t even left Emerson-free.

The more I avoided her, the more impossible the task became of getting her out of my head, and the opposite of what I wanted occurred.

I wanted to make Emerson the enemy, to see her as the villain my sister claimed her to be. To push her away and forget about how perfect we’d been together.

Each minute I spent avoiding her, I gained more and more information about the woman who’d captured my soul, and I couldn’t align any of it with the person Hope claimed her to be.

I couldn’t make Emerson into the villain I needed her to be, and I was done trying.

“You good?” Colter asked, drying his hair with a towel.

“I don’t even know what that means anymore.”

Colter frowned. “Want to hang and talk?”

I debated his offer, but ultimately, I needed to do something. I shook my head, meeting his eyes. “Not tonight.”

Colter nodded, understanding flashing through him. We finished getting ready, and I felt my mind clear now that I had a plan.

“Text me later?” he asked when we stepped out of the locker room.

“Yeah.” I hugged him, slapped him on the shoulder, and headed to the parking lot while he went toward campus.

A group of girls were clustered by a fountain, their eyes flicking to me and then back as they giggled. I knew a few from hooking up over the years, but I wouldn’t call us friends. So, when Gina broke off and headed toward me, I stopped and waited for her to approach.

“Hey, Holden.”

“Gina.” I didn’t expand, not wanting to give her the wrong idea. I didn’t flirt with girls.

Except you had.

And just like that, Wildcat was back on my mind.

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