Page 25 of Bad Kind of Love

“What I mean is that your boss is a dick and probably makes working there a living hell for you. And when I start, it won’t make it any better.” I continue. “In school, we can pretend we don’t know each other, but at work, we're friends. You help me, I help you.”

“So, what you’re saying is that outside of school you’d be my friend, but inside school, when you’re around all your friends, you’ll act like you don’t know me?” She says confused but I can sense the hurt in her tone.

“I want to be your friend everywhere.” I confess. “But you don’t seem to be too keen on the idea.”

I wish she’d just come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to go away, especially now that we were going to be working together. By the slight roll of her moss colored eyes and the way her shoulders dropped, I knew she caved in.

“Fine. Friends at work. But that’s it.”

My mouth lifts into a goofy smile and I finally feel like I’m getting somewhere with her. I open my mouth to say something, but feel the weight of someone crashing into my side.

“What you doin’ talkin’ to my girl, Fitzgerald?” Travis winds his arm around my neck like we're good buddies, but all I feel is the urge to push him off me. The fucker grins ear to ear while his hungry eyes devour Becca whole, ignoring the fact we were having a conversation before he butted in.

“Definitely not your girl.” She twists her face like she just tasted a lemon.

Suppressing a laugh, I knew if I couldn’t get her to be my friend, there’s no way in hell Travis was.

“I see you’ve met my boy Wes.” Travis drops his arm from my shoulder and stands beside me.

After taking Travis’s spot as starting quarterback, I’d say we were far from being each other’s boy. He made it his mission to make football as miserable as possible for me.

“Yah, we’ve met.” She mumbles, but I catch a certain twinkle in her eye as she looks me over. She peers around Travis like she’s ready to run for it.

“We’re gonna be working together now.” I throw, in mixing the pot. And by the way Travis beams holes into the side of my head, I can tell it worked.

“Really?” He sounds shocked. “You? Workin’ at Cool Times?” He lets out a forced laugh before smacking me on the shoulder.

“Yah, I thought Becca here could use some friendly company at work.” I say to gauge his reaction, and apparently, I hit a nerve.

Shaking his head, a menacing laugh escapes from his lips. “I bet.”

Standing tall, we refuse to back down as we stare each other down. Intimidating one another until one scurries away. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen, we both wanted the same thing.

Becca’s sultry voice cuts in, causing both our eyes to focus on her. “No need for the pissing contest.” She looks between the both of us. “If you boys don’t mind, I have somewhere to be.”

Her chin lifts high, and her long legs move around us as she scampers away towards the parking lot. Like the guys we are, we both turn to watch her walk away, keeping our eyes zoned in on the way her hips shake with each step.

“First my spot, now my girl, Fitzgerald?” Travis shakes his head, while cracking his knuckles. “The fuck you think you’re doing?”

Chuckling, I wasn’t about to get into with Travis. It wasn’t worth the headache. “She seemed to have made it clear that she wasn’t your girl.”

Taking an intimidating step forward, we're almost chest to chest now as he bares his teeth. “That’s not what she said last night.” He growls, trying to set me off. “When I was sliding in her sweet virgin pussy.” With a clenched jaw, I’m seconds away from knocking his lying ass out when Coach Peterson comes running up beside us.

“What the hell’s going on here?” He shouts, grabbing onto Travis’s shoulder pads and pulling him away from me. We keep our gazes locked onto one another, as the tension between us still sizzles.

“Nothin’ coach, just givin’ the new QB some tips.” Travis grins wide, but his eyes tell me this isn’t over.

“Get on the field, Haynes.” Coach nods his head motioning for him to run off. With one last glance at me, he throws his helmet on and jogs off towards the field.

“You, Haynes and O’Connor have an issue I should be concerned about?” Coach peers down at me under his visor.

“No, everything’s fine.” I relax my shoulders, while staring off towards the parking lot.

“Good, because we don’t need my two best players getting in a fight over some pussy.” He scolds. My fists clench on instinct, hearing him call Becca “some pussy” sent my blood to another level of hot. “You hear me?”

Taking a deep breath, I start to pull the helmet on over my head. “Loud and clear, coach.” I run off before he can say anymore.

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