Page 116 of Scrimmage

“Okay, and?”

“And, I don’t want you partying with Cole while I’m gone.”

“Did you not hear the part about us not being friends? You don’t tell me what the fuck to do.”

“You just said he’s getting on your nerves. Don’t hang out with him.”

She doesn’t agree, but she doesn’t disagree either. “Whatever.”

It’s as close as I’m going to get to a yes. I chose to go home for Thanksgiving when I didn’t need to. I like being around Ashland. I’ve gotten used to her, and that’s a problem. I can say I hate her, but it’s bullshit. She can say we aren’t friends, but that’s not true either. If it was, then I wouldn’t be here for her fucking birthday. She wouldn’t have made me a playlist or given me a sketch.

I need the space to clear my head, and getting some distance will give me that. Then we can go back to hating each other and having sex. I can go back to just controlling the narrative, because right now, Ashland is the one pulling the strings. She’s playing fucking mind games with me, and I have no doubt that she’s experienced at it.

Chapter Fifteen

Ashland

This whole thing is getting ridiculous. Koda’s demands are moving into boyfriend territory, and he’s making himself confused. He’s having a hard time separating sex and everything else. I’ll admit that I didn’t help that by inviting him to Cuntsgiving, but he started it with the art supplies. He surprises me and makes me laugh. I actually had fun.

Koda has been taking my mind off of the bullshit. I’m still struggling, but shoving your skeletons in a closet doesn’t happen overnight. You have to pick up all of the bones first. Penny left for the break to go scout a place to live in Chicago for the internship since she, surprise surprise, landed it.

When Cole asked if I wanted to go to a football party I almost didn’t answer, but I’m bored. It’s been a while since I’ve been to any type of gathering. Maybe the socialization outside of Koda and Alexi will do me some good. I’ll regret it when we get there, but that’s a problem for later. Koda demanded I stay away from Cole and I kind of see his point, but he’s not my fucking boyfriend. I’m not going to blindly follow all of his orders. We haven’t spoken since Cuntsgiving. It’s not that I haven’t been a thirsty slut, but I wasn’t about to cave.

So, I ignore the phone call from Koda. Then he texts me, which he hasn’t done all of break.

What are you doing?

I fucking ignore it. Cole raises an eyebrow and looks at my phone.

“As I wassaying,” I restart. “If time travel is linear, then how do you explain being able to travel from one point to another? You would technically be tearing through time and traveling to a different point of it where you exi—"

My phone rings again. Then another text.

Fucking answer the phone.

He’s angry and I knew he would be, but I thought that maybe someone here would have some modicum of decency and maybe not have the need to immediately gossip. The guys on Koda’s team probably have a group chat, and I hate that I’ve been the subject of it.

Why are you at that fucking party with Cole?

So this is about Cole. He calls me again like a psycho possessive boyfriend. I know things with Koda have been murky, at best, and I’ve done a pretty good job of ignoring it. I figured the distance over break could be a reset. Over the last few weeks I’ve been entirely too consumed by him, mostly because he keeps me from thinking about all of my other shit, and wires are getting crossed.

That’s not very cunty.

My phone ringsagain.

Cole clears his throat. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Let me take this, and I’ll be back. Get me a drink?” Obviously, Koda isn’t going to stop his assault.

“Yeah, of course.” Cole gives me that dimpled smile that screams simp. I thought that maybe I was annoyed because he was always in my space. Koda showing up forced Cole to keep his distance and being back around him has only shown me how much more annoying he is.

My phone rings again as I head outside, and I answer it.

He doesn’t even wait for me to speak. "You're at the football party."

“Okay, dad. You can ground me later. Everything is fine. I'm with Cole.” It’s too late when I realize it was the wrong thing to say.

“I thought I told you to stay away from him,” he growls in my ear.

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