Page 9 of Cruel Start

Shane wasn’t far behind, his constant prattle about girls getting on my last nerve. “I hooked up with the brunette last night. Her body was bangin’.”

I didn’t care. No one compared to the girl I’d been with at the cove. She’d been in my thoughts nonstop, and I couldn’t exorcise our final words. As if on cue, my mind replayed it in vivid detail.

I stood and started to dress.

“Hey.” She reached out to me, all soft and sexy as she lay there, tempting me to go back for round two.

I pulled away, and her fingers fell back to our makeshift blanket.

“This was a one-time thing.” I tossed her clothes to her. “I don’t do girlfriends.”

“Screw you, asshole.” She grabbed her shorts, bypassing her bathing suit, and angrily shoved a lean, shapely leg through them. “Dating you is the last thing I want.”

I pushed the images and her anger away, refocusing on my brother’s attempt to engage me with a mindless lay. He’d been doing what I did when I slept with girls—one and done. I never hit it twice. Or rarely. Girls had expectations attached to repeat hookups, and I was not interested in a relationship. Shane had been a one-woman type of guy, but that had all changed after Tracey dumped him over text.

“I’m meeting up with her again after practice.” He pulled his shirt over his head, tossed it into the hamper, then grabbed one on his bed, bringing it to his nose for a sniff test before putting it on.

His sling went next, and he adjusted it until his arm was positioned where it should be. Not much longer before he would be doing full practices and, if no problems arose, playing in the next game, which was scheduled for two weekends from the coming one.

“Her friend is interested. You should come with me, and I’ll introduce you.”

“Seriously, bro. Knock it off. I’ve got enough going on between classes and practice. I don’t need any distractions, and chicks are the last thing I have time for.” School was harder for me than Shane, and since we were in different classes, we couldn’t share homework. “I told you. I’ll hook up with someone during Christmas break, not sooner.”

“What’s your problem?” Shane shoved my shoulder.

“You know what my problem is. These classes are kicking my ass.” I got in his face. Violence I could barely keep leashed shimmered around me. “Back off about women.”

Something thudded, and I broke eye contact with my twin to see who thought it would be a good idea to interrupt. Cole’s hand was still flush against the door, Damon on his heels. It was our cousins. I shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Whatever’s going on with you two, save it for the field. We have to leave early for practice.” Cole walked out, not bothering to see if we followed.

Damon leaned against the doorjamb, looking like he wanted some popcorn to go with the show. I stepped away from my brother, the urge to hit him dissipating. Too many things weighed me down. No matter what, I would not screw up my chances with football.

“Why’re you waiting?” Shane snapped at Damon.

“Chill, man.” Damon grinned. The fucker loved watching us bicker. “Thought we could walk over together. Maybe plan how we’ll continue with our fights.”

I closed my eyes, imagining how it would feel to slam my fist into a nameless opponent. I needed that, but it was a considerable risk. “If we get caught, we can kiss our scholarships and football careers goodbye.”

“We won’t get caught. When have we ever?” Shane pounded my back as he exited the room, following Damon.

We left the house, heading for the stadium, and I fell into step with them.

The need to get into the ring outweighed my common sense. If I planned to restrict myself from girls, I sure as shit wouldn’t give up brawling. Besides, it would be one fight, and I needed to take the edge off the constant worry that had been dogging me lately. “I’m in.”

“I’ll contact Snake.” Damon jogged forward and caught up to his brother, Cole.

Snake set up the fights for us and managed the bets. We knew him from high school, and he was a rough linebacker whose nickname matched his personality.

I could use an influx of cash anyway. While our scholarship covered our tuition, Shane and I had to pay for our room and board. Mom chipped in what she could for books but didn’t make enough to help past the bills at home. And I wouldn’t go to our grandparents.

Besides, Shane and I had plenty saved up from fights and the excess that our cousins had dumped into our accounts, despite our protests. But I was paranoid that something would happen, and I would need more money than I had in the bank. We had very little time, and I couldn’t get a job and pass my classes to stay enrolled and eligible to play. It was my shot to the NFL, and I wouldn’t fuck it up.

We crossed campus as students exited the buildings where their classes were held. People stopped and stared here and there. Shane ate it up. Not Damon—he was devoted to Skylar after a strange turn of events last year. Damon had been as bad as I was, running through girls nonstop and balking at even a hint about a relationship. But Skylar had changed everything for him. I liked her. And it was his life, not mine.

Only one girl I’d met had that sort of power over me, and I was determined to stay far away from her. Just the thought seemed to conjure the real Aspen—long, wavy blond hair threaded with sun-bleached platinum strands and ocean-blue-green eyes that held secrets I longed to uncover. Her body was lean and toned with curves in all the right places. Her unapologetically wild and carefree surfer-girl vibe inexplicably drew me to her. I kept my gaze straight ahead, forcing myself not to acknowledge her. I’d spotted her on campus once or twice before, but we hadn’t talked. We really didn’t know each other or hang in the same circles, which was perfect. She wasn’t a clinger.Thank God.

I shouldn’t have slept with her, but it would be a long time between getting laid, since school had started, and I’d put rules in place to keep my grades on track.

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