Page 52 of Craving the Player

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sierra

“Just open the damn door, Soph. I’ll be out in aminute!” Ishout from my bedroom, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice. It’snot like there has been someone knocking on the front door for the past five minutes or anything. Take your time, Sophie.

The knocking finally stops as I’mshrugging my jean jacket over my shoulders. My reflection in the stand-up mirror on the wall makes me cringe. Ispent three hours getting ready, and this is what Imanaged to come up with? Black skinny jeans and alight washed jean jacket? Jean on jean?

There’sno way that Sophie will ever let me out of the house in this.

“We needed to leave five minutes ago, Sierra!” Sophie’svoice carries through the closed door, acting as areminder that Idon’twant.

Irip the jean jacket off and throw it across the room, watching it smack against my desk. Why does it even matter what Iwear? It’snot like Braden will even see me in the crowd full of people shouting and cheering, pushing their way around the fighting ring like apossessed mob. Okay, that might be abit of astretch. Boxing has never been anything that I’ve really cared about or watched before. Ihave no idea what to expect once we get there. But Ican’thelp but want to stand out, not blend into the crowd like I’msure that Iwill. Why am Itrying so damn hard? Oh right, because for some ridiculous reason, Ihope that he’ll see me in the crowd. I want him to see me. And Iwant him to like what he sees.

The almost inaudible dinging of my phone pulls my attention away from those thoughts. Picking it up from its spot on my mattress, Ifeel my lips lift in asmall smile.

Braden:Wear something gold.

Gold? Idon’tthink Ihave anything gold. Wait, how did he know that Iwas struggling?

“Sophie!” Ishout seconds before footsteps pound against the floor outside of my room. The door flies open and Sophie’sgrin aggravates me instantly.

“Isee you’ve been talking with the half-wit out there,” Igrowl, folding my arms.

“Heard that!” Clayton shouts from somewhere in the living room.

“Don’tcare!” Ishout back and look back at Sophie, sighing, “Ineed something gold. Help me,” Imumble the words, nearly begging and visibly embarrassed that I’meven entertaining this idea.

“Got it.” She marches towards my closet and starts tearing through the rows of clothes. Hums and haws make their way from the closet and clothes start flying around the room. The telltale signs of amigraine flash across my vision and Igroan, long and heavy. Massaging my temples, Iflop down on my bed.

“Please tell me that Ihave something,” Isigh. “Ihate that Icare this much about what Iwear. Who am I, Sophie? You?”

She slings me aglare over her shoulder before returning to the clothes. “You like him.”

“Ido,” Imumble before Ichicken out. “Is that stupid?”

“Absolutely not, S. Didn’tItell you that friends with benefits never works?”

Idon’tanswer. Irefuse to give her the satisfaction.

“It’sokay. Iknow the truth. That’senough for me,” she adds before Ihear afew clangs from across the room. Ikeep my eyes on the ceiling. “Yes! Now we’re talking.”

Keeping my hands pressed flat on the bed, Ipush myself into asitting position and watch Sophie pull ametallic gold, off the shoulder top from ahanger before tossing it to me. The tag pricks my finger before Irip it off and quickly tuck it under my pillow, feeling only slightly embarrassed that Ididn’teven remember that Ibought it. It’sstunning, so it was probably one of my impulse buys.

Irun my fingers along the silk like texture and begin to feel nauseous, nerves burning ahole in my stomach. Most of the time, Iavoid unfamiliar places and situations. Fear of the unknown is real, and it sucks. But there’sno way that I’mgoing to let fear ruin this for me. Not this time. Iwant to put myself out there and experience something new and thrilling. And Iguess Ihave Braden to thank for that. He makes me want to slip out of my comfort zone and breathe in new experiences. It’sone of the reasons why Ithink I’mso addicted to being in his presence.

So I’mgoing to let go, at least for tonight. The world can go back to normal in the morning.

“Thanks, Soph.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just get changed so we can go,” Sophie replies and sits down beside me, eyeing me curiously.

“You’re not going to leave so Ican change?”

She faces me with apout and her eyes wide with asilent plea. “Please don’tmake me go out there again without you. Clayton is driving me crazy.”

“Fine.” Inod with understanding and take the shirt to the bathroom to change.

Afew minutes later, we’re all situated inside Clayton'sJeep. To say that Iwas surprised to find how absolutely pristine he kept the interior is an understatement. The smell of leather and cologne is thick in the air, but Ican’tsay that Imind it much. There’snot asingle wrapper or coat of dust anywhere that Ican see, and I’ve snooped through the backseat after letting Sophie take shotgun, much to her frustration and Clayton’spleasure. Ican tell that it doesn’tbother him much having my best friend sitting so close to him, unable to run and hide from his ridiculous puns and that damn attentive stare that makes agirl feel like she’sbeen placed under amicroscope. Sophie, on the other hand, looks like she might jump out of the moving vehicle at any given moment.

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