Page 13 of Toxic Obsession

“Are you su—”

Gabby held up her hand, halting me midsentence. “Wynter, I’m happy to or else I wouldn’t have offered. Seriously, you have no idea how much we all really like you. You’re a perfect fit for our house and group. Like I said, some crazy-ass bitch could have moved in. I mean, I havestories. Whether you know it or not, you saved us.” Gabby placed her palm over her heart, her words filled with sincerity.

“Thanks. I like you guys too.”

Don’t get attached! If they ever find out, you can kiss these friends goodbye, too.

“I’ve gotta hit the books, but bring your shit downstairs and join me for a beer. We can study on the couch.” Gabby spun on her heel, her brown hair lifting off her slender shoulders as she disappeared from my room.

I stepped up to the mirror, admiring how I looked. Maybe Gabby was right, and I would attract some fun attention at the party. God knew I was ready to get laid.

Carefully removing the shirt, I hung it up and grabbed my sweatshirt to pull over my head. I collected my backpack and my laptop from the desk that had come with my room and made my way downstairs.

What if I really can start over? Maybe this really was the beginning of a new life— something different, good.

Unfortunately, life was definitely about to change, but not the way I’d hoped.

Chapter6

Quinn

“Keep your shit together on the field, guys. I’m not sure where your heads were yesterday in practice, but I hope like hell I see everyone dialed in and working as a team.” Coach rubbed his stubbled jawline while he paced the locker room. He looked tense.

“Yes, sir!” the team yelled in unison.

I tugged on my shoulder pads and shot both Kane Cooper, our quarterback, and Jagger Whitlock, our running back, a look and smirked. We were ready to play ball.

“Let’s go!” Coach motioned for us to hurry.

The sound of our cleats smacking the cement floor echoed through the room as we filed out. As soon as I was in the tunnel leading to the field, I took a deep breath. I was ready to tear some ass up and win the game.

“You doing good, man?” I asked Kane.

“Yup. I’m just focused as hell. A couple of scouts are in the stands, so I want to make sure we’re all playing top-notch.” Kane’s gaze briefly narrowed.

I cracked a grin. I suspected his brain was definitely running full speed ahead. “I’m there with you. I can’t afford to fuck up my chances of being drafted.”

“You know I’m in,” Jagger said from my left side.

“And after we win, we’re gonna party.” I chuckled as we all bumped fists and jogged down to the field.

I hadn’t mentioned Wynter to the guys, but I was hoping that she would show up later. From what I’d heard, she was sharing a house with Gabby, Everlee, and Leighton. If they liked her, they would make sure she was at the after party, and I would be waiting for her.

Anger laced with bitterness pumped in my veins as my hatred of Wynter Baldwin shot through me at the mere thought of her. The sooner I dealt with her, the better. I had a life to live, and if she were around, she’d get in my head. My plans to get out from under Adam’s thumb and go pro were my top priorities, and I wasn’t about to lose my shot at the NFL.

After thinking it through, I’d decided the best way to ruin Wynter was to make her fall for me. Make her believe I was the perfect guy for her, then destroy her. In the meantime, I certainly wasn’t opposed to playing with my prey first. While the party was in full swing, I would introduce myself. It would be a great opportunity to get close and slip her an invitation to the society too. Then the real games would begin.

* * *

Adam had left for another business trip a few days before, so I’d offered to throw the party at my place after the game. After winning with a fourteen-point lead, I was ready to blow off some steam.

More than that, I was ready to find Wynter.

The vibrations of the music thundered through the walls and rumbled through my chest as I surveyed the wild scene. Near the kitchen, I propped myself against the wall and watched the chaos. Guys clustered near a small wooden end table were arm wrestling, each boasting and laughing with a bravado that only came with alcohol. By the front entrance and living room, a group of girls shed their inhibitions and spun around the white columns as if they were stripper poles. Loud laughter accompanied the teetering stilettos and spilled drinks.

Last year, one girl attempted to swing around the column and face-planted into the floor. Apparently, she was too drunk to feel any pain. I got her the hell out of my house as fast as I could. Adam would rip me a new one if someone sued him.

To cover our asses, the football team decided we would all pitch in and monitor the pole activity. The society members weren’t worried about trying to get laid, so we chilled and made sure something insane didn’t happen.

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