Rejected By The Alpha Quarterback

CHAPTER 3

HAZEL

Nancy is hot. She’s shaped like a doll, with the heart shaped face and naturally pouty lips to boot. I can easily picture most of the football guys risking their balls to be with her. I just never imagined my Nick to be one of those guys.

“Nick,” Nancy moans when he sucks her tongue into his mouth. They are still kissing by the pool and I’m still stuck to the spot, staring at them like a moron. “What about that little girlfriend of yours? What do you think she’s gonna do when she finds out about this?”

“Hazel?” Nick bites down on her bottom lip. “Who’s gonna tell her? Don’t worry about that baby. A bookworm like Hazel is much too lost in textbooks to care about the things going on around her.”

“Wow Nick.” She scoffs but I can just tell that she had enjoyed hearing that. “Is that anything a loving boyfriend like yourself should be saying?”

He grins against her lips. “Come on Nancy. You and I both know I’m only dating her for her brains. Ever since we started going out, she does all of my assignments and helps me compile comprehensive notes for tests. If she wasn’t so smart, do you honestly think I would go out with an orphaned, fashion impaired swot like her?”

“Of course not,” Nancy gleams. I don’t wait to hear more. I turn on my heels and run away. My eyes are almost blind with tears. Makes it hard for me to tell where I’m headed. Somehow, I manage to stumble out of the manor.

Outside, I drop down to my knees and press my face against the grass. I’m trembling. My chest hurts. I feel sick.

“Hey. You okay?” Asher’s face appears in front of me. He’s crouching on the grass, staring at me with a wary expression, that’s tinged with pity. That’s all the confirmation I need.

“You knew, didn’t you?” My voice comes out all croak-like. The tears won’t stop falling.

“Come on. I’ll take you home.” In his mind, he’s trying to do the right thing. Offering to take me back to my dorm as a way to assuage his guilt.

“Answer the question.” I push myself into a sitting position, forcing him to pull away. “I want to hear you say it.” If only my glare has the power to obliterate, he’d be a pile of ash right now.

“What exactly are you hoping to hear from me right now freckles? I’m sorry your boyfriend is a cheating jackass?”

I’m not expecting to hear that and it feels like he just sliced across my chest with a hot dagger.

“How long?” I demand, wiping more tears away from my eyes. “The thing with Nancy. How long has it been going on?”

“Do you even want to know?”

“If I didn’t, you think I’d been asking?”

He sighs. “Look, don’t shoot the informant okay. From what I’ve been seeing around these halls, they’ve definitely been hooking up for over a year now.”

“A year.” I grip my sides, doubling over.

“Hey. Hey.” Asher catches me before I fall. I don’t even have the strength to push him away from me. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

He helps me up to my feet and leads me towards his car. He drives a black Porsche. The drive to my dorm takes five minutes. I spend the whole time crying my f*****g eyes out. I would regret crying in front of a menace like Asher tomorrow. For tonight, I don’t care.

He walks me to my unit. Helps me insert the key in. Kelly is not around.

“You want some tea? Soda? Maybe water.” Asher riffles inside my fridge. A moment later, he pulls out a water and brings it to me. I’m sitting on my bed, staring into outer space. “Here. Drink some.”

“I don’t want to.” I slap the bottle away from me. Luckily, Asher’s got great reflexes and he catches the bottle at the last second, preventing a major water spill.

“Okay then.” He puts the bottle away and joins me on my bed. The last time I had a guy in my bed was last night.

Nick.

We’d made love listening to my favorite song. Who the hell was that Nick I had encountered by the pool? He had been a stranger.

“Will you be okay on your own?” Asher asks, reminding me that he’s still here. Why is he still here?

“Do I look like I’m going to be okay on my own?” I’m lashing out at him and frankly, he deserves it. At the same time, he doesn’t. “I just found out that my boyfriend has been using me for the entirety of our relationship. Do you have any idea how f****d up that is?”

“Well, um… is there anything you need?” he clears his throat, still looking at me with that look of pity in his eyes. I hate it so much.

I’ve hit rock bottom if I’ve got someone like Asher pitying me.

“I heard chicks love to drown in ice cream when they’re sad,” he’s saying. “Is that what you want freckles? I can go get you a bowl. We’ve got a few back at the pack house.”

What I want? I want him to shut up.

Has anyone ever told the star quarterback that he talks way too much? And when did he move so close to me?

Something’s wrong with me because the next thing I know, I’m closing the last shred of space between us, pressing my lips fully against his.

His lips are surprisingly soft. Plush like cloud pillows. I didn’t know guys like Asher moisturized their lips. He’s not exactly kissing me back. It’s more like he’s allowing me to kiss him. Just as I feel myself beginning to drown in whatever the f**k this is, Asher grabs my arms and pulls me away from him.

“Are you serious?” I snarl, angrily. “You’re gonna turn down a girl throwing herself at you? Aren’t you supposed to be the most notorious man slut on campus?”

“I see my reputation precedes me,” he smirks, not seeming offended by my furious outburst.

“Don’t you dare to be smart with me right now Asher James.”

“I’m not freckles. I’m merely trying to be a gentleman. Don’t wanna take advantage of you while you’re suffering.”

“Who says you’re taking advantage of me?” Before he can say anything, I throw myself at him again. This time, I hold nothing back.