Courtside Crush: Varsity Girlfriends Book One Page 12

Anderson leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Remember, you’re supposed to be madly in love with me. So, turn that frown upside down.”

  When he stepped back, he winked at me. I reluctantly lifted the corners of my mouth into a tight-lipped smile.

  “Charlie!” Anderson said loud enough to gain the attention of some nearby people. “What are you saying? You want to get back together with me?”

  He lifted his brows, ever so slightly, telling me to get started.

  I took a deep breath and stepped closer. I answered just loud enough to make sure those closest to us would hear. “I miss you so much, Anderson.” My left hand trembled as it found the button-front of his shirt.

  I put my other palm flat against his chest, not sure if I was surprised or not when I realized his heartbeat was steady beneath it. Anderson wasn’t affected by me, whatsoever. He’d been serious when he said this was all for payback.

  “I don’t know,” he pondered loudly. “You said and did some pretty mean things. How do I know you’re serious?”

  I barely contained my sigh, and only after I bit the inside of my cheek. “Please, Anderson. Take me back?”

  He chuckled and looked over to the guys who were with him that night. One looked as amused as I imagined Anderson felt, but the others seemed more confused. I guessed it had a lot to do with the fact I was Preston’s sister and all the drama that had played out a few weeks earlier.

  “Come on, Charlie.” Anderson wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s go get something to drink.”

  I walked alongside Anderson, mostly keeping my eyes on him. As much as he disgusted me, it was easier to swallow than the looks my fellow classmates gave me. Even Sammi looked weirded out by how cozy my ex-boyfriend and I were acting.

  At least I could find comfort knowing Jackson was at his cousin’s and wouldn’t see me like this.

  My phone buzzed in the small pocket of my skirt. I managed to pull it out while Anderson was talking to some people.

  10:03 PM

  Daria: What the heck is going on????? Tell me you did NOT get back with Anderson. Tell me this is some kind of joke.

  I didn’t know what to tell her, so I stuck my phone back in my pocket. When it vibrated again, I ignored it. It didn’t matter how many question marks Daria put at the end of her texts, there was no making sense of this situation.

  I allowed Anderson to take me room by room throughout the house. I knew his goal was to make sure as many people as possible saw us together. He wanted everyone to see how I was dressed, and how I was all over him.

  I hated every minute of it.

  When we found a quiet room, I jerked away from Anderson’s possessive touch. “Are we done?”

  “Almost.”

  His eyes went to something behind me. I started to turn and see what it was, but Anderson leaned in close and ran his hand over my cheek. “Let’s go out back for a little while,” he said a little too loudly.

  I thought of the low temperature and my general lack of clothing. “But it’s cold outside.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” Again, his voice boomed in the small, quiet space we stood.

  I let out a resigned sigh and let Anderson wrap his arm around me once more. He led me to the room’s exit, and I finally saw what, or more accurately who, he had looked at earlier.

  It wasn’t some random person walking by the room, as I had hoped.

  It wasn’t even Preston or Daria standing there.

  No, it was Jackson with a hurt-filled expression. I felt the knife in my heart twist a little more as he turned and walked away, knowing I’d just sealed our fate.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Apparently, the near-freezing night air was too much for Anderson, because we were outside all of ten minutes before he was ushering me back inside. But that didn’t mean the night was over.

  No, now we had gossip fodder as he paraded me all over the house.

  We hadn’t been back inside for very long when Preston came storming over, looking menacing despite the pool floaty that was still around his waist. Beth stood off in the distance dressed like a drink from Starbucks.

  “What the hell is going on?” Pres yelled drawing my attention from his girlfriend.

  His eyes were narrowed, his skin flushed in anger. “Why are you harassing my sister, Anderson? I thought you learned your lesson last time you messed with her.”

  Anderson smirked at my brother but didn’t say anything. It only served to infuriate Preston more.

  “I’m serious, Anderson. I don’t care if you’re a great point guard. You’re not going to treat her like this.”

  We were starting to gather a crowd. Anderson looked down at me expectantly. That was my cue.

  “Actually, Pres, I’m the one who sought out Anderson.” I cleared my throat. “I’m hoping to get back together with him.”

  “You what?” His eyes were wide, and he turned back to Beth as if looking for some kind of confirmation. She lifted her hands letting him know she was just as lost as he was. “I don’t understand.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I realized I was overreacting about everything. He is the hottest guy in school, and I came here hoping he’d take me back.”

  Preston ran his hand through his hair. “And that’s why you changed your mind so last minute about the party?”

  I lifted my shoulders. “I figured he would be here and thought it was a great chance to get his attention.”

  Anderson finally spoke up. “Did you see what she’s wearing? Of course, she got my attention.”

  “I’m going to kill you!”

  Preston shot forward toward Anderson, but not before I could step between them. I stuck my hands out and pushed them against his chest. I could hear the excited chatter around us and saw a couple of phones in my peripheral. This was going to be all over Rosemark before school on Monday, but I couldn’t think about that right now.

  “Stop it!” I yelled at my brother over the sounds of the party.

  “What does he have on you?”

  “Nothing,” I answered quickly. My eyes darted back and forth. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because I know how you feel about Anderson. Something isn’t right here.”

  “You know what?” Anderson interrupted again, leaning around me. “You’re right. Something isn’t right. I thought I might take Charlie back tonight, but now I can see how she reeks of desperation. Sorry, babe, but it’s not a good look for you.”

  My cheeks felt like they were on fire.

  “I mean, you think you can dress like that, and I’ll want to be your boyfriend. You really are crazy, Charlie Royce.”

  I shook my head. I finally saw the final puzzle piece. It wasn’t enough to parade me all over tonight. Anderson had wanted the opportunity to tear me down in front of everyone. He was an even bigger jerk than I thought.

  I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, and no matter how much I fought, they started falling down my cheeks.

  Anderson had already walked off, and I could hear little snippets of what he said to anyone who would listen. Something about me being pathetic, sad, and crazy. I honestly couldn’t determine which words were his, and those that came from other people.

  A couple of people still had their phones aimed in my direction, so I flipped them off.

  “Charlie.” Preston put his hand on my shoulder.

  I jerked away. “Not now, Pres.”

  The patio still looked relatively empty, and I felt so numb, I doubted the cold would be nearly as unbearable as earlier. I stormed out the French doors and found a spot far from the gazes of my classmates.

  The braids were the first thing to go. I threw the hair ties on the wooden deck. My fingers combed through the kinks in my hair. When I was satisfied, I untied my shirt and buttoned the rest of the buttons. I unrolled the waist of my skirt until it covered the tops of my thighs, and sat down, pulling my knees to my chest.

  And there, in the cold Colorado ai
r, I let the tears come in hot rivers down my cheeks.

  I cried because Anderson had humiliated me in front of everyone I knew. I cried because of the secrets I kept from Preston, who only wanted to protect me. I cried because I was still on athletic probation and I was worried I might miss out on my chance at a college scholarship from basketball.

  But I also cried for Jackson. I’d fallen hard for him in these last few weeks. If it hadn’t been for Anderson’s stupid picture, I wouldn’t have told him not to go to Helping Hands. We wouldn’t have broken up—if that’s what you could call what happened—and he wouldn’t have seen Anderson and me all over each other.

  I only hoped he wasn’t there when Anderson had dealt the finishing blow.

  Who was I kidding? He didn’t have to be at the live event. There were going to be plenty of videos floating around.

  And why had he been here anyway? Wasn’t he supposed to be at his cousin’s house?

  When my phone buzzed for the hundredth time, I pulled it out of my pocket.

  10:42 PM

  Daria: Where are you???? Are you okay?? I was in the bathroom and came out and Veronica told me what happened.

  Daria: I don’t see Preston or Anderson anywhere. I hope they’re not fighting.

  I was about to put my phone away when another text came through.

  Daria: What happened to no more secrets?

  Charlie: You’re right. Here ya go: Anderson played me like a fool. He got his revenge. Hopefully, it’s over.

  Daria: Wow.

  Charlie: Oh, yeah… That’s not all. Jackson was here tonight. He saw Anderson and me together.

  Daria: Whaaaat???

  Charlie: I’m on the back porch freezing my butt off. I’ll be inside in a few.

  Daria: Are you sure you’re OK??

  Charlie: No more secrets. I promise. I just need one more minute.

  Daria: Fine. But if you’re not back inside by 11, I’m sending the search party.

  Charlie: Please do! If I’m not back inside, I’m probably a popsicle.

  I saw that I had a few more texts from people wanting to know what happened with Anderson. There was something special about drama that brought everyone out from the woodwork. These were people I didn’t talk to on a daily, or even weekly, basis. Why did they think they had special privileges?

  I deleted them all until I was left with a lone text from Anderson sent just minutes before the one from Daria.

  10:39 PM

  Anderson: Great job in there. Those tears were almost believable. Too bad I know you don’t have a heart in that perfectly formed chest of yours.

  Charlie: Are we done?

  Anderson: For now.

  Charlie: You can’t blackmail me forever!

  Anderson: I guess we’ll see, won’t we?

  A chill came over me, which was caused not only by the icy breeze that had started but also from the promise of more torture.

  I reconsidered telling Preston everything but seeing the murder in his expression tonight gave me pause. There was only one other time I’d seen that look on his face, and it was after Jackson Brooks had made him miss the winning shot for Rosemark. That game had cost them the finals.

  There was no way Preston would just “get over” his sister dating his rival—not that I was in any danger of that after Jackson had seen me with Anderson. But even if I never saw Jackson again, Preston’s grudge would only grow if he saw those pictures.

  I didn’t want to think about what would happen to either Preston or Jackson with that kind of tension on the court.

  When I didn’t think I could survive the cold any longer, I decided it was time to go inside and find Daria. But when I stood up and turned around, I came face to face with the boy of my musings.

  Jackson stood in front of me wearing his Pinebrook letterman jacket and jeans. I hadn’t gotten a good look at him earlier, and I wasn’t sure if he wore some kind of costume under his jacket. Not that it mattered. Jackson was here, and in his hands were a bright pink puffer coat that looked vaguely familiar and a thick, wool blanket.

  “I’m sure you have a vendetta against pink, but it was all I could find in my cousin’s closet.”

  I finally connected the dots. “Your cousin is Sammi.”

  He nodded.

  “And this Halloween party was her thing you invited me to.”

  Another bob of his head before he held out the jacket. “Put the jacket on, Charlie.”

  I stared at it for a few seconds before finally taking it from Jackson. It was doubtful Sammi knew he had it. I wondered what she would think of Charlie Royce wearing her clothing. I imagined she’d be having a fit for more than one reason.

  My arms pushed through the sleeves, but it wasn’t easy. While we were both thin, Sammi was at least one size smaller than me. With some effort, I eventually wrangled it on.

  My entire body shook as I crossed my arms over my chest to warm myself. I hadn’t realized just how cold I was until I’d gotten a taste of heat. I looked back up at Jackson. “What are you doing out here?”

  “I needed to talk to you.” He waved to where I’d just been sitting. “Can we sit for a minute?”

  I lowered my chin to my chest. “Okay.”

  The two of us sat side-by-side, and once we were situated, Jackson put the blanket over our legs. “Is this warm enough? Would you rather go inside?”

  Tears started forming again as I shook my head.

  I couldn’t understand why he was being so nice to me. Part of me wished he wasn’t. It would be a lot easier to forget about him if he wasn’t currently fussing over the blanket, making sure every inch of skin was protected from the cold.

  I kept my gaze trained in front of me. “What do you want, Jackson?”

  “I don’t know where to start. I keep trying to figure out if I want to yell at you or beg you to talk to me. I don’t know if I should be mad at you for what happened in there or sad.”

  I felt my frustration returning. Jackson had done nothing wrong, but I snapped at him anyway. “We were never dating, so you don’t have to feel guilty for not wanting to be with me, okay? Just let it go.”

  “I heard your ex joking in the kitchen. He didn’t know I was standing there.”

  I turned to face him. “What did he say?”

  I hated how eager my voice was, but I needed to know what he was saying to people when I wasn’t there.

  “He talked about some picture, and how easy it was to manipulate you.” Jackson closed his eyes. “They were all laughing at you, and it made me crazy. It took everything in me not to lay into him in the middle of my aunt and uncle’s kitchen.”

  It looked like Anderson wasn’t keeping his end of the bargain in our little arrangement. I let out a sigh.

  “What does this dude have on you?” Jackson asked.

  “A picture of us from the night we went to the corn maze together. He threatened to tell my brother if I didn’t come to this party and act like I was in love with him.”

  Jackson cussed under his breath. “Charlie, I know Royce and I are competitive on the court, but is all this really worth it? That guy made a fool of you in there.”

  I took a deep breath, knowing I was about to break some sort of sibling code. “Preston skipped school a couple of weeks ago to get a private basketball lesson because he heard you had extra training all summer.”

  Jackson made a “hmm” sound in the back of his throat.

  “Yeah, and he and the rest of the team even have a special name for their game against you. The Senior Year Rematch. It’s a big deal for the entire team, but especially Preston.”

  “So, what does this mean for us?”

  I shrugged. “I think we need to end this before it gets any worse. It was silly to think we could have anything serious.”

  When I started to turn my face away, Jackson lifted his hand to stop me. His fingers were cold, yet gentle, against my skin. “Do you want to end things?”

  Unable to speak from the intensi
ty of Jackson’s gaze, I shook my head in response.

  “I don’t either. What if we kept it a secret?”

  I snorted. “No one wants to be in a secret relationship. That’s a major red flag. Either somebody is embarrassed or already in a relationship.”

  “But we know that’s not the case. And it wouldn’t be forever. Just until the end of basketball season.”

  He made it sound so simple. “What if Rosemark loses to Pinebrook again this year? Do you think Preston is just going to give up?”

  Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know, Charlie. I’m trying here because I like you. A lot. And I want to find a way to make us happen. But if you really don’t want to date me, tell me now, and I will leave you alone.”

  “Jackson.”

  “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Then we’ll figure this out.”

  “Okay,” I whispered in the stillness of the night.

  Jackson leaned closer, and I subconsciously licked my lips. His eyes went straight to my mouth like an arrow to a bullseye. That small shift in his gaze caused my heart to leap in my chest.

  “So, does this mean we’re officially dating?” he asked.

  “I mean, as long as you consider a secret relationship we can’t tell anyone about dating, then sure, we’re dating.”

  I giggled, but Jackson’s face was serious.

  “Good, because I’ve been kicking myself for making that stupid rule about no kissing until we’re official.”

  Oh.

  Jackson took a shaky breath, and I realized my own had started coming more quickly. He brushed some hair, whether real or imaginary, away from my face and let his hands linger on my cheek.

  And before I knew it, his mouth pressed against mine. The kiss was tentative at first but quickly turned urgent. My hands wrapped around the back of his head, and my fingers played with his hair. Jackson kept one hand on my face, while the other ran up and down my arm. Even through the puffy jacket, his touch warmed me.

  Our lips tangled up in one another until I heard the sound of the door slamming.