“Let me help you. I know a doctor who can see you. It won’t get back to DHR. I swear.”
“GO. AWAY.” I bit my tongue and closed my eyes. I had yelled. Shit. He was making me so mad. I needed to keep my voice down.
“Can you stay in bed tomorrow? Will she make you go to school?”
Either he was deaf or he thought he was above listening to what others told him. “Rock, I need you to leave. I need you to forget all of this. Go play football and be the star this town loves to talk about. They want you. I don’t.”
He stood there and watched me for a few more seconds. Then, just when I thought he wasn’t going to listen yet again and I started to feel a small twinge of hope that maybe he wanted more than to get in my pants, he turned and walked outside.
His perfect, beautiful body walked down the small steps and back toward his truck. He didn’t look at me when he climbed inside and pulled away. He left. Just like I thought. He wanted something I wasn’t going to give him.
Guess he got the message.
If I admitted it to myself, it hurt. But I wouldn’t admit that. Or think about it. I didn’t have the luxury of fantasizing about anyone. Especially a guy who would be leaving for a college of his choice in two years.
Chapter Eleven
Rock
Friday was finally here. The first game of the season. I was playing tonight, but I wasn’t starting. Coach was benching me for the first five minutes. It was part of my punishment for coming to practice late on Wednesday. He had kept me running the bleachers for three hours. I’d been so damn exhausted that after throwing up twice, I had barely made it to the truck. Dad had been pissed because he had needed his truck back.
All that shit for nothing. Trisha Corbin had made it very clear she didn’t want me near her.
Didn’t stop me from asking Krit about her yesterday when she didn’t show up again. He said his mom had a new boyfriend and had stayed out with him last night so Trisha had taken one more day to heal.
Unable not to watch for her damn bus this morning, I had waited to see if she stepped off it. When she did, her gaze had gone right through me as if I wasn’t there. She walked by me without a glance or a word. I was f**king invisible to her.
That shit hurt. I hadn’t done anything to deserve this from her. I just wanted to help. I wanted to be near her. But she obviously hated me.
So tonight I was going to play like a f**king pro and then go out and celebrate when we won. If I had to drink Trisha Corbin from my head, I would. Letting her consume me like this was ridiculous. Yes, her life was shit, but did that mean she had to hate me?
Dewayne sat down beside me in biology and tossed a Snickers bar on my desk with a grin. “Mom stuck two in my bag this morning. Looked like you needed something to smile about.”
Dewayne had the best mom in the f**king world. We all loved Tabby Falco. I picked up the candy bar and tore the wrapper open with my teeth. “Thanks,” I said before taking a bite.
“Tonight’s the night. Thought you’d be all smiles,” Dewayne pointed out.
Normally, I was. But Trisha Corbin had f**ked with my mood.
“I’m just staying focused.”
Dewayne chuckled. “Bullshit. I’ve seen you staring at the Corbin girl like you want a taste. She not interested?”
He’d better be glad he’d just given me a damn candy bar. I shot him a warning glare. “Moving on from that” was my only reply.
“There’s always Ellie Nova. That piece of ass is the best around here. But I’m working on getting a bite of that.”
Ellie Nova was the high school princess. Not my type. She knew she was gorgeous and she worked it. I didn’t tell Dewayne I had actually already had a taste. She’d come onto me at a party at the end of last year. I’d kissed her, but it didn’t do anything for me.
“She’s all yours,” I assured him, then took another bite of my candy bar.
Dewayne nodded and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Guess if Trisha Corbin worked it, she’d be just as f**king hot. She hides away from everyone and doesn’t say much. Her group of friends is small. But yeah, I can see the attraction. The girl has a body. And her face . . .” He let out a low whistle.
I didn’t realize my hands had curled tightly into fists until Dewayne’s gaze dropped down to them. He smirked. “Yeah, I can see you’ve moved on from that.”
Books dropped onto the desk on the other side of me. “Damn, D. What’d you do to piss him off? And where’d you get the candy?” Preston asked as he slipped into the desk.
“He’s pissy over Trisha Corbin,” Dewayne said, smiling smugly.