False Start - Jessica Ruddick Page 0,75

she knew exactly who I referring to. There was only one girl who looked like she was the missing Kardashian sister, only ten times hotter.

“Cheyenne.”

“What about her?”

“Did you really threaten to beat her up if she asked me out?”

Becca lifted her head, her eyes blazing. “Are you kidding me? Beat her up?”

I shrugged. “Maybe it didn’t go down exactly like that.” All I knew was that one day Cheyenne had suddenly stopped flirting with me when we’d been going back and forth for weeks.

Becca was silent for a moment, telling me I was closer to the truth than far from it. “I might have strongly suggested that it would be unwise for her to approach you. I don’t remember the exact conversation.”

I laughed. I would’ve loved to have been there to eavesdrop, but Becca’s admission that the conversation had even taken place was the closest I was going to get. I had no doubts that she remembered exactly how it had gone down, but she would never tell me.

She buried her face in my chest. “Don’t laugh at me. We were co-captains of the team, and she had a big mouth. She always kissed and told. I didn’t want to hear about the two of you getting naked together.”

“I didn’t get naked nearly as much as you seem to think I did in high school.”

She snorted. “I guess you’ve been making up for it in your college years.”

“You could say that.” I kissed the top of her head. “But you know none of that meant anything, right?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.”

I ran my fingers along her bare arms, pleased to see goose bumps form at my touch. “I didn’t know it bothered you. You never said anything.” There was a lot Becca hadn’t said, and again, I wondered how things might have been different if she had spoken up.

“Because what right did I have?” She shifted to look at me. “I wasn’t going to be a hypocrite and get on your case about dating.”

I wouldn’t have listened to her anyway, but I didn’t tell her that. “Except with Cheyenne.”

“Fat lot of good that did,” she muttered. “You dated another girl on the team later that year.”

“Did I?” I tried to remember. A lot of high school was a blur. Though it was only a few years ago, it seemed like another lifetime. Back then, I’d felt like I was biding my time, waiting for something better to start. College had been fucking awesome. It was sobering to think that time was coming to an end.

She sighed. “You’re unbelievable.”

I laughed. “I’ll admit I was a man whore. But you changed me. Isn’t that what every woman wants?”

“No.” She shook her head against my chest. “No. I don’t want to change you. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“That’s not true.” Case in point—weren’t we just talking about my man whoring? I’d never considered that behavior a problem, but now I wished I’d been more prudent for Becca’s sake. I hated that my past bothered her. Another of the endless strikes against me.

“You’re right, because no one is perfect. But you’re perfect for me, and that’s what counts.” She tilted her face up, and I obliged her with a kiss. “Now it’s my turn. Truth or dare.”

“Dare.”

“I knew you were going to pick that.”

“What can I say? I like living on the edge.” I braced myself for whatever heinous task Becca would come up with.

“Hmm… How about this one?” She propped herself up on her elbow. “I dare you to love me forever.”

Her request took my breath away.

***

I COULD TELL by the way Becca was wrinkling her nose that my essay was garbage, which wasn’t surprising considering I’d spent about twenty minutes on it.

“Well,” she said slowly. “This isn’t your best work.” That was putting it mildly.

I snorted. “Will it get at least a C?” That was all I needed to keep my GPA up long enough to finish the season. Beyond that, I didn’t give a shit.

She tapped on her teeth with her finger. “I honestly can’t say.”

There was no way in hell I was wasting any more time on that stupid assignment. “It’ll have to be good enough.”

Becca’s lips pursed. “But you can do better.” She’s the only one who thinks so.

Athletes weren’t expected to be good students. The ones who were were anomalies. I stretched out on the couch and put my hands behind my head. “What’s the point?”

She blinked as if she didn’t