On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,2
sure about that, but I could at least try.
“Ready?” I asked, not wanting the spotlight on me for a second longer.
Josie blotted her lips again before nodding. “Let me just finish up my drink.” She grabbed the glass and downed the rest of the contents. “All set. You won’t regret this, Calli, I promise.”
But all I could think as we left my dorm room and made our way downstairs was, famous last words.
The party at Joel’s house was everything I expected a college party would be. Loud and raucous, with hordes of half-drunk people lingering out front, drinking from red Solo cups.
There was something oddly reassuring about it.
“Whahoo,” Josie shrieked, grabbing my hand and tugging me toward the house. “I’m so freaking excited.”
“So you’ve never been to a college party before?”
“Of course I’ve been to a college party before.” She grinned. “But this year I’m not his annoying younger sister, I’m a freshman. I have just as much right to be here as Joel does.”
“If you say so,” I smiled, and this time, it did reach my eyes.
“Josie Molineux, is that you?”
“Hey, Brad.” We came to a stop in front of a giant of a guy.
“Little Josie Molineux, all grown up.” His eyes ran down her body, lingering on the ample cleavage spilling out her top.
My cheeks pinked at the crackling energy between them.
“Looking good, Brad,” she purred, fluffing her curly bangs.
“Joel know you’re here?”
“Of course,” she sassed. “Does Reese know you’re here?”
“We broke up.” He didn’t look in the least bit upset about it.
“I know.”
“Of course you do.” A smirk pulled at his full lips.
“Brad, you better not be hitting on my sister,” Joel yelled from the porch. He looked good in ripped jeans and a red and white athletic jersey that showcased his tan, muscular arms.
“Just being friendly, J.”
Although his words were for Josie’s brother, they never once left her face. She giggled, lifting a brow at me. Clearly, something was going on here.
“You’d better get inside before he blows a gasket.” Brad rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip. “Catch you later?”
“You know it.” Josie shot him a suggestive smile before pulling me around him. “Sorry,” she breathed once we were out of earshot. “I wasn’t expecting... crap, he’s so fine. I didn’t make a fool of myself, did I?”
“I don’t think he was too worried about what you were saying.”
“T- teammate?” A sinking feeling spread through me.
“Yeah, Joel’s a Steinbeck Scorpion. Didn’t he tell you?”
“I guess it never came up. So he plays football then?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
Joel didn’t play football.
He played basketball.
He played the one sport that had ruined my life.
Crap. How had I missed that?
“Football? Hell, no. Surely you know Steinbeck is a basketball school?”
Oh, I knew, I would just have preferred not to.
“I don’t really follow sport,” I said, trying to keep a neutral expression.
“But it’s... basketball. Everyone here loves—”
“Ladies,” Joel sauntered over to us as we reached the steps leading up to the porch. “It’s nice to see you again, Calli.” His gaze travelled lazily down my body, as if he was checking me out. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t exactly hate it either.
Knowing Joel played basketball was a huge bump in the road. I didn’t date at the best of times, but I definitely didn’t date basketball players. It was one of my life rules. You know, like never eat yellow snow or never put your hand into a hole you couldn’t see into.
There was also another glaring issue with Joel now I knew he played for the Scorpions, but I wasn’t about to bring that up.
“Hey,” I kept it cool.
“Okay, J, you can put your tongue away now.” Josie tapped his cheek. “Me and my girl need drinks. Well, I need a drink and I want to introduce Calli around.”
“Stay away from Brad, Jos.”
“The guys know I’m off-limits.”
“Damn right, they do,” he growled, and it was so at odds with the goofy happy Joel I’d met earlier, I wondered what I was missing.
“Come on.” Josie yanked me away, and we slipped into the house.
The music hit me first. Like a bass drum, it reverberated inside me, making my bones rattle. “It’s loud,” I yelled, and Josie snorted.
“You really don’t get out much, do you?”
“I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly at high school.”