And then a thought came to me. I had one thing going in my favor.
Scarlet hated me.
I'd hurt her, even if she wouldn't admit it, and even if it was only her pride. Unfortunately, her thinking I'm a jerk might just be my saving grace. If she kept hating me and trying to avoid me, I'd be fine. As long as I played the cocky jock, she'd want nothing to do with me. That had been evident tonight during the press conference.
Maybe I would head over to the Wolf's Den after all. See if a certain Southern belle would be there.
2
Scarlet
Iclosed my car door and took a big breath. My eyes quickly found the dark figure who had now turned around to head back to where we'd passed his car earlier. I'd known he'd been behind me because I'd seen him come out of the building right after I'd come out a different door farther ahead.
I hadn't been worried he'd come and talk to me since he usually made an effort to stay away from me, but when he'd passed his car, I'd thought maybe he did want to talk to me about the questions I'd asked him tonight.
The press conference had gone drastically different from how I'd planned. Letting myself get caught up in my emotions had been embarrassing enough, but when the Coach, my stepdad, had had to step in, it had made it that much worse.
My stepdad, Ian, and I had come a long way over the years, and I was grateful for where our relationship was today. He cared about me even if he was a tad over-protective. We couldn't have a conversation without him somehow bringing up how I needed to stay away from football players. And pretty much any other guy since he felt no one was good enough for me.
I'd get an earful next time I saw him about how he's warned me about the football team, but that I could handle.
What I didn't know how to handle was Rush not catching up to me tonight and then being a gentleman by making sure I made it to my car safely. He wasn't supposed to be thoughtful or a gentleman. He was supposed to be a selfish, conceited football player. Being able to think of him like that made it a heck of a lot easier to not care about the fact that he had totally disregarded our time together, chalking it up to just having a good time and how any guy would want to try for a piece of me. Or at least that's what he'd told his stupid football buddies.
Two days after the fateful bonfire last year, I'd been heading over to where the football lockers were to see if I could run into him. He had said he wanted to see me again, and I'd been naïve enough to believe his deceiving words.
I’d been about to turn the corner to the hallway that led to the team locker room when I'd heard voices and my name. Two other footballers, Brayden and Ryan, had been with him, and one of them had asked what he had been doing with me the other night. Instead of Rush saying how he'd had a great night with me, he had said that it was nothing, that he had gotten carried away on the high of winning the game and knowing they were going to a bowl game, that he had been curious to see what it would be like to kiss me and that it had been disappointing. He'd told them they weren't missing out on anything with me.
But it was the last words he’d said that were the ones that continued to bounce around in my head. I could still hear it clear as day, his voice serious when he said, "Let's just keep this between us. I don't want anyone else knowing I kissed her."
Tears had stung my eyes. I hadn't wanted to hear any more, and I'd hurried to leave before they found me. I didn't need them seeing how much his words had hurt me. He had been an amazing actor, and I had been fooled into thinking he really liked me, that we went perfectly together.
"Ha!" I said into the silence of my car. I may have been naïve and gullible that night, but never again.
I drove my car out of the parking lot and turned right toward the Wolf's Den. As school buildings and dorms passed my view, I couldn't help thinking about how Rush had followed me out to my car tonight. Why had he even bothered? Why would he care? I was his dirty little secret that he didn't want anyone knowing about.
Well, that was fine by me. I didn't want anyone to know about what happened between us either.
It didn't help that I'd been a total idiot tonight during the press conference. Seeing him sitting there in all his gorgeousness while he'd stared at me like he wanted me had made me furious. He didn't get to look at me like that. Not after what had happened at the bonfire, and definitely not after what he’d told his friends. My anger had already been kindled before the press conference even started, but his smug answers had only added fuel to the fire.
My stupid questions had given away part of the reason I was upset with Rush, but him dropping me faster than a blink of an eye wasn't the only reason.
I'd broken up with Mick a few days ago, and a bigger reason than I openly wanted to admit was because of Rush. Maybe not him per se, but the feelings I felt for him. Yes, we'd only spent a few hours together almost a year ago, but I couldn't seem to let it go. I wanted to feel those same feelings again. Not with Rush, of course, because that would never happen again—I wouldn't let it.
I'd tried so hard with Mick, I really had, but I couldn't keep pretending anymore. He was a great guy and so sweet to me, but we had nothing in common, and being comfortable in the silence had never come, even after months of being together. Mick didn't give me goosebumps, butterflies, weak knees, or any exciting anticipation. I'd enjoyed spending time with him, and the kissing had been pretty good, but there had been no wow factor. So, after being together for six months, I'd ended it.
Three of those months had been long-distance, and when I'd realized that I hadn't really missed him, I'd known it wasn't going to work. He deserved to be with someone who was crazy about him. Even now, days later, I wasn't even sad we'd broken up. I actually felt relieved.
Five minutes later, I pulled open the heavy door to the Wolf's Den and walked in. The Wolf's Den was split up into three different areas, one for eating, one for dancing and karaoke, and one for pool and darts. The restaurant and dance floor shared the big room with a bar in the middle dividing the two areas.
Searching for Olivia, I found her in the middle of a crowd at one of the tables, her boyfriend Wilder sitting next to her, always the center attention since he was the famed quarterback. Olivia sat there, her dark, wavy hair down, wearing an off the shoulder pink top.
The memory of having to practically drag Olivia here a year ago washed over me. She had been such a fragile, scared person only months ago, but thanks to Wilder and me, yes, I was definitely taking some credit, she'd finally come out of her shell. We'd randomly been assigned as roommates last year and become fast best friends, rooming together again this year.
I made my way over to them as the music blared from the dance floor, the lights moving to the rhythm of the song casting shades of blue and purple across the room. As I reached the group of people, they parted to make room for me to get to the empty seat next to Olivia.
"Hey, sugar," I said, sitting down next to her.
"Scarlet, you're here," she said with excitement, giving me a side hug. "How did the press conference go?"
