Chasing Red

Original Edition: never beg

       

Caleb

Girls were my weakness.

I knew this, but I had never broken my rules for any girl before.

Until last night.

Sweat trickled down my face as I gripped the ball in my hands, raised my arms, took my shot. Cursed under my breath when I missed the second time.

What the hell was I thinking?

I already decided I'd give her money so she could rent her own place, but the second I saw her this morning, the defiance in her dark eyes, but most of all, the sadness she tried so hard to hide, my plans disappeared like a puff of smoke.

I caught the fresh towel Cameron threw at me on the way back to the lockers, wiping my face with it. I was distracted, and practice had been brutal.

Justin appeared in front of me, jogging backwards. "Did your mommy forget to breastfeed you this morning, Lockhart? Your game sucked, dude."

I threw the towel at his face.

"Where'd you go last night?" Cameron asked, ignoring the whiny complaints from Justin.

"Yeah. I saw you talking to that hot piece of ass at the club. Did you score?"

Why did I feel like punching his face? Justin always talked like his mouth came from a garbage dump. It didn't bother me before, but I found that I didn't like it when he talked that way about her.

I took off my shirt that was soaked in sweat, crumpled it in my hands and, without guilt, threw it again at Justin's face.

"What the fuck, dude!"

Cameron laughed, but he sobered as he turned to me. I always thought he had one of the eeriest blue eyes I'd seen in a human being.

"Everything good?" he asked.

Opening my locker, I reached for my bag and straddled the bench to rummage for a fresh shirt and jeans.

"Yeah. Just need to get laid."

Justin snorted. "Like you'd have a problem in that department."

If he knew how hard I was shut down last night, he'd laugh his ass off.

I was heading for the showers when my phone burped a text.

SANDRA BODELLI: Hey, handsome. Want to come over? My roommate won't be here tonight.

I frowned. "Who's Sandra Bodelli?"

Justin sneaked behind me to look at my phone. "Damn. You're the man, Cal. Remember the girl from Engineering who came to practice last week?"

I looked at him blankly.

e, big eyes—" he cupped his chest with his hands, "—beautiful ass...ets?"

I shrugged. "I'll take it."

Justin roared like a maniac. I ignored him and sent a text to Sandra I'd meet her in an hour.

I'd forget Red tonight.

Slightly drunk and running on fumes, I stumbled back home at two in the morning. It was dark, but I didn't bother turning the lights on as I carelessly stripped out of my clothes in the living room.

Opening the fridge, I grabbed a carton of orange juice and— because I heard my mom's voice in my head telling me not to drink from the carton— grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured. I let out a loud burp after chugging three glasses.