This One’s For You Read online

  The way he smiled made me nervous, but I was ready to expect something completely ridiculous. First, he pulled out two red Solo cups—which I assumed were for the cider—and then a package of saltine crackers, dry salami, string cheese, and a bag of grapes. What in the world? I though, and another fit of laughter overcame us. It took a while for us to finally calm down.

  “You still up to grab a burger?” Callen asked, glancing down at the crummy food spread out on the blanket. He shook his head in disbelief, but I found it all rather amusing. His teammates had put so much effort into creating the ‘date’ experience but seriously dropped the ball when it came to the actual food. Hopefully they were better basketball players than chefs.

  “Burgers sound perfect,” I answered. He stood up first, offering his hand to me. “What should we do about this?” I pointed to everything on the ground.

  “Leave it.” He laughed. “I’ll text them and tell them to come clean this mess up.”

  He pulled out his phone and fired off a quick message. After slipping the phone back in his pocket, he offered his hand to me, and I looked at it reluctantly. “Just friends,” he gently whispered.

  I took his hand in mine and we started to walk. I was determined to make the best of the remainder of the evening. We reached a restaurant down the road, placed our order, and waited for the food to arrive. We sat and talked for a while over dinner and milkshakes.

  For the first time in a long time, I felt semi-normal. I talked about anything and everything—my family, my friends, and even Reagan, though I didn’t say too much about her other than a few crazy adventures she dragged me into. I didn’t mention what happened to her; I didn’t even mention her name. I just referred to her as my best friend. It felt great being able to talk about her without someone looking at me like I was going to break. I was remembering the good times—and not the one really bad time.

  Callen talked about missing home, his crazy older sisters, and it was apparent we both had obnoxious older siblings. Since I was also the youngest, I could easily relate to him. More than anything, what he missed most about home was the surfing.

  He was great.

  After we ate, we walked around campus for a while, even though it was late and dark outside. I didn’t want the night to end. But as the saying went; all good things must come to an end. We slowed our pace as we neared my dorm, neither of us ready to call it a night. Against my protesting, Callen needed to get some sleep—it was almost midnight and he had a workout at six a.m. and then go to class immediately afterward. Fortunately for me, tomorrow was the only day I didn’t have a class, so I could sleep in.

  “I had a great time tonight,” Callen said.

  I smiled. “Me too.”

  “Sorry again, about earlier tonight.” I laughed and put my hand on his shoulders. I stood on the tips of my toes and placed a kiss on his cheek.

  “Lunch tomorrow?” I asked. He nodded. “Text me when you get out of class and we’ll meet up somewhere.”

  I wrapped my arms around his torso and squeezed him tightly—and then I froze. I could feel that familiar energetic pull and knew we weren’t alone anymore. I felt that burning gaze in the back of my head. Slowly, I let go of Callen, and turned around. Sure enough, there was Owen, standing in the elevator. His cold stare made me uncomfortable. I waited for him to get off but he didn’t move nor did he blink.

  “I’ll text you,” I said to Callen, my eyes still locked on Owen.

  I entered the elevator, hit the button for the third floor, and held my breath as the doors closed. Owen stood close to me, and I knew his eyes were on me. I did my best to pretend that he wasn’t there and looked straight ahead. The elevator was moving up at a snail’s pace. I was starting to wish I had taken the stairs. My chest was tight as I fought to take control of my ragged breathing. I felt like I was suffocating and I needed to get out of this box.

  “C’mon,” I muttered, hitting the button for my floor repeatedly.

  “That won’t make it move any faster.”

  I ignored him. I pressed the button again and bounced up and down on my feet. I needed to get out of there. The longer I stayed in this tiny space with him, the more my body threatened to betray me. I knew in my mind that he was a jerk and that I didn’t—shouldn’t—want him, but his scent was intoxicating. My body wanted to touch his, wanted to feel every crevice of his skin, wanted to feel his lips on mine.

  “C’mon,” I repeated myself.

  The elevator finally heard my plea, and the doors slid open. I bolted out as fast as I could. I was practically running down the hall, but my room couldn’t have felt further away. Just a little bit further—

  “Brennan!” His voice sliced through the air like a knife hurtling toward me, but I kept walking. If I stopped, it wouldn’t do either of us any good. My libido was out of control, and I was being selfish. I didn’t want anything to ruin one of the best nights I’d had since the accident. Nothing was going to take what I was feeling just minutes ago—not my hormones, not a guy I couldn’t stand, and definitely not my undeniable and completely hormonal attraction to guy I simply loathed. “Brennan . . . stop . . .” Owen’s voice was soft. “Please . . .” he started to plea.

  Despite every warning bell going on in my head, I stopped. I didn’t turn around. I tried to get my feet moving again but apparently they’d gone on strike. I wanted nothing more than to reach the safety of my room . . . But no, I thought, that’s not entirely true.

  What I wanted more than anything was for Owen to take me into his arms and kiss me. Just one kiss would be enough.

  My chest heaved as I got my breathing under control. I heard his approaching footsteps and my heart rate kicked into overdrive. His arm brushed mine as he passed by, sending a jolt of electricity throughout my body. He stopped, faced me, and I was instantly lost in his eyes. There was no point in trying to deny anything—I could lie all I wanted to, he could lie all he wanted to, but none of it would change the truth—there was something there. There was a pull between us. What it was with this stranger? I didn’t know, and I was afraid to find out.

  “Look,” he said, running his fingers through his hair, “can we start over?”

  What the hell? I thought.

  He stuck out his hand and I stared at it with leery caution. Did he honestly believe we could erase the last couple of days? I must’ve been tired and my mind must’ve been playing tricks on me, because this was not happening.

  “Friends?” he asked. Before I realized what I was doing, I was shaking his hand. “Hi, my name is Owen Scott. It’s nice to meet you.”

  A lightbulb went off in my head, bringing me back to the reality of the situation. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or punch him. I yanked my hand away, and his face dropped, his eyebrows furrowed. I took a step back.

  “You and I both know we can’t be friends,” I said, my voice sharp. Not only did it surprise him, but it surprised me as well.

  “Why not?” he asked, taking a step forward. I stumbled back a few steps.

  “Because . . .” I whispered. I didn’t know what to say other than the truth. “Whether we admit or not, there’s something weird between us. I can’t explain it, but it’s there. Being friends wouldn’t work for us. It can’t work.”

  “I know,” he admitted, still moving closer to me. My body was shaking as if I were submerged into a tub of ice. My breaths were short and rapid. My heart was ready to beat right out of my chest. “But we can try.”

  “I . . . I . . . just don—”

  “Please.” He cut me off. His voice sounded frantic. “God, just please say you’ll try.”

  He looked at me. I wasn’t sure what to think or say. What he was asking wasn’t possible. There was no way I could be just friends with him. Seeing him with those other girls made me sick, and being his friend—getting to know him—would only make everything harder. Every time he was with another girl, a piece of me would break. And eventually, I
’d run out of pieces.

  I don’t know why I felt like it had to be all or nothing. But it did.

  Being friends with Callen was one thing. Sure, I found him attractive and pretty amazing. But I didn’t feel the thing I felt with Owen. I didn’t feel the pull, the need, or the desire. Callen was comfortable. He was safe. But Owen . . . it wouldn’t work out too well.

  Despite this, I found myself agreeing to what would probably be the worst mistake of my life. “Fine,” I huffed. “Friends.”

  I walked past him and entered my room. I stood inside the door and wondered what I’d just got myself into. A light on the desk flicked on and Amelia looked at me. She glanced to the clock that we bought the other day and I saw a smile creep along her face. “11:59,” she said. “I think I like this guy.”

  I crossed the room and fell on top of my bed, exhausted and utterly confused.

  If only she knew the half of what just happened.

  SEVEN

  THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL breezed by. Callen and I hung out as much as possible, with Amelia tagging along most of the time. The two had a blast together, and I found my ribs aching from laughing so much.

  I hadn’t seen Owen since we decided to be friends, so our friendship was off to a great start. I knew it was a joke. All of it was. I even thought about switching dorms on more than one occasion, but I stopped myself every time. I couldn’t leave Amelia. She was great, and I may not be as lucky if I left.

  The campus was alive with activity as I headed back to my dorm late Friday afternoon. Tomorrow was the first home game for the football team, and it seemed the school was living up to its hard-partying reputation. Oregon Duck fans were gracing the thin line between being devoted fans and needing to be locked away in an insane asylum. Even so, I loved the energy that was floating around.

  Callen was waiting for me in the student lounge as I entered the dorm. “Hey!” he said, pulling me in for a hug. “We still on for pizza?”

  “Yup, just gotta drop off my things upstairs real fast, and then we can get going.”

  Amelia entered the dorm, took one look at us hugging, smiled, and started gyrating obscenely. Not again . . .  I rolled my eyes.

  “Incoming!” I said.

  Callen pulled away and looked down at me with a questioning look in his eyes. Before I could elaborate, Amelia appeared at his side.

  “Hey, baller,” she said, slapping his shoulder. I was starting to think either she had a hard time remembering names or just liked giving out nicknames. All I could do was laugh at her. “Now what did I tell you about touching other girls?” she asked. “Do you want me to chop off your balls?”

  “Preferably not!” he answered playfully. “I’m pretty fond of them.”

  “Uh-huh, I’m sure you are,” she responded. “Well, since you and Brenn are only friends, I guess they get to live to see another day.”

  I sighed loudly. Here she went with the “friends” issue. I didn’t know how much clear Callen and I could get with her: things between us were strictly platonic. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find him attractive, because I did, but he reminded me of the twins. He was just what I needed if I was going to survive freshman year.

  The three of us took the elevator up to our room. Callen leaned against the door frame as we dropped off our bags. He started to laugh, and I glanced over my shoulder to him.

  “You girls seriously need to think about hiring a maid,” he said, chuckling again.

  Amelia and I erupted with laughter. There was truth to his statement. Our room was a disaster—it was embarrassing. And we’d barely spent any time in our room at all. Most of my things were still packed. Clothes and shoes were strewn about everywhere. Our desks were clean somehow, but other than that, it looked like a tornado had come barreling through it.

  “Are you offering to be our maid?” Amelia joked. “Because if you are, you should know it’s an unpaid position, and you’re on our beck and call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred and sixty-five days of the year. The benefits suck, but your employers are two sexy girls who know how to get down.”

  The corners of Callen’s lips turned up into a devilishly handsome smile. My body was shaking with laughter. I threw a shirt at Amelia’s face, and in retaliation, she snatched a pink fuzzy pillow off her bed and hit me with it. A pillow fight started shortly after that.

  “If it means I get to see pillow fights on an everyday basis,” Callen said as I collapsed in defeat on my bed, “then count me in. But next time, let’s try it with a little less clothes.”

  I lifted my head, looked at Amelia, and then we set our gaze on Callen. We silently counted to three, then hurled all our pillows at him. Callen stumbled a few steps back and crashed into someone standing in the doorway—Owen.

  “Hey, man,” Owen said.

  My heart lurched in my throat.

  “Sorry about that,” Callen said, turning to see who he bumped into. “Owen! Hey, man, how’ve you been? Haven’t really seen you around campus this week.”

  Hold up, I thought. Did Callen just say Owen’s name? Did he really just talk to him like they knew each other? This couldn’t be good. I laid back on my bed, my head starting to hurt.

  “Callen.” Owen’s voice was clipped. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “He’s with us,” Amelia butted in. I turned my head, and watched as she draped her arm across Callen’s shoulder. “We’re just about to get naked and have a three-way, but I think we could make room for one more.”

  I groaned inwardly. Amelia was a nutcase. A funny one, but a nutcase nonetheless. The two stood in front of Owen, and began to laugh loudly.

  “No, we weren’t,” Callen said. “We’re actually about to go grab some pizza. Wanna join? Missed you this summer, and would love to catch up.”

  Owen looked past the two of them and settled his eyes on me. I pleaded with my eyes, silently begging him to say no.

  But he ignored me. “I’m in.”

  Asshole, I thought

  “Ready, Brenn?” Callen asked.

  Sluggishly, I forced myself off the bed and walked slowly toward them. Owen and Callen started off down the hall, and Amelia hung back to wait for me. She linked her arm through mine, and we followed the guys.

  “So, they know each other?” she whispered.

  We approached the elevator, and I never wanted to take the stairs so badly. “Apparently, they’re friends too. Go figure.”

  “We don’t have to go.” She pulled me to a stop. “I mean, I still don’t know what exactly happened with you two, but if you hate him, then so do I.”

  I sighed. “I don’t hate him.”

  I really didn’t. I just hated how he made me feel, how he got me worked up, and how undeniably attracted I was too him, even though I knew he wasn’t any good for me——or for any girl.

  “Good,” she said, flashing me a smile. “Because I’d hate to have to hate someone as gorgeous as him.” I frowned. Amelia’s smile dropped. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  I heard the elevator ding and we started walking again, joining the guys inside. I stood as far away from Owen as I could, but it didn’t make a difference. I could feel him. I could sense his eyes on me. And then I was overcome with the need to press him against the wall, wrap my fingers around his blond locks, and devour his mouth. A shudder danced through my body, and I sighed. I heard a soft laugh and glanced over at him. He had a slight grin on his face, like he knew what I was thinking. I shifted my weight between my feet. The elevator couldn’t go any slower if it tried. Finally, we reached the lobby. I exited behind my Amelia and Callen, with Owen hot on my tail.

  Like Amelia, Callen walked like a speed demon. I practically had to jog to catch up, but I wasn’t quick enough. I jumped when I felt the touch of an arm snaking around my waist. Looking up, I found Owen’s eyes beaming down at me.

  “Excuse you,” I said, trying to pull free, but his grip was steel—I wasn
’t going anywhere. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “How do you know Callen?” he asked, ignoring my question. I noticed the tinge of jealousy mixed with irritation in his voice. His body was tense, and his freshwater scent was washing over me.

  I tried to pull free again, but it only tightened his hold on me. Why did he want to know about Callen? I could feel the heat rushing to my face as I gritted my teeth. My pulse was racing faster than a NASCAR racer burning up the racetrack. His touch was as much irritating as it was nice, and that only made my heart race even faster.

  “We’ve gone out on a date a few times,” I said, stating the first thing that came to my mind.

  Owen pulled us to a stop, turned me, and stared hard into my eyes. “Tell me you’re joking,” he snapped.

  “Why?” I challenged. “What’s it to you? We’re just friends. I can date whoever I want. And no, I wasn’t joking.”

  His nostrils flared, and he narrowed his eyes at me. It wasn’t really the truth—I was exaggerating. Okay, so I was stretching the truth a lot, but he didn’t have any right to question me or to be angry about it. Still, I felt the need to remedy the situation.

  “Fine,” I said, sighing. “We went out on one date. That’s it. Now, we’re just friends. Can you let me go now?”

  Immediately, his hands dropped away, and I realized his grip hadn’t been tight but gentle, almost as if he’d been caressing me. I already missed the warmth of his touch. We walked quickly to catch up with Amelia and Callen, who hadn’t noticed we had fallen behind. We walked in silence, our arms casually grazing as we listened to Amelia and Callen chat away.

  As soon as we reached the pizza parlor, the sky opened up, and rain began to fall—hard. Amelia and I snagged a table while the guys decided to order the pizza.

  “What was that all about?” Amelia asked quietly. Her eyes were wide.

  “What?” I whispered back.

  “Why did Owen stop you?” Crap, I thought neither of them noticed. I guess not. “What did he say?”