That s.h.i.t hurt. I hadn't done anything to deserve this from her. I just wanted to help. I wanted to be near her. But she obviously hated me.

So tonight I was going to play like a f.u.c.king pro and then go out and celebrate when we won. If I had to drink Trisha Corbin from my head, I would. Letting her consume me like this was ridiculous. Yes, her life was s.h.i.t, but did that mean she had to hate me?

Dewayne sat down beside me in biology and tossed a Snickers bar on my desk with a grin. "Mom stuck two in my bag this morning. Looked like you needed something to smile about."

Dewayne had the best mom in the f.u.c.king world. We all loved Tabby Falco. I picked up the candy bar and tore the wrapper open with my teeth. "Thanks," I said before taking a bite.

"Tonight's the night. Thought you'd be all smiles," Dewayne pointed out.

Normally, I was. But Trisha Corbin had f.u.c.ked with my mood.

"I'm just staying focused."

Dewayne chuckled. "Bulls.h.i.t. I've seen you staring at the Corbin girl like you want a taste. She not interested?"

He'd better be glad he'd just given me a d.a.m.n candy bar. I shot him a warning glare. "Moving on from that" was my only reply.

"There's always Ellie Nova. That piece of a.s.s is the best around here. But I'm working on getting a bite of that."

Ellie Nova was the high school princess. Not my type. She knew she was gorgeous and she worked it. I didn't tell Dewayne I had actually already had a taste. She'd come onto me at a party at the end of last year. I'd kissed her, but it didn't do anything for me.

"She's all yours," I a.s.sured him, then took another bite of my candy bar.

Dewayne nodded and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Guess if Trisha Corbin worked it, she'd be just as f.u.c.king hot. She hides away from everyone and doesn't say much. Her group of friends is small. But yeah, I can see the attraction. The girl has a body. And her face . . ." He let out a low whistle.

I didn't realize my hands had curled tightly into fists until Dewayne's gaze dropped down to them. He smirked. "Yeah, I can see you've moved on from that."

Books dropped onto the desk on the other side of me. "d.a.m.n, D. What'd you do to p.i.s.s him off? And where'd you get the candy?" Preston asked as he slipped into the desk.

"He's p.i.s.sy over Trisha Corbin," Dewayne said, smiling smugly.

d.a.m.n a.s.shole.

Long, tanned legs caught my attention and I let my gaze travel up to see a short little navy skirt that so didn't meet the dress code. But d.a.m.n, was it nice. The small waist and perky t.i.ts weren't bad either.

Noah Miller, a senior with dark red hair and big brown eyes, smiled at me just before taking the seat in front of me. "Hey, Rock," she said in a soft voice as she leaned over and batted her long eyelashes at me.

Sure, she was wearing a lot of makeup, but not everyone could look like Trisha without makeup. Noah's face wasn't hard to look at. Never had been.

"h.e.l.lo, Noah," I replied.

"You ready for tonight?" she asked. The top three b.u.t.tons on her white shirt were unb.u.t.toned, showing me her cleavage. Not a bad view.

"Yeah. You coming?" I asked.

She gave me a small shrug, then grinned. "I guess I would if I knew I had plans afterward."

This was an invitation. Did I want to go there with her? s.h.i.t, why not? Trisha wasn't interested. h.e.l.l, Trisha hated me.

"Party at the beach tonight. Bonfire win or lose. But we're gonna win," I added.

She bit her bottom lip, then pressed her arms against the sides of her t.i.ts to squeeze them together. It was a move I knew and appreciated. "I don't want to go alone."

Dewayne cleared his throat to keep from laughing. This was what I was used to. What I knew. Maybe that was the way it was supposed to be. I didn't need to go after girls who weren't interested. The ones who wanted me were where I needed to stay.

I leaned forward on the desk and dropped my gaze to her t.i.ts she wanted me to look at so badly. "I think I can fix that for you," I told her b.o.o.bs. "After the game meet me at the field house."

She shivered and I was back in territory I knew. "Okay. We can take my new car," she said. "It's a Charger and completely bada.s.s. I'll let you drive it."

I wouldn't have the truck tonight. Fixed that problem.

Lifting my gaze to meet her brown eyes flashing with attraction and excitement, I grinned. "Sounds good, baby."

"And he's back on the horse," Dewayne drawled.

I ignored him. Instead I reached over and tucked a lock of Noah's hair behind her ear and winked. She melted just like I knew she would.

This was much easier.

So why didn't it f.u.c.king feel good?

Chapter Twelve.

Trisha Riley opened the door to the cafeteria before I could get to it. "Let's eat!" she said in her bright, cheery tone.

I was starving. This morning Fandora's new boyfriend had come out of her bedroom while we were getting ready to go. His eyes had scanned my body, and then he'd gotten that creepy grin I'd seen before on her boyfriends. "Fandora didn't tell me her daughter was so f.u.c.king hot" had been his oh-so-intelligent words.

"She's also too young. Jail bait" I had replied in a warning tone. Then I'd hurried out the door with Krit. Luckily, he had gotten to eat his bowl of Frosted Flakes. Me, not so much. I was still moving slow, and getting ready took me longer than it normally did.

"You coming to the game tonight?" Riley asked me.

That was all anyone talked about today. The football game. I was so sick of hearing about it. Rock's name was always attached to the conversations. He wasn't getting to play the first five minutes, and everyone was panicking.

I felt guilty about that but didn't know why. It wasn't like I had asked him to miss his practice and come to my house. But he had. And he had also been sure not to approach me today.

I was certain he was going to try to speak to me when I got off the bus this morning, but he hadn't. My words had sunk in. Hadn't taken much for him to figure out I wasn't worth it.

"Doubt it," I replied, standing in line for food. Fandora had made sure to apply for free lunch for Krit. She hadn't bothered for me. However, the school system had added me too since they could see we came from the same home. I never let her know. I was afraid she'd take it out on me.

"You can ride with me," Riley said hopefully.

And leave Krit at home? No way. Not with a new guy hanging around the trailer.

"Can't tonight," I replied, wishing she'd drop it.

She sighed. "Fine. Might as well give up my hopes of you and Rock Taylor anyway. I was going to live vicariously through you, but it looks like Noah's got his attention now." She snorted. "Not surprising. Look at her hanging all over him."

Why I turned my head to look, I do not know. Maybe to prove that I had been right about Rock Taylor. For whatever reason, I turned to see Rock sitting at the end of his table like the king of the world, with Noah Miller leaning on him and laughing at whatever he was saying. The other football players also filled that table, with girls much like Noah sitting in their laps or beside them. This was what I expected of Rock Taylor.

He was smiling like he didn't have a care in the world. He had Noah's b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his arm and her long legs wrapped around his like she was trying to hold on to a moving target. When he lowered his head to whisper something in her ear, his gaze met mine.

For a brief moment he paused. Something flashed in his eyes, but he blinked it away quickly, then moved his eyes back to Noah and continued to make her giggle.

Yuck. Just yuck.

"That's his speed. He likes them fast and cheap," I told Riley, trying not to sound jealous.

Riley didn't reply at first. I was thankful because I needed a moment to figure out why my chest hurt. Rock had never been mine. It made no sense that I cared he was with Noah.

"Yeah . . . I was just hoping for a moment that he wasn't like the others," Riley finally said.

"Me too," I whispered before I could stop myself.

Riley gently squeezed my arm. "You're so much prettier than her. And you have cla.s.s. He missed out."

My eyes burned and I hated that. But Riley was a good friend, and she was trying to make me feel better. It was sad that any devotion or encouragement I got from someone made me emotional. But it was rare. So when it came at me, I always felt weepy.

"You're coming tonight," Davey Marks said as he broke in line to wrap his arm around Riley's shoulders and grinned at me. "Both of you. I'm not going to this testosterone-filled barbarian thing by myself."

Davey was one of the only other real friend I had at school. He was short. I'd guess he was five nine, maybe. He wore thick gla.s.ses and had freckles all over his body and face. But he was always smiling and happy. He was also brilliant. He'd be the valedictorian our senior year. I had no doubt. The guy was a genius.

"I thought you'd be in the library solving world hunger," Riley teased him.

He rarely came to the cafeteria for lunch. He really did spend it in the library or doing extra-credit work for one of his advanced cla.s.ses. Last year we saw each other more, but this past week Davey had been scarce.

"I did that during break. I'm good to go for lunch today. Mrs. Barnaby said I needed to attend more school functions, like football games, and socialize with other students more. I need to be more well rounded."

Mrs. Barnaby was the counselor. She had to bring Davey off the ledge of being the ultimate overachiever every year . . . several times.

"Trisha can't go," Riley said in a pouty voice.

Davey's eyes went wide. "What? You gotta be kidding me! It's what this town worships. It is our G.o.d, Trisha. Do you not know this? Rock Taylor is a demiG.o.d. We should all bow to him in worship."

This time I laughed. He was joking. When Davey got carried away poking fun at the world around him, it was hilarious.

"Sorry. I hate to not come worship at his altar, but I have to hang out with Krit tonight."

Davey waved his hands wide like this was no big deal. "The Kritmeister! Bring him too! And that friend of his. Turquoise, is it?"

"His name is Green," I replied with a laugh.

"Yes, young Mr. Green with the weirdest name in the world except for Krit's. Bring them both! We will watch the demiG.o.d trash the other team and yell like we all give a s.h.i.t."

Taking Krit out might be good. Fandora would be thrilled we were out of her hair. She'd probably be happy with me for taking Krit somewhere. Might get me on her good side long enough for my ribs to heal up.

"They'd like that. If you're sure. We would need a ride," I told him.

"YES!" Davey punched the air. "My dad is letting me take the minivan. So we will party like rock stars. Might even get some burgers afterward."

This would be good for Krit and me. Even if it was Rock I'd have to be watching on the field all night. I could deal with it.

That little whatever it was had ended. I could go back to being invisible to Rock Taylor.

Chapter Thirteen.

Rock She didn't look at me again. f.u.c.k!

I'd had her attention and I'd blown it off. Whispering to Noah had screwed that s.h.i.t up. Trisha didn't glance my way one more time. Not even a peek. She had taken a seat with her friends. Instead she kept laughing and talking to Riley and the nerdy guy who had shown up in line and made her smile. I hated him. Didn't know him, but I hated that she smiled so easily for him.

Noah kept slipping her hand up my thigh, and I had to grab her hand and squeeze to get her to stop trying to cup me right here in the d.a.m.n lunchroom.

"Why are you stopping me?" she whispered in my ear.

Because I wanted to watch Trisha and see if she looked at me again. I wasn't f.u.c.king it up this time. Playing games with someone like her was stupid. I knew better than that. I'd just been so p.i.s.sed about her blowing me off and pushing me away.

"Not here," I replied, watching Trisha cover her ribs and laugh. The laughing was hurting her. Dammit. Her eyes danced as she looked at the nerdy guy. Did she like him?

"Let's go somewhere, then," she said, trying to wiggle her hand free of my hold.

"Not now."

d.a.m.n, she was getting on my nerves already.

Trisha distracted me by standing up. Several guys turned to look at her. She was oblivious, though. She continued talking to Riley, and then walked with her over to the trash cans. I moved Noah off me and headed over to her. I wasn't sure what the h.e.l.l I was going to say, but I had to get her to look at me again.

Riley she stopped talking midsentence when she saw me over Trisha's shoulder.

I had to say something to Trisha or she'd leave. "Trisha."

Her body tensed and I hated that. I didn't want to be the one who she tensed up around. I wanted to be the one to make her smile.

Slowly she turned around to look up at me. Those bright blue eyes I dreamed about looked guarded. "Yes?"

What now? It wouldn't make sense for me to apologize about Noah. I had nothing to apologize for. Not really.

h.e.l.l.