Fate (Fate 1)

“You do?” Candace was at her side in seconds. “From where?”

Just then Ben saw her. He did a double take then smiled big. Candace gasped as he started toward them.

“I went to prom with him last year. We were good friends until he graduated and we sort of lost touch.” Rose flung her backpack over her back and went to meet him halfway since he was already walking toward them.

“You went to prom with him?” Candace said mouthing the words, “Oh my God,” to Alison.

Before Rose could respond to that, Ben was already there. “Look at you, sexy girl.” He blatantly checked her out from head to toe, slowing his gaze at her legs and her ridiculously short shorts as she and her friends came to a stop. He held his arms open with a smile so big and lustful it made her blush, and he actually groaned. “Bring them hot legs over here, girl. Damn!”

“The hell she will.” Vincent’s voice startled Rose. She turned just as he and Lorenzo walked up from behind her. “And her name is Rose.” Slipping his hand in hers, he glared at Ben. “I’m her boyfriend. Who the f**k are you?”

“Vincent!” Rose squeezed his hand at first mortified then alarmed as he stepped in front of her. Lorenzo was right next to him ready to go head to head with not only Ben but the two friends walking up from behind him.

Ben turned around when he saw his friends closing in and held up a hand for them to stop then turned around and smiled at Rose. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend now, Rose.”

“Well, she does.”

That wiped the smile right off Ben’s face, and he glared at Vince. “I was talking to her.”

Vince took a step forward. “I don’t give a shit. I’m talking to you!”

Rose jumped in front of Vincent, remembering all the fights he’d told her he’d been in. As far as she knew, he hadn’t been in any since before last summer.

“He’s my friend, Vincent.” She grabbed a handful of his shirt. “Don’t do this, please.” Vincent’s eyes were still glaring past her at Ben. She turned to Candace who was standing off to the side with Alison then looked at Ben. “Ben, this is Candace; she wanted to meet you. Candace, please go talk to him over there.”

She motioned with her head, and her eyes pleaded as she prayed Candace would have the sense to take him far away.

“I’ll call you,” Ben said as he and Candace walked away.

Vincent flinched in an effort to get away from Rose. “Stop it, Vincent. Please.”

His eyes were finally on Rose, and they were furious. “He’ll call you?”

“Do you want me to go after the ass**le?” Lorenzo asked.

“No!” Rose turned to him. “He doesn’t even have my number!” She turned back to Vincent who still looked enraged. “I haven’t seen him since last year before summer.”

She soothed her hand on his chest, feeling how hard his heart thumped. He wasn’t kidding when he’d told her his temper could go from zero to sixty if provoked. Not that Ben had actually provoked him, but that last jab about calling her was stupid.

“Who is he? How come I’ve never heard of this friend?”

“Actually, I did tell you about him,” she said quickly.

Vincent’s brows pinched, and she could almost see his mind racing.

“I’m gonna go stretch with the team,” Alison said.

Rose nodded. “I’ll be there in a minute.” She turned back to Vincent who hadn’t taken his piercing eyes off her. “I went to prom with him. Remember, I told you about that? But that’s how long it’s been since I’ve seen him. He’s not even from around here. He’s from Chula Vista.”

“So what’s he doing here?” Vincent’s stare dug into her unwavering.

“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.”

Even though Ben was gone now, Vincent was still completely tense, and there wasn’t a trace of that smile that turned her insides to liquid every single time. “How many more of your friends call you sexy girl?”

Rose fought the urge to cringe. If Vincent only knew what a huge flirt Ben could be, and all the other endearing nicknames he’d given her back in high school, and all the times he’d played with her hair or her fingers during class, he’d hate Ben even more than he did now. Ben had asked her to be his girl countless times. Of course, he’d only been playing. The guy couldn’t stay in a monogamous relationship if his life depended on it, and he was the first to admit it. Still, he’d always teased that he’d be willing to give it a go with her.

“None,” she said leaning in and pecking his lips. “He’s just always been that way, but we’ve never been anything more than just friends.” She tugged his hand, thankful that disaster had been averted. “C’mon I can’t be late. My coach will get mad. Wow, talk about an entrance, Vincent,” she said trying to make light of things.

Vincent pulled her to him, and they stopped walking. He held her face in his hands. “I won’t do this much. I promise. But is it okay if I ask you to not talk to that ass**le ever again?”

Moments ago, there’d been fire in his eyes; now there was fear. She touched his cheek. “Sweetie, I probably won’t ever see him again. Today was a fluke. I have no idea what he’s doing out here. I’m telling you I hadn’t seen him since he graduated last year.”