I couldn’t stop what I was starting to feel.
And dammit if it hadn’t snuck up on me and took me down fast and hard.
They got closer and I idly thought that if I stayed quiet and made myself as small as possible, Rachel wouldn’t even notice me. I wasn’t in the mood for her pettiness.
But of course, she’d noticed me. She always noticed me, so I was prepared for the venom she spit my way.
She looked up from her phone and our gazes clashed. I refused to look away. I refused to act submissive in front of her. She and I might be on separate ends of the spectrum, but that didn’t mean I was going to let her intimidate me because she was pissy she didn’t get her way with Cannon.
She narrowed her eyes and I kept my expression stoic. I thought maybe she’d walk right by, maybe mutter something under her breath to her friend about me, but she surprised me by stopping just a few feet from where I sat.
I didn’t move, just waited for her to say whatever she needed to say, maybe blame me for what had happened with Cannon. Because although it wasn’t really that big of a deal if you thought about it, to somebody like Rachel, someone who always wanted to go the extra step, to seem better than everyone else, the situation with Cannon was probably pretty devastating to her.
“Sitting all alone again?” She smirked but it looked more like a sneer.
I didn’t answer and that seemed to piss her off even more. She pursed her lips and straightened her shoulders, looking down at me, literally and figuratively. “Don’t think I didn’t know you had something to do with Cannon.”
I still stayed silent for a moment. That was the best form of action where she was concerned. That’s what really got under her skin.
I tipped my head to the side and sat up straighter, shrugging. “What do you mean?” She pursed her lips. “I don’t know the ins and outs of what Cannon does or doesn’t do.” I could feel the tension between us rising. I might not be “cool” like her, might not have a lot of friends, family money, or even drive a luxury car that my daddy bought, but I had integrity, a backbone. I could give as well as I got, especially where she was concerned.
“I’m not sure why Cannon hangs out with you.” She looked at her friend. “I just don’t get it.”
“Yeah, crazier things have happened, I’m sure.”
She placed a hand on her hip and cocked it out. “So where is Cannon right now? I need to talk to him.”
I stood up and wiped the grass off my skirt before bending down and grabbing my bag. I knew this conversation wasn’t going to get any better, so the best thing I could do was just leave. Because Rachel was like a vulture. She’d keep picking and picking until there were just bones left.
“I’m not his keeper, Rachel. I assume he’s in class.” I smiled, not one that was genuine, but one that told her she wasn’t getting under my skin as much as she thought she was.
I turned and started walking away, but not before I heard her call out, “You know he’s not into girls like you.”
I don’t know why I hadn’t assumed she’d place one more nail in the coffin.
I clenched my teeth together but didn’t turn around. Because the truth was she was right. Cannon wasn’t into girls like me.
6
Cannon
I ran backwards a few steps, reared my arm back, and threw the ball to the wide receiver. Since last practice I tried to focus on what I needed to, but it was damn hard when the only thing consuming my thoughts was Stella and all the things I wanted to explore with her.
Things that were really fucking not in the friend-zone.
But shit, that was dangerous territory. That was crossing a line that could potentially ruin everything between us. And I needed her in my life. I wanted her there. So the fact that me acting on my feelings could fuck things up didn’t sit well with me.
It made me realize staying just friends was exactly how it should be.
We did a few more plays, Coach getting on our asses because the game was coming up against Charlton. After another twenty minutes, he blew the whistle, ending practice.
I started heading toward the field house with the other guys.
I already had my helmet off, sweat beading down my temples, when I glanced up and saw Stella standing by the bleachers, her backpack sitting beside her feet.
My heart instantly plummeted to my stomach, but I grinned and jogged over there, not about to let it be known that I was starting to feel things for her.