Betting on His Bride

ChapterSix

River

After banging on Mara’s door last night and then trying to call her, I got nothing. Deciding that she was either pissed off at me because Lisa showed up, or she was tired of being around me, I gave up and went to bed. Although can you call it going to bed if you don’t sleep? Basically I lie awake on a mattress all night, wondering how I managed to fuck up one of the best nights of my life.

On top of that both of my parents called me this morning. It’s almost like they were working together to make my day miserable.

My dad called first, and he complained about his company struggling and how Felipe has done nothing to help him. I hate it because I have sympathy for him. I understand that he sees his son with so much more success than he ever had, which probably makes him jealous. But I also see that he’s suffering at work and has no one else to turn to except Felipe. He’s made his bed by treating him like a child his entire life and trying to control him at every turn. Then when he couldn’t control him, he lashed out and over time ignored him altogether. That’s their own bridge to mend, but I’m stuck being the only person my dad talks to because my mom has basically checked out.

It was like I’d thought about her and then my phone rang. She called to ask me about school and how I was doing, but she’s always got a hidden agenda. She was really calling to talk crap on my dad because apparently, I’m the only person she can talk to about it. But just like my dad, she created this mess for herself. She let other people's opinions dictate her life and the lives of her children. When I talk to her now, there’s so much regret in her voice, but it’s never too late to change. Right? My brother and my sister might be at odds with them, but my siblings are good and forgiving people. If they truly felt that my parents were sorry for the way they’d treated them, or each other, Felipe and Glenda would try and mend that bridge. But as it stands, my parents are so fucking stubborn that they refuse to change.

So after not sleeping a wink, getting dumped on by my parents, and Mara not being home, I’m in a foul mood. I went by her place way before her early class, but she didn’t answer the door or her phone when I texted. How did everything go south so fucking fast?

One minute I was about to kiss the girl of my dreams, and the next, she was gone. Fucking Lisa and her terrible timing. I know Mara, and I know that she jumps to the worst situation first, so I’m sure she saw Lisa and thought that there was something going on, when that’s the furthest thing from the truth. The reality is that I’ve only said about four words to her even though she keeps “accidentally” bumping into me. She will carry on whole conversations without me even making a noise because I know if I open my mouth, I’ll tell her to fuck off.

That’s the problem with having parents with a bad reputation. No matter how successful my older brother is, or how rich my sister is, people are always waiting for me to prove the gossip about my family right.

“What’s up, golden boy?”

I look up in time to see Jack, Harris, and Andy waiting outside the dining hall. “If it isn’t the world's shittiest three musketeers,” I say, and they laugh as we walk inside. We usually meet up for lunch after our first classes since we’ve all got a break now.

“So how’s OperationBubbleButtgoing?” Harris nudges me out of the way so he can grab the plate of pizza in front of me.

The fact that he’s even imagining Mara’s ass makes me see red. “Just like I planned.” I manage to say the words without sounding like an absolute lunatic, which is a miracle. I’d love nothing more than to throw this plate of food to the ground and punch him in the throat, but unfortunately, that sort of thing is frowned upon.

“I’m just biding my time until she turns you down.” Jack walks past me like he didn’t just sign his own death warrant.

“Don’t look so glum. I’ll take care of her.” Andy smiles like he knows they’re getting under my skin, and I’m starting to shake.

How the fuck did I think I could do this? How am I going to call off this stupid bet without them knowing what she means to me? It’s not that I care what the fuck they think; I just don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to keep her when being with me will ruin her. My brother and my sister were able to leave my parents without a backwards glance. I’m the one left behind and forced to take care of them. I can’t drag Mara down with me, but I can’t let her go.

Frustrated, I drop my tray onto the table harder than I intended to, and the guys turn my way.

“You okay, River?” Jack asks hesitantly.

“I just have a lot on my mind.”

“I would too if I was chasing an ass like that around campus.” Harris sits down next to me, and at first I think he’s just talking to hear his own voice. Then he nudges me, and I look up.

“Fuck.” I see Mara coming into the dining hall wearing some kind of summer dress that’s so fucking short I can see the tops of her thighs. It’s like she knows I want her ass to smother me, and she’s doing this out of spite. “Gotta go.”

I hear them calling out behind me as I follow Mara to the line to get food. There’s a girl with her, and they’re talking, but I don’t care so I cut into their conversation and block Mara’s path.

“Are you avoiding me?” Her eyes widen in shock, and she looks around like she’s trying to come up with a quick lie. “Nope, don’t do that.”

“Do what?” she says defensively.

“Try to make up some excuse on why you ditched me last night.”

“I didn’t ditch you.” When I raise an eyebrow and wait, she finally sighs. “Okay, fine, I ditched you.”

“Then you owe me.” I turn around and snag a plate of fries for her and then the honey mustard.

“How do you know that’s what I want?” She looks at the food but doesn’t take it off her tray.

“You act like I don’t know you.” I want to roll my eyes, but I enjoy seeing the cute little pout of frustration she gives me. Damn it, I’m supposed to be irritated, but being around her only makes me want to play with her.

“What do I owe you?” She changes the subject as I put a tuna sandwich and extra pickles on her tray next. “How do you know what—” She stops herself and shakes her head. “Never mind.”

“You owe me another date.”

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

“Because you’ll have to admit that you ditched me because you got jealous?” I bend down a little so I’m the only thing she sees. “Because I might back you against another door and kiss you like I own you?”

She swallows hard and then the hour chimes overhead. I look up to see my time is up before my next class. I would ditch to sit and eat with her, but I’ve got a paper due, and I can’t miss it.

“Tonight,” I say as I back away and wink at her.

The last thing I see before I turn around is her flushed cheeks and open mouth. I’m going to be hard all fucking day.