Jersey Girl (Sticks & Hearts #1) (16 page)

"Me too," she whispers and throws a wink back at me.

"Woo hoo! Cut the cake!" Masterson calls out. "Happy Birthday, Cassie."

One by one, they all come around to our side of the table, while she stands to give each one a hug. I watch with a smile, thinking back to that night at the frat house when I'd walked in on her crying. Back then she'd been lonely, longing for the very thing now surrounding her. Everyone here loves her in their own way.

"Happy Birthday, sis." Rivers makes like he's going to muss her hair, and she reflexively dodges his hand. But instead of giving her a hard time, he pulls her close and gives her a hug and a kiss. "Love you." Ashley follows after him, and then I hear him tell her they're taking off. She stares after them as they leave, and I can sense her disappointment.

"Hey." I tug on her sleeve, and she lowers her head to look at me. Now that the watchdog is gone, I pull her back on my lap and whisper in her ear. "Did you put my money to good use?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," she answers seductively, and all I can do is laugh as I lean in and plant a kiss on her cheek.

I'm fairly certain if I were to reach my hand in her pocket, I wouldn't find that money. No. Something tells me she spent it at that party, and I'm dying to know what she bought. A small part of me hopes I'll get to find out.

By the time I drop her off at the dorm, I'm horny as hell. It's been weeks since I've gotten laid, and I'm worried if I don't remedy that soon, I may end up doing something to jeopardize our friendship, not to mention give her brother reason to kick my horny ass.

CASSIE

How are things? It's been a while

I miss your laugh. I miss your smile

The late night talks, we used to share

Your hand in mine, because you cared

All of these things, remind me of

Those days when I still had your love

"Dammit." My hands slam against the piano keys, creating a haunting sound that echoes off the walls. I've been in this room for nearly an hour, but the music isn't working and it's really pissing me off. It's not as if the song is a requirement for my class; it was just something that came to me while I was in the shower. Lately, that appears to be one of the many inconvenient places that sparks my creative juices. Driving a car, the middle of night, or during sex also make that list.

"I need Willow," I announce to the empty room. Working quickly, I shove the music sheets in my bag and hustle out the door.

I'm halfway back to the dorms when I remember Willow isn't in my room. She's nestled safely inside Brantley's room, where we've been meeting for his lessons. Surprisingly, he's put a lot of effort into learning, and when I offered to leave the guitar with him to practice, he'd been all for it. I send him a quick text to let him know I'm stopping by, and keep walking toward the bus stop.

I suppose I could have borrowed a guitar from the music department, but Willow's been present for every song I've composed. I'll feel better having her with me for this one, even if I'm just messing around.

It's a quick ride to his apartment, and the bus lets me off at the stop just three doors down. When I knock on the door it swings open before I have a chance to lower my hand. Scotty stands on the other side and looks surprised to see me.

"Cass? What's up?" he asks when I breeze past him.

"I'm just here to pick up Willow. I left her here so B would have more time to practice."

"B. So what, you two have nicknames for each other now? Anything else I should know about?" His eyebrows shoot up an inch on his forehead.

I roll my eyes and shove my way past him. "I believe we've already covered this topic. Is he home or not?"

"Can't say for sure," he shrugs his shoulders and closes the door. "I just got home myself. But his truck's out front."

"Okay, thanks. I'll just run up and grab her." I don't wait for his response. It's not as if I need his permission to enter Brantley's room. I've hung out with him enough to feel comfortable in this house.

His door is slightly ajar when I approach, so I rap my knuckles once before pushing it open only to receive the surprise of my life.

He's shirtless and lying on his bed with a half-naked redhead straddling his jean-clad legs. And she's not just any redhead. She's the same girl who'd called him baby that night at Casey's.

They're oblivious to my presence. I could turn and walk out and he'd never know I was here. But to my horror, my legs are frozen in place. I watch helplessly as she gyrates over him, feeling their connection, and the look in his eyes makes my mouth go dry. When their lips meet in a kiss the pang of jealousy that hits is so sharp I let out a garbled cry. The girl glances lazily in my direction without missing a beat. I stumble backwards, embarrassed I've been caught. Brantley's eyes find mine and there's panic behind them.

"Shit!" I exclaim, grasping the doorframe for stability before bolting down the stairs. Tears sting my eyes as I speed past Scott without an explanation. The last thing I see is the puzzled look in his eyes as he gapes after me. I run down the street as fast as my legs will carry me, catching the bus just before it pulls away from the curb. Sinking into the first empty seat, I steal a backward glance in time to catch Brantley sprinting across the lawn in my direction, stopping only after the bus turns the corner.

I cower in the corner and work to catch my breath. Humiliated doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling right now. Just days ago I'd been happy because I thought he was going to kiss me. That same night I even dreamed he harbored a secret crush on me. Truth is, even if he
had
kissed me that night, I would just be one more girl added to his lineup. Hell, it's no secret he's slept with more than his share of girls on campus. Just last week I heard about this list; apparently it's legendary and has been a long-standing tradition among the sororities on campus. It's called the Campus Conquest and, according to several girls in South Quad, Brantley is #2 on the list.

I'm pretty sure I never stood a chance at being more than his friend, but that doesn't stop me from wanting more.

Lucky for me, the bus is almost empty, because I can't stop the tears from trickling down my cheeks.

BRANTLEY

"Shit," I murmur, shoving Natasha aside to go after Cassie.

What the fuck had she been doing?

And how long had she been standing there?

Taking the steps two at a time, I sprint past Scott and frantically scan the street for any sign of her. Forgetting my pants are unbuttoned, I haul ass across the lawn, screaming her name. From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of blond curls entering a bus just as the door closes and it pulls away.

"What the fuck just happened?" One minute, I'm messing around with Natasha, and the next, I'm running down the street after some chick.

No, you asshole. Not some chick.

It was Cassie. And you've just hurt her.

A sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach, yet I don't fully understand what I'm sick over. Cassie and I hang out. Nothing more. Ground rules were set, and we've stuck to them.

Sort of...

But what about the little touches?

The hand holding that lasts longer than necessary?

And what about the times we've almost kissed?

Shit
. I'd made it perfectly clear nothing could ever happen between us. It wouldn't work. Scott is my best friend, and I don't want to betray his trust.

I
won't
betray his trust.

However...

I won't deny I feel something for her. Hell, I dreamed of her only two nights ago. Dreamed of her smooth skin. Her perfect tits that were made to fit my hand. Her soft lips parting just before they surround my...

Oh, for Chrissake. That's not helping.

When I walk back into the house, Scott's standing in the living room with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed in my direction.

"You mind telling me what the fuck that was about?"

I run my fingers through my hair and shake my head. "I don't know, man. She just came into my room. I had no idea she was coming over," I shake my head, trying to figure out how I'll ever be able to look her in the eyes again. But why am I letting this bother me? I don't owe her an explanation for my actions. I'm a single guy with needs.

Needs she shouldn't fill.

"Um, hell-o? Did you forget something?" I look up and see Natasha standing with her hands on her hips, scantily dressed and clearly annoyed. I blink several times until it registers I must have forgotten she was upstairs. I have zero desire of picking up where we left off. And honestly, despite how sexy she looks in her black, lacy bra, I don't even think I could achieve a hard-on right now. Nor do I want to.

I saunter over and give her a quick kiss before asking her to leave. "Natasha, baby. I'll call you later." Thankfully, she gets it. There are no ulterior motives when it comes to Natasha. She uses me for sex. But that's okay, because until now, I've been doing the same thing. She quietly gathers her belongings, what little she brought with her, and walks out the door.

"Nice," he comments while watching her go. Then turns and glances down at the open waistband of my jeans. "I take it Cassie saw more than she bargained for when she went up there. I think you should know, she was pretty upset."

"Yeah, I know," I stammer, unsure how to begin explaining what's going through my head right now. And the hardest part is, I can't tell him even if I wanted to. Which I truly do because he's my best friend.

When I finally make it back to my room, I reach for my phone and see that Cassie sent me a text nearly an hour ago.

Her: Fighting with a new song. Coming over 2 get Willow. C u soon!

A knot forms in my chest when I picture the look on her face. Without a doubt she'd been shocked, but I'm certain I saw something else. Something I never meant to cause.

Pain...

Practice is scheduled to start in thirty minutes, and Coach will ream my ass if I'm late. I snag a clean shirt and throw my hockey duffle over my shoulder. On the way out, I spot her guitar in the corner where I last left it. Lifting it carefully, I decide to drop by her dorm after practice. I have no idea if she'll speak to me, but I sure as hell have to give it a try.

CASSIE

Veronica and I are on our beds studying when I hear a knock at the door. My stomach lurches in fear it may be Brantley; after all, he had been chasing me down only two hours ago. I came back and poured my heart out to Roni, hiding my face the whole time. She'd been quick to remind me that B is a player, and I get that. It's not as if I walk around oblivious to the rumors, but I never expected to have reality slap me in the face. And I hadn't been prepared for how it would leave me feeling. Honestly, I'm confused about what's happening between us. We seem to go out of our way to push the boundaries of every parameter we've established. At some point, one of us is bound to cross an imaginary line and what happens then? Would our friendship be over? I truly hope not, because I'm not sure I'd want to remain here if B wasn't in my life. Being with him warms my heart in the same way I feel whenever I perform a new piece of music for the first time.

It's a feeling that says
I'm complete
.

Honestly, it's scares the crap out of me. Because anything that leaves you feeling
that
good is also something you can lose in the blink of an eye.

The knock comes again, followed by Brantley's deep voice, "Cassie, we need to talk."

"What are you gonna do?" she whispers when I fail to get up.

"I'm not ready to face him. Just tell him I'm not here," I whisper back and cower near the end of the bed so he won't see me.

"Hey, Brantley," she greets him, cracking the door open only a few inches. "Cassie's not here."

"Hi Veronica. Do you know where she is? I really need to talk to her." There's desperation in his voice.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't. Is everything okay? You seem stressed," she asks sweetly.

"Umm, I'd rather talk to Cassie about it. Something happened earlier today and... I can't stop thinking about her. I need to know she's okay and I haven't fucked things up between us," he says sadly. I can feel his pain from where I'm hiding. I feel it because my pain goes just as deep.

"I know about what happened. She came back and told me all about the little performance you gave."

"She did? I swear I had no idea she was even there. Be honest, is she avoiding me? She's in there hiding right now, isn't she?"

"No. I told you. She's not here. But I'll tell her you stopped by," Roni replies calmly. I swear the girl could win an Oscar for her performance.

"Okay," he concedes. "I brought Willow. She was looking for it earlier, and I figured she would like it back."

"Sure thing. I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture."

"Listen, can you do me another favor? Tell her I'm really sorry. I feel like a complete asshole, and would give anything for one of her hugs right now. Just tell her that for me and let her know I'll be waiting for her whenever she's ready to talk."

"I'll do that. See you later," she says, closing the door in his face. Then, she whips around and crosses the room in two steps. "You
have
to go after him."

"What? Why? I told you. I'm not ready to face him."

"Cassie, you should have seen his face. He looked so sad. I don't care what you say. That man is crazy about you. I can see it in his eyes when he talks about you. Damn, what I wouldn't give to have him going all teary eyed over me."

"Wait, he almost cried?" I nearly chew my bottom lip off as I debate my next move.

"Yeah, I swear if he'd kept going, they would have spilled down his cheeks. Guys don't cry over you unless they have feelings for you. You're a fool if you don't at least listen to what he has to say." I don't wait to hear the rest of her speech. I'm out the door and chasing after him in a flash.