The Next Contestant (25 page)

AFTER OUR GLORIOUS
night, minus Kolby’s interruption, I assume Jax will either call or at least text me today. I know he’s probably lying low on account of my brother, but seriously. He could at least text me!

All day I mope and wait and pray that he’ll text me. Mid-evening, I force myself to work out, but it doesn’t settle my unsettled thoughts.
Was he using me?
I give up and soak my sad self in a hot shower.

I make a salad, drag my homework out, and get busy on my art assignment. After, I work on my English Comp then finally retire to my room.

Nearly an hour passes, and still, I lie in bed unable to sleep. I meditate, taking deep calming breaths, telling my muscles, my body to relax, and finally, my eyelids feel heavy. I’m almost to the point of sleep when my phone buzzes and startles me.

I lay momentarily before lazily reaching over and grabbing my phone off my nightstand.

Glancing at the screen, expecting it to be Tiffany, I’m ecstatic when I see the identity of the messenger.

Jax!

Quickly swiping the screen, I read his text.

J: Your brother is hot on my ass! Everywhere I go, whoever I text, he’s right there, badgering me. I wanted to text you earlier, but he made it impossible. I had to forward my fucking text meant for you to
her
knowing he was going to question me. Asshole asked who I was texting. Then he forced me to let him see the text. Thank fuck I hadn’t texted anything dirty!

God, my brother is such a control freak. What an ass! I quickly reply.

K:
I know. He’s psycho. Maybe I should talk to him, tell him the truth?

J: You can’t do that. I can’t afford to be kicked out of the fraternity. My dad won’t fund my education and I’ll be forced to give up soccer in order to work, and even that won’t be enough to cover tuition.

Wow. Now I feel totally guilty, and selfish.

K:
You’re right. I’d never want to be the cause of you giving up what you love, or your education.

J: I miss you already. Can’t stop thinking about last night. Your sexy as hell body. God, you’re so beautiful. I don’t deserve you.

K:
Don’t say that. And you’re the sexy one, not me.

J: Bullshit. Girls only want me for my status. Star soccer player. Fraternity brother. Friend of Kolby, who is very well known and obviously loved. They don’t know me, who I really am, what I want. But you, you’re beautiful, smart, and you have a big heart.

K:
That’s not true. Any girl would be lucky to have you, and they know that, want that. I know because I want you too. Not for your status, but because you’re also kind, and I know you’re a giving person. I may not have known you long, but I know there is more to you than what you let on.

J:
I don’t want to let you go. I want to give you what you want, what I want, but I don’t know how, how to work around this mess. We have to lie low, which means we can’t speak, and I might not be able to text, but don’t freak out, okay? It’s just to divert your brother. He’ll chill and eventually stop trailing me when he realizes there is nothing going on with us.
LOL!
We’ll figure it out. Just don’t give up on me. Promise me?

K:
I agree, and promise not to give up on you, on us.

What am I agreeing to? How long am I supposed to wait, go without talking to him?

J: Please, please, don’t take this wrong. I hope you don’t and understand that I don’t want to be with
her
but I have to pretend I do in order to appease Kolby and to keep the bitch from ratting me out, you out. So if you see me with her, don’t go getting your head in a mess over it. It’s not what you think. I have zero feelings for her. She’s a vindictive bitch and I know you know this, so promise me you won’t flip out?

K:
I promise I won’t flip out but I can’t guarantee I won’t be upset. I hate her and hate seeing you with anyone other than me.

J: Remember, it’s only temporary. I’ve got to go. Kolby is shouting for me to get my ass downstairs. I miss you already!

K:
Okay. You better get going. Look forward to the next time we can talk. I miss you too.

I exit out of the text and set my phone back on the nightstand. I feel more unsettled than I did before his text. How long is temporary? When will I hear from him again?

TWO WEEKS!! IT’S
been two, long, dreadful weeks since I’ve heard from Jax. I sent him a couple of texts, but he didn’t reply. It angered me that he hadn’t responded. Hell, just a quick how you doing would be enough. But nothing. NOTHING. I’m furious, hurt, and confused. Do I let go, forget about him? God, I don’t know if I could forget about him. Unless… Is he with her? I’m so stupid! Why else wouldn’t he text, unless he’s falling for
her.

I’m so depressed. Part of me just wants to drag my brother aside and tell him, let him know it was all me, my lie and not Jax’s and that I want to be with him. Beg Kolby not to do anything to Jax because it’s not his fault or his doing. It was all me, and Jax did the right thing; he pushed me away, refusing to break his oath.

My phone rings, temporarily taking out of my confusing thoughts. I look at the screen and nearly faint. It’s Jax! And he’s calling, not texting, but I can’t answer it. I’m too emotional right now.

He leaves a voicemail. I’m elated and pissed. Why the fuck did it take him over two weeks to call me?

I listen to his voicemail.

We need to talk
. There is a long pause before he speaks again.
I miss you.
I tried to call, to text, but your number was no longer in my phone. I swear that the bitch deleted your number! I couldn’t very well ask your brother or any of the guys. I attempted to drive to your dorm, but caught Kolby trailing me. Another time, the bitch was trailing me. Each of those times, I drove past the exit to Mills and continued driving ten miles past it and stopped at some of my old classmates house. It’s the same house we shot down some tequila, and sour gummy worms, the night I brought you to the frat house, never having a clue you were Kolby’s sister.
His tone is scolding yet humorous.

I’m humbled, but uncertain. How’d he miraculously get my number then? If the bloody bitch deleted it? I listen to the rest of his message.

I talked to Jaden, the technology geek, told him my phone was acting up and a bunch of apps and contacts were missing. He informed me I could restore my phone to factory settings, and then use the backups I’d done to restore my phone to a back date prior to the missing apps and contacts. Thank fuck I use the restore frequently because it worked.

Huh. Do I believe him? Everyone knows you can use the back up to restore your missing content, don’t they? And how often is he with her, what do they do when she’s around?

Please call me back if you get this message in the next hour. I’m free to talk as I’m sitting in a hole in the wall restaurant that I know none of the brothers would dare set foot in. Please call.

Even though I’m not sure I believe him, a part of me is giddy and needing to see what else he has to say, or what he wants.

I break down and call him.

I FINALLY TALK
Kimber into going to dinner with me. I park several dormitories over from hers. Yeah, it’s shitty, but I can’t risk being seen, and it’s the only way we won’t be noticed. I text her to let her know I’m here. I want to take her to my house, but I know the repercussions that could bring if she ever finds out about the bet. She won’t understand she wasn’t a part of it, that once I laid eyes on her, I stopped playing for points. No, girls think too much and twist things around. The last thing I need is another woman scorned.

The guys are scoring nightly while I’ve been hung up on Kimber. They think I’m a little bitch who’s pussy whipped over… yeah, Timberly. The thought of her makes me ill.

Flowing blonde hair and the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen comes around the corner. Suddenly I feel nervous, but I step out of the car, walk around the front, and greet her at the passenger side where I open the door for her. She smiles up at me as she slides in and before I can lean in and buckle her in, she’s already making it click. But that doesn’t stop me from staring at her. She’s got on this thin white button down. Yeah, I know it doesn’t sound sexy, but damn, the neckline is loose, exposing her neck and part of her chest and shoulder. She must have on an unpadded bra because the buds of her nipples are perfectly erect. Fuck if I don’t want to lean over and bite those pert little mounds. Her chest is rising and falling in quicker succession telling me she knows exactly what I’m looking at, what I’m thinking.

“Um… are you going to get in the car or hover over me all night?” When I say nothing and continue to stare, she raises an eyebrow and smirks.

Smiling, I shake my head and shut her door.

Once we pull out of the parking lot and escape the vicinity of Mills College, Kimber relaxes and rests her head back. I eye her from the side. Her eyes are closed and a slight smile warms her face as the wind from the sunroof catches wisps of her hair, but she doesn’t seem to mind.

God, she’s so damn beautiful, and sweet, and… perfect. The thought of her with any other guy, other than myself, infuriates me. If only I could get out of the fraternity, but that’s not an option at this point.

The entire thirty-two plus miles, Kimber is quiet and I’m deep in thought. I almost miss my turn and sort of slam on the brakes, which startles her.

“Sorry,” I tell her. “Almost missed the turn.”

“Hmm,” is all she mumbles, then her eyes take in the scenery as we drive along the Peninsula coast on Cabrillo Highway.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“La Costanera, a Peruvian restaurant in the Half Moon Bay area. You been there?” I glance at her.

“No, I haven’t,” she says as I turn into the parking lot and search for a parking space. It takes a while to find one. The place is packed.

After parking the car, I stroll to her side and help her out, mostly so I can hold her hand, which she accepts with what I can tell is a hidden smile.

The attendant takes my name and a hostess leads us toward our table. I let Kimber follow first. I get a good shot of her butt in a faded pair of diamond bling designer shorts that sit low on her hips, and those long slender legs I’d like to fold over my shoulders and dig my fingers into her nice, firm ass. She glances over her shoulder and catches me eyeing her up. She smirks then folds her hands behind her, covering her butt.

If she only knew I saw that perfection when she pleasured herself, and panted my name… yeah, she’d probably freak out. I’d like to get her to do that for me, in front of me.

“Wow. What an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean,” Kimber says as she slides into her seat. I’d reserved a table and we’re lucky enough to be seated in front of the wall to ceiling glass with an excellent view of Montara Beach. By the time we finish our meal, the sun will have set, and you can’t beat the view at night.

I watch Kimber take in not only the outside view, but also the interior.

“So cool. The sailboat hanging from the ceiling, the cute seahorse hanging on the wall—I love it,” she boasts.

The waiter asks if we’d like anything from the bar. Kimber glances at me. “You choose,” she says.

“Two glasses of Pinot Gris, please.” After the waiter steps away, I offer, “It’s an Italian white wine. I think you’ll like it. If not, then you can have a glass of water… with a straw. I’d like to watch you suck and nibble on it like you did at The Cutting Edge.” I give her a knowing wink.

“Yeah, right. The way your mind works, I’m sure you’ll be imagining something other than a straw in my mouth.” As soon as she says it, she ducks her head and whispers, “God, I can’t believe I just said that.” She flushes neck to cheek.