My cell vibrated against my thigh. I grabbed it, tapped the screen, and raised it to my ear. “What’s up, man?”
Cory Maxwell cleared his throat on the other line. First baseman for the Silverbacks, he was probably my closest friend at Winston. “Your presence is required at the house of awesomeness, dick wad.”
I shook my head. “Of course it is.” Tapping the screen, I disconnected just as Cory was about to say something else. With a final glance at Gracie’s dorm, I slid my shades over my eyes and started the bike. The engine rumbled as I headed toward the frat house.
Cars crammed the yard and parking spaces, and people drifted in and out of the front entrance. Another party, more booze-filled sorority girls and liquored-up jack fucks littering my living space. Freshmen year, yeah, I thought it was a blast. Partied every chance I got, game or no game. I took a goddamned whipping. Now? Over it. Bored. Sick as shit of it.
Yet, my presence was required. Silverbacks superstar pitcher. Badass Southie.
Not a single soul here really knew me. Besides Cory, anyway. Didn’t know a single fucking personal thing about me. Assumed plenty. Like I was some sideshow carnie freak or something.
Gracie knew me, though. Not much, but more than these clowns, and I’d known them for over a year. Most were ball players, their girls, and random girls trying to hook up with ball players. The idea came fast to me that Gracie wouldn’t fit in here, with these people, in this atmosphere. That thought, and how easily Gracie had slipped into it, took me off guard. Made me even more curious about her. About myself. What the hell?
I walked in and everyone yelled and clapped. Slapped me on the back and congratulated me on the game as if I’d single-handedly won it. A cold bottle was pushed into my hand. This, I was used to. It’d been my life for over a year. I’d liked it. A lot.
“Jenks, you asshole, that was some fine sick pitching today, son!” Cory said from one of the sofas in the common room. I sank into the cushion next to him.
Lifting the bottle to my mouth, I let the lager flow down my throat. I grinned, and raised the brew. “I know that.” Everyone laughed as my gaze settled on most of my teammates, some on the floor, others draped over the furniture. Their girls draped over them. Same faces, same scenario. Different day.
A heavy body flopped down beside me, and I didn’t have to look to know it was Josh Collins. I could smell his chewing tobacco. Third baseman and a junior, he was a fellow Kappa Phi brother from Austin. And a dick of many things. But he was a good third baseman and that was the only decent thing I could say about the guy.
Josh leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. His gaze remained straight ahead. “So.” His drawl was long and irritating as hell. “How’d your date go?”
I took another pull on my lager. “It went.”
Josh’s shoulders shook as he laughed silently. “Yeah, I bet it did.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “Kenny said she wears a fucking wedding ring. Priceless.”
I took my time on the second pull of beer before answering. “Kenny says he fucks your sister, too. You believe everything he says?”
Anger rolled over his face like a wave, and I couldn’t help but laugh. I took another swallow. Collins hated shit being said about his sister. Might be the only other redeeming quality the fuck wad had.
“Well, what the hell is it, Jenks?” Josh pushed.
I gave a casual shrug. “It’s just something to keep pricks like you away, Collins.” I lifted a brow. “Why do you care?”
Josh’s lips pulled back and he grinned a gap-toothed smile, one only his mother could love. “Just curious, is all.” He winked and punched my arm. “It’ll make this semester’s dare a little more interesting, huh, big guy?”
My gaze hardened as I looked at him. “Choose another one, Collins. She’s not dare material.”
Josh’s teeth showed, and I fixed on that big gap in the middle. I wanted to make it wider. “Trust me. She really, really is.” He pushed up, stood. “Totally opposite of you, that’s for fuckin’ sure. Besides, Jenks. You chose her. Remember? Picked her out the second we rounded the corner and saw her crossing the lawn. Anyway.” He smiled. “It’s just all good college fun. She’ll get over it and you. Probably laugh about it later on.” He headed to the kitchen, stopped and turned back. “Good pitchin’ today, son.” He nodded, then ducked into the other room.
The music thumped against the walls, some random local country rap band, and the smell of beer and sweat filled the common room. It made the inside of my skull ache, and I pushed my temples in with my thumbs. Goddamn, Collins was right. I had picked her. Honest to Christ, it’d been sheer impulse. Gracie had caught my eye the moment she’d pulled up in the parking lot, wearing that cute fucking hat and driving that old tank of a pick-up. I knew she was tough the second I’d laid eyes on her, and that had initially drawn me in. Now? Jesus H. Christ, I’d only been out with her once. Seen a piece of who she really was. And I liked what I saw. Even the part she tried so hard to hide I liked, and it made me want to find out more. Which made me an even bigger prick than Collins because the only way to get Gracie out of this now was to come clean with her. I didn’t know her well—not at all, actually, since we’d just met. But one thing I did know for a fact: She’d tell me, my fraternity and the semester dare to go straight to fucking hell. And to be selfishly honest, I just wasn’t ready to give her up yet.