Cruel Hate: A Dark College Sports Romance (paperback, #5)

Chapter One

Phoenix

I stood across from Aspen in the beach’s parking lot, and everything locked down hard as I tried to make sense of what she’d said. I couldn’t have heard her right. “What?”

“I need you to be my fake boyfriend.”

Fuck that. “I don’t do relationships.”

With her hands on her hips, she glanced at the pink-and-silver surfboard strapped to the roof of her car then gave me a death stare. “Hence the word ‘fake.’”

“Why?” We stood about a foot apart, tension and attraction snapping between us like a live wire. It was impossible to tell because her stomach was flat, but I knew it was my baby she was carrying. It might be a good idea to get her a new surfboard that says precisely that: baby on board. I waited for an explanation, fascinated by the uneasy expression that crossed her beautiful face as thunderous waves crashed against the shore.

“It’s alumni weekend, and my parents are coming.”

Things clicked into place. “It’ll be easier to tell them about the baby if they meet me first?”

She leaned against her beat-up, rusty, gold Honda Civic. “Yeah. I’m having dinner with them tonight, and my dad will freak out.”

I grinned, liking how this could work in my favor. “I’ll do it so long as you take the vitamins I got for you and keep me in the loop about all things baby.” Having Aspen as my fake girlfriend would help buffer me against aggressive punt bunnies. I had enough on my plate with trying to pass my classes and the healing hand injury—thanks for that, Shane—without dealing with the distraction of girls.

She rolled her sky-blue eyes. “Fine.”

“When and where?”

A strand of Aspen’s honey-blond hair fell against her cheek, and I had to stop myself from reaching out and tucking it behind her ear. She was so soft and fucking sexy as hell, but neither one of us needed the added complication of me hitting on her.

“Dylan’s. The diner just off campus. 5:30.”

I knew the place. It was one of the university’s hangouts. “Do you want to go there together and further solidify the image that we’re dating?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

We agreed to meet at her dorm then walk from there. It wasn’t far. She climbed into her ancient car and drove off, and I headed to my SUV. My mom had to work at the hospital this weekend, so Shane and I weren’t expecting her to come for alumni weekend. Just thinking about my twin brought another wave of stress. He was being a colossal pain in the ass lately. I wanted to talk to him about what was going on with Aspen and how I struggled to keep distance between us, but he wasn’t emotionally available.

But maybe I didn’t have to. It wasn’t as if she could get pregnant again, and I didn’t think she wanted a real relationship, either, given her emphasis on “fake.” I pressed the start button, shifted into gear, then backed out of the parking spot.

The proposition of pretending to be her boyfriend so her parents could ease into the news about the baby made sense. And I had a particularly clingy couple of girls that having a girlfriend might help to shield me from—Jillian, in particular.

I needed to avoid the party scene and girls in general if I had any hope of passing my classes and doing what I was there to do—get into the NFL. It had been my lifelong dream, and I’d be damned if I let any opportunity slide through my fingers.

For the first time since Shane had shoved me while fighting his ex’s date—fucking Tracey—and my hand went through the display case window, I felt lighter. I hadn’t bartered for anything lasting with Aspen, but I was optimistic that eventually, that would change. She would have been a wanted distraction. I had the feeling that if we got to know each other better, she could make concentrating on important things seem easy.

I made it back to campus in time for my only Friday morning class, where I tried to pay attention, then went to the trainers for an evaluation and physical therapy for my hand. Redshirting several games was bad enough, but the initial scare that I’d destroyed my throwing hand had been mind-numbing. The cuts were deep, but the damage was minimal, and the ligaments and nerves were intact.

Thanks to Mom for being an ER nurse—she’d immediately made sure I had the top doctors and medicine. Several weeks had passed since the incident, and the hand was healing rapidly. Everyone was pleased with the progress. But it wasn’t fast enough for me. I wanted back in the game as much as I needed my next breath.

The day flew by, and then it was time to meet Aspen. I crossed campus and parked myself against the brick wall of her dorm, waiting for her to come down. I didn’t have to stand there long. The door burst open, and she rushed out in a flowing see-through top with tiny flowers and spaghetti straps over a formfitting sleeveless blue shirt. It was cute, and the low dip in the front and great cleavage shot was sexy. Tiny jean shorts and delicate sandals made up the rest of her outfit.

Her hair was down, catching in the breeze, and my fingers itched to reach out and slide through the sun-streaked strands. I imagined cupping the back of her head and leaning in to feel those lips on mine. I blinked, pushing the fantasy away. God, what is this girl doing to me? I took her hand instead, to keep myself in check. Even that touch made my heart kick into overdrive. It was unexpected, but at the same time, it wasn’t. I felt suddenly more aware of her and ran my thumb back and forth over her soft skin on the back of her hand in an almost-unconscious manner. “Ready?”

“Mm-hmm.” Her fingers tightened around my hand.

As I led her through campus and toward the diner, it occurred to me that I didn’t know anything about the people I was about to meet. “Tell me about your family.”

“Not much to tell. I have a sister that’s a year younger. My parents are divorcing but living in the same house, so it’s a war zone when Regan and I visit.”

“What do you mean by ‘visit’? Doesn’t your sister live there?”

“Thankfully, not during the school year. Her boyfriend’s parents are putting her up during school so she doesn’t have to transfer or make the drive every day. I think it’s because they know what it’s like at our house through their son, Dane.” She tugged on my hand, not giving me time to ask anything else about her sister, Dane, or the divorce. “Tell me about you. They may quiz us, and I would rather be prepared.”

“What’s to tell? You know about Shane, my twin. I’ve got two cousins that go here that are more like brothers to me. Damon is the same age as my brother and me, and Cole is a year older. We were raised in a single-parent household. My mom is a nurse.”

“Okay, and your major? I already know you’re a quarterback because it’s impossible not to know that.”

I snorted. “I’ve seen you with Piper”—one of the girls we went to high school with who had a massive crush on Cole—“and I’m sure she’s told you plenty.” Maybe. Piper seemed to be moving on from her obsession with my cousin. And she hadn’t joined the cheer team, which had surprised us all.

“Not your major.”

That was something Piper wouldn’t know. Neither did I. “Undecided. What’s yours?”

“Art and marketing.” She shrugged. “Probably both.”

“What kind of art?” A breeze stirred her hair, lifting it and the scent of strawberries and vanilla until I was drowning in it, craving to touch her. An image flashed in my mind of my hand fisted in the silky strands. It was going to be a difficult couple of hours.

“Mostly 2D. Sketching. Remember my surfboard?”

“Pink and silver?” The design had caught my eye, silver waves with birds coasting above the curl that looked like they were roaring off the board, almost three-dimensional.

She nodded. “I drew that.”

“That’s cool.” Her surfboard was awesome. I’d thought it was a custom design, not something she did on her own. This chick was just full of surprises. I bet she could get a job designing board art at any of the surfing companies. She didn’t even need the degree.

She shrugged, and I realized I was still holding her hand. What the fuck? I severed the connection instantly. It was dangerous for me to lose my focus. I had plans. If anyone could derail me, she could.

“I want to open my own company. Or maybe work on commission for a while. I haven’t decided.”

We arrived at the diner, and I opened the door for her. The bell jingled as we went through. Aspen grabbed my arm tightly as she led me to a man and woman sitting in a booth by the window. I could see the resemblance right away. I bent down to her ear as the reality of our scenario was about to unfold. “What’s your last name?”

“Reid,” she said from the corner of her mouth just before we were in hearing distance of her parents.

As we reached the table, I shifted Aspen to my left, curling an arm around her waist. The couple stood, and I smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. Reid, it’s great to meet you.”

We shook hands. They were careful as I’d offered my almost-healed-but-still-bandaged right one. It was okay, and I would play again soon. After we sat, the waitress brought menus and took our drink orders. Aspen’s leg bounced under the table, and I rested my hand on her leg, out of sight of her parents.

“Call us Mark and Brittney.” Her mom smiled. “And you’re Phoenix? Aspen told us earlier today that you would be joining us for dinner.”

I grinned to put her at ease, noting her keen observation of how close her daughter and I were sitting. “Phoenix Bennett. Aspen and I met over the summer then again when school started. We’ve been dating for a few weeks.”

A gleam entered Mark’s eyes. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Thane had a few write-ups about their up-and-coming star quarterback. Too bad about the hand. When are you cleared to play?”

The waitress returned with our drinks, and I handed Aspen the first water before accepting one. I waited until the server left and flexed my hand. “I’m already practicing, and I’ll be in the game this weekend. But they have McAffrey in as the starting QB. I might ride the bench for a while. Especially since I’m a freshman.”

“McAffrey doesn’t read the field or have the accuracy you do.”

Aspen and her mom were talking amongst themselves. She seemed okay, so I kept entertaining her dad. “He’s a solid player. I haven’t earned a spot yet. I’m not expecting to jump right in. Don’t get me wrong—I would love to, but it’s up to the coach.”

Mark grunted. “It would be a mistake. I’ve seen your stats.”

I knew he was talking about the article about the team’s expectations and projections in the alumni journal, which had included my senior year stats. Bet they hadn’t expected the injury.

I was impressed. I could get on board with a father-in-law like him. Father-in-law? Damn, what is wrong with me.

“Cole Savage is tearing it up out there. Two touchdowns this weekend, another for his brother, Damon, and the blocks from your brother. He’s a tank, and we needed a player like him on defense. It was an edge-of-your-seat kind of game. I think that crowd spilled more than they drank, with all of the jumping to their feet and cheering.”

“That’s accurate.” Brittney stared daggers at her husband—or ex-husband.

I couldn’t remember if they were in the process of divorcing or if the papers had been finalized. I was pretty sure Aspen hadn’t told me. “Cole and Damon Savage are my cousins.” I steered the conversation away from whatever trainwreck was about to happen between Aspen’s parents. “We grew up playing ball together.”

“That’s right.” Mark whistled. “You’ve got some major talent in your family. Are you aiming for the draft?”

“That’s the plan.” That was the goal, and I would make it happen. The NFL had always been my end game.

The waitress brought our food, and the conversation shifted.

“Are you still surfing, Aspen?” her mom asked. “Or have you given up that dream?”

Aspen furrowed her brows. “I’m not giving anything up. I was out this morning.”

“Why would you say that, Brittney? There’s no reason she has to give up surfing to get a degree. And you haven’t quit on what you want.” The last statement dripped venom.

Brittney snorted, her red lips pulling into a sneer. “You know all about giving up on things, don’t you, Mark?”

Not good. I steered the conversation back to football, reengaging her dad until Aspen’s leg bounced again, and I felt the shift in her. This is it.

“I don’t want you guys to freak out.” She had their attention now.

I grabbed her hand and held it, offering support.

“I’m having a baby.”

No one said anything for a solid and uncomfortable minute. Then Mark and Brittney turned to face one another, and the insults flew rapidly.

“This is your fault,” Brittney hissed. “It must be genetic. You ruined my life. Why not our daughter’s too?”

“Bullshit. If anyone’s life was ruined, it was mine.” Mark’s face turned an alarming shade of purplish-red. “You probably told her to do it. Why use a condom? Why not skip classes and make the idiot who gave in become a patsy to her every whim?”

The fuck? Heads turned as their voices rose. Our table was the center of attention. They seemed oblivious that we were even there with them. I eased out of the booth, tugging Aspen’s hand for her to follow. We slipped away without them even noticing. Outside, we each took a deep breath.

“What the hell was that?” Because it wasn’t about us.

“Ah. Welcome to my life.” She scrubbed her hands over her face before walking toward campus, and I fell into step beside her. “That was tame. I knew telling them I’m pregnant would cause an argument. I’d just hoped to soften the blow with you being there. Guess that wasn’t a good idea.”

“Parents are just as screwed up as we are. Some of them just hide it better.” Since she’d given me a window into her world, I decided to share a little about mine. “Shane and I only have our mostly easygoing mom. Our dad walked out on us when she told him she was pregnant. They’d been together long enough to buy a house. He left her that, thinking it was enough compensation. He never gave her a dime of child support.”

She shook her head. “Wow. That sucks, but I wish one of my parents would have left. Living with both has been miserable since I was ten and Dad caught Mom cheating.”

“Financial issues or not, there’s no way I could imagine staying in that marriage. Not that I want to get married.” I blew out a breath.

“I’m right there with you. My parents cured me of that. When they fought all the time, it got lonely.”

“My mom’s an ER nurse and works long hours. Without Shane, I don’t know if I would have made it this far. Our dad abandoning us taught me a lot about what not to do. I’ll never let my kid feel unwanted or lonely.”

If she keeps it. But I couldn’t ask. Handling that on top of everything else was more than I could shoulder.

We slowed at her dorm, and I had the oddest urge to follow her back to her room—and not just for sex. There was something there, an undeniable connection, and I didn’t like it. I was in college for one reason—to get into the NFL. Not to fall for the surfer girl with sun-streaked hair and a background as painful as my own.

“Keep me in the loop.” I dropped the statement and walked backward as she rolled her eyes and went inside. It should have been simple, but I felt the invisible pull of her like a rubber band, trying to snap me back to her side.

“Phoenix.”

I whirled around as Damon fell into step beside me. Good. I needed the distraction. I clapped him on the shoulder. “Anything going on this weekend with your dad and Riley’s mom coming?”

“They couldn’t make it, which is fine by me.” He glanced back at the dorms. “What’s going on with you and that chick? Shane said something…”

Damon and Cole were family, and I needed their support more than I cared to admit. The weight of what was going on with Aspen and the pressure of passing classes was almost too much. “Remember that party at the cove over the summer?”

“The one after Shane got dumped by Tracey in a text?”

Traitorous bitch. “Yeah, that one. I met a girl there.”

“The one you were just with, right? I think Sky and Riley are friends with her. Met at the cove, too.”

“Yeah, probably. Her name’s Aspen.” We stopped at the edge of the parking lot, ignoring the students parting around us, heading off campus. “We had sex, and I found out recently that she’s pregnant with my kid.”

“Fuck, cuz.” Damon’s head knocked back. “Shane didn’t tell me that part. Just that you were seeing some girl. I couldn’t believe it, not with how focused—and not on chicks—you wanted to be here.”

I frowned as movement from the corner of my eye made me turn. Shit, Jillian. I couldn’t shake that chick. I’d gone out with her twice, and she was already planning our wedding. Ignoring her and hoping she hadn’t overheard us, I refocused on my cousin. “Nothing’s changed.”

A knowing look flashed through Damon’s blue eyes, which only stirred my unease about what was coming. He saw the writing on the wall too. I was full of shit.

Everything’s changing.