"For the record, Violet is the most important person in my life. I'm done eating. Enjoy the rest of your dinner. Diana, please find your own way back to school this weekend." I took a deep breath as I turned around and walked away. When I reached the base of the stairs, my mother spoke up.
"You don't get to talk to me like this in my own house. Get back here this instant. You will sit your ass down, eat your dinner, and apologize to everyone!" Her voice wavered at the end when she made eye contact with me.
The word vomit came forward too quick to stop it. "I am so sick of you telling me how to live my life, and I am done with it. I don't want to date Diana, I don't want to be a doctor, and I hate this town. I won't be living here once I graduate. I am falling in love with Violet more and more every day. She may not be talking to me right now because your precious Diana won't leave us alone, but I will continue to fight for her every second of every day.
"My degr
It may have been from the practice I had after the first time we slept together, but it was almost too easy to avoid Caleb for the two next weeks. Instead of eating at the student union or going to FIX, I survived off delivery and my stash of Ramen.Instead of going out the main door of the business lecture hall, I would use the side exit. Then, I would make my way to my dorm room by walking the long way behind the buildings that lined the university's quad. Thankfully it was finally cold enough to get away with wearing my beanie and hoodie, which only helped to hide me from anyone who may have had an eye out for me.I was both relieved and disappointed when he didn't seem to have anyone searching for me. The chase was over. He had me, lost me, found me, and then gave me up. It was inevitable and expected, but that didn't make it any less hurtful. I felt like one of those ridiculous girls in a rom-com. I wanted to stay away from him but also wanted him to chase and fig
It was only an hour or so later that we were walking down The Row. The over-crowded house had been sending vibrations through the neighborhood around it from the blaring bass. I couldn't stop my eyes from traveling two houses down to the Kappa Alpha house. I knew there was a good chance that he would be here tonight, but I also promised Chloe that I would go with her when Ryan invited her. Now I had no choice but to be here for her for when she breaks up with him."You just had to date a frat boy," I said with distaste in my words as I pulled my eyes back to the girl walking next to me."You dated one too! Look, Vi, if you don't want to be hung up on him anymore, then you need to find someone else and move on. Stop hiding in the dorm room and avoiding going to the dining hall. As much as I love you, this is not healthy." Her fingers interlaced with mine, and she gave my hand a supportive squeeze before pulling away as we made our way up the front entryway of the Phi De
The second she walked into the room, it was like there was a magnet to her, and I was being drawn in. I didn't care about what Jones was saying next to me, nor did I care about the girl to my left that was failing in her attempt to get my attention.All I could see was Violet. She was just as beautiful as the last time I had seen her. I never wanted to go two weeks without seeing or talking to her again. It had been like losing my best friend, a metaphor that Jones was not happy about when I had tried to talk to him about the situation.It didn't matter that we were in public. I just wanted to march through the crowd that separated us, throw her back up against the wall, and kiss her until the only thing she could think or say was my name.After looking for her for almost two weeks, I needed nothing more than to get her to talk to me. To get her to agree to be mine and to make sure that everyone else knew it.I had tried to talk to Tyler about her but eve
The air was thick, even for being outside, and I was acutely aware of the dark green eyes watching me from the second floor. As soon as he looked my way, I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. He had my complete attention and didn't even know it.The arm around my shoulder was hot and uncomfortable as he pulled me up against his side. Chloe gave me a discrete thumbs up from down by her hip, and I rolled my eyes as I laughed at her obvious intoxication. Clearly, she needed some liquid courage to have that specific conversation.Ryan stood behind her with his chin on the top of her head as he held onto her lovingly, not wanting to let her go. She leaned back into his embrace but looked stiff and uncomfortable."What do you say we give them an out so they can go be alone and we go get another drink?" Justin whispered in my ear. His warm breath tickled my neck as he spoke. He had been nice so far and surprisingly very funny, but his touch sent a bad feeling in
I turned the idea over in my head for the millionth time in the past two months since we first met. Then, Diana came to the forefront of my mind again. I could deal with everyone hating me for keeping the school's golden couple apart. I could even deal with people talking shit about me but, she was an absolute deal-breaker."What about Diana?" The bitterness in my voice shocked even me, and I silently cursed the few drinks I had downed for lowering my vocal and emotional control.With a bright smile and a shy rub at the back of his neck, I heard him loud and clear over the busy room. "I told her to fuck off and leave me alone. I told her that I was with you now, and I didn't want anything to do with her ever again.""Was this before or after you spent Thanksgiving break with her and, according to her, told her all about me?" Not the most civil way I could have put it, but I could still feel the anger and heartbreak pumping through my blood mixed with th
One and a Half Years LaterI leaned my head against his chest as his warm arms wrapped around me. It felt different.He felt different.Training camp was both good for him and hard on him. His body had new aches and pains, but everything about him was bigger and more defined than before. He moved faster, his footwork was impeccable, and everyone was impressed by him.I kept myself busy with my summer job waitressing, trying not to obsess over when he was going to call me or if he would even be able to each day. Yet, he never let me down. If he couldn't call me, he would text me instead. Since my phone was glued to my hand like a preteen waiting to hear from her first crush, he always got an instant reply.Yet, the feeling of being in his arm again made it all worth it. 48 days apart was just the start. Now we had my entire senior year to survive.The back hatch of my Father's now empty SUV loudly slammed shut next t
It didn't take long for Teresa to realize that I was not going to let her walk over me.To be honest, she wasn't that bad as a roommate, but that was mainly because she was never in the room. When she was, she was asleep in her bed and stayed out of my way.Not that she was happy about it. She threw a fit when I made her move my stuff back to where she found it and explained to her, like an adult talking to a toddler, that she couldn't take my bed just because she wanted it.I was there first. I had dibs."Please, tell me that you have your ticket booked." Caleb's voice was distorted through my headphones as I sat in the quad under one of the trees lining the area. The same tree where we had sat together almost two years ago as we agreed to be friends. Even with his face pink and his hair wet from his after-practice shower, I couldn't help but think to myself that he was still the sexiest thing I had ever seen.And he is mine.
It didn't take us long to get to the Alpha Kappa house, where I sat at his desk eating the burger and fries I had him order me in exchange for my help on his homework, watching ESPN on his TV. Tyler lay stretched out across his bed, staring at his laptop with relief as he submitted the assignment.As of last year, he was officially an upperclassman and was given the option to have an individual room instead of having to share. My jealousy oozed out of every pore when I showed up at his room after finding out that I was stuck with Teresa. It was the only time in my life that I regretted not joining a Sorority. Even then, that terrible thought only lasted for a second. They are way too social for me.The TV had just been background noise while we worked, but it quickly caught my attention as I grabbed a fry and stuffed it in my mouth."You would not believe the talent this kid has. He is definitely going to make a name for himself. 23-year-old Caleb Briggs, pi