Hating the Player (Campus Wallflowers #2)

by Rebecca Jenshak

Being around Violet brings out some primal, barbaric side of me. I want her, but since I can’t have her, I end up acting like a giant asshole.

I knew Violet was going to be here. She’s most of the reason I canceled my date and tagged along with Jenkins and Taylor. I thought maybe it would be an opportunity for us to hang out and bury the hatchet, so to speak.

“I never meant to hurt you, Violet.

My brain might know this is temporary, but my heart is punching to get out of my chest. It’s belonged to her since the first time I met her.

“Contrary to what you think, Vi, I care about you. If I thought you needed something, I’d do a lot more than kick down a door to get to you.”

“I like you, Violet. I’ve always liked you.”

“I fucked up. I know I did and I’m not making any excuses. I’m sorry. So fucking sorry. I’d given up any chance of us working past what I did, but these past twenty-four hours, I felt a connection with you again. You can’t tell me you don’t feel this.” He motions between us.

Blair gives me a sympathetic smile as she dips her shoulder to lean against coach. My chest tightens as I watch them. They have this ease between them, playful and loving. They say hindsight is 20/20, and I think that must be true because when I see them together, it makes two things in my life crystal clear. Number one, my parents never had that. Or at least not as far back as I can remember. Number two, I want that. And I can only picture it with one person.

She’s here out of obligation and misconstrued guilt, which pisses me off for some reason. Maybe because I want to be her friend. Nah, fuck that. Not her friend. I want to be her everything.

And after a year of wishing for a second chance, I finally have a date with Violet.

“Too late to take you up on your offer of getting drunk and naked?” My mouth falls open as I suck in a surprised breath. “You heard me?” “It took a couple of minutes for it to register, or I would have immediately agreed.” He holds the door open for me, and something in his playful smile and dark brown eyes holds me captive as he says, “I always hear you, Violet.”

Violet is a freaking ten any day of the week, but tonight, in that blue dress with her hair wavy and those shoes… damn those shoes, she steals the air from my lungs.

I lean down and brush my lips over hers. For the briefest of moments, she kisses me back.

“I am truly sorry for what I did to you. You didn’t deserve that. No one does, but especially you. You’re incredible.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “I regret it every second of every day.”

“Kiss me.” My head snaps up. “What?” “Kiss me again.” My mouth opens to ask a whole bunch of questions, but I turn off my brain. When a hot girl asks you to kiss her, you fucking kiss her and you kiss her good.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” I pull back, meet his molten gaze, and lift my arms above my head.