Hating the Player (Campus Wallflowers #2)

by Rebecca Jenshak

She lifts her chin defiantly. Her first words make me suck in a breath. “I lost my virginity to a jerk who pretended to be super into me.” I swallow the acid burning my throat. “A week later I found him in bed with my roommate.” Every word is a physical blow. “And finally, the same jerk crashed my weekend camping trip with friends while continuing to hook up with every girl that crosses his path.”

“This is just a temporary truce,” she says as she nuzzles into me. 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.”

He nods and falls into step next to me. “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.”

“If you don’t think you can spend any more time with me, without wanting to tear all my clothes off, then I’ll completely understand.” His words take me by surprise, but then he grins playfully, and it finally breaks the weird tension between us.

Chances like this don’t come around a second time. The worst thing in life is to sit around asking yourself what if.”