“What is your problem?” she hisses, shoving her phone into her pocket. “You have no right.”
Heidi smirks at Charlotte and then gives me a wink before she leaves. The classroom hasn’t even emptied out, but I don’t care. I blow up like a fucking bomb.
“My problem? Seriously, English? We fuck and it’s something goddamn special, but then you’re sexting with some punk-ass bitch?”
Joey sniggers but cowers when I glower at him. He scurries out of the room, the last to leave.
“Fuck you, Cal,” she snaps. “Don’t ever treat me like that again.”
“I want to know who the fuck—”
“He’s my friend from rehab. Gay, Cal. Back the fuck off.”
I deflate at her words. “Didn’t sound gay.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” She jerks back her hand when I reach for it. “We had something special. You and me. Apparently you think so little of me that I’d throw it all away just like that.” She snaps her fingers. “Call me later when you’re done being an asshole.”
Rather than yanking her to me to give her an apologetic kiss, I watch her leave.
Fuck, I’m an idiot.
I feel like a creeper, watching her from the doorway of the gym, but I don’t care. I’m not leaving this school until I’ve talked to her. Which now, because she’s at cheer practice, I have to wait.
Heidi is the first to spy me. She goes from working hard, to shaking her ass like she’s flirting from afar. Charlotte frowns in confusion until she follows her stare to me.
“Can we focus?” Coach Jenner barks out.
Charlotte seems to ground herself with a deep breath and then puts everything she has into practice. In just a black sports bra and tiny-ass black shorts, she’s hot as fuck. All her sexy curves are on display. I step inside the gym and make my way over to the bleachers to take a seat on the bottom row, right in front of where she’s practicing.
Jenner runs them through a couple of practice cheers. Charlotte seems smaller than Heidi, so it surprises me that they push Heidi to the top of the pyramid while Charlotte stands nearby.
“Now, English!” Jenner yells. “Standing back full twist!”
I watch, in awe, as Charlotte essentially does a back flip from a standing position while adding in a twist halfway through. She’s flawless.
“Excellent,” Jenner praises. “And then, I want to see a back tuck punch front.”
Charlotte readies herself and then does the impossible. She does a back flip, lands on her feet, bounces, and then a front flip. For having a year off from cheerleading, she certainly still has it.
The girls in the pyramid toss Heidi around, which is also impressive, but I’m fixated on Charlotte. Her face glistens with a light sheen of sweat and she breathes heavily, making her breasts bounce with the movement.
They start a cheer and Charlotte can be heard over everyone. Her smile is the perkiest and her movements are the tightest. I don’t know much about this sport, but I’m smart enough to know she’s the best one on her team. Her fake smile falters when she glances back at the gym door.
I follow her stare.
Fucking Wes.
He’s grinning at her like they’re a fucking item and even waves. I’m already rising to my feet to go beat his ass when he notices me. The perv flees.
“Cal,” Charlotte calls out, trotting over to me. “Don’t. Just sit. Please stay with me.”
I relax and give her a nod. I’m tense as fuck, but I remain sitting for the duration of practice. Once Jenner calls practice over, Charlotte grabs her bag and plops down next to me.
Her sweet, sweaty scent makes me want to strip her down and lick every inch of her.
“You looked good out there,” I praise, running my fingertips down her sweaty spine.
“Thanks.” She pulls her water bottle from her bag and guzzles it. “Why are you here?”
“I fucked up, okay?” I grumble. “I’m sorry.”
She searches my eyes, frowning. Several girls whisper and Heidi shoots Charlotte a venomous look, but they eventually clear out, leaving us alone.
“What are we?” Charlotte asks, blue eyes shining with emotion.
I grab her hips, hauling her into my lap so she’s straddling me. “What do you want us to be?”
“Something real. Legitimate. If you think we’re just fucking—”
“We’re not just fucking,” I growl, cutting her off. “We’re so much more than that. We’re whatever you call it when a beautiful, maddening girl carves a hole inside you and decides to live there. That’s what we are. You’re a parasite on my soul.”
“Wow,” she says, her blond brow arched high. “You should consider writing romance novels if this whole teacher gig falls through. Instant bestseller with those sweet words.”
I smack her ass. “Don’t be a brat.”
Her fingers thread into my hair and she leans forward to kiss me. I figure this must be her accepting my apology. Her taste is salty and addictive. I’m considering peeling off her tiny shorts so I can lick her sweaty cunt when her phone buzzes in her bag.
“Just a friend,” she reminds me in a sassy tone.
I roll my eyes. “As long as your friend knows you’re my fucking girl, we’re good.”
Her smile is sweet until she reads her text. The sharp suck of breath and instant paling of her flushed cheeks tells me whatever it is, isn’t good. I grip her wrist, angling the phone toward me, so I can peek at the message.
Unknown Number: I have thirty more burner phones all with your number programmed in. You can be a bitch all you want, but I’ll still find a way to reach you.
“What the fuck?” I bark out, making her jump.
“It’s just Ryan being his usual self.” She sighs, scowling at her phone.
Unknown Number: Grayson says you’re in the gym right now with that asshole.
Oh. Fuck. No.
I lift Charlotte off my lap, exploding with rage, and run to the gym door that leads outside. As soon as I burst through the doors, two
