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I nearly smile at that. “He deserved it.”
“I know we don’t like the guy, but he’s a part of the team. You can’t be pulling shit like that.”
“It won’t happen again,” I reassure him, despite not knowing if I truly can uphold my promise if he so much as looks at Camille the wrong way.
“Tell me the real reason why,” he presses.
I’ve known Noah long enough to know he won’t quit until he gets an answer.
“Did you hear the way he was talking about her? He needs to be taught some manners.”
I leave out the fact that the image of his hands on her was like a punch to the gut. I had no goddamn right to be jealous, but I couldn’t help how I felt around her. I didn’t even like her and thought her bubbly personality was annoying.
Or so I tried convincing myself of.
“I like the protective macho male thing you got going on. It’s a nice change from the scowl asshole thing you usually carry around,” Noah chides.
“My scowl is still very much here.” I scowl at him to prove my point.
“And the asshole is too.” He laughs and switches spots with me on the bench.
A small smile escapes me at that, but he has his back to me so he can’t see. After he’s done lifting, he hits me with another question. “Do you like her?” he asks, sitting up.
“Like who?” I ask, knowing exactly who he’s referring to.
“Camille.”
“I don’t know her, so no, I don’t.”
“But you’re attracted to her?” he says, finally turning to face me. “No bullshit.”
I curse inwardly at the use of the no bullshit rule. It’s something I started saying to the people who were close to me when I needed to confide in them. No bullshit, just the truth.
“I am, and it pisses me off.”
“Why?” He scrunches his face at me in confusion.
“Because number one, I should be nowhere near a girl like that. Two, I have to focus on the draft, and three, love is bullshit.”
“I didn’t say you needed to date her…You could just get it out of your system. Besides, you may be an asshole at times, but you’re a good person, Ryker. You deserve good things, especially a good girl like that,” Noah says, sounding very much like a captain giving me a pep talk I don’t need.
“Forget it,” I mutter. “And keep that shit between us. Got it?”
“Got you.” He slaps my back as we exit the weight room.
Hours later, I find myself restless while I try to finish an assignment for one of my art classes. So I decide to head to the gym for a cardio session instead. But it looks like I won’t be able to work out my restlessness anytime soon because of who I see in the corner of the gym as soon as I’m inside.
Her.
Chapter Six
Camille
After my night class dragged on tonight and the conversation I just had with Quentin right before it, I find myself needing a late-night session with a bag.
He called me to inform me of an update with his private investigator. It seems my parents have begun their search for me again, but he didn’t get more details. I don’t know why being found scares me so much. It’s not like they could physically force me back home. It’s the hold they have on me that is worrisome. If they spiel some sob story, I don’t know that I won’t crack and give in, moving back home.
Avoiding who I was born to be for the past four years has been blissful and I’m not ready to give that up.
