Offside (Pro-U Book 2) (3 page)

Chapter 2

Jacob

"What kind of food do we need to get together for tonight?" One of the freshman frat brothers turned from the kitchen table as I walked in and peppered me with the first of many questions.

"The list is on the clipboard in the cabinet above the sink. I already told you assholes that. Get it and stop asking stupid questions, or you'll play beer bitch for us tonight." I barked out my response and walked to the back door to check on last minute prep.

The end of the year party at Omega was always a big fucking deal, and as the president of the frat for the last year, the success or failure of the night depended on me.

"How's it going, boss?" Micah Sanders moved up in front of me and gave me a crooked smile. Outside of Lucas White, he was my only close guy friend. Jayce Moore was all right, but the guy was a little too goodie-goodie for my liking, not that Micah was much better.

"It's going." I turned and pointed toward the trees where the kiddie swimming pools were being set up. "Tell them to put a cooler of beer over there for the wet bikini contest, and did we get some prizes for our winners?"

"I thought the prize was to sleep with you." He chuckled and popped me in the gut as I started to walk away.

"If you weren't built like a mac-truck, I'd fuck you up good." I winked and walked toward the group of frat guys trying to get the water hose to work. "Hey. There's a kink in it, genius."

I picked it up and flipped it around, unloosing it and soaking half the idiots as they glanced up to pay attention to me instead of the hose on the ground.

"You did that shit on purpose." Darren Smith, a big freshman with more brawn than brains turned and took an aggressive step toward me. He was still pissy over not making the soccer team last fall, but that was his own damn fault. He was linebacker material and ran like a two-ton shed barreling down the field. It wasn't happening - ever. He was from Texas and liked biscuits and gravy a little too much.

"Fuck you, Smith." I picked up the hose and handed it off to another one of the guys. "Go gather everyone up so I can lay down the rules one time today. If anyone breaks them... you're out of the house for a month."

"And where exactly would you expect us to live?" Smith again. Always fucking Smith.

"In your momma’s car, Smith. I don't give three shits where you stay. Listen to the rules and keep up. You fuck up, and you're out. Period." I turned as Micah sauntered up. "You remembered to invite the Ice House? You always seem to leave them out."

He nodded. "Yeah. Those fuckers always bring drugs. That's why I leave them out."

"It's just pot. Stop being a pussy." I walked around him and moved to the middle of the yard as the rest of the frat walked down the back stairs. "Gather up, bitches. Party starts in forty-five minutes."

Everyone moved toward me with a gleam in their eye that lit a fire deep inside of me. I loved Omega’s end of the year party. It was one of the best nights of the year, but remembering more than the beginning of it was always a feat in itself. The beer flowed freely and the girls were nasty as shit. It was bliss.

"Three rules. You know these if you've been in the house for more than a day, but let's repeat them for the idiots who can't remember their last name, much less the house rules. Anyone wanna tell me numero uno?" I glanced around as several hands shot up.

"Don't bareback a pussy," one of the guys yelled from the back.

"Exactly. I'm sure all of you have heard about the situation over at the Ice House. Our buddy Geoff decided that sleeping with one of the hookers that hang around their place was far too important and decided to dance in the rain without his rain coat. Anyone know what happened?"

"Bitch got pregnant."

"Exactly." I tilted my head to the side. "Anyone here wanna raise kids while trying to make it through classes and hold down a job at the local grocery store? You guys ready to provide for a bitchy wife and a snotty-nose kid?" I was overdoing it, but it was college... why the hell not.

"No!" they all yelled in tandem.

"For the record, he was wearing a rubber and it tore, so how about you just not fuck anyone until you're in a long-term, committed relationship?" Micah glanced around as the crowd fell silent.

"Moving on." I rolled my eyes and lifted two fingers in the air. "Rule number two. Who knows it?"

"Don't toke if you're on a team."

"Exactly. There will be weed and probably several other low-class drugs running around the crowd tonight. Be smart. You get popped for being stupid, your scholarship and your dreams of grandeur are going to go up in flames. Don't be an idiot. Drink and fuck, but leave the smoking and toking to the losers without purpose. Yes?"

"Yeah!" they all yelled, though half of them were said losers.

"Last rule?" I glanced around with a smile on my face.

"You break it, you buy it, you bake it, you take it."

"Righto again. You guys are fucking geniuses." I winked as they chuckled. "If you fuck something up in the house, we'll all bring you out here tomorrow morning when you feel like hammered shit, and we'll beat your ass until you can't walk. Then you'll pay for whatever you destroyed, because we like our stuff. In that same vein, if you bring a bitch into my house tonight and she gets sick or sluts herself out, she's still your responsibility. Clean up the mess she makes and take her ass out. No one left by nine tomorrow morning. Got it?"

Mumbling. Everyone hated the last rule the most. Who wanted to take responsibility for a series of mistakes made in a drunken haze? Not me. Certainly not them.

"Good. Get busy and make this place look amazing. String the rest of the lights and get everything iced down. We go live in thirty minutes." I waved my hands in the air. "Get the fuck to it. Shit."

"I'm not sure how we ever did it without you, boss." Micah walked up beside me and patted my back. "You're just so lively."

I rolled my eyes at his teasing. "Help me watch out for the younger guys tonight. You know how stupid everyone gets at the event."

"Yeah, I'll just have a beer or two. I'll be the designated driver tonight for anyone too shit faced to leave."

"Good. Take keys, and don't let anyone start that swingers shit they tried last year. You remember what a nightmare that was?" I snorted, trying not to think about it.

"Yeah. Cops, blood and a strict warning to shut us down. Why would anyone think that a few beers would change the rules of relationships? I'd never let a girl I was dating touch another man. People are fucking stupid." Micah bent down and grabbed a cold beer out of a cooler, tossing it to me before getting his own.

I popped the top and drank half of it down in a few gulps. "It's the Kappa Alpha assholes. They share everything, including women."

"God, that's nasty." Micah's face distorted in disgust. "I would ask if you could imagine it, but you've probably done it."

I shrugged. "There isn't much I haven't tried."

"Save it for someone who wants to like you less. I'm as low on that pole as I can go."

"Fuck off." I smiled. "Hey, did you invite Brody and his guys?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why you want him here. He's a bigger asshole than you are."

"I don't want
him
here. I wanna eye-fuck his pretty girlfriend from across the room." I licked my lips at the thought of seeing Emily Campbell. My cock stirred in my jeans just letting her name brush across my mind. She was the finest fucking cheerleader in all of Providence and should have been mine. Brody being quarterback of the football team had some odd advantage over me. He was as big of a whore as I was, and yet had the best looking girl on campus.

"Come on, man. You know Emily is a good friend of mine."

"Yeah, and I wish you would hook a brother up. What's wrong with you anyway?" I turned as some of the waitresses from Mersky's walked down the stairs and called my name.

"That's what's wrong with me. Emily is a great girl with a good heart."

"And huge tits." I glanced over at him and wagged my eyebrows. "Let's not forget all of her assets."

"Fuck," he mumbled and popped me in the chest. "You're on your own with her. She's too much woman for you or that cock she's dating."

"Yeah, I hate that guy," I called after him as the girls moved to stand around me. "Hi ladies. You ready to help us make this party a hit?"

"Anything for you, Jacob."

Lacy, Margaret and Casey. My favorite trio.

"You're so sweet. Walk around and see what the guys need help with." I reached out and popped their asses as they walked by looking like something I'd like to sink myself into later that night.

The back door opened, and Smith waved, catching my attention. "Your dad's on the phone."

"All right. I'm coming." I jogged toward the house as Casey turned and smiled.

"Not yet you're not, but you will be later tonight."

"Promises, promises, sweet girl." I licked my lips and let my eyes drag down the back of her. Where being promiscuous my freshman and sophomore year gained me more than enough attention to last a lifetime, it was getting old. I wanted something else out of my senior year, but I couldn't figure out what just yet. A committed relationship sounded like hell, but sleeping around with a million women for the next year didn't seem much better.

"Dad?" I put the phone to my ear and nodded at Darren to thank him.

"Hey buddy. How are the party plans coming?"

"They're great. We're about to kick things off. You okay?" Worry raced through me as I walked to the kitchen and leaned against the stove, cupping my hand around my ear to hear him better over the noise.

"Oh yeah. I got a letter in the mail for you this morning. One I think you've been waiting on."

Excitement burned through me. "From PDL?"

He chuckled. "It says Premier Development League, FC Boston on the front."

"Yes. Fuck yes!" I turned in a circle and thrusted my hips, dancing like a fool. "Tear it open and make sure I made the team."

"No. You can come by and-"

"Dad. Shit. Tear it open. Don't make me wait."

He laughed again. "All right, buddy. Hold on."

I bit my lip and smiled as Micah moved up beside me and whispered, "You all right?"

"Yeah. I think I got-"

"Here it is. You got in, Jacob. I'm so proud of you. Come by and get the letter tomorrow and we'll talk about how we're going to pay for it."

"Yes! All right, Dad. See you soon." I dropped the call and lifted both hands into the air. "I got onto FC Boston's team for PDL this summer. I can't wait to start playing again."

"Congrats. Was there any doubt that you would?" Micah hit my hands and gave me a smirk. "You're captain of the Friars soccer team and won a medal in the Olympics. You're kidding, right?"

"I knew man, but it's still fun to get excited, right?"

He shook his head and lifted his beer. "To you, buddy. The best and worst guy I know."

"Amen." I hit my beer against his.

Chapter 3

Emily

The Omega House was packed from one side to the other with people drinking and laughing. I glanced around as Brody reached back and grabbed my hand tightly, pulling me through a large crowd on the front porch.

"Let's find Jacob and give homage before we get a beer."

"You know I don't drink," I mumbled and turned to watch some girl take a tube of beer and drink like a champ. My stomach contracted in disgust. What the fuck was I doing here? I hated drinking and how people acted when they were drunk.

He pulled me roughly into the kitchen and moved to stand behind me as we stopped in front of Jacob Wright, the king of all man-whores on campus.

"Brody. My buddy. What's up?" Jacob shouted loudly and wagged his tongue as he and Brody shared a laugh. I had no clue why anyone would sleep with him. He was beyond hot, but everyone knew that he'd tapped just about every girl at Pro-U. The only ones he seemed to steer away from were the taken ones, which was the only good thing anyone could say about him.

"Just hanging with my girl and we decided to come check out your shit." Brody pressed his hand to my stomach, locking me to him as he reached around me with his free hand and gave Jacob a high-five.

Jacob turned his light blue eyes onto me, as if just realizing I was standing there. His light brown hair was a little long on top, and his five o'clock shadow made him look like he didn't give a fuck in the world what anyone thought, which he didn't. Why should he? He was a whore.

"Emily. I'm Jacob. Not sure we've met." He extended his hand toward me as a sexy smile pulled at his lips.

"We haven't for a reason." I moved out from between them and weaseled my way into the living room in hopes of finding one person that I could talk to for the rest of the night. "One night. One damn night."

I stopped by the back door and took a deep breath as I let my eyes run across the hordes of people spilling out onto the lawn.

"I take it Brody doesn't know about us?" Jacob stopped behind me and smiled as I glanced over my shoulder.

"There's nothing to know. I was young and dumb, and you kept refilling my cup." I pushed the screen door and walked down the stairs as heat danced in the center of my stomach. Where Brody was pretty good in bed, Jacob Wright was fucking amazing.

One night. I rolled my eyes and stopped at the bottom of the stairs to glance around again.

"I'm not sure why you're so pissy after three years, Emily. It's not like I forced myself on you." He moved up to stand beside me and took a long drink from his red solo cup. "If I recall, you were the one that came up to me."

"I was drunk. It was the only time in my adult life I've been drunk, and I'll never do it again."

"Drink or hit on me?" His smile was contagious, and I hated myself for wanting to unlock some of the pent-up feelings I had from my freshman year. I'd learned a lot since then, namely that Jacob was a whore and would sleep with a stump if it had tits.

"Both. Neither. However you say it." I turned back toward the crowd.

"Well, if it's any consolation..." He leaned closer, pressing his thick chest against my arm, his mouth just beside my ear. "You’re the best I've ever had. So soft and sweet. Almost like making love."

I turned and the tip of my nose brushed by his. "Fuck you, Jacob."

"Anytime you wanna fuck me. All you gotta do is ask."

"Not in a million years." I turned and walked away, trying to ignore the way my heart raced in my chest.

"But you want to. You're just denying yourself which is so stupid. Isn't it guys?" His voice rose as half the people in the yard turned to cheer for him.

Bile rose in my throat and I turned to walk back toward campus. It was too far of a walk, and leaving Brody would just have me answering to him the next day. I stopped by an old oak tree and pulled out my phone before leaning against it.

"Emily? Yeah, it's her. Come on guys."

I turned to see four of the cheerleaders from the squad walk toward me. Where I didn't feel like I belonged in the middle of them, I'd come to fake it as best I could.

"Hey girls." I plastered a fake smile on my face and reached up to run my fingers through my hair.

"Were you just talking with Jacob Wright?" Nancy Bullock glanced over her shoulder and turned back with a shit-eating grin on her pretty face. Her black hair was bobbed and her brown eyes filled with far too much excitement.

"He was just looking for who he was going to use as a blanket tonight. I told him to fuck off, and you should too." I reached out and brushed something off her blouse.

"Agreed. He's put that stirring straw he has in his pants in just about everyone's cup of coffee." Jasmine Lee gave me a tight smile and shook her head. "And to think I almost dated him."

"We all have
almost
dated Jacob Wright." Nancy crossed her arms over her chest and turned her attention back to me. "Where's Brody? You know leaving him alone during the full moon is a horrible idea. Not only does he turn into an animal, but every girl in this place is looking for you to get hit by a bus."

I snorted. "This is true. I'll go find him in a few minutes. I needed to breathe fresh air."

"It does smell like pot in there, doesn't it?" Jasmine moved back and Sharon and Daniella moved into the circle with us.

"Pot, sex, cologne." Sharon wagged her eyebrows. "It's definitely an Omega party."

I reached out and gripped Jasmine's hand. "You excited about graduation?"

She let out a soft sigh and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm scared to start life beyond college, but at least I have a job in my dad's firm. I heard a lot of the people we're graduating with don't have anything set up yet."

"Yet? Graduation is next week," Nancy spoke up.

"Speaking of me graduating," Jasmine squeezed my hand and released it, "have you thought about trying out for cheer captain? You know Coach Rhodes is expecting to see your name on that short list."

"I know. I'm going to do it. I have nothing else to do with my time, and it would seem like a waste not to push myself a little." I glanced up toward the house to see Jacob laughing with a few girls.

"Hey. You guys scatter. I wanna talk with Emily for a minute." Jasmine waved her hands around and the other girls groaned and walked off.

"What's up?" If I was close to any of the girls on the squad, which I wasn't, it was Jasmine. She was the most reasonable and level-headed of all of them.

"I just wanted to give you a heads-up on a couple of things."

"All right. Go for it." I turned my attention back to her as butterflies danced around my stomach. Fucking Jacob Wright and his perfect body and great smile. He was just like the guys I hated in high school. Hot, greedy and everybody's best friend.

"Coach is allowing a few other girls to try out from some of the surrounding schools."

"What? Why?" Ice water ran down my veins. I'd killed myself on the cheer squad for three years and been a solid example for everyone below me. I deserved the captain position without a tryout.

"Because of some politics bullshit she's having to deal with. You'll hear more about it as you go through your senior year, I'm sure, especially if you get the captain position. She pulled me in close this last year, and for the first time in a few years, I didn't hate her completely." Jasmine chuckled, and I smiled to be polite.

"So nothing against me being a shitty cheerleader and her needing to have a few more girls to choose from?" I hated to show any type of weakness, but Jaz would be gone soon anyway.

"No. Not at all." She reached out and gripped the top of my shoulder. "The other thing is that Brody hit on me at Mersky's last week. I didn't wanna say anything, but my roommate mentioned him flirting with her in their marketing class all year too when I brought it up. I know it seems catty, but you're too good of a person to be hanging out with that asshole. Find someone better for you. Seriously."

I was grateful that she walked off after delivering her news. Embarrassment raced through me in deafening waves, but indecision silenced my thoughts. Brody was a flirt. What was the big deal? Had he been making out with one of them, or slept with one of them, then I would have reacted, but flirting?

"We all flirt." I turned and walked back toward the house, ready to find him and get out of there. He would be pissy about having to leave, but I'd offer him a blow job on the way home, which would more than please him.

Jacob moved to the side as I walked up the stairs, and didn't say a word. I was impressed and a little disappointed, but there was no way in hell I would ever show it. He was a one-night mistake that would forever live in my past where he belonged. Scary enough, it was a night I brought up a bit too often when having sex with my boyfriend. It was all I needed to push me over the edge.

"He's over there. Looking like the ass he is." Micah Sanders stopped beside me and shook his head. "Why are you dating him again?"

I smiled and slid my hand around the back of his waist as he wrapped a strong arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a warm side-hug.

"Because I'm a helpless romantic."

"This isn't beauty and the beast, though it sure as hell feels like it." He pressed his cheek to my head and squeezed one more time before releasing me. Micah and I had ended up in at least two classes per semester together since freshman year. He was my
only
guy friend.

"He's not that bad." I poked him in the side. "At least he's better than Jacob."

"Is that a joke?" He gave me a silly look. His dark green eyes were filled with a warmth I didn't see too often.

I reached up and rustled his mop of brown hair. "You need to cut this before basketball season starts. It'll get sweaty and you won't see a thing coming your way."

"I could see Tasha coming from a mile off." He lifted his beer to his lips and glanced around. "She here?"

"No. I couldn't drag her with me." I smiled and glanced down to the floor as sadness rushed in and stole the warmth of the moment. Brody had three girls dancing up against him like he was a god. He motioned for me to join him and I shook my head, unsure of what else to do.

How much of an idiot did I look like to everyone standing around me?