"Party tonight Karsen." Is the first thing that rings in my ear as soon as im about to get out the locker room.

I raise a brow in the direction of the voice, tapping my ear repeatedly with the palm of my hand because im pretty sure i'd got hit so hard that I potentially had damaged my ear drum.

"Before game night?" I ask Torin almost warily and he nods like it was the best decision he'd ever made, which in my opinion, it was not, "If we don't win we still have this."

Being drunk isn't the best thing for anyone right now.

"Don't say shit like that." Someone hollers from the other side of the locker room but in this case I actually do agree with them.

If everyone kept thinking we weren't ready for tomorrow we might as well give up now because we'd lose that way, everyone had to be in the right head space, and thinking we were gonna lose to one of the best college football teams in the world is not the right head space before a game.

I shake my head, getting my shirt off, "Can't make it, I have to meet with Addy." We'd gotten through so much moulding last night that we didn't want to stop our streak, and tonight we were gonna paint and I didn't want her to do it alone. Even though she probably would prefer too.

But I didn't want her to be alone, or maybe I didn't want to be alone, I wanted to be with her, especially right now before a game because i'd get anxious but she made everything better.

Plus, its a fucking Wednesday. I was not gonna get drunk and hungover before tomorrow and truthfully, I don't think they should have done shit like that either, but who am I tell them what to do or what not to?

You're their captain Karsen. A part of my brain reminds me but I ignore it. I may be their captain but they're their own people, they make their own decisions.

"You're seriously knocking us off for some pussy?"

The room falls silent.

At first, I swear I thought i'd heard wrong.

But because of how quiet it had gotten, I knew I didn't.

Apparently. It had significantly quieted down in the locker room and when I looked to Keath, he just continued with lacing his shoes.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

He looked over at me and shrugged his shoulders, "We all saw that girl yesterday, theres no way you're not banging her Krist."

I blinked.

I didn't speak, or reply, or do anything's stupid till-

"She's fucking hot."

Oh fuck it.

I didn't mean to pull my fist back and punch him in the fucking face, but when I did, I had some fucked up sense of satisfaction.

As soon as I did the silence broke and thats when shit went sideways.

He hit back, definitely bruising my cheek before he pushed me back and I did to causing him fall over, the guys pulled us apart before it got any worse and even though right now I really wanted to hurt him for the shit he said, I also didn't want to lose tomorrow because this asshole was injured.

"What the fuck man!" I watch as he spits on the floor, his nose is bleeding like a freaking open tap and it makes me grimace tugging my arms out their hold before I speak, "Talk shit about my girl again and i'll really fuck you up."

"Your girl?"

"Yeah my fucking girl asshole,one word about her and i'll get you sidelined for the rest of the fucking year." Which meant he wouldn't be drafted, which I knew he wanted.

I move back and wipe my face with the hem of my shirt, feeling the bruising over my fucking cheek as I grabbed my bag and walked out the locker room, ignoring both Matt and Chance who try to talk to me as I slam the doors shut behind me.

I was still more than pissed walking over the field, hoping no one would try to approach me because I didn't want to talk right now.

I just wanted Adrienne.

But suddenly Cherry popped up in front of me and gasped, grabbing my cheeks and holding my face between her hands, not caring that she just touched the same place it stung, and it honestly hurt like a bitch.

I almost flinched as she eyed it, her face so damn close to mine that I took a step back, eyeing her as she eyes me, "You look-"

"Yeah, yeah Cherry I know."

I look behind her to see Summer and Adrienne by the bleachers, but only Summer gets up and starts walking over to me, Addy was eyeing between Cherry and I from the distance, she looks confused but she doesn't stand up.

I pulled away from Cherry, moving her hands away from my face too, hoping Addy wasn't getting anymore wrong impressions.

Fuck.

Every time, every fucking time, she probably thinks im a campus dildo for all the cheerleaders when in reality all I fucking wanted was her, but it was hard to show her that when I knew there was a possibility she didn't want me back.

I just needed a sign, anything, I needed to know if she wanted me the way I wanted her and I knew she'd never just admit how she feels on a random day.

So what do I do?

"What happened to your face?" Summer asks, sounding more genuine than Cherry ever actually could which makes me wonder if i'd been blind when we were together. The truth began to come to light now, Cherry wanted me for two things, one was popularity and two was sex.

"Ask Chance." I tell her as I move around them and make my way to the girl who was sitting cross legged on the bleachers, her legs covered by a jean and she worse a black t-shirt and denim overalls, her hair in loose curls down her shoulders and she looked so damn cute today with her red lipstick and confused furrow of her brows.

All I wanted was to get lost in her.

I wondered if she was acting like she didn't care, even though she could see I was hurt, or if she was seriously unbothered by it.

I tug at her hand and when she gets up without any snark, slipping her hand into mine, I knew she was worried. She just didn't want to draw attention to herself by checking on me, maybe she still cared.

As soon as we're in the parking lot and away from anyones sights, she's in front of me, her hands are on my jaw and shes inspecting my skin and I feel even better with her staring at the bruise.

"What the fuck Krist?" She asks, pushing on my chest and I almost lean down and kiss her senseless because she looks so pretty when she's angry at me.

I blink, "What?"

"Your cheekbone is bruised and you have blood on your cheek." She points out, wiping the light blood from the scratch of the bruised part.

"I play football."

"You were punched in the fucking face Karsen, Im not an idiot." She hisses knowingly before her eyes soften as she massages at my jaw, the action drives me insane, wondering how it would feel to have her kissing me when she does that.

"You could've hurt yourself."

"Why do you care?" I ask her, letting the words slip out and she looks to my eyes, raising a brow, "Because we're friends."

Ew.

Fucking friends.

She'd be disgusted if she knew how badly I wanted to get her out her clothes and kiss her till I can't think about anything else, only her. I didn't need the cigarettes if I had her, a new addiction i'd never want to get rid of.

I wanted to kiss her.

Taste her.

Please her.

Honestly, I knew what I wanted to do, especially right now when she was looking at me like she wanted to hold me, then slap me and maybe hug me too.

Damnit, I wanted to fuck her, badly.

I want her.

Over.

And over.

And over.

And over aga-

"Karsen?"

I blink, shaking my head of the thought of her body against mine, our mouths attached, bodies together, sweaty and her sweets moans.

I hated that I just knew she'd fit so damn well beneath me, that I could be so damn good to her.

Please don't get hard. Please don't get hard. Please don't get had.

I clear my throat, "Yeah- yeah sorry."

She eyes me before she shakes her head, "I can help you clean this up but if you do this shit again, i'll punch you next."

She's perfect.

I smile at her, leaning down closer to her, her hands still on my jaw and I swear her eyes drop to my lips for a second, which makes me want to close that space between us.

Why would she look at my lips?

"Do it."

Kiss me.

Please. I want it so bad, but I don't know what she wants yet. I almost take her hand in man, and press it against my crotch where I could show her I wanted her the most.

"D- do what?" She asks, and her voice is soft, curious, her eyes meet mine and her eyes are like the sweetest honey and it makes me want to make a joke about how not at all sweet she is.

"Punch me, im giving you permission, but you have to kiss it better after."

She glares at that, but her lips twitch into an amused smirk like it always does when I flirt with her, cheeks briefly turning red.

But I knew my girl, was forcing herself not to feel anything.

Maybe she did like me.

A little.

"I'll never kiss you."

Shit. She might as well have punched me in the face by saying that.

"All in time Addy." Is all I say as I move back from her and she drops her hands to her sides, crossing it over her chest. "So how'd you get in a fight anyway?" She asks me, her gaze piercing into mine but I bet millions her heart isn't beating as fast as my own pathetic one is right now.

"Just adrenaline, he was talking shit because I didn't want to get drunk the night before the game." I roll my eyes more at my lie than at the actual situation at hand.

"You can go you know-"

"Hell no, Im like a sober version you when im hungover Adrienne." I joke as I round my car and she glares at me the entire way, "Whats that supposed to mean?"

I almost chuckle, "Oh nothing just you're an absolute angel sweetheart, now get your ass in my car."

She hesitated, probably because she hated me telling her what to do, but very reluctantly she ended up getting in my car, muttering something about how she will never get her ass anywhere ever again and I snorted at her stubbornness.

The drive to the my apartment wasn't really too long, or maybe that was my jitters telling me time was going fast. She has been to my place before yet for no reason at all, I was worried.

Fuck.

Fuck?

Fuck.

I use my card in pocket, scanning it to get into the underground parking and she hums as she looks out the window, "Still can't get over the building."

I nod but don't reply even it she can't see the nod.

I grab the water bottle that i'd left in here in the morning, my throat dry and I drank the dryness away before I parked in spot, not caring that the water was warm.

I just needed something to drink right now.

Breathe Karsen.

Was I really this nervous because of a woman? Only freaking Adrienne Eva Faye could do this to me.

When we got out the car she opened the back door and bended over to get in, getting out the other art stuff i'd taken last night but my lips part as my eyes accidentally stray to her ass in the overalls. It was tighter around her behind, looser after the curve of her ass.

Fuck.

I look away and close my eyes, silently praying to the man upstairs that I don't have a boner from that when she moves back and out the car, holding the smaller sculptures we needed to paint.

I adjust myself, closing the car door for her as I do.

"Does it still sting?" She asks in reference to my cheek, and I shrug, it stung like a bitch earlier, but over the time in the car I guess i'd gotten a little more used to it.

But it still hurt.

She nods and I take her bag off her shoulder, shrugging it over my other shoulder and she walks beside me, eyeing our newest work.

I don't say anything till we're out the lobby and elevator, finally being in my apartment, instead I revel in watching her eye everything, knowing her little artistic gaze is appreciating the buildings architectural design.

When we get to my floor and to my door she eyes the place.

"I noticed there only two doors here, why?"

"Two people per floor." I tell her and she blinks in surprise, "Seriously?"

I nod. "Some older couple lives next door, but the apartments are so big so you don't hear your neighbors." I tell her and she nods when I open the door and let her in first, watching as she eyes everything all over again, slow at first, from one side to the other.

I smile.

The most observant girl I know.

I close the door as she looks to the kitchen. "It is big yeah, but I like it, its nice."

My lips twitch at her usual vagueness. "Thank you."

"Wheres your first aid kit?" She asks me, cutting to the chase and I hold a finger up at her as I go to to the bathroom downstairs and get the kit under the sink, returning back to see her sitting on a chair, doing something on her phone, but I'm pretty sure she was just playing that pool game she liked so much.

When I walk around and get beside her I almost smirk seeing that she is doing exactly that.

I slide the firt aid kit to her on the counter and she looks to it as I sit on the barstool to her left, using the side handle to push it down so she could do it properly.

She gets off the chair and she gets between my legs and well- fuck.

I swear, i'd have blue balls by the time she left.

I fist my hands on my sides to keep myself from bringing my hands up to her waist, to stroke the silver of exposed skin on her stomach when her shirt lifts up and over her navel behind the overalls.

"I think the art project will actually be done by the date, thankfully." She says it like its a relief, like she hadn't expected it and I nearly scoff at the thought.

"We're a good team."

She looks down to me and away from the disinfectant wipes in hand, "Im a good soloist too."

She has an answer for everything. "Somethings you can't do alone." I tell her and she raises a brow before she brings the wipe to the top of my skin, wiping gently. "Like?"

My lips twitch, "Sex."

She scoffs and presses it down over the bruise more and my jaw clenched at the feeling, "Sex toys exists."

"Fine, but somethings are just better with two people, like sex."

"Theres no difference." She argues.

"A dildo won't kiss you when it fucks you."

I think her movements falter, and I swear I see her blush brighter than she has ever before, and she doesn't reply, wiping away at my skin and I wonder if she was thinking about the same thing I was.

We're alone, and she's between my legs, and I would quite literally die to have my head between her thighs instead.

She probably wasn't thinking about that. But she should. Because fuck, it would be heaven and I know for sure, everyone wants even the littlest tastes of heaven.

"Done." She says when she's done putting on the gauze over my cheekbone and she brings my hands into hers, and where she wipes her finger over it I feel a dull ache and realized i'd hurt my knuckles too when i'd punched him first.

"It's just a little red, I don't think you need to put anything on it though." She looks back to me and away from my hand after finishing her sentence, "So who punched who first?" She asks almost amused and I watch a smirk grace her pretty face.

"Doesn't matter."

"Golden boys make mistakes, right?" She says as she taps my other cheek and I hum with a roll of my eyes, licking over my bottom lip, ignoring how much I liked her touching me.

Maybe I should get hurt more often so she could touch me.

"I have an art room too." I tell her when she moves back and takes her bags over her shoulders, not questioning as to why I hadn't shown her it yesterday, but truth was, I didn't show her it because it was messy and I didn't want her to think I was messy.

Anxiety stuff? Probably, "Is it any fancier than mine?"

I know she's being sarcastic but she'll be surprised to see that its white tarps, markers, paint and other shit, similar to her space except bigger. Nothing fancier though. And i'd noticed that too when i'd seen hers, but never mentioned it.

We make our way upstairs, me following close behind her and she keeps walking till she finds the room since all the doors are open.

And she smiles making my heart stop.

"Its just like mine." Just like yours baby.

"Uh huh." I say as she goes in and drops her bag against the wall, slipping out her black converses, standing there before she walks over the tarps, her red painted toes the brightest thing in here before she starts working and suddenly she is the brightest thing too.

I almost don't want to work.

I just want to watch her in her element.

She takes art pieces and starts drawing before she paints over it and I'm still standing there and staring at her like she was a prize.

"Can you pass me a black marker?" She asks, but she never looks my way and only when she speaks I drop my bag beside hers and start helping her, knowing that I'd choose her, always her, over a party, any fucking day.