“I’m bein’ supportive. That’s what you do when you’re with someone who’s into shit you don’t care about.”
“You don’t have to defend yourself, darlin’. I get it. You’re certainly not the first girl to chase after him, I just thought you were smart enough not to. Guess I was wrong.”
I open my mouth to point out I am not chasing Carter, that he is the one who pursued me, but I stop because it doesn’t matter. My words will fall on deaf ears. Jake has already made up his mind and sold himself on a narrative he needs to believe. The truth isn’t just irrelevant, it’s something he is actively disinterested in.
That his position is rooted in the idea that he and Carter are equally entitled to me and my desires are beside the point is a whole heap of sexist bullshit, but there’s no point trying to engage him in conversation about it. Unlike Carter, Jake is close-minded and set on viewing himself as a good guy, regardless of his actions. As crazy as it seems given his behavior and tendencies, Carter can be reasoned with. Without the emergence of a genuine desire to grow and evolve as a human being, Jake is a lost cause.
Telling Jake he’s not currently smart enough to interest me despite his boorish behavior—while true—wouldn’t help, so instead of responding, I turn my back to him and wait for the person at the counter to finish up.
“If you have fucked him, he’ll get bored with you now. Cast you aside like any other slut he goes through,” Jake continues, ignoring the cue that I no longer want to talk to him. “That’s what he does. You were nothin’ more than a novelty, some little virgin he wanted to nail. If you gave it up, you don’t have anything left to hold his interest.”
“Actually, I think I have a lot to offer regardless of my virginity, but my sex life is none of your business, so...”
“That’s your problem,” he states, moving to stand beside me. “You’re so damn full of yourself.”
“Thinking I have more to offer a guy than orgasms isn’t being full of myself, it’s having a healthier sense of self-worth than a snug napkin ring.” Meeting his gaze, I tell him, “Maybe if you had looked at me as something more than a pair of boobs and a vagina, you would have been the one to catch my interest. You didn’t. I’m not interested. I can’t be any clearer. Move along.”
Laughing despite himself, he says, “A snug napkin ring?”
Looking up at him through my eyelashes, I ask, “Oh, are not all dicks that thick? Sorry, I’ve only seen Carter’s.”
Now he loses his smile.
The alcohol compels him to act on his wounded ego rather than common sense and he grabs me around the waist, yanking me against his side. “That so? Well, come with me and I’ll be happy to introduce you to another one.”
My heart tumbles out of its cavity, but I don’t betray my nervousness. “Let go of me. I’m not some defenseless girl alone in a classroom tonight, Jake. If you don’t get your hands off me this time, I won’t tell Coach, I’ll tell Carter. Remember when he threatened me? He doesn’t want to fuck you, so I bet his threats for you would be even less pleasant.”
“You think you got him wrapped around your little finger that tight, huh?”
“Why don’t you try me and find out,” I challenge.
Jake shakes his head, his hooded gaze dropping to my lips. I don’t like the interest I see there as he murmurs, “So fuckin’ mouthy.”
Ahead of us, a woman calls out, “Next!”
I break eye contact with Jake and look ahead at the woman standing behind the concession counter. Jake doesn’t move to release me, but the woman caught his attention too, so I use the distraction to shove his arm away and step forward.
I order myself a drink and keep my gaze trained straight ahead, hoping if I stop feeding Jake attention, he’ll go away. I’m not sure whether or not he’ll still be standing there when I turn around, but I really don’t feel like dealing with him anymore tonight.
Thankfully when I turn around to head back to my seat, he’s gone.
Chapter 26
The Longhorns usher in a crushing defeat: 42-14, and the crowd goes wild. Kasey Jones from the school paper is standing on the sidelines looking through shots from the game when I make my way up there. I’m not exactly sure the proper etiquette of post-game madness. The cheerleaders are team-adjacent so they probably head inside with the guys, but I don’t know what a non-cheerleader girlfriend is supposed to do while she waits for her quarterback boyfriend.
So, I linger with Kasey and wait for Carter to spot me and hopefully fill me in on what I’m supposed to do next.