Forgoing the towel, I made a beeline straight for the kitchen, dripping water along the way. Voices thundered behind me, followed by the stomping of feet like a herd of elephants. I didn’t stop. I ran through the house and up the stairs until I was behind my bedroom door. I flipped the lock quickly in place. If they broke down my door, there would be questions. I held on to that thought as fists pounded on the other side of the door.
“You better open this door, Josie. I swear to God. What am I supposed to do without my phone!” Carter ranted.
I backed away from the door, afraid he might actually bust the thing down. Swallowing the scream bubbling up my throat, I bit my lip, forcing myself to stay silent. I didn’t even dare breathe. Not until the bastard gave up. He hit my door one last time and then lumbered back down the hall.
Exhaling, I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my bare, not quite dry legs, and buried my face into my knees. The tears I’d been holding back all day finally came. Silently, I cried, letting them roll over my cheeks, shoulders shaking.
Cater was the worst kind of asshole.
Chapter Six
How long had it been since I woke up in the morning and felt hopeful about the day ahead of me? I couldn’t remember.
Not that I had ever exactly been a positive person. I was nobody’s ray of sunshine. Still, there used to be things I looked forward to. Girl’s nights with Ainsley.The Bachelor. Art class.
I was supposed to be on top of the world. I had everything a girl could wish for. Yet, I had never been more miserable in my life.
I slept fitfully after the incident with Carter and his jackass football friends. Every tiny noise had set me on edge, which explained the ring of circles around my eyes this morning and the puffiness. No amount of makeup would fix this. I longed to drag my ass back to bed, instead of downstairs to the kitchen.
I had no idea when Carter’s friends left for the night, and I wasn’t stupid enough to think my war with Carter was over. If anything, this shit was just getting started. He would find a way to pay me back. It was what he did best. And I needed to be on guard. Who knew when he would strike next, but I could bet it would be soon.
The sun shone bright and sunny as I walked into the kitchen, so very opposite to my current mood. My plan was to get out of the house early and avoid any unwanted run-ins with Angie or Carter.
I popped a slice of bread in the toaster and pulled out the peanut butter. While the bread toasted, I poured myself a cup of iced coffee to take with me in the car. Steven strolled in, his shoes rapping over the tile floor.
“Josie,” he greeted warmly.
I closed my eyes for a second, gripping the countertop tight. Steven was the last person I’d expected to see. The man was almost always off on a trip somewhere scouting new players, meeting with other owners, and whatever other important details that required his attention.
“Morning,” I replied, turning my head to the side. I made it a point to sound pleasant. My toast popped up, and I plucked it out of the toaster onto my plate.
Steven reached for the coffeepot, pouring himself a mug. One of the staff made sure the coffee was brewed and hot. Rich people perks. “I heard what happened last night.”
The knife slipped out of my hand, clattering onto the counter, my appetite suddenly gone. I turned around, fighting to keep my expression neutral. “I was only defending myself. One of his friends had his hands all over me. I just reacted.” I refused to admit how scared I’d been, even to my stepfather.
His eyes narrowed just a little—they were so much like Carter’s, it was enough to make my heart drop. I knew before he even opened his mouth, Steven would somehow defend his son’s disgusting behavior. “Carter said they’d been drinking. I’m sure things got out of hand.”
Denial much?
I snorted. “Sure. It’s totally normal to assault a girl.” This time I couldn’t stop the sarcasm from leaking into my voice. What world was I living in that this behavior was acceptable? The fucking Twilight Zone?
Steven stirred cream and sugar into his cup. “Accusations like that are detrimental to a player’s career. I’m not saying he is absolved of any guilt, but it isn’t wise to go around making allegations. Carter is an asset to the Academy’s team and has a promising future ahead of him. We take care of our own.”
Outrage fell over my expression. “Thanks for the warning. I’d hate to do anything that might upset the team,” I said sourly. It was crystal clear whose future was important. And it sure as hell wasn’t mine.
It was too early for this bullshit.
Would anyone ever be on my team? Cheering me on?
Yeah. Me.
I gathered my bag and iced coffee, leaving the toast untouched on the counter, and headed out the door.
My crappy morning extended itself throughout the day. Rumors traveled sickeningly fast. It didn’t take long to realize Carter had already been hard at work, talking shit about me. Apparently, I had thrown myself at his friends last night like the desperate slut that I was.
As if.
I was between classes, dashing to my locker to grab my cardigan. The halls were chilly today thanks to the storm that had descended upon the school an hour ago. Violent winds railed against the brick building, rattling the windows.