Read Online One Southern Night by Marissa Carmel - Free Book Online Page A

again.
    “Kam, put me down.”
    “No.”
    “Come on.” She kicks her legs, but I still refuse her.
    “We need to talk.”
    “There’s nothing to talk about. Besides, I need ice for my elbow.”
    “You did hurt it.” I stare her down. I would have iced it a quarter and a half ago. “Fine, we’ll get ice, and we’ll talk.” I march straight off the field, down the thorough way and into the locker room.
    “Kam! This is the boy’s locker room, I can’t be in here!”
    “Of course you can. No one’s here. Besides, this stadium has the best rehab room in the state.” I plant Laney on the bench in front of my old locker. She looks around as I retrieve an ice pack, a thin towel, and some wrap. “Put your arm out,” I instruct. She does, and I carefully place the wrapped ice pack against her elbow and wind the bandage around it. “Better?”
    She looks at her arm. “It’s good. Thanks.”
    “Welcome. Now let’s talk.” I straddle the bench so we are sitting face to face.
    “About what?”
    “Us.”
    Laney huffs. “There is no us.”
    “Well, there should be.”
    “I can’t be with someone I can’t trust.”
    “Damn it, Laney, you can trust me.” I slam the locker beside me with my fist. She jumps. “Have you seen me with one other girl since we broke up? And don’t say Darla, because that doesn’t count. Nothing happened.”
    “No,” she answers.
    “And why do you think that is?”
    “No fresh meat?” She digs.
    I groan. “Are all city girls as frustrating as you?”
    “Yes, it’s part of our charm.”
    That causes me to crack a smile. “Do you want to know why I messed around with all those girls?”
    “Do I want to know?” She curls her lip.
    “Yes. Maybe it will give you some perspective. You know who my ex is, right?”
    “Of course, everyone knows who Cheyenne is. Head cheerleader, prom queen, student body president.”
    “Yup, that’s her. She’s also self-centered, egotistical, and a mega bitch. I spent three years of my life with a girl who didn’t give two shits about me. All she cared about was her social status and what I could do for it. I finally had enough when she showed up to my grandfather’s funeral two hours late and didn’t even kiss me hello or offer her condolences to my father. Who wants to date a person like that? So I dumped her, vowing I was going to spend my senior year having fun and not be tied down.”
    “Well it sort of worked out that way,” Laney comments.
    “Yeah, everything was going fine until a smart-mouthed city girl with blue eyes and crazy streaked hair strolled into first period and sat next to me. I was attracted to you the first second I saw you, and you wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
    “You shouldn’t have called me sugar right off the bat.” She shrugs.
    “I call everyone sugar. It’s habit.”
    “Exactly. I didn’t want to be part of your bad habit. I didn’t want to be another girl on your roster.”
    “You had to know you weren’t just another girl.”
    “For a second I thought I was different.”
    “You are.” I grab her hand. It feels so good in mine. “And I’m collecting on our bet. I’m not letting you get away again.”
    “Bet?” She raises her eyebrows.
    “Yeah, the one we made in chem the morning of the state championships. If I recall, we won and covered the spread.”
    “You’re devious.” She leers.
    “Yup, and I want you.”
    “That bet was just my body. No strings attached.”
    “We can start there, Lemon. You got a taste of what I can do to your body.” Laney’s eyes flash. “And that was just the tip of the iceberg.” I lean in and brush my lips against hers. She stiffens, fighting me. “What do you say? Will you give me one night to prove myself?”
    Laney looks up at me with confliction in her eyes. “One night, Kam,” she sighs, giving in.
    “That’s all I need.”

 
    L aney climbs into my pickup a little after ten pm.
    She wouldn’t let me come to the door, even