Read Online Rival Hearts (Rival Love #2) by Natalie Decker - Free Book Online
Authors: Natalie Decker
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teaching degree, but he still felt like a failure. He thought about leaving town and starting over new somewhere else, but then my parents had me.”
“What’s this have to do with anything that’s going on with us?”
He smiles. “Patience. I’m getting there.” He sighs. “I was his fresh start. I’ve never seen my uncle as a failure and will never look at him as such because he’s the best person I know. He taught me how to be a damn good baseball and football player. When we were out on that field he said, you can give up. You can always give up, but you’re going to disappoint yourself and them. Your parents aren’t dead, Sky, but if you keep trying to be this person, living or not, you’re only going to disappoint them and yourself in the end.”
I cross my arms. “What do you know?”
“I know you’re trying to be a person your father wants. I know you’re fronting. This isn’t you. Yes, you worry about your grades. But since when do you give up? Sky, you never gave in. Not when people pushed you into corners at school. You could have told, but you didn’t. You held your ground. When you thought you couldn’t be part of a team, you looked for other ways.”
My eyes meet his. He shrugs. “I overheard a conversation. Point is, you weren’t giving in. So why are you now? Who gives a shit that someone destroyed that pool? Everyone knows it wasn’t you.”
“Caleb, stop it.” My voice cracks. “You don’t know what it was like for me. I can’t go back to that. And it’ll be ten times worse because they’ll want answers. Answers I can’t give. I honestly don’t know who did that.” Plus, it’s not like any of my old friends would tell me if they did have a hand in it.
He stands and wraps his arms around me. “I know. But you are forgetting three people who weren’t in your corner before. Three people that will stick up for you, escort you, and take whatever slack you need them to.” His lips brush against my forehead, and he whispers, “I got your back, Fletch. ’ Cause you got something of mine that I need to keep undamaged.”
“What’s that?”
“My heart, silly girl. What else?”
“Oh, I thought it was your ego,” I tease. He laughs and kisses my nose.
“That too.”
I roll my eyes and smile back. “When did you become so wise?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Probably when I started studying in order to get this hot chick to notice me.”
“I’m pretty certain I noticed you the first time I saw you sitting in your uncle’s kitchen.”
He barks with laughter and walks us down the street. “Yes, but you hated my guts then. I studied to get you to like me.”
I nod. “Oh, in that case. I liked you the moment you came to my rescue when my stupid ex, Kevin, admitted to cheating on me.”
He smiles and pulls me closer to him. “He obviously didn’t know what he had. His loss and my gain, I suppose.”
“Even if I’m not ready for the whole getting naked thing?” I frown because I know he’s more experienced than me. And every guy I’ve ever dated has left me sooner or later because I wouldn’t turn in my V card. To be honest, I can’t go through that kind of stuff again.
He pulls me around so we can face each other. “Skylar Olivia Fletcher, I might not like your middle name. I might hate like hell that you could decide to stay here in New York. But no matter what, I love you. Whether we do get naked and I am your first or not. I love you. Got me?”
I blink. “You love me?”
“Yeah, babe, I do. And I don’t ever say that.”
“Really?”
“Really, Sky. I love you.”
My heart flutters and a happy tear slides down my cheek. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me. “I love you, too. I really do.” Our lips brush against one another, and he slides his tongue over mine. I moan as we deepen our kiss.
He pulls back and we continue walking hand in hand down the street.
Maybe I can do this. Maybe I can be with Caleb. Maybe I can go
“What’s this have to do with anything that’s going on with us?”
He smiles. “Patience. I’m getting there.” He sighs. “I was his fresh start. I’ve never seen my uncle as a failure and will never look at him as such because he’s the best person I know. He taught me how to be a damn good baseball and football player. When we were out on that field he said, you can give up. You can always give up, but you’re going to disappoint yourself and them. Your parents aren’t dead, Sky, but if you keep trying to be this person, living or not, you’re only going to disappoint them and yourself in the end.”
I cross my arms. “What do you know?”
“I know you’re trying to be a person your father wants. I know you’re fronting. This isn’t you. Yes, you worry about your grades. But since when do you give up? Sky, you never gave in. Not when people pushed you into corners at school. You could have told, but you didn’t. You held your ground. When you thought you couldn’t be part of a team, you looked for other ways.”
My eyes meet his. He shrugs. “I overheard a conversation. Point is, you weren’t giving in. So why are you now? Who gives a shit that someone destroyed that pool? Everyone knows it wasn’t you.”
“Caleb, stop it.” My voice cracks. “You don’t know what it was like for me. I can’t go back to that. And it’ll be ten times worse because they’ll want answers. Answers I can’t give. I honestly don’t know who did that.” Plus, it’s not like any of my old friends would tell me if they did have a hand in it.
He stands and wraps his arms around me. “I know. But you are forgetting three people who weren’t in your corner before. Three people that will stick up for you, escort you, and take whatever slack you need them to.” His lips brush against my forehead, and he whispers, “I got your back, Fletch. ’ Cause you got something of mine that I need to keep undamaged.”
“What’s that?”
“My heart, silly girl. What else?”
“Oh, I thought it was your ego,” I tease. He laughs and kisses my nose.
“That too.”
I roll my eyes and smile back. “When did you become so wise?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Probably when I started studying in order to get this hot chick to notice me.”
“I’m pretty certain I noticed you the first time I saw you sitting in your uncle’s kitchen.”
He barks with laughter and walks us down the street. “Yes, but you hated my guts then. I studied to get you to like me.”
I nod. “Oh, in that case. I liked you the moment you came to my rescue when my stupid ex, Kevin, admitted to cheating on me.”
He smiles and pulls me closer to him. “He obviously didn’t know what he had. His loss and my gain, I suppose.”
“Even if I’m not ready for the whole getting naked thing?” I frown because I know he’s more experienced than me. And every guy I’ve ever dated has left me sooner or later because I wouldn’t turn in my V card. To be honest, I can’t go through that kind of stuff again.
He pulls me around so we can face each other. “Skylar Olivia Fletcher, I might not like your middle name. I might hate like hell that you could decide to stay here in New York. But no matter what, I love you. Whether we do get naked and I am your first or not. I love you. Got me?”
I blink. “You love me?”
“Yeah, babe, I do. And I don’t ever say that.”
“Really?”
“Really, Sky. I love you.”
My heart flutters and a happy tear slides down my cheek. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me. “I love you, too. I really do.” Our lips brush against one another, and he slides his tongue over mine. I moan as we deepen our kiss.
He pulls back and we continue walking hand in hand down the street.
Maybe I can do this. Maybe I can be with Caleb. Maybe I can go
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