Yeah, total creep.

“Okay?”

“You’re really pretty,” he says, and this time I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

“You’re drunk,” I say back, and he grins.

“Kinda, but it’s true,” he says, coming a little closer. “I really do think you’re pretty, but I just hate that you play better than me.”

“Yeah, maybe you should work harder?” I suggest, and his eyes darken.

“And maybe you should suck me off?”

“Wow, does that work on women?” I ask, and he glares as he stands up, towering over me. Chills run down my back, but before he can say anything, Jayden is stepping between us.

“Bye, McCarthy,” he says simply without looking at him.

“I’m talking to her,” he says, but Jayden shakes his head.

“Not anymore.”

I watch as McCarthy stares Jayden down, but he doesn’t seem very affected by him. “Why don’t you just admit you’re fucking her?”

“Because I’m not,” he says, looking back at him. “But if I were, it wouldn’t be any of your business. Now go fuck off.”

“Maybe I’ll just fuck you up.”

“You can try,” Jayden says, turning to him. “But I don’t think you’ll succeed.”

“You think you run everything. I’m not scared of you,” he spits in his face, but Jayden just shrugs.

“Good for you. Bye.”

“Fucking douche,” McCarthy says then before pushing off the bar and heading back to the table.

Looking back at Jayden, I grin. “Now who’s jealous?”

He chuckles as he nods. “Of course, I am. It’s you.”

He says it so simply, like I should have known that, but still my cheeks warm with embarrassment as I wave him off. “Wow, are you drunk?” I ask, and he shrugs.

“A little, but it’s the truth. You’re gorgeous, and I don’t want anyone stepping in, messing up my chances with you.”

Like that would happen. If I can’t commit to liking him, no one else stands a chance.

“Ugh, okay,” I say, shaking my head.

Jayden then rolls his eyes. “Can’t take a compliment to save your ass, can you?”

I smile shyly. “Guess not.”

“Which is crazy because if I told you that you’re the best player I know, you’d agree with me. But I tell you you’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever set eyes on, and you get all weirded out.”

My heart stops in my chest as I suck in a deep breath. “Not used to hearing that, I guess.”

“Well, you should be. Someone should tell you that every day.”

Looking over at him, I bite into my lip as he grins back at me, sending me a wink before taking a long pull of his drink.

“You deserve that, you know,” he says and my brows go up.

“What?”

“Someone who will tell you you’re beautiful and then more. You deserve a good guy.” Looking away, I try to control my breathing as he leans toward me, his shoulder touching mine. “You know you don’t have to hide from me. You don’t have to hold back.”

Biting the inside of my cheek, I look over at him. His eyes are such a dark shade of green, one that makes me think of pretty, expensive emeralds. Swallowing loudly, I decide to take his advice and not hold back. “You know you scare the living shit out of me, right? And yes, that’s me being honest.”

He nods. “I know, we’ve already determined that. But you have to ask yourself, with me this close to you, what do you want to do?”

When I don’t answer, my eyes falling to his lips, I know what I want. I want to feel his lips on mine, but before I can say that, he says, “I want to kiss you, but I don’t think you’re ready for that. Plus, I’m always worried you’ll kick me in my balls.”

Grinning hard, I start to laugh as I nod. “Maybe.”

“No, no maybe, you’d do it because you don’t want to feel for me. It makes you mad and scares you because you can’t control it. But it’s cool, you know how I feel, so hopefully it will help you figure this out.”

“I do?” I ask, confused by it all. I mean, I know he likes having sex with me, and that he might want to do it again. Oh and that he’s attracted to me, but that’s not really feelings, I guess.

“No?” he asks and I shake my head.

“No,” I say before looking down. “I kinda ran out on you and made up every excuse in the book this afternoon.”

He laughs as he nods. “Yeah, classic Baylor right there, but you know I’m not letting it bother me.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope,” he says, turning to me. His dark eyes are trained on mine as he leans into me. “You’re a planner, you have to weigh out the options, see if I’m worth the risk. And the thing is, I am.”

Shocked by his bluntness, I sputter, trying to get my wits about me, but he goes on, “I told my mom and my brother today that I won’t be a doormat. No matter how much I want to wait around for you to realize I’m worth it, I know I can’t.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to,” I say softly, and he nods.

“I know you won’t, but you also won’t listen to your feelings. So let me put mine out there.”

“Okay?” I say as my heart hammers against my ribs. Gooseflesh breaks out on my skin, the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. No one has ever told me I’m pretty or how they feel for me. Seth told me I was hot and that he wanted to be with me forever, but never that he loved me. I was so naïve and dumb that I didn’t realize that until after we were over. He was such a dick. But I don’t need to think about him, not when Jayden is talking to me.

“I’d like to date you, maybe even fall in love with you if you’d let me, because I feel like you deserve someone good, and I could be good for you. I don’t know what that dickfuck did to you, because you won’t tell me. But if you did, I’d listen, and I’d help you realize that he wasn’t worth your time. I am worth your time though, so give me a chance. Realize that I’m good for you. That with me, we can be better people.”

Speechless, I just watch as he shrugs. “I’ve known from the beginning that you were different, Baylor. I just need you to know that I am too,” he says as his eyes bore into mine. His body is so close, and thinking rationally isn’t an option when he’s this close to me. He makes me want to throw all caution to the wind. To go for what I want. But something is holding me back, and that’s the unknown. The scary part of every relationship. Because I know he’s different, and that’s what terrifies me.