Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies #2) Read online

  “No.”

  “Well, I’m gonna tell you anyway,” she says with a grin, leaning on the counter.

  “Um, excuse me,” some girl says, but Delanie flashes her a dark look.

  “Yeah, excuse you,” she says before looking back at me. “Now, as I was saying, I think you need to be honest with your dad.”

  “Duly noted, but won’t happen, and what’s the point?” I ask, shaking my head. “This is probably just a college romance, no need to get him involved.”

  They both look at me like I’m stupid. “Do you actually believe the words that just came out of your mouth?” Mandie asks, and I only look back at them.

  “I don’t know,” I say, which is a halfway honest answer. I mean, it could last only for college, but I really hope it doesn’t.

  Reaching out, Delanie squeezes my hand. “Tell him and stop hiding it. Jayden is dying to show you off.”

  “No, he’s not,” I laugh, waving her off.

  “Yes, he is,” they both say, and I shake my head.

  “Fine,” I say, throwing my hands up. “I’ll get to it. Let me get through the season. I don’t want anything messing up Jayden’s chances in the draft, okay? No reason to poke daddy bear with this.”

  Wrapping her arms around my neck, she looks deep into my eyes and shakes her head before saying, “Just be happy, Baylor. That’s all I want.”

  “You’re drunk, and I am happy. Just the way everything is,” I say, and she shakes her head.

  “If you didn’t keep it a secret, girls wouldn’t flirt with Jayden, because hello, everyone is scared of you.”

  I laugh while shrugging. “I trust him, we are good.”

  “Yeah, but we want you to be happy.”

  “I am happy,” I say again, because obviously no one is listening to me.

  “Yeah, but inside or behind closed doors. Don’t you want everyone to know who you’re with?”

  “No, I don’t have to flaunt him,” I say dryly, and Delanie rolls her eyes.

  “Your dad will deal because all he wants is for you to be happy,” Mandie adds, and I shake my head.

  “I’ll tell him after the season is done, okay?” I say once more, and Delanie’s arms fall off my shoulders as she shakes her head.

  “Come on, let’s go. You know she won’t change her mind,” Mandie says, holding her sister’s wrist. “Even if she’d be happier. She always does the hard shit first.”

  “I do not,” I reply with a playful glare.

  “You do,” she says on a breath. “You always do.”

  “I just hope he holds on. No one wants to be kept a secret,” Mandie says then, and I stop her from walking away.

  “He doesn’t mind,” I reiterate, and she shakes her head.

  “Because he loves you, Baylor. Everyone can see it but you, but there will come a time when he’s had enough of waiting around for you.”

  They turn to walk away, and as I follow behind them, I wonder if they’re right. Am I making him wait around for me? No, I’m not. I’m protecting us! Plus, him loving me is just outrageous. Why would he love me? I was mean as hell to him for the first couple months of knowing him, then I fought him on everything we did, and tried to go for his position. Plus, I’m a wee bit of a control freak, I tend to get jealous over some chick I don’t even know, and I’m kind of violent. Oh, and I’m obsessed with winning.

  I would not love me.

  Plus, he knows what could happen if my dad found out. My dad is insanely protective of me. Jayden knows what happened with Seth; he isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t sacrifice his career for me. No, he doesn’t love me. He just wants to be with me, he doesn’t care how either. Rolling my eyes, I just need to let it go. We are good.

  But then something inside me is saying she’s right.

  So to fix that problem, I go to the bar and drown it with alcohol.

  And boom, problem solved.

  “Ugh, remind me to never drink that much again.”

  Chuckling beside Baylor, I turn to my side to look at her, placing my hand on her hip, rubbing it to soothe her. We’ve been in her bed since Delanie and Mandie left earlier this morning, which is weird since I’m used to being in my bed. But then again, it’s kind of nice. The door is locked and no one can get in. With my bed, we always have the chance that Jace and Markus will come in, but here no one can bother us. I’m grateful for the privacy because I get to enjoy just her. Even though she is hungover, looking like a mouse drowned in alcohol and smelling like one too, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

  Looking over at her, I grin. “You were on a mission to get drunk. I wasn’t going to spoil your fun with your friends.”

  Wrinkling her nose, she closes her eyes as she leans her head against the pillow. “Yeah, they were great and all, but man, they got on my nerves toward the end there. Hanging with guys is so much easier.”

  “Really? Seemed like y’all had a blast,” I note, and she shrugs.

  “I mean, yeah, it was, and I love them, I do. But they brought up some stuff and it bothered me,” she says as she rolls onto her stomach, her face coming near mine.

  Puckering my lips, I kiss her nose, and she smiles as I ask, “About?”

  I don’t expect her to answer me. I fully expect her tell me nothing or deflect, but then she opens her eyes and says, “You.”

  Surprised, I point to myself and ask, “Me?”

  “Yeah,” she says, and then she comes up on her forearms, picking at her pillow as she chews on her lip.

  As I watch her, I move her hair behind her ear, running the back of my hand along her cheek. “Can I know what? Or are you gonna keep it to yourself?”

  She looks over at me, leaning into my hand as she whispers, “I’m thinking, hold on.” Holding my gaze, she swallows loudly, and I wonder what is going on. She’s actually making me a bit nervous. What did those girls say to her? Finally, she clears her throat and asks, “Does it bother you that I want to keep our relationship a secret?”

  Letting my head fall to the side, I’m surprised by the question. Why were they worried about that? Going with the truth, I nod. “Kinda, but I understand why.”

  “They think I need to tell my dad,” she says softly. “That I don’t need to hide us because you should be able to show me off.”

  “I’d like to,” I admit, and she rolls her eyes.

  “There is nothing to show off.”

  “Says the person who can’t take a compliment or see that she is the most beautiful girl in the world. But who’s keeping tabs, eh?” I ask, and she looks away, rubbing her nose against the pillow. She is so ridiculously adorable.

  “Anyway,” she says sharply. “I tried to explain that I’m doing this for you. That he’ll freak, and I don’t want anything ruining your career.”

  Nodding my head, I pinch her chin, bringing her gaze to mine. “Yeah, I get that, that’s why I don’t mind it. But why does it matter to them?”

  “Because they think you don’t mind for another reason.”

  “Which is?”

  “They think it’s ’cause you are in love with me.”

  That catches me off guard. How did they know that? Am I really that obvious? But then the real question is, if they know, how does she not know? But with one look in her eyes, I know why.

  Because she doesn’t want to.

  Her eyes are swimming in uneasiness, her face is creeping with color, and I really don’t understand why. Would it really be that bad if I loved her? Before I can answer her though, when honestly, I have no clue what I would say, she is rambling. “Yeah, crazy, right? But I told them that’s insane. Why would you love me? I’m not that great, and it’s early, right? They are insane.”

  “You’re rambling,” I inform her, and she lets out a long breath before shaking her head. “And you are great, stop putting yourself down. It’s annoying as hell.”

  Glaring at me, she shakes her head. “I just… I don’t know, it’s just bothering me,” she admits then. “But real